Sticky Tofu for One

Ingredients

Scroll down to the sticky tofu recipe card for the amounts of each ingredient, but here's a quick visual + description of what's in this recipe.

• Firm or Extra Firm Tofu: Since you'll pan fry tofu in this recipe, you'll want tofu that doesn't fall apart when cooking.
• Cornstarch: For crispy tofu that absorbs the flavors you add to it, you'll need to get rid of as much liquid in it as possible. Pressing the tofu before preparing it is important, as is a toss in cornstarch to remove liquid and get crispy edges.
• Neutral Oil: I recommend cooking your tofu in oil instead of cooking spray or nothing to get a nice crispy crust. You might want to crack a window too, it may get smoky, cooking over high heat.
• Soy Sauce: For a deep, earthy, and salty flavor, good soy sauce is key to this sticky tofu recipe.
• Brown Sugar: I like to use light brown sugar to add sweetness to this recipe. You can also use honey, which is in lots of sticky tofu recipes online. Sugar makes this tofu slightly sticky, when the sauce is cooked down to thicken up.
• Tomato Paste: Adds sweetness to the sauce, and cuts through the sharp soy sauce flavor. Definitely important to add.
• Water: This sauce was a bit too salty and sharp tasting on it's own, and I love bold flavors. Adding a couple Tablespoons of water tames it a bit and balances out the soy sauce well.
• Garlic: Minced garlic adds some sweetness and earthy flavors to the sauce. It's a great addition, especially since it's a pantry staple for sure.
• Sesame Oil: Just a dash of sesame oil adds some depth of flavor, and nuttiness to your sticky tofu sauce. Adding more sesame oil can overpower the other flavors, so definitely measure it out.

Instructions

Scroll down to the recipe card for more detailed instructions. Here's a quick overview + photos to see how to make this recipe in general.

1. Ahead of time, wrap tofu block in towel/paper towel and press with a heavy skillet or object for 30-60 minutes. You can do this right before preparing to make sticky tofu or earlier.

Store it in an airtight container in the fridge until use.

2. Cut tofu into bite sized pieces.

3. Toss tofu pieces in cornstarch, salt, pepper mixture.

4. Cook tofu for 3-5 minutes per side in oil, in skillet over medium-high heat. Or medium/medium-low for cast iron.

You can cook on 2 sides, or all 6 sides, depending on how much time you have, the tofu won't be super crispy after adding the sauce, so you don't need to cook all 6 sides. I like to cook 2-3 sides to heat up the tofu.

5. While tofu is cooking, prepare sweet sticky tofu sauce. Add all sauce ingredients to small mixing bowl. Combine. Set aside.

6. Pour sauce over cooked tofu, stir until sauce thickens.

7. Serve your crispy sticky tofu and sauce over rice/noodles. Add vegetables if desired (you can cook the vegetables with tofu). Top with sesame seeds and/or sliced green onion, chili sauce.

Storage/Reheating Tips

Store vegan sticky tofu in airtight container for about a week. If it smells good, it's ok to eat.

Crispy tofu with sauce won't have the nice crispy texture after being reheated, but if you don't mind, you can reheat it in the microwave, oven, air fryer.

If you really want crispy tofu with the sauce, just remove some tofu to store for leftovers before adding the sauce. Reheat tofu in oven, toaster oven, or air fryer, and add leftover sauce after.

Substitutions/Tips

• I'm pretty new to cooking tofu, but check out my friend Stephanie's tips on how to press tofu.
• Taste the sauce before adding it to the pan. If it kicks you in the face (you want it to be a bit more bold than you'd like because it infuses the tofu when cooked), you can add more water or sugar.
• Pan frying the tofu creates a barrier between the sauce and tofu, so you get a slight crunch, but when you add the sauce, it's not the crispiest. So you don't need to spend time cooking each side. I cook 2-3 sides to fully heat it up.
• Tofu will release from pan easily when it's cooked enough. If it's sticking, it just needs to be cooked a bit longer.
• If you like spicy food, you can add red pepper flakes, chili sauce, or sriracha to your sticky tofu and rice.
• Substitute brown sugar for more orange juice or honey, or your favorite neutral-ish sweetener. I probably wouldn't use maple syrup, though.
• Great toppings: sesame seeds, green onion, chili flakes, chili sauce or sriracha
• Great sides: rice, ramen noodles (or similar), rice noodles. Steamed or pan fried vegetables are great with this sticky tofu too. I like onions, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, eggplant, bok choy, carrots, etc.

Other good vegetarian recipes

These easy recipes are vegetarian, just like this sticky tofu recipe is.

• Cheesy White Bean and Tomato Bake
• Delicata Squash Soup
• Single Serving Mac & Cheese
• Lentil Spinach Curry
• Refried Bean Tacos

What can I make with leftover ingredients?

When you're cooking for one, you often have leftover produce, cans of whatever ingredient, etc. Here are a couple ideas on how to use up the leftover ingredients from sticky tofu.

It'll help you save money by wasting fewer ingredients.

• Tofu: Honey Garlic Tofu, Panko Tofu, and Pesto Tofu, try any of these from the Pickled Plum or New York Times Cooking in the meantime.
• Soy Sauce: Coleslaw with Soy Sauce, Beef and Broccoli, Thai Inspired Beef and Spinach Bowl.
• Tomato Paste: Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake, One Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta, Pantry Rice and Bean Soup, or add ½-1 teaspoon to Canned Tomato Pasta.
• Sesame Oil: Coleslaw with Soy Sauce

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