This crispy sticky tofu will make EVERYONE love tofu! It's exactly that, crispy pieces of tofu with a sweet sticky glaze…..yum!
Tofu is one of those ingredients that people either love or hate. I personally love tofu as it's a great vegan plant based protein that you can eat in so many ways! It doesn't have much flavor, so you can season and elevate it in any flavour direction you like.
This sweet sticky tofu takes less than 15 minutes to make and is packed with flavour! Serve with basmati rice and vegetables to make it a complete meal, with noodles, or grab some chopsticks and enjoy them on their own.
Some ways I love to have tofu are crumbling it and adding it to Rice Paper Dumplings or in a warm and cozy Thai Yellow Curry.
This recipe is also perfect to serve as a fun delicious appetizer to share.
Trust me, it's going to be your new favourite way to eat tofu!
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tofu is a great plant based vegan protein high in nutrients. It's always best to use extra firm tofu when making crispy sticky tofu. Firm tofu is also great too
- Sweet soy sauce is a mixture of sweet and salty in one and is usually a thicker consistency than regular soy sauce. You can also use regular soy sauce mixed with honey or maple syrup as a substitute or even sugar. If you are gluten-free, use the same concept with tamari
- Rice vinegar balances out the sweetness and saltiness. Apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar can also be used
- Garlic cloves for all my fellow garlic lovers! Use as much or as little as you like! Garlic powder can be used if you don't have fresh garlic. Fresh ginger would also be yum too
- Chilli flakes / Red pepper flakes are added for spice! Fresh chilli, sriracha sauce or even chilli powder will work. If you don't like spice or serving to kids, feel free to omit altogether
- Corn starch is added in the marinade with water to make a cornstarch slurry. It thickens the sauce into a sticky glaze like in a teriyaki sauce. It's also used to coat the tofu before its fried for an extra crispy layer
- Oil is used for frying the tofu. It's best to use a neutral oil such as avocado oil, vegetable oil or even grapeseed oil
- Garnish, in this recipe I've used sesame seeds but sliced green onions would be a great garnish too! Serve with rice and vegetables such as broccoli or Asian greens for the perfect dinner
How to make Crispy Sticky Tofu
This recipe is about bringing all the flavour to the tofu and creating a sticky crispy outside layer, and the best part is you can make this within 15 minutes in a few simple steps.
- To start, press the tofu so all the excess water comes out. I like to simply place the tofu in between a tea towel then place a heavy item on top and wait at least 20mintues. Then cut the tofu as you wish to eat it, in this recipe I've made diagonal cuts to get triangle shapes but you can cut into cubes as well
- Whilst the tofu is being pressed, prepare the marinade in a small bowl by adding sweet soy sauce, vinegar, grated garlic, and chili. Then add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 3 tbs of water. Give it a stir to combine
- At least 20 minutes have passed, coat the pressed tofu pieces in corn starch. Use your fingers to get a good coat on all the edges
- It's time to cook! In a non-stick pan, heat some oil over medium-high heat and add the tofu pieces in a single layer, making sure they don’t touch. Cook for a few minutes on both sides until you have golden and crispy tofu
- To finish, pour the marinade into the pan which will become very bubbly immediately. Quickly turn all the tofu pieces over so they are coated on both sides and serve on a dish straight away.
- To serve, I like to garnish with some sesame seeds. For a complete meal, I will serve alongside rice and broccoli or Asian greens. Or just grab some chopsticks and dig in!
