My five-spice tofu stir-fry features crispy tofu, crunchy veggies, and a sweet-savory sauce. It’s a scrumptious vegan dinner that’s easy enough for a busy weeknight, but tastes like it came from your favorite restaurant!
I absolutely LOVE cooking with Chinese five-spice! This easy-to-find, but, in my opinion, underused spice blend includes ground cinnamon, cloves, star anise, fennel, and Szechuan peppercorns. Most of these are spices we normally associate with sweet dishes (at least in Western cooking), but they’re amazing for adding depth of flavor to savory dishes, like my dan dan noodles and Szechuan tofu. With that in mind, I created this super flavorful tofu stir-fry, featuring five-spice as the star flavoring.
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On the surface, this is a pretty basic recipe, not all that different from my classic tofu stir-fry, but wait until you taste it. You’ll be amazed at the complex, mouth-watering flavors that just a little bit of Chinese-five spice adds!
I’ve also included some hoisin sauce, which features some of the same spices as Chinese five-spice. When paired up, these two seasonings create quite the flavor punch, and all in a meal that takes about thirty minutes to make!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below you’ll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Tofu. I like making this recipe with super-firm tofu. It’s got a great texture, and requires minimal prep. If you want to use firm or extra-firm tofu, just make sure to press your tofu before cooking it.
- Water.
- Cornstarch.
- Soy sauce. Tamari or liquid aminos can be used if you need a substitute.
- Hoisin sauce. You should be able to find this in the international aisle of your grocery store.
- Brown sugar. Use organic brown sugar. Conventional granulated sugars, including brown sugar, are often processed using animal products, so we’re using organic to keep the recipe vegan.
- Rice vinegar. This should also be available in the international aisle of your store.
- Chinese five-spice. This spice blend is the star of the dish! It’s made from a mix of ground cinnamon, cloves, star anise, fennel, and Szechuan peppercorns. Most stores carry it in the spice aisle, but you could mix your own if you’d like — black pepper can be substituted for the Szechuan peppercorns if needed.
- Sambal oelek. This spicy chili paste will add some heat to your stir-fry. Feel free to adjust the amount or skip it! You should be able to find it when you visit the international aisle of your store, but if not, sriracha works as an alternative.
- Black pepper.
- Vegetable oil. Pretty much any neutral high-heat oil can be used, such as peanut, canola, or corn oil.
- Sugar snap peas.
- Carrots.
- Garlic.
- Ginger.
- Scallions. Also known as green onions!
- Rice. Just about any variety of rice will work. Personally, I really love serving this dish with my coconut jasmine rice.
How It’s Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Cut the tofu. I like to cut it into triangles for this recipe. Cut the block in half, then cut each half into slices, then cut each slice on a diagonal, into two triangles.
Step 2: Make the sauce. First stir the cold water and cornstarch together until the cornstarch is fully dissolved. Next, stir in the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sambal oelek, five-spice, and black pepper.
Step 3: Cook the tofu. Oil the bottom of your wok, then let it heat up for a minute. Add your tofu triangles and cook them for a few minutes on each side, until they’re golden brown. Move them to a plate.
Step 4: Stir-fry the vegetables. Add some more oil, turn up the heat, then add your carrots and sugar snap peas. Stir-fry them for just a few minutes, until they just begin to soften and brighten in color.
Tip: Don’t crowd the tofu in the wok. If it won’t all fit in a single layer (which is likely), either cook it in batches, or cook it in a separate, larger vessel, like a 12-inch skillet.
Step 5: Sauté the aromatics. Push the veggies aside, then add minced garlic and grated ginger. Sauté them very briefly. Make sure to stir constantly to prevent them from burning.
Step 6: Add the sauce. First, return the tofu to the wok, then add the sauce, making sure to pour it over the tofu (not directly onto the wok!). Keep stir-frying the mixture for a couple of minutes, until the sauce thickens up a bit.
Step 7: Finish the stir-fry. Take the wok off of heat, then add chopped scallions. Your five-spice tofu stir-fry is done!
Step 8: Serve. It’s ready! Enjoy it right away if you can, along with some cooked rice.
Variations
- Vary the protein. You could substitute another plant-based protein, like seitan or tempeh, for the tofu.
- Swap out the veggies. Not a fan of carrots or sugar snap peas? Try broccoli, mushrooms, cauliflower, bell peppers, or cabbage. Keep in mind that softer veggies might need less cook time, whereas harder veggies will require more.
- Noodle stir-fry. Skip the rice and serve your five-spice tofu over noodles.
- Lettuce wraps. Wrap your stir-fry up in large lettuce leaves for a lighter option.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can! Just swap out the soy sauce with gluten-free tamari, and make sure your hoisin sauce is certified gluten-free.
Yes! You can use a large, nonstick skillet capable of withstanding high-heat. Cast iron is a great choice! You may need to increase the heat a bit, since a flat skillet won’t trap heat as well as a wok.
The sambal oelek adds a tiny kick. Feel free to leave it out for a milder dish, or use extra if you like the heat.
Very well! They’ll stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for about three days. I like to reheat them in the microwave, but you could also use a wok or skillet on the stove.
More Tofu Stir-Fry Recipes
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Five-Spice Tofu
My five-spice tofu stir-fry features crispy tofu, crunchy veggies, and a sweet-savory sauce. It’s a scrumptious vegan dinner that’s easy enough for a busy weeknight, but tastes like it came from your favorite restaurant!
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce/454 gram) package super-firm tofu
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons organic brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon Chinese five spice
- ½ teaspoon sambal oelek, optional, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the Stir-Fry
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 ½ cups sugar snap peas
- 2 medium carrots, julienne cut
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 scallions, chopped
Instructions
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Cut the tofu into triangles. Do this by cutting the block in half, lengthwise, then cut each half into into quarter to half inch slices. Cut the slices in half on a diagonal to create triangles (Note 1).
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To make the sauce, first stir the cold water and cornstarch together in a small bowl or container. Keep stirring until the cornstarch is completely dissolved, then stir in the remaining ingredients.
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Coat the bottom of a large wok with 1 tablespoon of the oil and place it over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the tofu triangles in a single layer (Note 2). Cook the tofu for about five minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy. Transfer the pieces to a plate when they’re done.
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Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the wok and turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the sugar snap peas and carrots. Stir-fry the vegetables for 2 to 3 minutes, until they brighten in color a bit and become tender-crisp.
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Push the vegetables to the side to create a space in the middle of the wok, then add your garlic and ginger. Sauté the aromatics for about 30 seconds, until they become very fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
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Stir the garlic and ginger in with the vegetables. Return the tofu to the wok. Give the sauce a quick stir to redistribute any cornstarch that has settled to the bottom, then carefully pour the sauce over the tofu. Stir everything up and continue to stir-fry the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens and coats the tofu and veggies.
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Remove the wok from heat. Stir in the scallions.
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Serve immediately over rice.
Notes
- You can cut your tofu into cubes or strips if you prefer.
- Cook the tofu in batches if it won’t all fit in a single layer.
- Nutrition information does not include rice.
Nutrition
Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 0.3mg | Sodium: 1383mg | Potassium: 587mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 7414IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 4mg