Chinese Takeout Salt and Pepper Tofu has been our all-time favorite dish to order when we feel like eating takeaway-style food at home. The perfect Salt and Pepper Tofu, filled with depth of flavor and crispy texture, can now be made easily at home. Get ready to enjoy the best takeout flavor but healthier and cheaper!
What is Salt and Pepper Tofu
Salt and Pepper Tofu (Jiao Yan Dou Fu) is a popular Chinese dish made with deep-fried tofu coated in salt and pepper and served with other stir-fried ingredients such as garlic, onion, red chili, or green onions.
It is normally served as a side dish together with other umami-packed Asian dishes.
Our Salt and Pepper Tofu is:
- Crispy
- Mildly spicy
- Asian-inspired
- Easy to make
- A side dish or a snack
- Take-out style recipe
- Umami-packed
How to make Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu
Best Tofu for making Salt and Pepper Tofu
When buying tofu, you can find different types of tofu depending on the texture. For stir-fried dishes such as Salt and Pepper Tofu, the best tofu you can use is firm or extra-firm tofu. As well, we recommend getting fresh tofu if that is an option you have, as you may not be able to find it in your local supermarket.
Firm tofu is a great option for deep-frying, stir-frying, air-frying or baking. We use this type of tofu to make dishes such as Korean Japchae or Thai Pad Woon Sen.
You shouldn't try using soft tofu or silken tofu for Salt and Pepper tofu, as it will just be too soft to hold its shape while cooking it.
How to prepare the tofu for Salt and Pepper Tofu?
There are many different things you can do in order to get the perfect texture for the tofu to get extra crispy when cooking it. Some are easier and some take more time. We have been cooking with tofu for more than 10 years, and for us, the most important thing to do is simply to remove the excess water by wrapping the tofu with kitchen paper or a clean kitchen towel for a few minutes. Then change the paper towel to a dry one and repeat.
This is a simple thing you can do while preparing the rest of the ingredients and it does help a lot.
You could place a heavy object on top to help remove the excess water, you could freeze the tofu overnight, could use a tofu presser, etc. It depends on how much time you have, and at home, time is quite limited!
For our salt and pepper tofu recipe, we coat the tofu with cornstarch and some seasonings before frying it, to get the perfect crispiness and flavor.
Ingredients
For the crispy tofu
Tofu. You will need firm or extra firm tofu to make delicious Salt and Pepper Tofu. If you want to make this recipe soy-free, you can check our Red Lentil Tofu Recipe.
Cornstarch. This is an essential ingredient to create that thin and crispy layer when deep-frying the tofu. As well, the cornstarch helps absorb any excess moisture from the tofu.
Seasoning. To give some flavor to the tofu we add black pepper, white pepper, and mushroom powder. You can use vegetable stock instead of mushroom powder, or simply skip this ingredient.
Salt and Pepper Seasoning
You need the perfect seasoning to make the best salt and pepper tofu.
Salt. Of course, salt is one of the ingredients you need. We use sea salt and use a mortar and pestle to ground it finely.
Black pepper and white pepper. You can use whole or ground black pepper and white pepper. If you are using whole spices, you can ground them using a pestle and mortar.
Five-spice powder. This Chinese spice blend makes for a perfect seasoning for this dish. You can make your own five-spice powder by following The Spruce Eats recipe.
Sauté Ingredients
For this Chinese dish, we add sauté garlic, onion, green pepper, red chili, and green onions. You can add other ingredients such as Szechuan peppercorns.
Step-by-Step Method
- Prepare the tofu. Wrap the tofu in kitchen paper to remove any excess water. Leave for a couple of minutes, change the paper to a dry one, and repeat. Cut the tofu into medium-sized cubes and place them in a large mixing bowl. Add the cornflour, black pepper, white pepper, and mushroom powder and combine well until all the tofu is evenly coated. If you prefer, you can add the seasoning ingredients on a plate and coat the tofu pieces one by one.
- Cook the tofu. Using a frying pan or a wok, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat and add the coated tofu pieces in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan or wok. You will need enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan or wok so the tofu doesn't stick to the bottom. If you overcrowd the pan, the tofu pieces may stick to each other. When the tofu is evenly cooked and golden brown, remove it from the pan using a slotted spoon and place it on kitchen paper to remove any excess oil.
- Prepare the seasoning. Using a small bowl, mix salt, black and white pepper, and five-spice powder. Combine well and reserve. If you are using whole spices or sea salt, you will need to grind them using a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder.
- Sauté de onion, garlic, green pepper, and chili. Finely chop the onion, garlic, green pepper, and red chili pepper. Using the same frying pan or wok, remove the oil used for the tofu and just leave enough to stir-fry these ingredients. First, add the onion and stir-fry for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic, green pepper, and red chili. Sauté for 6-7 minutes.
