Mongolian Tofu is a vegan and vegetarian version of the popular Chinese-American Mongolian beef recipe. Not only is this tofu version healthy and packed with plant protein, it has an impressively crispy exterior and a firm "meaty" texture. Its texture and tasty sauce will hook you into throwing this recipe into your regular dinner rotation!
For more tofu recipes, try making my honey garlic tofu! It also has a crispy outside and a delicious sauce. Or if you want something else that's vegetarian, make these sticky sesame chickpeas! They are so flavorful and only take about 15 minutes to make.
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👍Why this Recipe Works
- Mongolian tofu is quick to make.
- The tofu has a great texture that is crispy on the outside and firm on the inside. No spongey texture here.
- It has so much flavor!
- Tofu is an amazing source of protein and contains all 9 essential amino acids!
🥢What is Mongolian Tofu?
Mongolian tofu is a vegetarian and vegan spinoff of Mongolian beef. Mongolian beef originates from Taiwan and isn't actually a Mongolian recipe. It got its name from Mongolian barbecue restaurants in located in Taiwan. It became a very popular food in the American-Chinese cuisine.
📝Ingredient Notes
Tofu: I recommend using a super firm tofu, but you can use extra firm. Super firm has even less water content that the extra firm. Tofu can hold a lot of water. The less water it holds, the crispier the tofu can be and the better texture it will have.
Chili garlic sauce: This is not totally necessary for Mongolian tofu. Some recipes use red chilis. However, those are not easily available to me in my area, so I use chili garlic sauce in a jar and it works perfectly. I get this at my local Walmart.
🔪Instructions
Optionally freeze and thaw your block of tofu twice for the best, most firm texture. Place the tofu in an airtight, freezer safe bag to do this. Thaw while it's in the bag, submerged in warm water. It thaws in about 30 minutes or less.
Pat the tofu with paper towels to remove excess moisture from the outside.
Tear the tofu into larger chunks and place in a bowl that has a lid. Mix all of the ingredients for the corn starch coating and pour it over the tofu. Place a lid on the bowl and shake it up to coat the tofu.
In a wok, or a cast iron skillet, pour up to ½ cup of olive oil, depending on how deep your wok/pan is. Heat the oil and shallow fry the tofu until golden and crispy. This can take up to 10 minutes.
When finished cooking, turn off the heat on the stove and carefully remove the oil from the pan. You can do this by pouring it into a mug lined with paper towels.
Place the tofu on a plate covered with paper towels to absorb the extra oil.
On low heat, sautee the grated garlic and ginger with about a teaspoon of olive oil in the pan for about a minute. Make sure the pan isn't too hot or the garlic will burn. Optionally, mix in the chili garlic sauce.
In a separate bowl, mix the sauce ingredients except for the water and corn starch.
Pour the sauce ingredients into the wok and turn up the heat.
Mix the water and corn starch completely. When the soy sauce mixture starts to bubble, add in the corn starch mixture and continue mixing. It will immediately begin to thicken. As soon as its thick, remove it from the heat.
Coat the crispy tofu in the sauce.
Sprinkle sesame seeds and green onions if desired.
Enjoy!
🍯Substitutions
Pure maple syrup or honey will work well if you don't need a vegan option.
Chili garlic sauce: Substitute chili garlic sauce for ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes or to taste.
Soy sauce: If you need a gluten free option, try using Tamari instead.
Corn starch or tapioca starch can be used.
Fresh ginger: Ground ginger works too. Use about ¼ teaspoon.
Rice vinegar or apple cider will work here.
✅Pro Tips
- If you aren't using super firm tofu, be careful when mixing the corn starch with the tofu because it can break the it into even smaller pieces.
- Use super firm tofu and freeze and thaw a total of two times. This will remove more of the water out of the tofu, giving it a better "meatier" texture. If you're using extra firm, go ahead and still freeze and thaw it twice, then make sure to cover it with clean paper towels and leave something heavy on it (such as a heavy bottom cast iron skillet) for at least 15 to 30 minutes. Don't push the tofu with your hands. This can crumble the tofu. Instead, let the water release out of it out of it, slowly over time.
- If you're using a wok, know that they hold heat more than your average skillet. Be careful not to burn the garlic, ginger or tofu.
🧊Storing
Mongolian tofu should last for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. Be sure to store it in an airtight container.
The tofu will soften once refrigerated and absorb some of the sauce. For the best texture, I recommend reheating it in the air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5 minutes.
🔥Other Cooking Methods
Air Fryer method: 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 it all. 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
This recipe for Mongolian tofu is vegan. It is not gluten free, however you can easily swap the soy sauce out for Tamari to make it so.
Yes. Tofu is really good for you. It's low in calories and very nutrient dense. Some studies suggest that tofu can reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes due to its high isoflavone content. The isoflavone content may also contribute to stronger bones, improved brain function, fewer menopause symptoms and has anti depressive effects according to Healthline. Some healthcare professionals do advise, however, to limit soy intake if you have breast tumors or thyroid issues.
The best tofu for frying is super firm, although extra firm tofu will work too, as long as the water is pressed out. Super firm tofu has the least water content and has a "meatier" texture. It crisps up really nicely when fried.
⭐️ Before you go! If you enjoyed this recipe for my Mongolian Tofu, leave a review and comment down below to share it with me. I love to hear from you! Also, if you aren't already following me on social media, find me by searching @thedairyfreemenu and follow along for more cooking inspiration!
📖 Recipe
Mongolian Tofu
Ingredients
- 16 ounces super firm tofu
- ½ cup olive oil for frying
Corn starch coating
- ½ cup corn starch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Mongolian tofu sauce
- 4 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger
- 1 to 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce optional
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
Toppings
- sesame seeds
- green onions
Instructions
- Optionally freeze and thaw your block of tofu twice for the best, most firm texture. Place the tofu in an airtight, freezer safe bag to do this. Thaw while it's in the bag, submerged in warm water. It thaws in 30 minutes or less.
- Pat the tofu with paper towels to remove excess moisture from the outside.
- Tear the tofu into larger chunks and place in a bowl that has a lid. Mix all of the ingredients for the corn starch coating and pour it over the tofu. Place a lid on the bowl and shake it up to coat the tofu.
- In a wok, or a cast iron skillet, pour up to ½ cup of olive oil, depending on how deep your wok/pan is. Heat the oil and shallow fry the tofu until golden and crispy. This can take up to 10 minutes.
- When finished cooking, turn off the heat and carefully remove the oil from the pan. You can do this by pouring it into a mug stuffed with paper towels. Place the tofu on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the extra oil.
- On low heat, sautee the grated garlic and ginger with about a teaspoon of olive oil in the pan for about a minute. Make sure the pan isn't too hot or the garlic will burn. Optionally, mix in the chili garlic sauce.
- In a separate bowl, mix the sauce ingredients except for the water and corn starch.
- Pour the sauce ingredients into the wok and turn up the heat.
- Mix the water and corn starch completely. When the soy sauce mixture starts to bubble, add in the corn starch mixture and continue mixing. It will immediately begin to thicken. As soon as its thick, remove it from the heat.
- Coat the crispy tofu in the sauce, sprinkle sesame seeds and green onions if desired.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Note: The nutrition label is only an estimate. Amounts may vary.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!