This Bang Bang Tofu is a tasty, plant-based dish that’s guaranteed to impress! It’s crispy, flavorful, slightly spicy, and completely vegan. With just 8 simple ingredients, it’s an easy recipe to whip up!
Ingredients:
- 15.5 ounces Extra-firm Tofu
- ¼ cup Cornstarch
- ¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons Garlic powder
- 1 cup Vegan Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Sriracha
- ½ teaspoon White Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions:
- Begin by draining the tofu from its packaging. If it’s packed in water, press out any excess liquid.
- Wrap the tofu blocks in a clean kitchen towel (or several layers of paper towels). Gently press to remove extra moisture.
- Place a light weight, like a dinner plate, on top of the wrapped tofu and let it sit for at least 5 minutes to press out more liquid.
- Once pressed, slice the tofu into roughly 32 cubes (16 per block), each about 1 inch in size.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cornstarch, panko breadcrumbs, and garlic powder.
- Add the tofu cubes to the bowl and gently toss or mix by hand to coat the tofu evenly.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spread the coated tofu cubes evenly on the pan.
- Bake the tofu at 400ºF for 40 minutes, until crispy.
- While the tofu bakes, prepare the bang bang sauce. In a bowl, mix the vegan mayonnaise, sriracha, sugar, and salt. Add ½ tablespoon of water if needed to thin it out.
- Once the tofu is crispy and golden, transfer it to the bowl with the sauce and gently stir with a rubber spatula to coat each cube.
- Serve the tofu over rice, quinoa, salads, or pasta, and garnish with red pepper flakes and chives or scallions. Enjoy!
Notes:
- Extra Firm Tofu: Use only extra-firm tofu for this recipe to ensure it crisps properly.
- Sriracha: You can substitute sriracha with sweet chili sauce or hot sauce.
- Cornstarch: Arrowroot starch or other alternatives can be used instead of cornstarch.
- For crispier tofu, look for extra-firm tofu not packaged in liquid, as it will crisp better.
- You can adjust the spice level by adding more or less sriracha to taste.
- Leftover sauce can be stored in the fridge for dipping with other dishes!
