Everyone’s favorite pan-fried sesame garlic tofu with a sticky glaze. This vegan one-pan wonder is sure to become a staple in your dinner rotation.
If you’re looking to replicate that sticky-sweet style of tofu you love in restaurants, this recipe was designed for you. This crispy sesame garlic tofu is good enough to rival your favorite Seamless order, but it’s made with way less oil.
As impressive-looking as it is, there are no complicated techniques involved and everything comes together quickly, in just one pan, using ingredients you probably already have.
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
- Extra Firm Tofu: Tofu is sold in varying degrees of firmness. “Extra firm” is the style best suited for pan-frying. Look for organic and non-GMO brands whenever possible.
- Arrowroot Starch: This starch is derived from a tropical plant. It looks and acts like cornstarch, but is considered healthier since most corn in the US is genetically modified. Arrowroot helps the tofu take on a thick crispy crust to which the sesame-garlic sauce can adhere. (You can sub with cornstarch if that’s what you have though.)
- Soy Sauce: Forms the base of the savory sauce.
- Maple Syrup: Can be substituted with honey.
- Fresh Garlic + Ginger: For the best flavor, grate both of these on a microplane. Alternatively, use a garlic press and/or mince as finely as possible.
How to Make Sesame Garlic Tofu (Step-by-Step Photos)
Find complete instructions with ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Prep the Tofu
Press the tofu (details in the recipe card below) and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Place in a large bowl, and sprinkle with arrowroot, salt, and pepper. Gently toss the cubes with your hands, taking care not to crumble the tofu.
Step 2: Fry the Tofu
Heat a generous layer of oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the tofu in a single layer and cook undisturbed until a golden crust forms on the bottom, at least 5 minutes. Then flip and cook the other sides, browning 3-4 sides total.
Step 3: Make the Sauce
Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Step 4: Glaze the Tofu
(If there’s too much oil left in the pan, transfer the browned tofu to a plate and drain the oil. Then return the tofu to the pan.) Add the sauce, and quickly toss until it thickens and coats the cubes.
Serving Suggestions
This restaurant-inspired tofu goes well with rice, steamed broccoli, and/or sautéed green beans. You can also serve it alongside cold tahini noodles, on a grain bowl, or with this arugula avocado salad.
Tips for Cooking Perfectly Crispy Tofu
The main issues people have when cooking tofu at home is that it (A) sticks to the pan and falls apart, and (B) doesn’t achieve restaurant-quality crispness. Here are my best tips for crispy tofu…
Use extra firm tofu.
This style of tofu stands up well to pan-frying, but still maintains a pleasantly tender interior.
Press the tofu.
Pressing tofu eliminates excess moisture, thus enabling it to achieve crispness. You can use a tofu press or simply weigh the tofu down with something heavy (full instructions in the recipe card below).
Use a non-stick pan.
Otherwise, the tofu might stick, crumble, and turn into a mess.
Don’t skimp on the oil.
This is key for optimal browning and crispy edges. Don’t worry – you can drain off any excess oil afterward.
Leave it alone. (I’m serious!)
Don’t flip or push around the tofu until you’re sure it’s brown on the bottom and ready to be flipped. It needs prolonged contact with the pan for those crispy edges.
Use tongs.
Use tongs to lift the cubes and check them for doneness, versus poking at them with a spatula.
More Tofu Recipes to Try
Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.
The Full Recipe
Sesame Garlic Tofu
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2–4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pan-Fried
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Restaurant-style sesame tofu with garlic and ginger. Serve with rice, noodles, and/or steamed broccoli.
Ingredients
- One 14-ounce block extra-firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon arrowroot starch (or cornstarch), divided
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or another neutral oil)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or honey)
- 1 teaspoon mild vinegar (like apple cider, white wine, or unseasoned rice vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed, grated, or finely minced
- 1-inch knob fresh ginger, peeled, and grated or minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- Sesame seeds and scallions, for serving
Instructions
- Start by pressing the tofu in a tofu press, or: drain the tofu, place it on a plate, then top it with another plate or cutting board, and weigh it down with something heavy (like a couple of cans), to squeeze out as much water as possible. Let stand for at least 10 minutes, periodically draining off the excess water.
- Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon arrowroot, and pinches of salt and pepper. Gently toss with your hands to coat. Then sprinkle with another tablespoon of arrowroot and toss again.
- Heat avocado oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu in a single layer, making sure the cubes aren’t touching; depending on the size of your pan, you may need to brown them in two batches (see note below). Cook undisturbed until a golden crust forms on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Then flip with tongs and cook the other sides, browning 3-4 sides total.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, maple syrup, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and the remaining teaspoon of arrowroot.
- [When the tofu is done, if there is too much oil left in the pan, transfer the tofu to a plate and drain the oil. Then return the tofu to the pan.]
- Add the sauce mixture to the pan, and immediately toss until it thickens and coats the tofu. Turn the heat off.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve immediately.
Notes
The arrowroot makes the tofu kinda sticky, which is why the cubes shouldn’t be touching in the pan. No big deal if they stick together a bit, though – they’ll get unstuck when you add the sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
- Calories: 190
- Fat: 13 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.4 g
- Protein: 10.3 g
RG says
So good! Quick and easy too. Loving your recipes, so glad I found you!
Alexandra Shytsman says
Woo! So glad you’re finding my recipes useful 😀
Melanee says
10/10. So good and so easy.
Alexandra Shytsman says
Love that! Thank you for the feedback, Melanee 😀
Tami says
Ridiculously delicious! Almost ate the entire pan by myself…
Alexandra Shytsman says
So glad you liked it!