30 minute black pepper tofu has all of the fiery, umami-qualities you love about classic takeout. Serve over rice for an easy, flavorful weeknight meal.
Prep time: PT10M
Cook time: PT20M
Total time: PT30M
Rating
5 stars (66 reviews)
Keywords
30 minute meals, easy tofu recipe, spicy tofu
Ingredients
1 (14-oz.) block extra-firm tofu
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 Tbsp. neutral cooking oil, divided
5 Tbsp. lower-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1 small Fresno chile (seeds and ribs removed, thinly sliced (or a drizzle of Chili Crisp for garnish))
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
White rice and fresh basil for serving
Categories
Entree
Cuisine
asian
Steps
Press excess moisture out of the tofu using either paper towels or a kitchen towel. Slice into 1 inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Toss with cornstarch until tofu is well coated.
Combine soy sauce, sugar, black pepper, and ginger in a small bowl or glass measuring cup; stir with a whisk. Set aside.
Heat 2 Tbsp. of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add tofu; cook for 7 to 8 minutes, turning to brown all sides, until golden-brown and crisp. Transfer tofu to a plate and reduce heat to medium.
Add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to pan, along with garlic, shallots, and chile (if using); cook 2 minutes, stirring often, until aromatic.Add tofu back to pan, along with black pepper sauce and green onions; cook 1 to 2 minutes, tossing often, until the sauce fully coats tofu.Serve over rice and garnish with fresh basil and a drizzle of Chili Crisp (optional).
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 0.66 cup
Calories: 240 kcal
Carbohydrates: 11 g
Protein: 13 g
Fat: 18 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Sodium: 650 mg
Sugar: 4 g
Reviews
Varsha on 2025-05-21 (5 stars): I swapped out some ingredients to get around some dietary restrictions, but this came out great.
I used fava bean tofu and arrowroot powder in place of soy tofu and cornstarch, which took about 12 minutes to get fully crispy. Also used coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce. We couldn’t find a Fresno pepper, so I subbed that out as well for half a jalapeño.
Nirri on 2025-04-18 (5 stars): Delicious, and easy to make
Tanya N on 2025-03-24 (5 stars): Just made this, another winner! The sauce is so flavorful and yummy! Used coconut aminos and it worked great!
Emily on 2025-01-01 (5 stars): One of our favourite ever tofu recipes! We serve this to our meat eating friends and it is always a hit, they can’t believe tofu can taste so good@
Jojy on 2024-12-17 (5 stars): Easy to make, tastes great
Mary on 2024-11-12 (5 stars): The flavors were great! Loved this dish. Will be adding it to our dinner rotation. Thank you!
marion on 2024-09-08 (5 stars): Another heavenly recipe from this website ! I added green beans and red bell pepper and everything was just perfect. Will definitely redo ! Thank you :)
Eliza on 2024-07-01 (5 stars): Oh HELL yeah. This was so quick and so, so good. I anticipate making this a few more times this week. Thank you!!
Lauren on 2024-06-25 (5 stars): Loveee love love this recipe! It's been my go-to for months now. I recently had a celiac diagnosis so I swapped the soy sauce for coconut aminos and it was just as good, if not better!
Mona Shah on 2024-05-20 (5 stars): My son and I are vegetarian and he’s in college and we made this together and he said this was the best tofu he’s ever had !!! Thank you !
Katlyn F. on 2024-05-13 (5 stars): One of the best tofu recipes I’ve made. On the rotation at our house!
Rachael on 2024-03-31 (5 stars): My family’s favorite tofu recipe by far! It ticks all the boxes of a weeknight staple: quick, easy, healthy, delicious, and minimal ingredients (many of which are pantry staples). I love that I can customize the veggie toppings so I can use up whatever I have on hand. Some common ones for me are cucumber, shredded carrot, bell pepper, and avocado. We make this at least twice a month!
Isabelle on 2024-03-27 (5 stars): Made this for my husband and I tonight and it was a winner! Tastes as good as going out to eat at a Chinese restaurant. This will definitely be a regular in our home.
Brittany on 2024-01-16 (5 stars): Absolutely amazing, super quick and easy.
Joelle Gaspard on 2024-01-15 (5 stars): This is such an amazing recipe! Better than a Chinese restaurant. Next time I’ll use tsp instead of Tbsp on the pepper but otherwise…making again! I just stumbled across your recipes on Instagram and I feel like I found my food soul mate (in a not creepy way) haha. Thank you!
Lidia T on 2023-12-21 (5 stars): Phenomenal! One of the best tofu recipes out there, we make it regularly at my house.
Laura on 2023-12-07 (5 stars): Fantastic recipe! I adjusted by adding Sichuan pepper for about 1/3 of the black pepper amount. It added additional depth to the flavor. Definitely recommend if you enjoy that spice profile.