I haven’t made tofu in a while but I can tell you one thing, I’m going to be making this Honey Sriracha Tofu recipe a lot from here on out. These tasty little honey sriracha tofu cubes are pan-fried until crispy on the outside and then drenched in a sweet and spicy sriracha glaze. It’s simple but so addictively good! They’re so delicious that I sat there eating the tofu right out of the pan, nearly polishing off the entire batch myself. 😬 Realistically, you’ll probably want to stretch this out to about four servings as part of a full meal, and I’ve got some great ideas for that below. 😉
Ingredients for Honey Sriracha Tofu
This super simple tofu recipe only requires a few ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make this truly delicious honey sriracha tofu:
- Tofu: Look for firm or extra firm tofu. The extra firm works a little better, but if all you have available is firm, you can simply press it for a little longer to get the extra-firm texture.
- Sriracha: Sriracha is a one-stop shop for flavor. It adds heat, acidity, and salt to the glaze.
- Honey: The sweetness of the honey perfectly compliments the spicy heat of the sriracha.
- Soy Sauce: Soy sauce adds saltiness and a little bit of umami flavor to the glaze.
- Crushed Red Pepper: For even more pops of spicy heat, we added a little crushed red pepper.
- Cooking Oil: The tofu is pan fried in a small amount of cooking oil, as opposed to deep frying in a large quantity of oil. This keeps it budget-friendly and easy while still creating a crisp texture.
- Cornstarch: Coating the tofu in cornstarch helps create a deliciously crispy layer on the surface of the tofu.
- Green Onions: A few sliced green onions provide the perfect fresh pop of flavor on top of the sweet and spicy glaze.
Can I Substitute the Sriracha?
Sriracha is the main flavor in this recipe and it provides several flavor elements to the sauce like heat, acidity, garlic, and salt. You could potentially substitute it with another chili sauce, like chili garlic sauce, sambal oelek, or maybe even gochujang. But if you’re looking for a non-spicy option, it will take several ingredients to replace all the flavors contained in the sriracha. I suggest using this recipe for Pan Fried Sesame Tofu as a non-spicy alternative.
Make it Vegan
To make this honey sriracha tofu vegan you only need to swap one ingredient—honey. Substitute the honey with either brown sugar or agave nectar. Brown sugar is my top choice because I love the deep flavors that the molasses in the brown sugar provides.
Tips for The Best Tofu
If you’re new to cooking with tofu, here are a few simple tips and tricks to make sure your tofu has the best flavor and texture:
- Press the tofu well. This removes the excess water which helps it crisp up and gives it a more firm texture and better mouthfeel. If there is too much water in the tofu the cornstarch coating will not crisp up as readily.
- Freeze your tofu. Freezing and then thawing tofu changes the texture, giving it a more meaty feeling and allowing water to be more easily pressed out. So, if you remember, freeze the tofu ahead of time and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator for a day before making your recipe. I freeze it right in the package it comes in.
- Use non-stick cookware. Tofu can stick easily to other cookware and, because it’s fairly soft, it can tend to crumble. Using enough oil, a higher heat, and a non-stick surface will help the tofu fry up nice and crispy without sticking.
- Don’t stir too often. Stirring the tofu too often will prevent it from forming a crispy brown exterior. Let it cook until golden brown and crispy on the bottom before flipping.
How to Serve Honey Sriracha Tofu
Do as I say and don’t do as I do (almost eat the entire batch straight out of the skillet). Use this honey sriracha tofu to top salads, like Crunchy Cabbage Salad or Cold Peanut Noodle Salad. Make it into a bowl meal with rice (or coconut rice) and cooling cucumbers (as pictured) and maybe some Peanut Lime Dressing. Or add it to some noodles like these Sesame Noodles with Wilted Greens or Garlic Noodles. You could even stuff it into a big tortilla with Crunchy Cabbage Salad and make it a wrap!
Honey Sriracha Tofu
Servings 4Ingredients
- 14 oz. extra firm tofu ($1.79)
- 2 Tbsp sriracha ($0.22)
- 2 Tbsp honey ($0.24)
- 2 tsp soy sauce, divided ($0.04)
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper ($0.02)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch ($0.03)
- 2 green onions, sliced ($0.22)
Instructions
- Press the tofu for 30 minutes to remove the excess moisture. You can do this by either using a tofu press, or placing the block of tofu on a rimmed plate or tray, then topping with something flat like a cutting board and placing a heavy object on top (cast iron skillet or pot of water). After pressing for 30 minutes, pour off the extra liquid.
- While the tofu is pressing, make the honey sriracha sauce. In a small bowl, combine the sriracha, honey, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and the crushed red pepper. Set the sauce aside.
- Cut the pressed tofu into ½-inch cubes. Use a paper towel to lightly pat dry the tofu cubes.
