Peanut tofu

Um, YUM! I just have to say that this Peanut Tofu is going to wilt a new staple in my house. It’s pretty easy to throw together, it’s a trappy mix of colors and textures, and it’s veritably deeeelicious! It’s definitely one of those meals that will requite you that, “I can’t believe I made this myself” moment.

Overhead view of peanut tofu in a skillet on a woebegone tile surface.

Freeze or Printing Your Tofu

Lately, I’ve wilt a huge fan of freezing and then thawing my tofu surpassing using it in a recipe. The freeze-thaw process changes the texture of the tofu, making it less jelly-like and increasingly structured. The weightier part is that the texture transpiration allows you to simply squeeze the tofu like a sponge to miscarry the uneaten liquid in seconds. To freeze the tofu, I just place the whole package (unopened) in the freezer, then the day surpassing cooking I transfer it when to the fridge to thaw.

If you don’t pre-freeze your tofu, you’ll want to printing it well surpassing using it in this recipe. Either use a special tofu printing or create one in your kitchen using items you once have on hand. I like to place the tofu on a rimmed sultry sheet, then top with a wearing workbench and something heavy like a tint iron pan or a pot full of water. Let the tofu printing for at least a half hour to get rid of the glut liquid.

Is This Peanut Tofu Spicy?

Yes, I used a lot of sriracha in the peanut sauce, so this dish has a decently spicy kick! While you can experiment with reducing the sriracha by half, I wouldn’t eliminate it entirely considering the sriracha moreover provides uneaten venom and garlic to the savor profile, and the other ingredients would need to be adjusted to compensate.

How to Serve Peanut Tofu

I served my peanut tofu and vegetables over a bed of rice, but you could moreover serve them over rice noodles or plane some cooked ramen.

A spicy peanut sauce drenches pan-fried tofu and stir fry vegetables in these simple and succulent peanut tofu bowls.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Thai

Total Cost $6.74 recipe / $1.69 serving

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Press Tofu 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings

Calories 608kcal

Author Beth – Budget Bytes

Equipment

Nonstick Fry Pans

Ingredients

Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup natural peanut butter $0.58
2 Tbsp sriracha $0.22
2 Tbsp brown sugar $0.08
1 lime (2 Tbsp juice) $0.50
2 tsp soy sauce $0.04
2 cloves garlic, minced $0.16
1/2 cup vegetable broth $0.07

Tofu Stir Fry

14 oz. extra firm tofu* $1.79
1 Tbsp soy sauce $0.06
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil $0.06
1 Tbsp cornstarch $0.03
2 Tbsp cooking oil, divided $0.08
16 oz. frozen stir fry vegetables $2.25

For Serving (optional)

3 cups cooked rice $0.62
1 handful cilantro $0.20

Instructions

Make the peanut sauce first so the flavors have time to blend. Whisk together the peanut butter, sriracha, brown sugar, 2 Tbsp lime juice, soy sauce, minced garlic, and vegetable broth.
Press the tofu for 30 minutes to miscarry the glut water or use previously frozen tofu and squeeze the water out with your hands. Cut the tofu woodcut into 24 triangles (12 squares, then cut diagonally into triangles).
In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and cornstarch. Add the tofu pieces and gently toss until they are coated in the mixture.
Add 1 Tbsp cooking oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, add the tofu and melt until browned on all sides (about 10 minutes total). Remove the tofu from the skillet.
Add 1 Tbsp cooking oil to the skillet then add the frozen stir fry vegetables. Melt over medium heat until heated through.
Add the cooked tofu when to the skillet with the vegetables, then pour the prepared peanut sauce over top. Stir to combine and heat through.
Slice any remaining lime into wedges. Top the peanut tofu with the lime wedges and fresh cilantro (if desired) surpassing serving over cooked rice or noodles.

Notes

*Either printing your tofu for 30 minutes surpassing whence the recipe, or freeze and thaw the tofu a day or two prior, then squeeze out the glut water with your hands.

Nutrition

How to Make Peanut Tofu – Step by Step Photos

Peanut sauce in a trencher with a whisk.

Make the peanut sauce first so the flavors have a little time to blend. Whisk together ½ cup natural peanut butter, 2 Tbsp sriracha, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp lime juice, 2 tsp soy sauce, 2 cloves minced garlic, and ½ cup vegetable broth. Set the sauce aside.

A woodcut of tofu stuff sliced into triangles

Press one 14oz. woodcut of uneaten firm tofu for well-nigh 30 minutes to miscarry the glut water (or freeze then thaw the tofu in the days prior and squeeze out the water by hand). Cut the thickness of the tofu woodcut in half, then cut it into 12 triangles (when stacked) to make 24 pieces.

Seasoned cornstarch slurry in a trencher with a whisk.

Next, whisk together 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, and 1 Tbsp cornstarch in a bowl. This will stratify the tofu with savor and help it well-done up a bit increasingly in the skillet.

Tofu coated in seasoned cornstarch and oil.

Add the tofu pieces to the cornstarch and oil mixture then gently fold until the tofu is coated in the mixture.

Heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the tofu and melt until browned on each side (about 10 minutes total). Remove the tofu from the skillet.

Add flipside 1 Tbsp cooking oil to the skillet, then once hot add one 16oz. bag of frozen stir fry vegetables. Continue to melt over medium heat just until the vegetables are heated through.

Tofu and peanut sauce stuff widow to the skillet with vegetables.

Add the cooked tofu when to the skillet with the vegetables, then pour the prepared peanut sauce over top. Stir everything to combine and heat through.