Tips & Tricks
- Press the tofu to remove the excess water which will help it get extra crispy. If you don't have a tofu press, place tofu in a clean tea towel with something heavy on top like a heavy pot
- Fry the tofu pieces in a single layer without touching so they don't stick together and for all sides to become crispy
- Be quick when you pour over the marinade. Move around the pan and flip them over. Due to the sweet soy sauce and corn starch, it will bubble very quickly and become extra sticky
- Ensure to use a non stick saucepan or the glaze will stick to the pan
- There's no need to add any salt as the sweet soy sauce has sufficient seasoning
- To make it oil free, cook the tofu in an air fryer or oven. If you are airfrying, add sufficient cooking spray to the tofu. You can then add the glaze in a pan
FAQs
Tofu is quite plain and bland on its own, however, it draws in any seasonings and marinades so you can season it how you like! It has a soft sponge-like texture
Seasoning and texture! I love making tofu crispy with either cornstarch or breaded coating. Marinade your tofu to give it tonnes of flavor to make it taste amazing
More Tofu Recipes
More Easy Dinners
- Saffron Risotto
- Creamy Peanut Noodles
- Cauliflower Steaks
- Vegetable Noodle Soup
- Pappardelle Pasta with Mushrooms
- Japanese Katsu Curry
I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to rate the recipe, comment and share your Crispy Sticky Tofu photo on Instagram so I can share the love!
Recipe
Crispy Sticky Tofu
Video
Ingredients
- 11 oz/ 300 g extra firm tofu
- 3 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- ½ tablespoon red pepper flakes - or more of you like it spicy
- 4 tablespoons corn starch (only one tablespoon used in the marinade)
- 3-4 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons oil
- Garnish sesame seeds or chopped green onions
Instructions
- Drain and press tofu with either a tofu press or in between a clean tea towel with something heavy on top to remove the excess water
- In a small bowl or ramekin add the sweet soy sauce, vinegar, grated garlic and red pepper flakes. Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 3 tablespoons water, stir or whisk to combine
- Slice tofu into triangles or tofu cubes and coat in the remaining corn starch
- Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add the tofu pieces in a single layer, making sure they don’t touch. Pan fry for a few minutes on both sides until you have golden and crispy tofu
- Pour the marinade into the pan which will become very bubbly instantly. Quickly turn all the tofu pieces over so they are coated on both sides and serve on a dish straight awayGarnish with the sesame seeds and enjoy your Crispy Sticky Tofu!
Lynne says
Omg, this recipe is amazing! I'm not a vegetarian but really wanted to give Tofu a try. Me and my boyfriend indulged on this and we both love it!! ❤️
Ayeh Manfre says
Oh yay love this Lynne, your tofu looked so good!! xx
Carole says
Just made this and it was absolutely DELICIOUS!!! Thank you so much.
Ayeh Manfre says
Oh YAY!! So happy you loved it Carole xxx
Brittany says
Holy tofu!!! I must have run out of cornstarch during the holidays so I had to use flour. It wasn’t the crispiness I was hoping for, but this was still amazing! So flavorful! I love tofu so I wasn’t concerned, but my 2 year old and husband are the problem. They even liked it! I’m saving this recipe as a favorite and will def be putting cornstarch on my shopping list so I can make this again!
Ayeh Manfre says
Oh yay what a lovely compliment!! So happy everyone loved it! With the addition of the cornstarch they will be even better 🙂
Lin says
Thank you so much for recipe! I did a search today and it came up and we loved it so it is a keeper.
Ayeh Manfre says
Oh yay lovely to hear! Its one of my favourites too x
Kate says
The tofu crisped perfectly in the pan but the second the sauce hit it, it lost all the crunch. That being said, the sauce was delicious! If I can figure out how to keep the tofu crispy, I would definitely make this again.
Ayeh Manfre says
So glad you loved this! Once you add the sauce, quickly flip the tofu and serve. They dont need long with the sauce in the pan
Lahnee says
This looks amazing and I’ve bought tofu for the first time just to try this recipe! 10/10 as far as looks go now to make and taste
Ayeh Manfre says
Hope you love it!!
Linda says
Making this for lunch today as I have all the ingredients on hand. And it looks delicious. I do have a suggestion as I just spend considerable time reviewing both the recipe and descriptive areas. When I first read the description I thought the "it" in one sentence referred to the marinade. I have now figured out that it was the cornstarch you were referring to. A simple edit would help us. Here's the sentence :"It's also used to coat the tofu before its fried"
To my mind having an inner layer of sauce before the cornstarch would help the cornstarch adhere and perhaps the sauce would add even more flavor. I may try soaking them in the tamari sauce before the corntarch layer just to see if it gives it even more umph! What do you think?
