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Home » Recipes » Stir Fries » Sticky Ginger Sesame Tofu Stir Fry

Sticky Ginger Sesame Tofu Stir Fry

4/22/22

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This Ginger Sesame Tofu Stir Fry is coated in a deliciously sticky sauce – plus, I'll show you the secret to getting that perfect crispy tofu!

Ginger Sesame Tofu Stir Fry

Ingredients and substitutions

  • Canola oil – other oils that would be great for stir-frying the tofu are vegetable oil, safflower oil or grapeseed oil.
  • Extra-firm tofu – to keep this dish plant-based, replace the tofu with tempeh. Otherwise, chicken or beef can also be used in this recipe.
  • Cornstarch – potato starch, regular flour or gluten-free flour can also be used to coat the tofu.
  • Yellow onion – red onion, shallots and white onions are all great substitutes here.
  • Zucchini – if you’re not a fan of zucchini, feel free to leave it out entirely or replace it with any veggie of your choice!
  • Red pepper – any bell pepper colour can be used in this recipe.
  • Green onions – scallions are also a great garnish.
  • Sesame seeds – black or white sesame seeds would both work.
  • Salt & pepper – to taste.

Stir fry sauce

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  • Soy sauce – tamari or coconut aminos are great alternatives to soy sauce.
  • Hoisin sauce – teriyaki sauce, bean paste or kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) can be used in place of hoisin sauce.
  • Sesame oil – avocado oil, perilla oil or olive oil are great alternatives but won’t provide the same flavour that sesame oil does.
  • Garlic – fresh or jarred minced garlic is best but garlic powder can be used in a pinch.
  • Ginger – fresh grated ginger provides the best flavour but ground ginger can be used instead.

Rice

  • White rice – use a white rice of your choice like basmati or jasmine rice. You can also use brown rice but this will slightly alter the cooking instructions.
  • Butter – the butter helps make the rice extra-fluffy. Feel free to use margarine instead or leave this out.
  • Salt – to taste.

Ginger Sesame Tofu Stir Fry

How to make this recipe

  1. Prep your ingredients.
  2. Drain then coat the cubed tofu.
  3. Brown the tofu.
  4. Stir fry the veggies.
  5. Add in the tofu and stir fry sauce.
  6. Serve over rice and dig in!
Ginger Sesame Tofu Stir Fry

Getting the crispiest tofu

Tofu often gets a bad reputation but it's a great protein-packed ingredient for plant-based recipes. Tofu is stored in packaging that has water in it to help keep its shape and texture. This is because tofu contains water, so the lack of water in its packaging could accelerate the drying out of the ingredient.

That being said, when you're looking to make crispy tofu it is very important to drain the tofu of its water. The best way to do this is to keep the tofu in between two kitchen towels with a heavy object (like a textbook) on top. After you've made sure all the liquid is squeezed out of the tofu, coat the pieces in cornstarch. This is the best way to create a coating around the tofu for the crispy texture.

If you don't have cornstarch on hand, you can also use regular flour or potato starch to create a similar coating.

Ginger Sesame Tofu Stir Fry

Frequently Asked Questions

What time of tofu is best for stir fry?

If you're wondering which tofu to use for this recipe, extra-firm tofu is the best option. Once you've drained it of its water and coated it in the cornstarch, the extra firm tofu will keep its shape and won't crumble while you are frying it!

Why isn't it crispy?

If you find that your tofu is still too soft for your liking, it likely has too much moisture left. You want to squeeze as much liquid as possible before frying your tofu so it gets nice and crisp. I recommend adding the block of tofu to a large plate between two kitchen towels and then adding a heavy object over top like a large textbook – it’s the best method I’ve found for removing liquid from the tofu.

How do you stir fry tofu without it falling apart?

Coating the tofu in cornstarch is critical to making sure it maintains its shape. If you don’t have any cornstarch, you can also try using potato starch, regular flour and gluten-free flour – but don’t forgo this step as your tofu will get all crumbly when you try to fry it.

Ginger Sesame Tofu Stir Fry

Storing and reheating

Like most stir-fries, this dish is great for meal prep! Store your leftovers in airtight glass containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can store it all in one large container or in individual serving sizes with the rice, which is great for meal prep.

When you're ready to enjoy the dish, reheat it in a skillet for the best results and to ensure that the crispy tofu remains crispy. Otherwise, if you're in a rush, warming the leftovers in the microwave for 1-2 minutes will also work. Make sure to sprinkle some water over top of the rice before microwaving to make sure it doesn't dry out.

