Salt and Pepper Tofu

Salt and pepper tofu, it's crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside, stir fried with onions and peppers, seasoned with an addictive salt and pepper seasoning mix, and garnished with crispy garlic pieces. This crispy tofu recipe is a popular classic Chinese dish that's also a cult-favorite at dim sum restaurants, just like shumai (siu mai). Plus, it's vegan and vegetarian friendly, gluten-free, and can be easily made in less than 30 minutes! For another addictive salt and pepper recipe, this Taiwanese fried chicken is a must-try!

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Jump to:

• What to serve with salt and pepper tofu
• Ingredient notes
• How to make salt and pepper tofu
• What to do with leftover oil
• Recipe tips
• Storage
• Reheating
• FAQ
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Feedback

What to serve with salt and pepper tofu

Salt and pepper tofu is a tasty dish on its own and all you really need is some white rice. But this dish is also a dim sum favorite, so the more sides the better! Here are some of our favorites:

• Veggies - Bok choy with oyster sauce and Chinese broccoli stir fry
• Cucumbers - Chinese smashed cucumber salad and cucumber kimchi
• Fried rice - We have a variety of fried rice recipes, and all of them are great options!
• Dim sum classic - Pork and chive dumplings, pork and cabbage dumplings, siu mai

Ingredient notes

Please scroll down to the recipe card for the ingredient quantities!

• Tofu - Firm, medium, or soft tofu can all be used to make salt and pepper tofu. We love making this recipe using soft tofu because the tofu is super crispy on the outside but soft and silky on the inside. A super satisfying texture combo! However, it can be a little challenging using soft tofu because of how fragile it is. So firm tofu may be a more beginner-friendly option or if you prefer firm tofu texture.
• Garlic - It will be chopped and fried to make crispy garlic, which will add texture and extra flavor to this dish. A great garnish as well.
• Onion - A highly recommended aromatic and veggie that's a must for any salt and pepper recipe! It also adds texture and sweetness.
• Bell pepper and jalapeño - These two veggies are optional. They add color, texture, and additional flavors.
• Dry chili peppers - These dry chili more mostly for garnish, so they're totally optional. They add a very mild smokiness to the dish.
• Oil for cooking and frying - Any neutral, high smoke point oil such as avocado, canola, or soybean oil is fine. We like to use canola oil for frying because it's a more affordable option.

• Seasoned cornstarch dredge - We opted for cornstarch as the dredge base because it'll give the tofu an extra crispy exterior. It's also seasoned with fine salt, garlic powder, and finely ground gochugaru. If you prefer, you could skip the seasoning and just use plain cornstarch.
  • Gochugaru - Make sure to use finely ground gochugaru because the coarse ones are too are not fine enough. If you can't find it, you can use ground paprika instead.

• Salt and pepper seasoning mix - The super addictive seasoning mix for this crispy tofu recipe! It's a mix of salt, Sichuan pepper, sugar, msg, and white pepper. Do make sure to use fine salt and fine granulated sugar so that they adhere well to the tofu.
  • Sichuan peppercorn - We prefer toasting whole Sichuan peppercorn and grinding it with a mortar and pestle with the rest of the seasoning mix because the flavor is more fragrant, potent, and "fresh". If you prefer, you can use ground Sichuan pepper instead.

How to make salt and pepper tofu

Please scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and instructions!

Prepare the ingredients:

1. Brine tofu. Bring a pot of water to a boil and season generously with, about 1 tablespoon per 2 quarts of water. Take the pot off the heat and gently add the tofu cubes. Give it a gentle stir if needed and allow the tofu to brine for 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Dry tofu. After brining, carefully drain the tofu and allow the tofu to dry on some paper towels. Also use some paper towels to pat down the tofu cubes. Set aside until needed.

3. Make salt and pepper seasoning mix. Combine the salt, Sichuan pepper, sugar, msg, and white peper. Mix well and set aside until needed.

