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This recipe was SO good. I struggle to find good dishes with tofu instead of meat. This sauce elevates it to a whole new level! I used chipotle aioli instead of yum yum. Delish!
This is a brand new recipe that’s part of our Spring 2023 SOS Series – in other words, EASY recipes! View our full collection of SOS recipes here.
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Lindsay’s Notes
Holy spicy crispiness! This chili crunch tofu is chompy, sticky-sweet, and delicious. Two main steps for this guy:
- Bake the tofu.
- Sauce the tofu.
The end! Happy day! You’re eating spicy, crispy, rockstar-level tofu with very little effort or thought into the whole thing which is what the SOS series is all about.
You can prep the tofu however you like, but I highly recommend the cornstarch method for baking (my favorite method as outlined in our tofu post), which is what’s written into the recipe here. It never fails to be miraculously crispy, golden, and the perfect canvas for your favorite sauce.
Speaking of sauce, this one couldn’t be easier.
- Yum Yum sauce
- Chili crisp
- Honey (optional)
And that’s it. If you like to go BIG big on flavor, you can also grate a clove of raw garlic into the sauce for something extra kicky. The chili crisp I use (Momofuku brand (affiliate link)) has a bit of garlicky-ness to it so I usually am fine leaving it at that, but we love flavor. WE INVITE FLAVOR. Add to your heart’s content.
I love making this chili crunch tofu for a quick high-protein weeknight dinner and the leftovers work beautifully for a repeat lunch with a second coating of sauce. And we make this recipe a whole family affair by just saucing the tofu for the girls with the plain Yum Yum sauce, which is creamy and sweet and mild and, of course, they love it.
Chili crunch tofu for prez!
If you like this tofu, I highly recommend also trying this Sticky Gochujang Tofu! So, so good.
RELATED: Why is tofu so great?! It’s so great! These peanut-saucy tofu bowls are one of my other go-to tofu recipes!
Chili Crunch Tofu Video
Chili Crunch Tofu
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 1x
Description
Crispy baked tofu tossed with a 2-ingredient sweet, sticky, and spicy chili sauce!
Ingredients
Chili Crunch Tofu:
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- a pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup Yum Yum sauce (affiliate link)
- 1 tablespoon chili crisp (affiliate link)
- 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
Extras for Serving:
- 1 1/2 cups rice, uncooked (see notes for the cauli rice I like to make!)
- 1/4 cup green onions for topping
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepping the Tofu: Cut tofu in half so you have two even, flat pieces. Press the moisture out of the tofu, using paper towels or a towel. (The more water you remove, the faster it will crisp up in the oven, but I usually don’t spend more than 5-10 minutes here.) Cut tofu into cubes and transfer to a bowl. Add cornstarch, soy sauce, and olive oil. Toss gently to coat. It doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth, but just try to generally get all the pieces semi-covered.
- Prepare Rice: Cook rice according to package instructions.
- Bake the Tofu: Transfer to the baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring once or twice, to get the tofu evenly browned and crispy.
- Make the Sauce: Mix Yum Yum sauce and chili crisp in a small bowl.
- Mix Tofu and Sauce: When the tofu is done, toss it with several tablespoons of sauce, reserving sauce for topping.
- Serve: Serve with rice, on a salad, noodles, whatever you like. Dollop with extra sauce if you want, and top with green onions. OOO-eee this is good!
Notes
How to Make Cauliflower Garlic Rice: This is totally optional – just something I enjoy with this tofu if I can handle one extra sheet pan in the mix. On a separate sheet pan, add a bag of cauliflower rice. Drizzle with oil and season generously with salt. Add to the oven at the same time as the tofu; roast until very browned and flavorful, about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add about 2 cups cooked rice directly to the pan, along with 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and a squeeze of lemon. Toss to combine, return to the oven for a minute to warm it all up, and you’re done!
Nutrition: The nutrition info below is only for the tofu and does not include rice.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Keywords: baked tofu, spicy tofu, tofu bowl
What Do You Serve with This Chili Crunch Tofu?
I usually serve it on pre-cooked rice (SOS) or, if I have a teeny bit of extra time, I’ll make cauliflower garlic rice, which is what you see in the pictures here.
To make it: you’re just roasting store-bought cauliflower rice until it’s golden and yummy, and then tossing it with precooked brown rice and a bit of garlic powder and salt (The recipe is also outlined in the notes section of the recipe card above.)
That said, you can serve this tofu with anything – a salad, a bowl of veg, or in a wrap! It would be great in lettuce cups for lettuce wraps as well.
