This Sesame Tofu is deliciously savory and has all the trappings of another takeout favorite, Sesame Chicken! The tofu is crusted in sesame seeds and pan-fried until crispy and golden, then tossed in a classic sweet sesame sauce!
Our Perfected Sauce
The key to a great sesame sauce, whether for sesame tofu or sesame chicken, is the right balance of sweetness, savory soy sauce flavor, and rice vinegar tang.
For this recipe, we do offer a few vegetarian substitutions like vegetable stock and vegetarian oyster sauce, but if you love tofu as a source of protein but also eat meat, feel free to use chicken stock and regular oyster sauce.
That said, this recipe has so much flavor, you can also get away with using water as the base of the sauce instead of stock.
How to Get Crispy Sesame Tofu
When cooking vegetarian, every layer of flavor counts. Because marinating tofu is not as easy as marinating meat, we use the dredge to serve as the primary flavor vehicle in this recipe.
Instead of sprinkling sesame seeds over the top of the finished dish, we add them to the cornstarch dredge, trick that adds flavor and crunch to the coating. We also season the cornstarch, just like you would season flour for fried chicken. The result is layers of flavor in each bite of tofu!
Sesame Tofu Recipe Instructions
Drain each block of tofu. Using your hands, gently squeeze the block to release water. You can also pat it dry on a clean dishcloth. Cut each block into 1-inch (3cm) cubes.
In a shallow bowl, combine the cornstarch, sesame seeds, sea salt, white pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Working in 2 batches, dredge the tofu cubes in the cornstarch mixture. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but do your best to cover all sides and press the mixture into the tofu cubes evenly.
Heat a large nonstick pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the neutral oil. When the oil is shimmering, add half the tofu cubes. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy. As they get golden, you can flip them a few times to get all the sides crispy. Again, it doesn’t have to be perfect, and it’s easier than it sounds. Transfer the tofu to a plate, and repeat with the second batch. Remove all the tofu to a plate.
In the same skillet, make the sauce. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the water/stock, sugar, vegetarian oyster sauce, light soy sauce, honey, Shaoxing wine, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and white pepper. Bring to a simmer, and simmer for 3 minutes.
Combine the cornstarch and water into a slurry. Add it to the sauce, and let it thicken and cook for another minute.
Toss the tofu in the sauce.
Serve, sprinkled with sesame seeds and scallions. This dish goes great with a side of steamed broccoli!
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Recipe
Sesame Tofu
Ingredients
For the tofu:
- 2 blocks firm or extra firm tofu (anywhere from 14-16 oz./400-450g per package is fine, as tofu blocks vary)
- 2/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 cup un-toasted sesame seeds
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ cup neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
For the sauce:
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- ¾ cup water (low-sodium vegetable stock, or low-sodium chicken stock)
- 3 tablespoons sugar (brown sugar also works)
- 1½ tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce (or regular oyster sauce)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or clear rice wine)
- 1½ teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1½ teaspoons sesame oil
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
For garnish:
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- ½ scallion (green parts only, thinly sliced)
Instructions
- Drain each block of tofu. Using your hands, gently squeeze the block to release water. You can also pat it dry on a clean dishcloth. Cut each block into 1-inch (3cm) cubes.
- In a shallow bowl, combine the cornstarch, sesame seeds, sea salt, white pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Working in 2 batches, dredge the tofu cubes in the cornstarch mixture. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but do your best to cover all sides and press the mixture into the tofu cubes evenly.
- Heat a large nonstick pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the neutral oil. When the oil is shimmering, add half the tofu cubes. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy. As they get golden, you can flip them a few times to get all the sides crispy. Again, it doesn’t have to be perfect, and it’s easier than it sounds. Transfer the tofu to a plate, and repeat with the second batch. Remove all the tofu to a plate.
- In the same skillet, make the sauce. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the water/stock, sugar, vegetarian oyster sauce, light soy sauce, honey, Shaoxing wine, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and white pepper. Bring to a simmer, and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Combine the cornstarch and water into a slurry. Add it to the sauce, and let it thicken and cook for another minute. Toss the tofu in the sauce. Serve, sprinkled with sesame seeds and scallions.
