This is one of the easiest tofu dishes you can make—and it’s absolutely bursting with spicy flavor. It works great as a main and pairs beautifully with noodles, rice, salads … you name it. Bonus: it can be served hot or cold, making it a perfect year-round staple.
You’ve got to love a good spicy silken tofu dish! Fiery flavors provide such a delightful contrast to the smooth, melt-in your mouth texture of silken tofu. That’s why I love pairing them up in dishes like my vegan mapo tofu and spicy Korean tofu soup. Today’s recipe for chili garlic silken tofu is a new favorite in the spicy silken tofu category though, and it’s a total flavor-bomb.
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This recipe is really simple. It’s just a bit block of silken tofu smothered in spicy sauce and some toppings. That’s all you need though! It’s incredibly delicious and ridiculously easy to make. Also, you can serve this dish hot or cold, so it’s perfect for any time of year (and it’s delicious either way!).
I’d gladly eat this whole hunk of tofu by itself, but it goes really well with some of my more carby Chinese-inspired dishes like my vegan fried rice, vegan wonton soup, scallion pancakes, or if you really want a spicy meal, my chili garlic noodles.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below you’ll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Chili oil. You can get chili oil in the international aisle of lots of grocery stores, but you’ll find there’s quite a bit of variation in heat levels. This recipe can be spicy, or suuuuuper spicy. I recommend making it spicy. Use the chili oil I’ve linked to in the recipe card. It’s on the mild side, so you can use plenty of it (for maximum flavor) without making the dish inedible.
- Soy sauce. Tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted, if needed.
- Brown sugar. Use organic brown sugar. Conventional (non-organic) brown sugar is often processed using animal bone char, so it’s not always vegan.
- Garlic.
- Toasted sesame oil. Most stores will carry this in the international aisle.
- Silken tofu. Silken tofu may be sold near the regular tofu, in the refrigerated area of your grocery store, or in shelf-stable packages, in the international section. I highly recommend using extra-firm silken tofu, if you can get it. Handling the tofu is the trickiest part of this recipe, and it’ll be a lot easier if the tofu is really firm.
- Scallion.
- Toasted sesame seeds.
How It’s Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1 (optional): If you’re planning on enjoying your chili garlic silken tofu hot, then start boiling water in a small saucepan.
Step 2: Make the sauce. Combine your chili oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and sesame oil.
Step 3: Take the silken tofu out of the package, being careful to keep in in one piece. Because silken tofu is so delicate, this is the trickiest part of the recipe. Many silken tofu packages actually include guide lines, showing you where to cut in order to remove the tofu without breaking it. You’ll definitely want to use them!
Step 4 (optional): To serve the dish hot, poach your tofu in your boiling water. Carefully lower the block of tofu into the saucepan, then boil the tofu for about three minutes. Remove the tofu from the boiling water and place it on a dish.
Tip: A sturdy spatula, preferably with some slots in it, is a great tool for getting your tofu in and out of the boiling water without damaging it.
Step 5: Smother your block of tofu in the chili garlic sauce, then sprinkle it with chopped scallion and toasted sesame seeds. It’s ready to enjoy!
Leftovers & Storage
Your chili garlic silken tofu will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about three days. Leftovers are best served cold, since you can’t poach the block of tofu again after it’s been covered in sauce. If you really want to to enjoy your leftover tofu hot, you could microwave it, but it might release some water and change in texture a bit.
Variations
- Extra toppings. Feel free to add some additional toppings to your tofu. I love to enjoy this recipe with some chopped fresh cilantro and peanuts.
- Crispy garlic chili tofu. Instead of using a block of silken tofu, toss the sauce with my four-ingredient fried tofu.
- Sweet chili garlic tofu. Increase the amount of brown sugar to three or four tablespoons. You may need to warm the sauce up a bit to get it all to dissolve.
Frequently Asked Questions
It can! Just substitute gluten-free tamari for soy sauce.
Yes, this recipe is quite spicy, even if you use a mild chili oil like I’ve recommended in the recipe notes. It really can’t be made much milder without sacrificing flavor. If you prefer a mild dish, I’d recommend enjoying your silken tofu with a completely different sauce, such as store-bought sweet chili sauce (which has just a bit of heat), or vegan peanut sauce.
You can. I’m not crazy about the flavor and texture of raw regular tofu in this type of recipe though. If you’d like to use regular tofu, I’d recommend fried tofu or pan-fried tofu.
More Chinese Tofu Recipes
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Chili Garlic Silken Tofu
This is one of the easiest tofu dishes you can make—and it’s absolutely bursting with spicy flavor. It works great as a main and pairs beautifully with noodles, rice, salads … you name it. Bonus: it can be served hot or cold, making it a perfect year-round staple.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons chili oil, or to taste (Note 1)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon organic brown sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 (12 ounce/340 gram) package extra-firm silken tofu (Note 2)
- 1 scallion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
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Optional step: If you’d like to serve this dish hot, place at least four inches of water in a small saucepan, then place it over high heat. Proceed to the next step while your water comes to a boil.
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In a small bowl, stir together the chili oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and sesame oil. Make sure to keep stirring until the brown sugar has dissolved.
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Carefully remove the tofu from the package, taking care to keep it in one piece. If you’re serving the dish cold, place the tofu on a plate. If not, proceed to the next step.
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Optional step: If serving the dish hot, carefully lower the entire block of tofu into the saucepan of boiling water. Lower the heat a bit and boil the tofu for three minutes. Carefully remove the tofu from the water and transfer it to a plate (Note 3).
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Spoon the chili oil mixture over the tofu, covering the top and letting it drip down the sides. Sprinkle the tofu with the chopped scallion and sesame seeds.
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Serve.
Notes
- The chili oil that is linked to in the recipe card is on the mild side (as far as chili oils go). It works well for this recipe because you can use a lot of it without making the dish too spicy to eat. Be careful if you use another type of chili oil, as they can be very, very hot.
- Silken tofu comes in a handful of firmness levels. If you can’t find extra firm, use what you can get, but keep in mind that firmer varieties will be easier to handle.
- Removing the tofu from the water in one piece can be tricky. A flat spatula is the best tool I’ve found for doing this.
Nutrition
Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 509mg | Potassium: 193mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg
