This recipe for Honey Garlic Tofu is layered with flavor. It's battered with seasoned corn starch and pan fried with olive oil to give it the perfect crispy texture. It's finished off with a delicious honey garlic sauce that is so quick and easy to make. You can have this healthy and delicious meal ready in less than 30 minutes!
I love a good plant based and nutritious meal like this one here. If you're looking for other vegetarian dinner recipes that are high in protein try my Sticky Sesame Chickpeas or my Vegan Eggplant Parmigiana!
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🍋Substitutions
Corn starch, tapioca starch or all purpose flour can be used to coat the tofu.
Soy sauce- If you need a gluten free option, try using Tamari.
Honey- Use 100% pure maple syrup instead for a vegan option.
Apple cider vinegar- You can also use rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar.
Olive oil- I use extra virgin olive oil because it's a healthy option. If you prefer to fry with a vegetable oil, that will work fine too.
🔪Instructions
Heat a nonstick skillet with the oil over medium heat.
Then, mix together the corn starch mixture and set aside.
Drain the package of extra firm tofu and gently press the sides with a tofu press (if you have one) or paper towels to remove some of the excess water. Be careful not to press too hard or the tofu will crumble. If it crumbles, that's fine. Use crumbled pieces instead of chopped.
Next, slice the tofu into small cubes and coat them well with the corn starch mixture.
Fry the pieces of tofu on all sides until golden and crispy. This takes about a total of 7-8 minutes, since we are only shallow frying. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. It takes me a couple of batches to fry it all.
Once the tofu is golden and crispy on all sides, set them on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up some of the extra oil.
In another skillet, begin preparing the honey garlic sauce. Mix all of the ingredients in the skillet, except for the vegetable broth and corn starch. Whisk the broth and corn starch together and then add to the rest of the sauce. Mix it all together and put it in a skillet over medium heat.
Then, let it come to a very light boil, whisking the whole time. It will immediately thicken when it reaches a boil. Once it's thick, remove from the heat and toss in the tofu. Coat well with the sauce.
Lastly, serve over a bed of rice with steamed broccoli or green beans.
Enjoy!
🧊Storing
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
The tofu will soften once refrigerated and some of the sauce will be absorbed. For the best texture, reheat the tofu in the air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-8 minutes.
✅Pro Tips
- If the texture of tofu bothers you, try chopping it into smaller pieces before frying it and let it get extra crispy.
- Be careful when mixing the corn starch with the tofu because it can break the tofu into even smaller pieces.
🔥Other Cooking Methods
Air Fryer method- If you want to air fry the tofu, make sure you spray the coated tofu really well with an olive oil spray. Do not overcrowd the air fryer. It may take a couple of batches to fry all of it. You'll want to cook it at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway.
Oven baked method- This method leaves the tofu the least crispiest, but it definitely will work. Line a pan with foil and spray it with olive oil spray. Coat the tofu in the corn starch and spray well to coat the tofu. Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Extra firm tofu works best. Less water content can help the tofu crisp better on the outside.
No. I do not use a tofu press. I buy extra firm tofu and drain the liquid. Then I pat the tofu with paper towels and gently press it on each side. Be careful not to press too hard or the tofu will crumble. For this recipe, chunks of tofu isn't a problem. If it breaks apart you could always tear it in chunks to coat and fry.
Tofu is made out of soybeans that have been soaked for a period of time. The soaked beans are ground up and then strained in a cheesecloth. The liquid that's left is soy milk, which is heated and then mixed with a coagulant such as water and vinegar. The coagulant leaves curds behind. These curds are strained really well and pressed. The final product is finished tofu.
You can serve honey garlic tofu with broccoli, rice and other steamed greens such as green beans.
This recipe is not vegan since it uses honey. The honey can be swapped out with pure maple syrup for a vegan option. It is also not gluten free, but you can easily swap out the soy sauce for a certified gluten-free Tamari.
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📖 Recipe
Honey Garlic Tofu
Ingredients
- 14 ounces Extra Firm Tofu
Tofu Coating
- ½ cup corn starch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper or black pepper
- pinch cayenne pepper optional
- 3 tablespoons olive oil for frying
Honey Garlic Sauce
- 4 garlic cloves grated
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger or 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Toppings
- green onions
- crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Heat a nonstick skillet with the oil over medium heat.
- Mix together the corn starch mixture and set aside.
- Drain the package of extra firm tofu and gently press the sides with a tofu press (if you have one) or paper towels to remove some of the excess water. Be careful not to press too hard or the tofu will crumble. If it crumbles, that's fine. Use crumbled pieces instead of chopped.
- Slice the tofu into small cubes and coat them well with the corn starch mixture.
- Fry the pieces of tofu on all sides until golden and crispy. This takes about a total of 7-8 minutes, since we are only shallow frying. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. It takes me a couple of batches to fry it all.
- Once the tofu is golden and crispy on all sides, set them on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up some of the extra oil.
- In another skillet, begin preparing the honey garlic sauce. Mix all of the ingredients in the skillet, except for the vegetable broth and corn starch. Whisk the broth and corn starch together and then add to the rest of the sauce. Mix it all together and put it in a skillet over medium heat.
- Let it come to a very light boil, whisking the whole time. It will immediately thicken once it reaches a boil. When it's thick, remove from the heat and toss in the tofu. Coat well with the sauce.
- Serve over a bed of rice with steamed broccoli or green beans.
Nutrition
Note: The nutrition label is only an estimate. Amounts may vary.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!