4. Make seasoned cornstarch dredge. In a wide mixing bowl, mix together cornstarch, fine salt, garlic powder, finely ground gochugaru. Set aside until needed.

Make the salt and and pepper tofu:

1. Prepare the fry station. Heat 1 to 2 inches of oil to 350°F and prepare a plate lined with paper towels or a tray with a cooling rack. Also prepare a spider strainer.

2. Make crispy garlic. In a wok or pan over medium low heat, add about 2 tablespoons of oil. While heating up, add the chopped garlic and fry until the garlic pieces are golden and crispy. Remove immediately and allow the fried garlic to drain on paper towels.

🌟 Pro tip: The optimal temperature is around 250°F and the garlic should be removed by the time they are golden because the heat will carry over and caramelize the garlic even more.

3. Stir fry aromatics and veggies. In the same wok or pan, heat over medium high heat and add a little more oil, just a light coating, if needed. Once hot, add the dry chili and stir fry for a few seconds.

Add the onion and stir fry until it starts to turn translucent and fragrant, about 10 to 15 seconds.

Then add the the bell pepper and jalapeño pepper. Stir fry briefly, about 5 to 10 seconds and set the wok aside until needed.

4. Coat the tofu. Place the tofu cubes into the seasoned cornstarch and coat well on all sides.

🌟 Pro tip: Try to coat the tofu when the oil is almost ready or is hot enough for frying. Also if frying in batches, coat only the amount that you will be frying. Cornstarch tends to absorb moisture really quickly and before you know it, you'll either have way too thick layer of dredge or the cornstarch will start to peel off the tofu.

5. Fry the tofu. Once the oil is hot, add the dredged tofu one at a time and fry the tofu until golden and crispy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oil and allow the crispy tofu to drain on the prepared plate or tray. Fry in batches if needed.

🌟 Pro tip: If frying in batches, you can add the earlier batches of tofu batch into the oil for a quick double fry to to get the tofu hot again and extra crispy. About 30 seconds to 1 minute will do.

6. Season. Back to the wok of veggies, heat it up on medium high heat until hot again and add the crispy tofu, green onion, and half of the crispy garlic. Also season with about 1 ½ teaspoon of the salt and pepper seasoning. Give everything a few quick toss to combine.

7. Finish. Garnish with the remaining crispy garlic, another light dusting of the seasoning mix (if desired), and serve immediately.

Recipe tips

• Tofu size - How big the tofu cubes are can affect the over texture of the dish and how long the tofu can stay crispy. The larger the cubes, the quicker the tofu will lose its crisp because there's more moisture but the tofu will be softer on the inside. The smaller the cubes, the crispier and longer the tofu will stay but the inside may become a little dry. We recommend keeping the tofu around 1 inch.
• Use fine salt and granulated. This helps the seasonings stick to everything well and not have overly salty or sweet pieces.
• Make sure to not overcrowd the oil! This is important for ALL frying steps and recipes. Overcrowding the oil will dramatically drop the oil temperature, which can cause the food to become greasy and undercooked.
• DON'T overcook the veggies. It's important the veggies are quickly stir fry and stay crisp, not only for the texture but also to prevent them from releasing too much moisture. This will help prevent the tofu from becoming soggy.
• Only briefly toss the crispy tofu with the veggies to prevent the tofu from becoming soggy. The longer the veggies are in contact with heat, the more moisture it will release, so keep the tossing at the end brief.

Storage

Salt and pepper tofu is best enjoyed fresh because the tofu will become soggy after sitting for awhile or after refrigerating. The leftovers can refrigerated for up to 4 days. Just make sure to allow it cool completely before refrigerating.

Reheating

Leftover salt and pepper tofu can be easily reheated in the microwave until hot. Make sure to reheat in a loosely covered microwave safe container. Do note that the tofu will not be crispy like when it was freshly made and the veggies will not be as crispy either, but the flavor will still be just as good!

FAQ

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