This kung pao tofu will quickly become one of your favorite dinner recipes! One pan and 15 minutes is all you need for this intensely flavorful meal. This kung pao tofu is also entirely vegan, plant-based, and gluten-free!
What You’ll Need
Extra Firm Tofu – Extra firm tofu is the key to getting it super crispy! It will hold its shapes once cut and cooked, forming these little golden brown nuggets of perfection. Tofu is also the perfect blank canvas to really any recipe! It has very little flavor on its own, but absorbs all the flavors it’s paired with. The tofu in this recipe soaks up all of our delicious kung pao sauce, making it just incredible!
Red and Green Bell Peppers – Two bell peppers give this dish incredible color and brightness! Start by removing the core and any seeds from each pepper. Then, chop them into similarly-sized pieces. Stir fry the bell peppers for only a couple of minutes in the fourth step of this recipe. The goal is to get them tender, while still maintaining their bite.
Unsalted Cashews or Peanuts – You’ll find either cashews or peanuts in most kung pao recipes. They, too, give this overall dish the perfect crunchy texture that pairs beautifully with our smooth and tangy sauce. However, if you don’t like nuts, you can simply leave them out of your kung pao tofu.
Top Tips
- Oil your pan well before frying up the tofu. If not enough oil is used, your tofu might stick to the pan – losing that delicious outer, crisp coating!
- For an even saucier vegetable stir fry, double the sauce recipe! This kung pao tofu sauce is seriously so good, you’ll practically want to drink it. So don’t skimp on the sauce, and make as much as you’d like!
- Feel free to turn this into a kung pao chicken recipe instead! To do this, simply replace the tofu with 2-inch cubes of chicken and cook them in the second step until fully cooked through. Then, use your chicken just as you would the tofu in the remainder of the recipe.
Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs
- Make it Gluten-Free: To ensure this recipe is completely gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce. Tamari is the gluten-free equivalent to soy sauce and tastes exactly the same!
- Make it Nut-Free: For a nut-free version, simple leave out the cashews or peanuts in this recipe. But if you’d still like that nutty flavor, you can add in a couple tablespoons of sesame seeds instead.
One-Pan Kung Pao Tofu
Ingredients
For the tofu:
- 14 ounces extra firm tofu, cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil or avocado oil
For the veggies:
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2-inch piece ginger, grated
- 3 scallions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews or peanuts
For the sauce:
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce, use Tamari for gluten-free
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, or white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Place cubed tofu in a bowl with cornstarch and toss to evenly coat.
- Heat sesame oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, then fry tofu in a single layer for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove cooked tofu and set aside.
- Add garlic, ginger, and white parts of scallions to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add in red and green bell peppers, sauté for 2-3 minutes then place tofu back into pan along with green parts of scallions and cashews or peanuts.
- Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a bowl, then pour into pan and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until sauce has thickened then serve over rice.
