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–+ servings
Salt and pepper tofu on a plate.
5 from 3 votes

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. It's also a dim sum classic that'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, or this shumai (siu mai) if you're in the mood for dim sum!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients
 

For the dish:

  • 1 (14-16oz) block tofu cut into ½ to 1 inch cubes (firm, medium , or soft) *see notes
  • 3 tablespoons garlic roughly chopped
  • ½ small yellow onion diced
  • ⅓ red bell pepper diced (optional)
  • ½ jalapeño pepper sliced (optional - more or less to your preference)
  • 1 stalk green onion sliced (optional)
  • 5 pieces whole dry chili pepper optional
  • Oil for cooking and frying

For the dredge:

For the salt and pepper seasoning mix:

  • 2 teaspoons fine salt
  • 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn toasted and ground (optional)*see notes
  • ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar or caster sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon msg optional but highly recommended
  • ⅛ teaspoon white pepper

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients:

  • Prepare the tofu:
    Bring a pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. We recommend 1 tablespoon of salt per 2 quarts of water.
  • Once the water comes to a boil and the salt has dissolved, take it off the heat and gently add the cubed tofu. Set it aside and let the tofu brine for about 10 to 15 minutes.
    *You can use this time prepare the rest of the ingredients.*
  • Prepare a plate or tray lined with paper towels. After 10 to 15 minutes, gently drain the tofu and place them onto the prepared plate or tray. Gently pat the tofu dry with more paper towels and set aside until needed.
  • Make the salt and pepper seasoning mix:
    In a bowl, mix together the all the ingredients for the salt and pepper seasoning mix (salt, Sichuan pepper, sugar, msg, and white pepper). Set aside until needed.
    *One recipes makes about 4 teaspoons of seasoning, which is more than what's needed. You can store the leftover for another use.*
  • Make the seasoned cornstarch dredge:
    In a wide mixing bowl, mix together everything for the dredge (cornstarch, salt, garlic powder, and finely ground gochugaru). Set aside until needed.

Make the salt and pepper tofu:

  • Stir fry aromatics:
    In a wok or large pan over medium low heat, add about 2 tablespoons of oil. While the oil is heating up, add the chopped garlic and fry until the garlic is fragrant, golden, and crispy. Remove immediately and allow to drain on some paper towel. Set aside until needed.
  • In the same wok or pan, increase the heat to medium high and add a very small amount of oil, just enough to coat the wok. Once hot, add the dry whole peppers and stir fry quickly for a few seconds. Immediately add the onion and stir fry until it starts to turn translucent and fragrant.
  • Then, add the red bell peppers and jalapeño peppers and stir fry briefly, about 10 to 15 seconds. Take the wok off the heat and set aside until needed.
  • Fry the tofu:
    In a pot, heat 1 to 2 inches of oil to 350°F. Also prepare a plate lined with paper towels or a tray with a cooling rack and a spider strainer.
  • Pat dry the tofu cubes one more time if needed and gently coat with the seasoned cornstarch. Make sure all sides are well coated and only coat with the seasoned cornstarch as much as you can fry per batch.
  • Gently place the dredged tofu cubes into the hot oil and and fry for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden and crispy. Remove and let the tofu drain on the paper towels or cooling rack for a moment. Make sure to not overcrowd the oil and maintain the temperature. Fry in batches if necessary.
    *If you're frying in batches, you can refry the earlier batches for 15 to 30 seconds to reheat and make the tofu extra crispy.*
  • Season and finish:
    While the fried tofu is draining, heat up the wok or pan of stir fried onions and peppers over medium hight heat. Stir fry briefly until the veggies are hot again and add the fried tofu, green onion, and half of the crispy garlic. Sprinkle in about 1½ teaspoons of the prepared salt and pepper seasoning mix and toss briefly to combine.
  • Serve immediately and garnish with the rest of the crispy garlic and more salt and pepper mix if desired. Enjoy while hot!

Notes

Please refer to the post above for step by step photo reference, tips, storage, and FAQs!
  • Nutrition value - The nutritional info provided is an estimate. Most importantly, for this recipe, the sodium value will vary depending the amount of the salt and pepper mix used.
  • Tofu - We love salt and pepper tofu made with soft tofu because the fried tofu becomes crispy on the outside and silky soft on the inside. It's just an amazing combo! However, it is a bit tougher to work with soft tofu. So feel free to start with firm tofu if you're more comfortable or if you prefer the texture.
  • Sichuan pepper - This is a classic in salt and pepper dishes but are also optional. We like toasting whole peppercorns and grinding it ourselves because it's more fragrant and flavorful. But if you prefer, you can use this ground Sichuan pepper instead.
  • Seasoned cornstarch dredge - We recommend seasoning the cornstarch for more flavor and better color on the tofu, but you can definitely just use plain cornstarch if you prefer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 221.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 52.5g | Protein: 1.7g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.04g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 881.9mg | Potassium: 158.4mg | Fiber: 1.7g | Sugar: 2.1g | Vitamin A: 715.6IU | Vitamin C: 36.7mg | Calcium: 35.2mg | Iron: 0.8mg
Keywords: crispy tofu, easy tofu recipe, easy vegetarian recipe
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