Ayeh Manfre says
Hi Linda, oh great hope you love this recipe! Not sure which section you mean? Also you can do so, however it may be too much sauce as the sticky glaze on top is the main part 🙂
Amy says
This tofu recipe is amazing! We had it with some veggie fried rice. It was a hit with 4 out of 5, my 8yr old doesn’t like tofu but ate it. It definitely passed the crunch test!
Ayeh Manfre says
Thrilled to hear this lovely!!!
Guillermina says
When substituting soy sauce and sweetener(sugar or maple syrup) in place of the sweet soy sauce, how much of each is needed for the recipe?
Ayeh Manfre says
Add 2 1/2 tbs of soy and 1/2 tbs of honey 🙂
Laura says
I really enjoyed this recipe as the tofu crunched up really nicely and the sauce was so incredibly good.
Definitely recommend!
Ayeh Manfre says
So great to hear Laura!
Melissa says
These were delicious - though I have to work on pan frying without burning. Two questions - what type of oil do you recommend?? And you mention "chili" in the directions but not in the ingredients list. Do you mean the red pepper flakes?? Thanks!
Ayeh Manfre says
I've used olive oil dear, and yes the chili is the red pepper flakes. Ill update that 🙂
Shannon says
This was really delicious! My first time cooking tofu and my daughters first time ever tasting it. She loved it too! I had a lot of coconut oil left in the pan even after I poured in the sauce. Should I just use less? We will make this over and over again!!
Ayeh Manfre says
Oh yay so happy you loved the recipe Shannon and that you both loved it! Yes use less 🙂
Kim C. says
Just made these and they were a hit! Thank you for the wonderful ideas on something quick and different than the normal lunch suggestions. I followed the recipe as written. Make them and enjoy them people! You won't regret it.
Ayeh Manfre says
So happy to hear Kim!
Lea says
This was delicious! I’m definitely planning to make it again!
Any recommendations for reheating? My leftovers were still tasty but they lost their crispiness.
Thanks!
Ayeh Manfre says
Oh yay so glad you liked it! Unfortunately its best to be eaten the same day for the best crisp and stickiness. I usually prefer to heat any leftovers in a pan with a splash of water
Liz says
So good! The recipe calls for 4 tablespoons of corn starch and in the instructions it says add 1 tablespoon of corn starch. How much corn starch should be added?
Ayeh Manfre says
HI Liz, its 4 tablespoons of corn starch. 3 are used for the coating of the tofu and the last spoon in the marinade xx
Janis J says
I used peanut oil which gave the tofu a lovely flavor. I really enjoyed it!
Ayeh Manfre says
Oh yummy love this idea! So glad you liked it Janis xx
Anne Webb says
This is so good. It's the 2nd time I've made it & I wilted some bok choy directly in the pan with it this time. I'm slowly working my way through all your delicious recipes.
Ayeh Manfre says
Sounds amazing yum!
Noemie says
Absolutely amazing! Life changing dare I say. Thank you for this inspiring recipe which I keep sharing with everyone around me!
Best wishes from France,
Noemie
Ayeh Manfre says
Oh love this and so happy you love this recipe xxx
Maraika says
Thank you for this easy recipe. We love it. And eat the Tofu as a snack. In fact I have to be quick to get a piece once it is out of the fry pan and cool enough to eat:) It is very very tasty. Makes the whole house smell delicious.
Ayeh Manfre says
Hehe love this!!!
Erin says
Absolutely Delicious! My teenage daughter requests this dish at least once a week. Easy to make. Paired with steamed veggie or leafy green salad.
Ayeh Manfre says
What an amazing compliment!!
Maraika Mason says
Made the Crispy Sticky Tofu again tonight for dinner. This time I had the correct ingredient.....Sweet soy sauce.....But I much prefer the taste of the plain Soy Sauce. And will be using this in future. It is satisfyingly salty and a stronger flavour than the Sweet Soy sauce. And it covered the Tofu better also.
