Crispy tofu cubes with a hint of heat and plenty of honey sweetness! If you think tofu is bland, wait until you try this recipe – it might just become your and your family’s new favorite dis 
I love crispy tofu!
Whenever I’m in the mood to make something that tastes indulgent but is still good for me, I often reach out for a block of tofu and dress it up with bold flavors. Today’s recipe is exactly that – I’ve created an easy tofu dish you can make at home in just 15 minutes!
It’s a spicy honey sesame tofu that’s sweet and nutty with a crunchy coating made of cornstarch. Are you familiar with general Tso chicken? Well, it’s close to that but with more zing and yum!
For this dish I’m using Aunt Sue’s Raw & Unfiltered Honey which comes in two bold flavors – wildflower or clover.
You will also need soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, chili sauce such as sambal oelek, and garlic to make the sauce. I mixed equal amounts of honey and soy sauce to keep the flavors of the dish balanced but feel free to use more honey if you prefer a sweeter taste.
The secret to making this dish lip smacking delicious not only lies in the sauce but in the texture of the tofu. You want the outside to be super crispy!
Don’t worry, it’s not difficult to make, you just have to follow these three easy rules:
- Drain the tofu well before using it. Take it out of the package and let it rest on a plate for 10-15 minutes. This removes excess water that would have made it difficult for the cornstarch to adhere to the cubes.
- Use cornstarch to dust the tofu cubes and don’t be shy about using more than what the recipe calls for if your cubes are not well coated. Take your time making sure each cube has a thin, uniform layer of cornstarch on all sides.
- Make sure the oil is hot before placing the tofu in your pan or wok. This is essential to making the outside crispy instead of soggy. I like to heat up my pan for about 2 minutes before adding the oil and then wait another minute before adding the tofu.
Pan fry on each side for 2-3 minutes and you will have perfectly crispy tofu cubes!
What to serve spicy honey sesame tofu with
There are so many ways to serve this spicy honey sesame tofu!
You can go the traditional route and serve it with white or brown rice – you can never go wrong with that. Or you can skip the grains and serve it with greens like I did. I used watercress to add a peppery taste to the dish and the flavors married beautifully!
You could probably use these tasty cubes in a sandwich too – spicy honey sesame tofu banh mi anyone?
No matter how you decide to serve this dish, I guarantee everyone will love it, including your kids!
Did you like this Spicy Honey Sesame Tofu Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
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Spicy Honey Sesame Tofu
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Tofu
- Method: Stir frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
Description
Crispy tofu cubes with a hint of heat and plenty of honey sweetness!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 16oz block medium firm or firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons onions, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Spicy honey sesame sauce:
- 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Aunt Sue’s Raw & Unfiltered Honey
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon chili paste such as sambal oelek
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk all the ingredients for the spicy honey sesame sauce and set aside.
- Drain the tofu from the package and place on a plate. Let sit for 15-20 to remove excess water. Alternatively, wrap the tofu in paper towel or a tea towel to remove excess water. Repeat 3 to 4 times until the tofu is dryer.
- Dust the tofu cubes on all sides with cornstarch and set aside.
- In a large pan over high heat, add 3 tablespoon vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, almost smoking, add tofu cubes. Be careful of oil spits! Fry on each side for 2-3 minutes without touching or tossing too much, until golden brown.
- Transfer the tofu cubes to a plate covered with paper towel.
- Using the same pan, lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the onions and saute for 1 minutes, or until onions are translucent and tender.
- Return the tofu cubes to the pan and pour the sauce over. Toss to cover the tofu cubes evenly and cook for 2 minutes.
- Turn the heat off, transfer to a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve with vegetables and rice.
Notes
This spicy honey sesame tofu recipe is best served right out of the pan. If you have leftovers, keep them refrigerated in an airtight container. It will last for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 577
- Sugar: 11.5 g
- Sodium: 291.2 mg
- Fat: 46.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 24.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.5 g
- Fiber: 1.3 g
- Protein: 20.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
So good! I cooked the tofu extra long for extra crisp, and doubled the sambal to suit our tastes. I served it with veggie fried brown rice, and my spouse said, “This is by far the best tofu dish I’ve ever had.” Thank you!
This is amazing.
It’s delicious frozen and reheated too or so my hubby tells me. We had left overs because I made a big batch and he said it amazing for his lunch.
The carnivore teen son even loves it and comes back for 3rds. Yum.
Thank you so much, Kat! 🙂
This is very good. I cut the tofu into 1/2 inch cubes and pressed, then air fried for about 20 minutes at 420, no corn starch.
I love this so much! It is basically my only recipe that I have tried for Tofu. Wait, I have tried one other and didn’t care for it. So, I just go back to this one. I am like why bother trying others? This is perfect. I love the spice of it too. I can’t get mine to look as crispy as yours and I feel like I have to keep adding oil to the pan which I sort of do’t want to do. But I do anyway. It doesn’t really matter though. Every time I look to try a different recipe, I just say why bother? I just keep coming back to this one. Maybe I might try baking the tofu and then using the marinade? I am going to see how that goes. It really is a great recipe!
Thank you so much for the kind words Keri! 🙂
Great recipe