Pan-fried tofu, the Chinese way, is much easier than you think to make—without much oil, no pressing or drying, and just 2 ingredients. It’s versatile enough to be used in a multitude of stir-fries, but you can also serve it on its own with a tasty dipping sauce, as we have here!
As a Chinese family, this technique is one that we have used for years without thinking. It’s one of those basic recipes that you’ll know how to make by heart.
What Type of Tofu to Make Pan-fried Tofu?
Use firm tofu (you could also use extra firm) to make pan-fried tofu. Firm tofu has had much of the excess water pressed out of it, making it less delicate and easier to fry.
Happily, firm tofu also happens to be the easiest kind to find in regular grocery stores these days!
Making a Pan Non-Stick
The biggest challenge with pan-fried tofu is making sure it doesn’t stick to the pan.
While other recipes might tell you that you have to press additional water out of the tofu, or pat each individual tofu slice dry, it’s actually not necessary.
What is key instead is making sure you use either a non-stick pan, or a properly preheated wok or cast iron skillet. Heat the pan thoroughly BEFORE adding oil, and those tofu slices will not stick.
My mom wrote an article about why this works, and the phrase “hot wok, cold oil” is a sort of mantra for Chinese cooks.
Also important is not disturbing the tofu after you add it to the pan. Let it cook for a bit and develop that golden brown crust. Then it will release easily from the pan.
How to Use Pan-fried Tofu
Now we come to the question of why you would want to pan-fry tofu. We decided to do a post on this technique, because we actually use it quite often! Pan-frying makes tofu less delicate, so you can add it to stir-fries and braises without it breaking up.
Here are some great recipes that use pan-fried tofu:
You could also use pan-fried tofu in things like Vietnamese Summer Rolls in place of meat or shrimp, or as a meat replacement in stir-fried noodle dishes like pad Thai or lo mein.
That said, you could also just serve it on its own with a tasty dipping sauce! We have a delicious dipping sauce here, where you take hot oil, sizzle some herbs, garlic, and chili, and add a bit of salt, sweet, and tang in the form of soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar. It complements the tofu really well, and you can make it in minutes.
It’s actually the same dipping sauce we serve with Sesame Crusted Tofu in our cookbook. There are so many recipes in the book that we turn to again and again, and that dipping sauce is definitely one of them.
Without further ado, here’s the recipe!
Pan-fried Tofu Recipe Instructions
Slice the block of tofu in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 3/8 inch (1cm) slices.
Heat a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil, and spread it around the pan. Add the tofu slices.
Fry for 5-7 minutes until golden brown, rotating the pan as needed so the tofu slices cook evenly. Do not disturb the tofu until they’ve fried for a few minutes. Flip and then cook for another 5 minutes, until golden on the other side.
To make the dipping sauce, heat a tablespoon of oil in the pan you used to cook the tofu (no sense in dirtying another pan!)
Add the cilantro, scallions, garlic, and chili flakes to a small heatproof bowl, so all the ingredients are side by side. Drizzle the hot oil over the top, paying special attention to the garlic and chili flakes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape out all the oil.
Stir in the water, light soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar.
Serve the pan-fried tofu with your dipping sauce, and enjoy!
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Recipe
Pan-fried Tofu (No Pressing Needed!)
Ingredients
For the pan-fried tofu:
- 1 pound firm tofu (1 block)
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
For the dipping sauce:
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- ¼ cup cilantro (leaves and stems, chopped)
- 2 scallions (white and green parts chopped)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
- 2 teaspoons Sichuan chili flakes
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon rice vinegar
Instructions
For the pan-fried tofu:
- Slice the block of tofu in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 3/8 inch (1cm) slices.
- Heat a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil, and spread it around the pan. Add the tofu slices.
- Fry for 5-7 minutes until golden brown, rotating the pan as needed so the tofu slices cook evenly. Do not disturb the tofu until they’ve fried for a few minutes. Flip and then cook for another 5 minutes, until golden on the other side.
For the dipping sauce:
- To make the dipping sauce, heat a tablespoon of oil in the pan you used to cook the tofu (no sense in dirtying another pan!)
- Add the cilantro, scallions, garlic, and chili flakes to a small heatproof bowl, so all the ingredients are side by side. Drizzle the hot oil over the top, paying special attention to the garlic and chili flakes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape out all the oil.
- Stir in the water, light soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar. Serve with the pan-fried tofu.