- Add the cooking oil and 1 teaspoon soy sauce to a large bowl. Lightly whisk the soy sauce into the oil. Add the cubed tofu and gently stir until the tofu is coated in oil and soy sauce.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon cornstarch over the cubed tofu and gently stir. Repeat two more times, or until 3 teaspoon (1 Tablespoon) cornstarch has been added to the tofu.
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium. When the skillet is hot, add the prepared tofu. The tofu will fry in the oil that is coating the cubes. Cook the tofu, stirring only occasionally, until it is brown and crispy on all sides (about 10 minutes).
- Pour the honey sriracha sauce over the tofu and continue to stir and cook for 1-2 more minutes, or until the glaze is thick and sticky.
- Top the honey sriracha tofu with sliced green onions and serve.
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Nutrition
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How to Make Honey Sriracha Tofu – Step by Step Photos
Drain one 14oz. block of firm or extra-firm tofu. Press the tofu for 30 minutes using either a tofu press, or a homemade press like in the photo above. To make the homemade press, place the block of tofu on a plate or rimmed baking sheet, then top with a cutting board and a heavy object, like a cast-iron skillet or pot of water.
While the tofu is pressing, prepare the honey sriracha sauce. Stir together 2 Tablespoons sriracha, 2 Tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper.
You can see how much more liquid came out of the block of tofu after pressing for 30 minutes. Pour off the excess liquid.
Cut the block of tofu into ½-inch cubes and lightly pat dry with a paper towel.
Add 2 Tablespoons of cooking oil and one teaspoon soy sauce to a large bowl. Whisk until they are somewhat combined, then add the cubed tofu and gently stir until the tofu is coated.
Add one teaspoon cornstarch to the bowl with the tofu and gently stir again. Repeat two more times until you’ve added 3 teaspoons (or one tablespoon) cornstarch and the tofu is coated.
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is very hot, add the tofu. The tofu is coated in oil, so there is no need to add extra oil to the skillet. Cook the tofu, stirring occasionally, until it is golden brown and crispy on all sides.
Pour the prepared honey sriracha sauce over the tofu.
Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 minutes more or until the sauce is thick and sticky. Top with sliced green onions and serve!
The power of making crispy tofu might still evade me, but it still makes a tasty snack on regular tofu!
I’ve been making this as a sheet pan meal. I mix the cornstarch, Tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce, and 1 Tablespoon of oil in a medium size bowl. Then coat the pressed tofu with the mixture and let it set while the oven preheats to 450. I line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. When th oven is hot spread the tofu out on half of the pan. I also add broccoli to the other half of the pan, drizzle it with a little oil. And bake for 20 to 30 minutes. While it’s cooking I mix the sauce ingredients together. When the tofu and broccoli are done I pour the sauce over and let bake for another minute or so, until the sauce is hot. I usually serve with rice as a bowl meal. Easy and tasty.
Amazing recipe! I needed a sauce for my fried tofu and this was perfect. Will definitely be my go to from now on. Super easy and I had all the ingredients in my pantry. Thank you so much!
This was SOOOO good! I made this with coconut rice and my husband went back for seconds. HE DOES NOT USUALLY EAT TOFU. I’m shocked and thrilled that he liked it. Thank you for this super yummy recipe!
So good!! Mine was a little spicy for my taste but I really liked it! Will be making again
Yummers
I followed this recipe as written, and it was virtually tasteless. Way too little saltiness (probably needs at least a tablespoon of soy sauce in the sauce), but just unseasoned overall. If I was to try to tweak the recipe, I’d start with garlic. We dosed it with dipping sauce, but it was very disappointing.
I made this recipe with the coconut rice that was recommended, and sans cucumber, and it was delicious! I halved the recipe because I buy nifty half-blocks of Tofu. I always eyeball most measurements, and made my sauce a bit too red pepper-heavy, but I survived! And since I keep frozen sliced green onions around, this was truly a recipe I could make with stuff I already have in my kitchen.
Absolutely delicious. I served it with coconut rice and sliced cucumber as suggested, and it turned out great (with my nonstick pan). Before buying the nonstick pan, I had tried this same recipe with a regular stainless steel pan, and it stuck really bad and made a smoky mess. Learn from my mistake! Wait to try this recipe until you can get your hands on something nonstick :)
I love this recipe, but I think the skillet/pan needs a little bit of cooking oil in it before you add the tofu because the oil on the tofu has corn starch mixed into it which means if you just pour your tofu onto a dry hot pan, it will stick.
Is there something I can use instead of honey? I’m all out of honey but have the other ingredients and want to make it without a trip to the store. Apricot jam, agave, or something else?
I often do a sauce similar to this with brown sugar, but apricot jam sounds so interesting!
This is hands down the best fried tofu recipe/method I’ve made at home. It’s on constant repeat and I use the oil/soy/cornstarch method for tofu with different sauces too. Thanks so much!
I love this recipe so much! Easy to
Make and tastes fantastic. Thank you.