Freezing this recipe

Unfortunately, this dish is not freezer-friendly. Freezing this dish isn't recommended because the veggies get super soggy during the reheating process and the tofu just won’t be the same.

Ginger Sesame Tofu Stir Fry

More stir fry recipes

  • Easiest Ground Turkey Stir Fry
  • Bibimbap-Inspired Beef Stir Fry
  • Beef Stir Fry + 2-Ingredient Sauce

Meal prep tools for this recipe

  • Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this stir fry into leftovers.
  • Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months.
  • Order some coconut aminos if you're looking for an alternative to soy sauce.
Ginger Sesame Tofu Stir Fry

Ginger Sesame Tofu Stir Fry

This Ginger Sesame Tofu Stir Fry is coated in a deliciously sticky sauce – plus, I'll show you the secret to getting that perfect crispy tofu!
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 385kcal
Author: Taylor Stinson

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 package extra-firm tofu
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 zucchini, chopped
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 4 green onions, sliced
  • Sesame seeds, for garnish

Stir fry sauce

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp ginger, minced

Rice

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup white rice
  • 1 tsp butter
  • 1 pinch salt

Instructions

  • Add block of tofu to a large plate in between two clean kitchen towels. Add a heavy object such as a large textbook over tofu to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
  • Meanwhile, mix all ingredients under stir fry sauce heading together in a small bowl and set aside.
  • Add all ingredients under rice heading to a rice cooker or pot on the stove and cook until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
  • Take tofu and cut into 1-inch cubes. Carefully toss with cornstarch in a large bowl, and start heating the canola oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add tofu pieces in a large layer, seasoning with salt & pepper. Cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes, then remove from heat and transfer to a paper-towel lined plate.
  • Add a touch more canola oil to the skillet, then stir fry onion, zucchini and red pepper over high heat until veggies are tender, seasoning with salt & pepper. Add tofu back to skillet, then add in sauce and low heat to medium, cooking another 2 minutes until sauce thickens.
  • Remove from heat, then serve over rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Squeeze out all excess liquid and coat in cornstarch to get the crispiest possible tofu.
If you don’t like tofu, you can also try using tempeh.
Swap out the veggies for whatever you have on hand or you’re craving.
Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days then reheat in a skillet on the stovetop. You can also microwave for 1-2 minutes, just make sure to sprinkle some water over top of the rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 847mg | Potassium: 500mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1181IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2mg
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This Ginger Sesame Tofu Stir Fry is coated in a deliciously sticky sauce - plus, I'll show you the secret to getting that perfect crispy tofu! #mealprep #tofustirfry This Ginger Sesame Tofu Stir Fry is coated in a deliciously sticky sauce - plus, I'll show you the secret to getting that perfect crispy tofu! #mealprep #tofustirfry This Ginger Sesame Tofu Stir Fry is coated in a deliciously sticky sauce - plus, I'll show you the secret to getting that perfect crispy tofu! #mealprep #tofustirfry This Ginger Sesame Tofu Stir Fry is coated in a deliciously sticky sauce - plus, I'll show you the secret to getting that perfect crispy tofu! #mealprep #tofustirfry

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About Taylor Stinson

Hey there, my name's Taylor! I’m the founder of The Girl on Bloor, a food blog where I share healthy meal prep recipes for busy people. I'm a busy city girl living in downtown Toronto on (you guessed it!) Bloor Street. I've got 10 years experience meal prepping, along with a Master's degree in journalism, and you can find my work across the internet featured on publications such as Buzzfeed, HuffPost, Women's Health, Reader's Digest and more. I also run the awesome 5-Day Meal Prep Challenge, which is a free email course and Facebook group where I share my meal planning strategies and easy meal prep tips and recipes. Be sure to check out my free beginner’s guide to meal prep and follow me on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to get my latest recipes and meal prep tips!

Comments

  1. Jenn B says

    May 14, 2021 at 19:21

    5 stars
    Quick and easy to make but looks and tastes amazing. It totally looks like chinese take out, really impressive!

    Reply
    • Taylor Stinson says

      May 15, 2021 at 09:52

      Thank you, I’m so happy you enjoyed!

      Reply

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Taylor Stinson

Oh hey there, welcome!!

I'm Taylor Stinson, a busy city girl living in downtown Toronto. Looking to switch up your weekly meal prep routine? I've got you covered with healthy recipes and meal planning resources. Join 1.5 million other monthly readers and dive in! MORE ABOUT ME..

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