Ayeh Manfre says
So happy you made it again lovely! Thank you also for the information on the soy sauce preference. You can also use the regular soy sauce with a little honey for some sweetness xxx
Mizz P says
Perfect! Also consider marinating your tofu in soy sauce before coating and cooking! Love the coating/breading on the 'fu!
Ayeh Manfre says
Oh great even more flavor yum! Thrilled to hear you loved it xxx
Elizabeth says
So delicious!!! I didn’t have sweet soy sauce so I just added some brown sugar. Yummy!
Ayeh Manfre says
Perfect!! So happy you loved it xxx
Lynn says
I made this last night for our dinner. A fairly easy dish to make, but even though I had the stove heat, as your recipe states, at medium-high, at the end when I poured the marinade over the crisped tofu pieces, the entire skillet liquid contents burst into flames, shooting up all the way to my above venting almost 3 feet high! Standing closer and I could have been horribly burned! You absolutely need to warn people about this!!! And, yes, I followed your directions exactly. Please! I’m 66 years old, college-educated and VERY experienced when it comes to cooking and baking. I love trying new recipes and make many, many of Tieghan’s recipes from Half Baked Harvest with great success.
Ayeh Manfre says
Oh my goodness sorry to hear this! I've never had this happen and haven't heard this feedback before. What type of saucepan did you use?
Gisa says
This was SO GOOD! I've tried so many recipes for tofu and this so far has been my favourite. Even my husband who is not a tofu fan said he'd have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
Thanks for all your great ideas. I really learn a lot!
g.
Ayeh Manfre says
Oh wow I love this!!!! So thrilled to hear Gisa, cant wait to see what you try next xxx
AFal says
I had had good Tofu, but despite my tremendous culinary skills never made Tofu that I liked. I don't have much experience with it as I do with the 12 other cultures I have mastered. I did like this! So that's a plus. I found it way too sweet, so I now know what to do in the future. I also know how to make Sesame chicken due to it - lol - I thank you!
Ayeh Manfre says
Oh yay amazing to hear!
Lynda Wadland says
Easy to prepare. Tastes so amazingly delicious. It is my go to recipe for tofu.
Thank you.
Lynda Wadland
Ayeh Manfre says
Wonderful to hear this Lynda!!
Carmen says
I am not a tofu lover and I am not a good cooker, but I made this recipe and it came delicious. Thank you for share this recipe.
Ayeh Manfre says
So thrilled you loved this tofu recipe yay!
Laura says
This was super easy and delicious! Made it for my family full of tofu haters and they enjoyed it 🙂
Ayeh Manfre says
Oh yay what a lovely compliment!!!!
Argiri Kots says
This is a recipe I now cook weekly! It’s so easy, it’s delicious, you can modify it to suit your mood or taste, I add seasoning in the corn starch which adds so much flavour. We love this dish!
Ayeh Manfre says
Oh this makes me so happy!!!!
Meg says
Easy and delicious, thank you!
Ayeh Manfre says
So thrilled to hear Meg 🙂
Meghan says
This was fantastic. I had some leftover tofu from a different recipe and was looking for a quick dish. This hit the spot with a little kimchi on the side. I had to do soy sauce and honey but will look for sweet soy sauce at the store.
Ayeh Manfre says
Oh yum sounds amazing with kimchi on the side 🙂
Hayley says
Love, love LOVE this recipe. Have made this tofu many times and shared the recipe with more!
I had it with a soba noodle salad. Delicious!
Ayeh Manfre says
Oh yay so thrilled to hear this Hayley! Paired with a soba noodle salad sounds delish!!
bette says
Thanks to your recipe, I now have a successful tofu cook under my belt! I have always had a hard time with making it crispy - and this sauce was delicious. Next time I might skip or reduce the corn starch in the sauce, but other than that, I wouldn't change a thing. TYSM!
Ayeh Manfre says
So happy you loved it Bette!! The sauce only needs one spoon of cornstarch to help it thicken, the rest of the cornstarch is for the coating 🙂
jojo says
hi!! just wanted to say it was absolutely delicious, my family loved it!! i just had a question if you happen to know, do you think i could switch the rice vinegar with any other type of vinegar? thank you for posting this!!
