Sweet and Sour Tofu

5 stars (10 ratings)

Perfect fried tofu, pineapple, and vegetables are tossed together in a homemade sweet and sour sauce to make this Sweet and Sour Tofu! It’s ready in about 30 minutes.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Tofu pressing time30

Total Time30

Course: Main

Cuisine: Chinese-Inspired

Servings: servings

Calories: 518kcal

Author: Nora Taylor

Ingredients

For the sweet and sour sauce

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce tamari for gluten free
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the tofu

14.5 ounce block extra-firm tofu
1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2-3 tablespoons olive oil

The rest

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks or canned if needed
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 large yellow onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
few more tablespoons olive oil, for frying
cooked rice, for serving
sesame seeds and green onions, for serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the sauce

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, minced garlic and cornstarch. Set aside.

Fry the tofu

Press the tofu: Press the tofu by wrapping it in paper towels (or a clean dry tea towel). Place a plate or pan on top of the wrapped tofu, and put a couple of heavy books or cast iron pan on top of that. Let the tofu press for 30 minutes to an hour. I like to press a few blocks at a time on the weekend, then keep in the refrigerator for quick weeknight meals.
Cut the pressed tofu into 1 inch cubes and add to a large bowl. Drizzle the soy sauce on top and stir gently with a silicone spatula or small spoon. Be careful not to rip the tofu.
Now sprinkle on the cornstarch and gently stir to coat the tofu.
Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil so it coats the pan.
Once the oil is hot, add the tofu in a single layer (you might need to do this in batches, depending on how big your pan is). Let the tofu brown on all sides, it should be a nice golden color all over. Transfer to a plate nearby.

Cook the vegetables and finish

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, if needed. Add the pineapple, bell peppers and onion and cook for about 2 minutes until crisp-tender.
Whisk the sauce one more time before adding it to the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly as it thickens. Now add the fried tofu back to the pan and stir, cooking for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens a bit.
Serve immediately with cooked rice and green onions or sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Notes

Sugar - Feel free to reduce the sugar by up to half, for a less sweet sauce. You could also use agave, maple syrup or coconut sugar as alternatives to regular sugar. I would reduce the amount by half for the liquid sweeteners though.
If you don't like peppers or pineapple, you can just double the tofu instead and serve with the sauce.

Nutrition