Mapo tofu (or ma po tofu) is a very traditional and popular Chinese dish that’s loved all over Japan. It’s comforting, texturally beautiful and incredibly tasty. There are several ways to make mapo tofu; spicy, mild, oily, lean, chunky, silky. I have tried many many mapo tofu recipe and love experimenting with different flavor combinations in my own kitchen. For this mapo tofu recipe I am using ground chicken instead of ground pork and making silken tofu the star of the dish. I wanted to create a healthier mapo tofu recipe while still retaining as much of the original flavors since I adore this dish. The result is a mapo tofu recipe that’s milder (since chicken is more delicate in flavor) yet savory and very high in umami. This is a mapo tofu recipe to contemplate on those days when you want to eat light but still crave oily Chinese takeout!
And if you are looking for a vegan version I have the most incredible vegan mapo tofu recipe for you.
When tofu is prepared the right way, it’s incredibly delicious! With healthy benefits such as lowering bad cholesterol and certain cancers, as well as alleviating menopause symptoms, it’s worth a second try in the kitchen.
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Chicken Mapo Tofu
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Pan frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
Description
This is an easy chicken mapo tofu recipe made with ground chicken and silken tofu. Only 25 minutes to make from start to finish.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 pound ground chicken
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 thumb size ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 pound silken tofu, drained
- 1 tablespoon sake
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon tobanjan (Korean chili paste)
- 1/4 cup water
- 8 green onions, chopped
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a wok or deep skillet over high heat, add 2 tablespoon of oil, garlic, and ginger, and cook for a minute, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the ground chicken and cook for a 3 to 4 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Add the sake, soy sauce, chicken broth and tobanjan, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Incorporate the tofu by gently breaking it up.
- Add the green onions, stir and add the water.
- Stir the cornstarch and water mix and add it to the wok.
- Turn the heat off, add the sesame oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve with Japanese rice.
Notes
Save this chicken mapo tofu in a storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 395
- Sugar: 4.7g
- Sodium: 777.1mg
- Fat: 26.8g
- Saturated Fat: 13.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5.1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14.8g
- Fiber: 1.7g
- Protein: 24.4g
- Cholesterol: 48.2mg