Ayeh Manfre says
So happy you and your family loved it!! You can also use apple cider vinegar as its lighter than white vinegar 🙂
Nick Cee says
Out of 500 types of tofu dishes I have tried, this is in top three. And so easy yo make. Really spectacular. You are a genius!
Ayeh Manfre says
Oh wow what an amazing compliment! So glad you loved it so much 🙂
Donna S says
Could the tofu be done in an air fryer?
Ayeh Manfre says
You can cook the tofu in the air fryer for the first part, but you will lose the sauce if its poured in the air fryer. I'd suggest to add it to a pan then pour the sauce for the final step xx
Aimee says
This recipe is amazing!! I've made it twice now. The only changes I make: I have liquid aminos instead of soy sauce, I use that and add some honey to the marinade. I also tear up my tofu into chunks instead of slicing. 10/10!
Ayeh Manfre says
So happy you love the recipe dear and have remade it! I like the idea of tofu chunks too x
Andrea Glynn says
Just made this and it was amazing. Thanks for sharing!!
Ayeh Manfre says
Thrilled to hear you loved it Andrea 🙂
Tony says
We've made this a few times and it's definitely a common dinner at home now, it's great!
We often don't have sweet soy sauce (just regular) and not honey, which I see some other recipes add. If we're missing a tad of sweetness in this, is there something else we can substitute??
Thanks!
Ayeh Manfre says
Amazing to hear Tony! You can also add some maple syrup or brown sugar for sweetness 🙂
Ann Ryan says
Quick,easy and absolutely yummy!
Ayeh Manfre says
Yay! So glad you loved it Ann xx
Donna says
I somehow managed to screw up the frying of the tofu - it never got crispy. I think I had the temp too low. So, I cooked it until it had a chewy texture, added the sauce, and it was STILL DELICIOUS!
I will try this again, and raise the temp of the oil.
My husband was not looking forward to this meal, and he's now said it should be part of the regular repertoire!
Ayeh Manfre says
So glad it still turned out delicious Donna and that your hubby loved it too! Yes, ensure the oil is hot when frying to give you that crispy texture xx
Andrea Glynn says
Great recipe and easy to follow. Highly recommend
Ayeh Manfre says
So glad you loved this recipe Andrea, thank you for your lovely comment xx
Rina says
Hi I was just wondering how it would come out ,after making and cooking the tofu could you freeze it , would it be alright or not? Thanks
Ayeh Manfre says
Technically you can freeze it, but you won't have the same crisp texture once thawed. Will still taste good though 🙂
Brushjl says
Fantastic! The sauce was sublime. Will make a tofu lover out of anyone.
Ayeh Manfre says
Hehe love this comment and I totally agree!
Nonny says
Absolutely delicious!
Ayeh Manfre says
Wonderful to hear you loved it 🙂
maya says
I did this yesterday. Only I misread it and put all ingredients into the marinade. How can I put this? My fault but it turned out to absolute deliciousness albeit not as pretty. I am making it again today and doing it right... Serves me right to be so excited that I do what I did. Even my grandkids loved it and came back for more, taking the rest of it home. All that happened was the marinade, so full of corn starch, bubbled into little sweet savoury bits. This, despite my clumsiness, is beautiful. Thank you.
Ayeh Manfre says
So happy that you still loved it Maya and are making it again yay!!! Hope you enjoy it even more with the correct cornstarch 🙂
I'll make a little note to the recipe to make it a little clearer too xxx
Sophie says
Just made this.....amazing thanku
Ayeh Manfre says
Thrilled you loved it Sophie yay 🙂
Maya Michel says
Delicious! My whole family loved this.
Ayeh Manfre says
Fantastic to hear Maya 🙂
Melanie says
I LOVE this recipe. I did make a couple of changes. (added grated ginger to the sauce, a little less soy sauce per my preference, and added Chinese five spice powder to the cornstarch) but the base sauce is wonderful and knowing the process of freezing, boiling and tearing the tofu totally made this dish. Thank you!
Ayeh Manfre says
Sounds amazing Melanie yum 🙂