Tofu Fried Rice is a recipe that has taken us years to share for some reason. But it’s finally here, and this recipe is everything Tofu Fried Rice should be! Loaded with tofu that’s actually flavorful, veggies, and perfectly seasoned rice.
Why has it taken us so long to share a Tofu Fried Rice recipe?
In my head, the tofu would be too wet and too bland to carry fried rice on its own. It’s nowhere to be found in the lineup of classic fried rice recipes: Pork Fried Rice, Beef Fried Rice, Shrimp Fried Rice, Chicken Fried Rice, heck, even a classic Vegetable Fried Rice.
What’s more, the goal of fried rice is to reduce moisture. In fact, if there’s too much moisture, the rice will start to stick to the wok. So it’s not like you can just chuck a whole box of crumbled tofu into a pan of fried rice straight out the box.
Even checking out the tofu fried rice recipes out there, the tofu usually just looks…cubed and kinda boring. I’d much rather eat tofu in other ways (see the Homestyle Tofu recipe from our cookbook, which I had on repeat for a good long while).
That is, until we discovered the beauty of Air Fryer Tofu! So tasty, so astoundingly meaty. It basically tastes like chicken nuggets. And yet it’s just tofu, nutritional yeast, cornstarch, soy sauce, and some other seasonings! Plus, tearing up the tofu creates jagged pieces that are so much more satisfying to eat than cubed tofu. (That said, don’t worry if you don’t have an air fryer. You can still make this recipe!)
Why This Tofu Fried Rice Works
Air frying the tofu serves the purpose of drying it out just the right amount—you squeeze the water out, then send it through the air fryer. It also adds tons of flavor and a hefty crunch from tossing the tofu in cornstarch and nutritional yeast.
That said, we tested the tofu in a simple nonstick frying pan for those who are kitchen gadget averse. Both methods yield great results! The frying pan method reserves a bit more moisture, and you do need a bit of oil in the pan. As a result, the tofu is more tender and less crunchy. So you can decide which sounds more appealing to you!
The benefit of the air fryer is those 12-14 minutes of freedom to do what you please, whether that’s prepping this recipe or poring over The Life of a Showgirl lyrics.
Everything you need to know about making fried rice
Earlier this year we shared our Fried Rice Formula, along with a Youtube video. Check out our guidance on how to make great fried rice with pretty much anything you have on hand.
To egg or not to egg?
To make this Tofu Fried Rice totally vegan, we omitted the scrambled eggs. But you can add them in if you like! Just scramble 2 eggs, cook them in your clean wok before you do anything else, break it up into bits with your wok spatula, and set aside. Then proceed with the recipe, and add the eggs in when you add the tofu.
Let’s make this Tofu Fried Rice!
Tofu Fried Rice: Recipe Instructions
Start by preparing the tofu. We made a couple tweaks from our air fryer tofu recipe here. We omitted the smoked paprika, and we are using firm tofu instead of extra firm tofu. I found that extra firm was a little too hard to chew along with the vegetables and the rice, to the point that it wasn’t so enjoyable in this particular application. So opt for regular “firm” tofu.
Remove the block of tofu from the package. Over the sink, gently squeeze it between your palms a few times until no more water drips out of it. Next, gently press it between a folded clean kitchen towel to reduce the remaining moisture.
If desired, you can press the tofu on a plate with another plate on top, held down with a frying pan. This will get even more water out of it. You can leave it like this for as little as 30 minutes, or up to overnight (in the refrigerator), and it will yield crispier results.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, oil, white pepper, and garlic powder. It should resemble a wet paste.
Into the same bowl, use your hands to break up the tofu into 1½-inch chunks. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You can start larger knowing that as you toss the tofu, a few pieces will get broken up.
Use a rubber spatula to gently toss the tofu pieces and coat them in the seasoning paste.
Air fry at 400°F/200°C for 12-14 minutes, shaking the air fryer basket once midway through to flip the pieces around, until golden and crisp at the edges! If you don’t have an air fryer, simply heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu, and pan-fry until golden. (Don’t disturb the tofu too much, so it has time to brown.)