- Add the tofu, spring onions, and half of the seasoning. Add the tofu and spring onions finely chopped to the wok or pan with the rest of the ingredients and half of the salt and pepper seasoning. Stir for 1 minute and turn off the heat.
- Serve and add more seasoning to taste.
Serving Suggestions
Salt and pepper tofu can be served as a main dish, as a snack, or as a side dish.
If you want to serve Salt and Pepper Tofu as a main dish, you can serve it on steamed rice or stir-fried noodles. We love the combination of Salt and Pepper Tofu with ramen noodles. As well, you can serve it as a side dish together with other delicious Chinese recipes.
Serve this recipe as a snack with a dipping sauce such as this lovely Gyoza Dipping Sauce or sweet chili sauce.
Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Use a pan to reheat.
Looking for more ways to serve this tofu dish?
Add your Salt and Pepper tofu to a Buddha Bowl, a wrap, or a sandwich. The options for this crispy tofu are endless.
FAQ and Tips
How do you prevent tofu from sticking together when frying?
You need to make sure of two basic things: Don't overcrowd the pan and make sure you are using enough oil. Our recommendations are to cook the tofu in batches and use a smaller pan so you don't need to use too much cooking oil. Remember you need to wait until the oil is hot before you start cooking the tofu.
Do I need to press the tofu?
Not necessarily. If you buy firm or extra-firm tofu, it should be enough by wrapping it in kitchen paper for a couple of minutes and repeating at least twice changing the paper and using a dry one. Optionally, you can use a tofu press or apply some weight using a heavy object like a pan.
Can I air-fry the tofu?
Absolutely! We love air-frying tofu. We use our Ninja Air Fryer to cook tofu normally, but for this recipe, we chose deep frying the tofu like you would get it in Chinese restaurants. If you want to air fry tofu, add some oil using a small brush to the tofu cubes and air-fry for 12 minutes at 180C (350F).
What can I use instead of cornstarch?
You can use potato starch, arrowroot, or all-purpose flour.
Salt and Pepper Tofu
Ingredients
Crispy Tofu
- 450 g extra firm tofu optionally you can use firm tofu
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon mushroom powder
- vegetable oil to fry
Salt and Pepper Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon five spice powder
For the stir-fry
- ½ onion
- 1 garlic
- 1 green Pepper
- 1 fresh red chili
- 1 spring onion
Instructions
Crispy Tofu
- Wrap the tofu in kitchen paper to remove any excess water. Leave for a couple of minutes, change the paper to a dry one, and repeat. You can do this two or three times depending on the excess moisture.
- Cut the tofu into medium-sized cubes and place them in a large mixing bowl.
- Combine the cornflour, black pepper, white pepper, and mushroom powder and add to the tofu. Combine until all the tofu is evenly coated. If you prefer, you can add the seasoning ingredients on a plate and coat the tofu pieces one by one.
- Using a frying pan or a wok, heat some vegetable oil to medium-high heat. Add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Add the tofu pieces in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan or wok. You will When the tofu is evenly cooked in all sides and golden brown, remove it from the pan and place it on kitchen paper to remove the excess oil.
Salt and Pepper Seasoning
- Mix the salt, black and white pepper and five-spice powder. Combine well and reserve. If you are using whole spices or sea salt, you will need to grind them using a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder.
Stir-fry
- Finely chop the onion, garlic, green pepper, and red chili.
- Using the same frying pan or wok, remove the oil used for the tofu and just leave enough to stir-fry the ingredients.
- Add the onion and stir-fry for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic, green pepper and red chili. Sauté for 6-7 minutes.
- Finely chopped the spring onions and add to the wok or pan with the rest of the ingredients.
- Add the tofu and half of the seasoning mixture, stir for 1 minute, and turn off the heat.
- Serve and add the rest of the seasoning.
Nutrition
| If you tried our recipe, please leave a comment or tag us on Instagram @Sixhungryfeet. We are always happy to see your creations! |
Jerika says
YUM! Can't wait to pair this SALT AND PEPPER TOFU to my rice, I'm craving already.:) It's so convenient that it's easy to prepare and cook it. Thanks!
Laura says
Hope you like it Jerika!
Elizabeth says
Love the flavor - so good! Thanks for the recipe!
Laura says
Thank you Elizabeth!
Stephanie says
This recipe for a salt and pepper tofu dish is excellent. Just the right amount of spices. I don't cook with tofu often so the tips were helpful!
Laura says
thank you Stephanie 🙂
Andréa Janssen says
What a delicious idea for a side dish next to my baked rice tonight! I'm sure we're going to love this salt and pepper tofu.
Laura says
Thank you Andrea!
swathi says
This salt and pepper tofu looks delicious perfect side dish I am going to try it.