This Asian-inspired takeout dish can be made with simple ingredients from the comfort of your house. Get some tofu and fresh vegetables, as well as some black and white pepper, five-spice powder, and salt for the seasoning. Enjoy this tofu dish as a main served with some steamed rice or noodles.
Little did I know about this dish before I met my husband. I had never heard of salt and pepper tofu, and I considered myself a big fan of Chinese food. Of course, Spanish-Chinese food is very (veeeeery) far from authentic Chinese food.
For the first time in Ireland, Astra brought me to his favorite Chinese restaurant so I could try their famous salt and pepper tofu. It was a tiny place that had just a couple of dishes, and one of them was this tofu dish.
At the time, I wasn't vegetarian, so tofu was quite plain for me, but when I tried it with the salt and pepper seasoning and some stir-fried veggies, it totally changed my perception of tofu forever!
About 12 years later, we cook this tofu dish quite often at home. We like it especially during the summer because it takes just 20 minutes to cook and it doesn't come with a hearty and filling sauce, but tones of flavor!
Ingredients
For the Tofu
Firm Tofu. 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. At home, Asian supermarkets always have fresh tofu, so maybe try there if you have any close by.
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 Spicy Peanut Tofu, Vegan Japchae, or Thai Pad Woon Sen.
You shouldn't try using soft tofu or silken tofu for this recipe, as it will just be too soft to hold its shape while cooking it. We use this type of tofu to make desserts, sauces like spinach pasta sauce, or plant-based eggs for our vegan shakshuka.
If you're looking for a soy-free alternative, you can follow our red lentil tofu recipe to make this recipe.
Cornstarch. This is an essential ingredient to create that thin and crispy layer when deep-frying the tofu. Cornstarch also helps absorb any excess moisture from the tofu. If you don't have cornstarch, you can try using some all-purpose flour or rice flour.
Seasoning. To season the tofu, we use black pepper, white pepper, and mushroom powder. You can use vegetable stock instead of mushroom powder or simply skip this ingredient.
For the 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 ground it finely using a mortar and pestle.
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, or buy it already made.
Other 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, or use other veggies you like, such as broccoli, zucchini, carrots, bok choi, etc.
We try using seasonal ingredients when possible, so during summer, we like adding garden veggies such as chard, zucchini, green beans, and peppers.
Cooking Method
First, you'll want to cook the tofu to perfection. There are many different things you can do 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, you can 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, you could even use a tofu presser, etc. It depends on how much time you have, and at home, time is quite limited!
After removing the excess water, 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.
Once your tofu is well coated, heat some oil over medium heat using a wok or a pan. For this recipe, we like using our wok; somehow, it gives the dish a nicer taste than when we use our pan.
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 so maybe you'll need to cook the tofu into a few batches.
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.
Using a small bowl, mix salt, black and white pepper, and five-spice powder. Combine all the ingredients and set aside. If you are using whole spices or sea salt, you will need to grind them using a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder.
Next 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 about 6-7 minutes.
Add the tofu and finely chopped spring onions 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.
Now, you can serve your salt and pepper tofu and add more seasoning to your taste.
Salt and Pepper Tofu
Ingredients
Crispy Tofu
- 16 oz firm tofu 450g
- 2 tablespoon cornflour
- 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.16 oz firm tofu
- 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.2 tablespoon cornflour, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon white pepper, ½ teaspoon mushroom powder
- 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.vegetable oil to fry
- 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.½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon white pepper, ¼ teaspoon five spice powder
Stir-fry
- Finely chop the onion, garlic, green pepper, and red chili.½ onion, 1 garlic, 1 green pepper, 1 fresh 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.1 spring onion
- 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.
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Nutrition
Serving Suggestions for Salt and Pepper Tofu
At home, Salt and Pepper Tofu is considered a main dish. If we want a lighter meal, we serve it as it is, and if we want something more filling, we add some steamed rice, a quick fried rice, or some noodles on the side. You can also add it to your Buddha Bowl.
If you want to prepare a Chinese feast, maybe consider serving it as a side dish together with other dishes. This Chinese eggplant dish is just the perfect recipe to serve with your Salt and Pepper Tofu.
You can keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Use a pan or your air-fryer to reheat. We like using the air fryer to get the tofu crispy again.
FAQ and Tips
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.
Not necessarily. If you buy firm or extra-firm tofu, it should be enough to wrap it in kitchen paper for a couple of minutes and repeat 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.
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 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 350F (180C)
We like using rice flour as a substitute for cornstarch, but all-purpose flour will also do the job!
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.
Choclette says
I'd never had salt and pepper tofu before I saw your recipe. Now I've tried it, there's no looking back. It's fabulous. Thanks for the intro.
Laura Arteaga says
Thank you Choclette!