Kung pao tofu is a vegan take on the Chinese takeout classic! It’s high in protein, full of veggies, and loaded with flavor. Made with easy, every day ingredients.
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It’s been a minute since I shared a tofu recipe, mostly because I’m hooked on the best crispy tofu and can’t be bothered to make anything else. However, this kung pao tofu recipe takes that crispy tofu and knocks it up a notch with crisp tender veggies and a slightly spicy sauce!
You’re probably familiar with kung pao chicken from your local Chinese restaurant. We’re going to take that take out favorite and turn it into a vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free healthy dinner option.
What is kung pao sauce made of?
Kung pao sauce is both sweet and salty. Mine is made from soy sauce, rice vinegar, cooking sherry, hoisin sauce, and sambal oelek among other things.
Kung pao is a spicy Chinese dish that comes from the Sichuan Province of south-west China. It is generally made with chicken, vegetables, peanuts, chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns.
To keep things vegan and easier on American cooks, I’m using tofu and leaving out the peppercorns. I also don’t cook with dried peppers because they aggravate my asthma, but they do make it deliciously spicy, and I’ll let you know how you can include those below if you prefer!
If you prefer a more authentic kung pao experience, I recommend giving this real-deal kung pao tofu a try.
I know there are a lot of ingredients here, but it really comes together quickly! I recommend measuring out the sauce ingredients and chopping all ingredients while your tofu is pressing so everything will be ready to go and it will just take a few minutes to cook.
Kung pao tofu ingredients
Crispy Tofu
- Extra firm tofu
- Tamari
- Cornstarch
Kung Pao Sauce
- Hoisin sauce
- Cooking sherry
- Rice vinegar
- Sambal oelek
- Coconut sugar
- Sesame oil
- Orange juice
- Grapeseed oil
Stir Fry
- Onion
- Green bell pepper
- Red bell pepper
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Scallions
- Peanuts
How to make vegan kung pao
- Marinate the tofu – Press the tofu, then cut it into small cubes and marinate in 2 tablespoons of tamari for 15-30 minutes.
- Prepare the kung pao sauce – In a medium bowl, combine water, tamari, cooking sherry, coconut sugar, orange juice, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, cornstarch, sambal oelek, and sesame oil.
- Cook the tofu – Heat grapeseed oil over medium heat and cook tofu, stirring, until lightly browned on all sides.
- Cook the vegetables – Remove the tofu, add an extra teaspoon of oil, and add the onion as well as the green and red bell pepper, cooking for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook another 30 seconds.
- Put it all together – Add the tofu and sauce, cooking and stirring until hot and thickened. Remove from the heat and top with sliced scallions and peanuts.
Top tips
What kind of tofu should I use for kung pao tofu?
I recommend extra firm tofu for this recipe because it will hold its shape and give a firm bite.
How do I press tofu?
A tofu press (<– affiliate link to the one shown) will make the tofu even more firm, but you can also press tofu without a press. If using a press, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for pressing since each one differs slightly.
To press tofu without a press, slice the tofu in half like a book, then stack both slabs on top of each other, placing layers of paper towel or clean kitchen towels on the top, bottom, and middle. Place it all on a plate, then top with something heavy like a cast iron pan with a few cans in it.
Let the tofu press for 15-30 minutes before marinating.
Can I bake my tofu?
Frying the tofu in the pan takes only minutes, and you’ll need to dirty it to cook the other ingredients anyways. However, if you prefer to bake your tofu in the oven, follow all the instructions up to the point of cooking, then place in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 400ºF for 40 minutes, flipping once.
What can I prepare ahead of time?
You can save time and make this recipe perfect for a weeknight by mixing up your sauce ahead of time and storing it covered in the refrigerator. You could also pre-chop all your veggies, and cook your tofu, storing it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to add it to the stir fry.
What to serve with kung pao tofu
Serve this dish with either rice or stir fry noodles. It would also be delicious with extra veggies on the side such as my Asian slaw, oven roasted broccoli, or garlic ginger snow peas.
Tips for customizing
- Make this dish spicier and more authentic by swapping the sambal oelek for 5-6 dried red chiles, added with the garlic and ginger
- You can skip the red and green bell pepper (or swap one for the other) if you don’t have them on hand, or serve them on the side
- Adjust the spiciness of this dish by increasing or decreasing the amount of sambal oelek or drizzling with sriracha before serving
- Use soy sauce instead of tamari if you don’t care about it being gluten-free
- Swap the coconut sugar for brown sugar or maple syrup
More tofu recipes
- The Best Crispy Tofu
- The Best Tofu Marinade
- Pan Fried Peanut Crusted Tofu
- Cajun Tofu
- Balsamic Tofu
- Crispy Roasted Potatoes with Thai Tofu Sauce
If you make this recipe be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Kung Pao Tofu
Ingredients
Crispy Marinated Tofu
- 14 ounces extra firm tofu, pressed
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Kung Pao Sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup tamari, or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons cooking sherry
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons sambal oelek
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Stir Fry
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil, plus more as needed
- 1 onion, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup lightly salted peanuts
Instructions
Marinate the tofu
- In a small baking dish or shallow bowl, combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce with 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Add the tofu and toss to coat. Allow to marinate for 15-30 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
Make kung pao sauce
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients until combined. Set aside.
Stir fry
- In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil over medium high heat. Add the tofu and cook, stirring, until lightly browned on all sides, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer the tofu to a bowl and return the pan to the heat.
- If necessary, add another teaspoon of grapeseed oil to the pan. Add the onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, 30 seconds more.
- Return the tofu to the pan and add the sauce. Stir to combine and cook, stirring frequently, until hot and thick, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and top with scallions and peanuts before serving.
Notes
Tips for customizing
- Make this dish spicier and more authentic by swapping the sambal oelek for 5-6 dried red chiles, added with the garlic and ginger
- You can skip the red and green bell pepper (or swap one for the other) if you don’t have them on hand, or serve them on the side
- Adjust the spiciness of this dish by increasing or decreasing the amount of sambal oelek or drizzling with sriracha before serving
- Use soy sauce instead of tamari if you don’t care about it being gluten-free
- Swap the coconut sugar for brown sugar or maple syrup
Donna says
Too much sodium. I went vegetarian last year due to health problems. It has been VERY challenging to find vegetarian recipes that aren’t loaded with sodium.
Lindsay Moe says
I recommend looking for a low sodium tamari to reduce the sodium.