Sometimes tofu gets a bad rep from omnivores. But I'm pretty sure that's because they're eating tofu that isn't cooked or seasoned well. I'm here to change ya minds with this sweet and sour tofu recipe.
It's no secret that I love tofu and cook with it a lot in the hot for food kitchen. I've made cream cheese, eggs benedict, and tofu scramble with it and that's just for starters! Try this simple recipe for sweet and sour tofu and prepare to ditch any haterade you were sippin' on.
This sweet and sour tofu reminds me of sweet and sour chicken balls that I used to eat in bucket fulls when I was a kid. My Japanese aunties would make the best chicken balls ever! I miss them and the memories, but this recipe brings it all back. I have no idea how my family made their sweet and sour sauce for the chicken balls, but I suspect it included a lot of ketchup! My recipe for sweet and sour tofu includes an irresistible sweet and sour sauce to coat the crispy tofu in, sans ketchup, but made with simple enough ingredients. Serve these sauced up tofu cubes on a fresh bed of sticky rice like I did, or on top of some cooked veggies!
what you need
For the sweet and sour sauce:
- cornstarch
- water
- vegetable oil
- garlic
- ginger
- chili flakes
- rice vinegar
- water
- agave nectar
- tomato paste
- soy sauce
- sea salt
For the crispy tofu:
- medium-firm or firm tofu
- vegetable oil (canola, sunflower, or avocado work best for deep frying)
- brow rice flour
- cornstarch
- garlic powder
- sea salt and ground pepper
- soda water (this is sparkling water, carbonated water, whatever you want to call it!)
how to make the recipe
Watch the video below the recipe card to see how to make this dish. If you're not into deep frying I've also made a note in the recipe card about how to bake the tofu to get it just as crispy!
Drain the brick of tofu from the packaging water and cut into bite-size cubes.
While the tofu is draining of excess water, make the sauce and start by combining cornstarch and water into a slurry.
Heat a sauce pan with vegetable oil, once hot add minced garlic, ginger, and chili flakes. Cook until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic or ginger.
Add rice vinegar, water, agave nectar, tomato paste, soy sauce, and sea salt, and whisk to combine. Then whisk in the cornstarch slurry until well combined.
Whisk the sauce frequently for 10 to 12 minutes until thickened and reduced. Remove from the heat and set aside while you prepare the tofu.
Prepare the batter for the tofu by combining rice flour, cornstarch, sea salt, garlic powder, and ground pepper together in a mixing bowl.
Once vegetable oil is heated for deep frying, add the soda water to the batter and mix to combine. Coat handfuls of tofu in the batter and place in the frying oil. Fry until golden brown, about 2 to 2 ½ minutes.
Fry in batches and remove the tofu onto paper towel to drain off excess oil. Once all the tofu is fried, toss the pieces in warm sweet and sour sauce in a mixing bowl and coat well.
equipment you need
- sharp knife
- cutting board
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- sauce pan
- slotted frying spoon
- heavy-bottomed pot for deep frying
- baking sheet with a layer of paper towels
substitutions
- tofu - as much as I love tofu, you could definitely use an unbreaded vegan chicken product and really make it like sweet and sour chicken balls/pieces.
- brown rice flour - I used this flour to make the batter extra light and it also happens to be gluten-free. But you could sub in all-purpose flour. Just add less soda water to start and add a bit at a time until the batter is the right consistency and coats the tofu pieces well without dripping off too much.
- chili flakes - you can leave these out if you don't want any spice in the sauce. This would make it very kid-friendly too!
- soda water - I have a soda stream so I have carbonated water on demand. You could always use a beer if that's all you have in the fridge. But you do need to use a carbonated liquid to get the batter the right texture!
sweet and sour tofu
Ingredients
sweet and sour sauce
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon water
- 2 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon ginger freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- ⅓ C unseasoned rice vinegar
- ½ C water
- ½ C agave nectar (or maple syrup or sugar)
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce low-sodium
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
tofu & batter
- 1 brick of medium firm / firm tofu
- 3 C vegetable oil for frying
- 1 C brown rice flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 C cold soda water
Instructions
- Drain the brick of tofu from the packaging water and cut into bite size cubes. Allow the cubes to sit on a clean tea towel or paper towel to get rid of excess water while you prepare the sauce.