If using leftover rice: Take your rice out of the refrigerator, and gently break up any clumps with damp hands. Let the rice sit out at room temperature while you prep your other ingredients.
If making fresh rice: You’ll need about 1⅓ cups raw rice to make 5 cups of cooked rice. Rinse the rice 2-3 times to remove excess starch, draining off the starchy water each time. Cook the rice with slightly less water than you normally would (about 10% less), whether it’s in a rice cooker or in a pot (see How to Cook Jasmine Rice). It should still be cooked through, but a bit drier than usual. Spread the cooked rice out on a sheet pan to cool while you prep your other ingredients.
Heat your wok until it just begins to smoke, and add 2 tablespoons of neutral oil to coat the wok. Add the onion, carrots, and diced string beans, if using. (If using peas or chopped snow peas, add later with the bean sprouts and corn).
Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and the white parts of the scallions.
Stir and cook for 30 seconds. Increase the heat to high and add the rice. Immediately begin stir-frying, firmly scraping the contents of the wok from the bottom up to prevent sticking. After 1 minute, add the light and dark soy sauces, the sesame oil, salt, turmeric, and white pepper. Stir until the rice is an even color, another 2 minutes or so.
Add the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, and mix into the rice. Add the corn, mung bean sprouts, the green parts of the scallions, and the tofu.
Stir-fry until the bean sprouts just begin to wilt, and serve!
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Recipe
Tofu Fried Rice
Ingredients
For the tofu:
- 1 block firm tofu (anywhere from 14-16 oz/400-450g; tofu blocks vary)
- 2½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 2½ tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oil (such as canola, vegetable, avocado, or olive oil)
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
For the fried rice:
- 5 cups cooked white rice (see how we prep our rice for fried rice here)
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 cup white onion (diced)
- ½ cup carrots (diced)
- ½ cup diced green beans (can also substitute frozen peas or chopped snow peas)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 scallion (thinly sliced, white and green parts separated)
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch turmeric (optional, for color)
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- ½ cup frozen corn kernels
- 2 cups mung bean sprouts
Instructions
- Remove the block of tofu from the package. Over the sink, gently squeeze it between your palms a few times until no more water drips out of it. Next, gently press it between a folded clean kitchen towel to reduce the remaining moisture.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, oil, white pepper, and garlic powder. It should resemble a wet paste.
- Into the same bowl, use your hands to break up the tofu into 1½-inch chunks. Use a rubber spatula to gently toss the tofu pieces and coat them in the seasoning paste.
- Air fry at 400°F/200°C for 12-14 minutes, shaking the air fryer basket once midway through to flip the pieces around, until golden and crisp at the edges! If you don’t have an air fryer, simply heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu, and pan-fry until golden. (Don’t disturb the tofu too much, so it has time to brown.)
- If using leftover rice: Take your rice out of the refrigerator, and gently break up any clumps with damp hands. Let the rice sit out at room temperature while you prep your other ingredients. If making fresh rice: You’ll need about 1⅓ cups raw rice to make 5 cups of cooked rice. Rinse the rice 2-3 times to remove excess starch, draining off the starchy water each time. Cook the rice with slightly less water than you normally would (about 10% less). It should still be cooked through, but a bit drier than usual. Spread the cooked rice out on a sheet pan to cool while you prep your other ingredients.
- Heat your wok until it just begins to smoke, and add 2 tablespoons of neutral oil to coat the wok. Add the onion, carrots, and diced string beans, if using. (If using peas or chopped snow peas, add later with the bean sprouts and corn).
- Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and the white parts of the scallions. Stir and cook for 30 seconds. Increase the heat to high and add the rice. Immediately begin stir-frying, firmly scraping the contents of the wok from the bottom up to prevent sticking. After 1 minute, add the light and dark soy sauces, the sesame oil, salt, turmeric, and white pepper. Stir until the rice is an even color, another 2 minutes or so. Add the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, and mix into the rice. Add the corn, mung bean sprouts, the green parts of the scallions, and the tofu. Stir-fry until the bean sprouts just begin to wilt, and serve!
