Vegan Honey Chilli Tofu (One-Pan!)

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Spicy honey chilli tofu features crispy pieces of tofu in a homemade sticky, vegan honey sauce! It’s a 1-pan 30 minute dish that’s delicious served over rice or noodles.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love Honey Chili Tofu
More Addictive Vegan Dinner Recipes
Recipe Card
Ingredients and Substitutions
Tips
How to Make Honey Chilli Tofu
Frequently Asked Questions

This 1 Pot 30 minute Honey Tofu stir fry will be your next fave tofu dish! Apple juice with maple syrup adds a honey-like flavor to this honey chilli tofu! The best part is that the sauce uses everyday ingredients that makes this an easy, quick, one-pot meal.

The crispy tofu with the stir fry veggies like peppers and onions is fabulous. The sauce gets its heat from sambal oelek or sriracha sauce along with plenty of ginger and garlic to give it an amazing flavor.

bowl of honey chilli tofu over rice next to the skillet

Why You’ll Love Honey Chili Tofu

Spicy-sticky-sweet sauce with tender-crispy tofu is totally addictive!
quick, one-pan meal
soy-free and gluten-free options
naturally nut-free

close-up of a bowl of honey chilli tofu over rice

More Addictive Vegan Dinner Recipes

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5 from 13 votes

Vegan Honey Chili Tofu

Spicy honey chili tofu features crispy pieces of tofu in a from scratch sticky, vegan honey sauce. It’s a one-pan 30 minute dish that’s delicious served over rice or noodles.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Main

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: honey chili tofu, honey chilli tofu

Servings: 4

Calories: 179kcal

Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

For the Tofu

14 oz (396.89 g) firm or extra firm tofu pressed for 15 minutes
1 teaspoon rice vinegar or white vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 tablespoons cornstarch or use tapioca starch
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

For the Sauce

2 teaspoons oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons spring onion whites , use greens for garnish
1 tablespoon sambal oelek or sriracha sauce or other Asian chile sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons soy sauce , use tamari for gluten-free
2 teaspoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons apple juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup (40 g) cubed onion
1/2 green bell pepper cubed
2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 3/4 cup water, or use tapioca starch

For Garnish

green onion and sesame seeds

Instructions

Press at the tofu if you haven’t already for 15 minutes, then cube it and add to a bowl. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, and black pepper, and toss well. Mix the baking powder into 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch, then sprinkle it all over the tofu and toss well. If the mixture still has a lot of liquid, add more cornstarch, 1 to 2 teaspoons at a time.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, and add a teaspoon of the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the coated tofu and cook until golden on most of the edges, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the tofu from the skillet.
Add 1 teaspoon of oil to the same skillet. Once oil is hot, add the ginger, garlic, and green onion, and cook for half a minute. Then, add all of the sauces and the apple juice along with the salt and white pepper. Mix well, and bring to a boil.
Mix the cornstarch in the water and add that to the skillet and bring that to a boil. Now, add the onion and pepper and simmer for 2 minutes, then add in the tofu, tossing to coat. Switch off the heat, garnish and serve over rice, noodles, quinoa or in lettuce wraps.

Notes

Vegan honey chili tofu is naturally nut-free.

To make this soy-free, use coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce and replace the tofu with chickpea tofu, pumpkin seed tofu or cooked chickpeas.

To make this gluten-free, use gluten-free tamari instead of soy sauce.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Honey Chili Tofu

Amount Per Serving

Calories 179 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Fat 6g9%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 640mg28%

Potassium 177mg5%

Carbohydrates 20g7%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 10g11%

Protein 10g20%

Vitamin A 101IU2%

Vitamin C 16mg19%

Calcium 160mg16%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

tofu, veggies, sauces, and seasonings in bowls on a kitchen counter

Ingredients and Substitutions

tofu – Crispy tofu is so delicious tossed in this sticky, spicy sauce! For soy-free, use chickpea tofu instead.
vinegar – Adds a little bit of tang to the tofu and gives the sauce a little sweet-and-sour edge.
soy sauce – Adds saltiness and umami to the tofu and the sauce. Use coconut aminos or other soy-free soy sauce alternative for a soy-free dish.
black pepper – Gives the crispy tofu a little bit of heat.
cornstarch and baking powder – Helps the tofu get delightfully crispy! Cornstarch also helps thicken the sauce. You can use tapioca starch instead, if needed.
oil – To saute.
aromatics – Fresh ginger, garlic, and spring onions bring so much amazing flavor to this vegan honey chili sauce!
sauces – Ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, maple syrup, and apple juice combine to make the vegan honey sauce. For soy-free, use coconut aminos or another soy sauce alternative.
veggies – Lightly cooked onion and bell pepper add veggie crunch to the honey chilli tofu!
cornstarch – A little cornstarch mixed with water helps the vegan honey sauce thicken.
garnishes – Green onion and sesame seeds add even more color, texture, and flavor to the finished dish.

Tips

Don’t skip pressing the tofu! That’s going to give you the best texture. You can prep the other ingredients while the tofu presses to save on cooking time.
You don’t want to overcook the veggies. Just let them simmer for a couple of minutes, so they’ll be tender-crisp.

How to Make Honey Chilli Tofu

Press at the tofu if you haven’t already for 15 minutes, then cube it and add to a bowl. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, and black pepper, and toss well.

tofu in the bowl with soy sauce, before tossing

tofu in the bowl with soy sauce, after tossing

Mix the baking powder into two tablespoons of the cornstarch, then sprinkle it all over the tofu and toss well.

tossing the tofu with cornstarch and baking powder

If the mixture still has a lot of liquid, add more cornstarch, one to two teaspoons at a time.

tofu fully coated in the cornstarch and baking powder

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, and add a teaspoon of the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the coated tofu and cook until golden on most of the edges, about five to eight minutes. Remove the tofu from the skillet.

Add a teaspoon of oil to the same skillet. Once oil is hot, add the ginger, garlic, and green onion, and cook for half a minute.

ginger, garlic, and spring onion in the pan, before cooking

ginger, garlic, and spring onion in the pan, after cooking

Then, add all of the sauces and the apple juice along with the salt and white pepper. Mix well, and bring to a boil.

ginger, garlic, and spring onion in the pan, after cooking, with sauces added

Mix the cornstarch in the water and add that to the skillet and bring that to a boil.

Now, add the onion and pepper and simmer for two minutes, then add in the tofu, tossing to coat.

stirring cooked veggies in the pan with a spatula

adding tofu to the pan of veggies and honey chili sauce

Switch off the heat, garnish and serve over rice, noodles, quinoa or in lettuce wraps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this recipe allergy-friendly?

Vegan honey chili tofu is naturally nut-free.

To make this soy-free, use coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce and replace the tofu with my chickpea tofu.

To make this gluten-free, use gluten-free tamari instead of soy sauce.

Is honey vegan?

Honey is not vegan, because it is made by bees, which makes it an animal product. This honey chili tofu uses from-scratch, vegan “honey” made with apple juice and maple syrup.

Honey Chilli Tofu

Why You’ll Love Honey Chili Tofu

More Addictive Vegan Dinner Recipes

Recipe Card