- To make the sauce, mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil over medium-low heat. Add minced garlic, ginger, and chili pepper flakes. Stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic or ginger. Add in the remaining sauce ingredients and whisk together over medium heat until just bubbling. Then whisk in the cornstarch and water slurry mixture. Whisk frequently for 10 to 12 minutes until thickened and reduced. Remove from the heat and set aside while you prepare the crispy tofu.
- Heat 3 cups of neutral vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pot to 355°F to 365°F.
- Prepare the batter by combining rice flour, cornstarch, sea salt, garlic powder, and ground black pepper together in a mixing bowl. Do not add the cold soda water until your frying oil is hot and ready.
- When you’re ready to fry, stir in soda water to the flour mixture and combine well. If the mixture seems too thin, add a little bit more rice flour and combine. It should be a smooth, slightly thick pancake batter consistency. You want it to stick and coat the cubes of tofu.
- Place the tofu cubes in the batter and toss to coat evenly. Drop each battered cube of tofu into the frying oil delicately one at a time. Fry in batches of 5 to 6 pieces and do not overcrowd the pot.
- Fry for 2 to 2 ½ minutes. If some stick together, you can gently separate them in the frying oil with a slotted fryer spoon. Remove crispy tofu from the oil with the slotted spoon and let them sit on paper towel to absorb excess oil. Continue this process with remaining tofu cubes.
- Heat up the sauce again if needed right before serving. In 2 to 3 batches, you can coat the crispy tofu with the sweet and sour sauce by adding some sauce to a large bowl and tossing crispy tofu cubes until coated evenly. Serve over sticky rice or vegetables.
Kay Smith
hey guys, kinda silly question here...what is soda water? like club soda?
Lauren Toyota
yes club soda!
Courtney Farmer
Fantastic as is - perfect sauce, really crispy tofu. Made my husband's top 3 dishes of all time and I love it! I try every sweet and sour sauce I come across in an effort to find the best one (love the agave) and this tops them all. Thanks for sharing this!
Karyn
So, I made this on a whim and I loved it so much! The sauce was great too! Now I know what to make when im craving sweet and sour chicken 😀
Lauren Toyota
glad you loved it!
Katelyn
I made this and it was delish! I didn't have any tomato paste so substituted the agave + tomato paste for ketchup and it turned out great!
Kara Piergentili
Can I sub all purpose flour for the brown rice flour?
Lauren Toyota
Yes. All purpose will always work as it has gluten in it!
Jennifer
Used brown sugar instead of agave.. is that why the sauce was a bit strong? or are some people's taste more sensitive than others? 😮
Lauren Toyota
might be yes. Brown Sugar has more of a molasses-like flavour when cooked down. Agave is more neutral.
M
Do I have to use club soda?
Brenn
I didn't have any so I just made it with about a teaspoon of baking soda and a splash of vinegar. it was so good!
Jenny Samuel
Can I use distilled white vinegar instead of rice vinegar?
Jenny Samuel
Don't worry I just used rice vinegar. And I love this so much! Gonna be one of my favorites Thank You!
Jo
Do I have to use soda water?
Brenn
I didn't have any so I just made it with about a teaspoon of baking soda and a splash of vinegar. it was so good!
Audrey Mi
This recipe was excellent! The tofu was crispy and even my omni husband said it taste like chicken. The only thing I should have done is double the sauce, there was not enough for all the crispy tofu! Two thumbs up! 🙂
Lauren Toyota
OH YA! we love converting the omni-husbands. Seems to be a lot of them 😉
D
can you use just plain sugar instead of agave?
Michelle
Maybe if you made a simple syrup with the sugar? The sauce wouldn't be sauce without the liquid. I use maple syrup in place of the agave. If you want to try a simple syrup, use 1/2 cup warm water (in replacement of the 1/2 cup agave), and add 1/2 cup sugar to it. Stir until dissolved. That creates a simple syrup! Hope you don't mind that I answered 🙂
D
Thanks for replying. I can't find agave, but I do have maple syrup, so I'll try it with that. Thanks again!
Cassie Tran
YUM, Asian-style tofu is the best!
Michelle
This dish pleases everyone in the family! Mentioning tofu in our household used to be met with turned up noses, and groans. Now they know it means yummy! I always double the sauce recipe so that there is some leftover after tossing the tofu. We like to drizzle it on our rice!
Nellie
absolutely loved it!!! even my non-vegan boyfriend loved it
shelbs
I made this sauce over tofu tonight and absolutely loved it. I used a different recipe for the tofu since I was air frying it and the overall dish was perfect.
Ori
Can someone help me?