How Do You Make This Tofu Gluten-Free / Dairy-Free?
It should be naturally dairy-free, and to make it gluten-free, just use tamari or coconut aminos! But check the labels on your specific brand of Yum Yum sauce and your chili crisp just to make sure the rest is also gluten-free and dairy-free.
What Can I Sub For Yum Yum Sauce?
I buy Yum Yum sauce (affiliate link) at Amazon, Target, Cub, Kowalski’s… lots of different grocery stores carry it! At Target, it is shelved both in the refrigerated produce / dressing section and the global or international foods section, by the teriyaki sauce and soy sauce.
But if you can’t find it or just don’t want to run out to the store – you have a few options:
- Make it!
- Use mayo instead.
Yum Yum sauce tastes like a sweet mayo with a barely-there tomato flavor. I think you can build a great sauce just using regular mayo and adding a bit of extra salt and sugar and maybe a squeeze of ketchup.
More Incredible Tofu Recipes
- Tofu and Brown Rice Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce (SOS-friendly and on the table fast)
- Spicy Tofu Burgers (absolutely incredible and such flavor-bombs)
- Crunchy Roll Bowls (one of our most popular tofu recipes)
- Vegan Crunchwrap Supreme (this crunchwrap is INSANE!)
So easy and so yummy! There’s something about the yum yum sauce/chili crunch combo that is *chef’s kiss*!! The tofu turned out perfectly!
Would this work with chicken instead of tofu? Also, do you add the honey in with the Yum Yum sauce and chili crisp?
We haven’t tested this with chicken, but it should work out just fine! The cook time may need to be adjusted. The honey is part of the sauce. Enjoy!
Your recipe list has 1 T honey on it but I don’t see in the instructions how this is used. Is it mixed with the Yum Yum Sauce and Chili Crunch or do you just drizzle the honey over the dish when serving?
This recipe looks absolutely amazing! I love the idea of pairing crispy tofu with chili crunch—it sounds like the perfect balance of texture and flavor. Can’t wait to try this for a quick and satisfying weeknight dinner. Thanks for sharing! 🌶️🍴
Holy moly, this was amazing! I used it in a crunchy roll bowl and tossed the sauced up tofu in some toasted panko, added pickled carrots, avocado, cucumbers, and served it all over rice. It was easily one of the best dinners I’ve ever made. Thanks for the inspiration!
This is a great recipe, and has quickly become a family favorite meal!
This was SO good. I didn’t have yumyum sauce so made my own (following the POY recipe roughly although next time I’ll try using a mayo/greek yogurt combo) and the final sauce with the chili crunch was amazingly delish. Such a simple recipe and easy to throw together. I served with a frozen riced cauliflower/rice mix as suggested plus some roasted broccoli. Definitely will be making this on repeat.
Will definitely make again! Super easy to make and yummy!
Broccoli is not in the recipe!
So delicious. I make this at least once a week!
This recipe is AMAZING. Finally a tofu recipe with great texture results and incredible flavour. I added Bok Choy to the dish and it was delish. So easy to make. This is definitely going into the rotation. Thank you!
After prepping the tofu, should I let it stand for a while (between steps 2 – 4?) Or can I bake it right away? Thank you!!
This turned out great! I served it with rice, a really garlicky kimchi, and sliced cucumbers. It was delicious! Thanks for the dinner inspiration.
My kids love this meal – it might be their most asked-for recipe.
This recipe is so incredibly easy and good! A shockingly complex flavor for how few ingredients are required. I’ve made this many times now – I love eating it with rice, or with rice/salad mix and veggies like a poke bowl.
Any recommendations for chili crisp if you cannot get Momofuku?
Fly By Jing is another great one!
Made this tonight for my hubs and kids. Hubs isn’t the biggest tofu fan but LOVED this. We had NO LEFTOVERS it was divine. And insanely easy
your dish look like very deliciouus
Having a look at your recipe website ,it inspires me to grow my recipe website too.
Its awesome ,just awesome recipes.Thanks Pinch of Yum for creating a beautiful recipe website for food lovers like me.
Heres my website of Indian recipes, please do check it out.Thank you.
http://foodgyanrecipe.com/
This Chili Crunch Tofu recipe is an absolute game-changer! The flavors meld so beautifully, and it’s the perfect blend of spicy and savory – a must-try for tofu lovers and skeptics alike. 🙂
hey, i am Noah Oliver and i always love your recipes
Keep the good work up
Your recipes are extremely delicious and appetizing… Keep the good work up
Your recipes are extremely delicious and appetizing…
Tofu is by far one of the healthiest sources of protein. 🙂