3 C vegetable oil in grams?
Is that not a little bit too much?
Ori
*3 C vegetable oil in ml?
Amber
You are cooking it in that.Im not sure why you see that as too much.
Cosmic Rainbow Kitty
I made this! My thoughts: the sauce was fantastic!!!! Will be making again for sure!!!! The deep fry was an utter fail. Instead I just cut a second bath of tofu into cubes and baked at 425 for 20 minutes.
Shazaa
Thank you Lauren for this super deliciousss recipe...
S.J
Emilie
Thanks for the youtube video on this recipe!! 🙂 I don't think I would have made it otherwise 😀 I am eating it for lunch right now and it's soooo good! 😀 thanks a lot ! xxx
Jill Amanda
I would rather do these in the oven.. Could I batter them then stick them in the oven?
(I know in the video she mentions just doing corn starch and spray oil)
Can't wait to make these tonight!
Lauren Toyota
it says in the post
NOTE: if you want to bake the tofu all you need to do is toss the cubes in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a large bowl and lay out in an even layer slightly spaced apart on a large parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 425 F oven for 30 to 40 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Then coat in warm sweet and sour sauce right before serving!
Anthrogeek10
Can't you read the recipe? Jeez.
Melissa Green Curit
I've made this twice, baking the tofu (adding salt, pepper, and garlic granules to the cornstarch coating), and it's so good. Ate it with rice and broccoli the first time, and rice and sauteed greens the second. Definitely a go-to recipe!
Jenn
Do you still use the sod’s water if you bake? Or just the corn starch and flour mix?
Kate Brewer
Just made this! Back when I was an omnivore I would N E V E R get sweet and sour chicken because I always felt guilty (being that it is not the healthiest choice) but I definitely do not feel guilty eating this! I opted to bake the tofu and it turned out beautifully. The only alteration I made was the tomato paste-- instead I used leftover pizza sauce and there is no way anyone would ever be able to tell. Thanks for yet another great recipe, Lauren 🙂
Sky
Lovely my new fav!!
Can you tell my what the calories would roughly be foe this recipe?
Lauren Toyota
sorry i don't provide calorie/nutrition info on this blog
Maira Meniuk
Wasnt't expecting much... this was AH MA ZINNNNNGGGGGG. Holy fuck! Worth the frying trouble and calories... the crisp that dreams are made of! <3
Brittany Adams
I just made this for dinner and it was delicious! When I was reheating the sauce to stir with the tofu I was worried it wouldn't be enough, so I just added 1/2C of water and cooked it down a little. It worked out perfectly and I got extra sauce to add to my rice!
Thanks Lauren, I'm such a fan!
Sdaf2
The sauce was amazing, but the batter just did not work and the deep fry was mostly a fail. Will definitely use this sauce for sweet and sour recipes in the future though
Lauren Toyota
deep frying takes some practice!
Victoria
Just tried the baked-fry version of this and it turned out phenomenally! I added the corn starch, garlic, pepper and salt together in a large bowl then tossed the pressed tofu cubes into it dry rub. On an oiled baking sheet, I baked it at 425 for 35 mins. Results were pure perfection! Thanks for the idea!
Emily
Baked the tofu and it turned out amazing
Britttheshit27
I’ll be honest we didn’t make the sweet and sour sauce as we had some already! But omg the coating for the tofu made them so yummy and my fiancé knows I like it crispy so we cooked them a little longer then the recipe required! I am so thankful he stumbled upon your recipe as I think this batter would be good on most veggies as well! 🤗 yay thanks again! I definitely say fry over bake as the taste is different for sure.
Deepa
What kind of rice do you use? How do you cook rice?
Tobi Banks
I just made this! It's delicious
Lynn
Is there any nutritional info available on this recipe?
Lauren Toyota
I don't provide nutritional info!
mamtapandy
I go to many corners of the world in search of delicious food but i loved that food until i saw your post i saw your post and i tasted the food you made i want to say that my best experience hai now i can taste better your post now i don't need to go around for taste.
Lynn
The recipe sounds amazing. I'm not sure I want to invest in a deep fryer but haven't been able to achieve crispy outside and tender inside tofu. I do use a press to get the moisture out. I've only used cornstarch as a coating. Could I take your coating recipe and use it in an air fryer? Thank you!
Lauren Toyota
because this is a wet batter it won't work in an air fryer.
Heather Doyle
Excellent, easy recipe that delivers crisp tofu and a really tasty sauce. It is a keeper for sure!