Mapo Tofu
This easy vegan mapo tofu recipe takes just 25 minutes to make from start to finish! It’s spicy, saucy, and loaded with plant-based protein.
Mapo tofu is my favourite Chinese dish, but despite the name, the restaurant version is usually made with beef unless it’s specifically labeled vegan or vegetarian. Womp womp. But making it at home is easy—it’s saucy, spicy, and ready to eat in less than 30 minutes. Even the non-vegans in my life love this recipe!
Why You’ll Love This Mapo Tofu Recipe
- Protein-packed meal. Tofu is a great source of plant-based protein and the crumbled veggie burger adds even more. This is a meal that will leave you feeling satisfied!
- Easy to make at home. So many stir fries and Asian dishes (like my tempeh stir fry) come together with just a few minutes of cooking, and this mapo tofu recipe is no exception. It’s perfect for weeknights!
- Customizable spice level. When you make your own vegan mapo tofu at home, you can make it as spicy or as mild as you like.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Oil – A neutral high smoke point oil like sunflower, grapeseed, safflower, or avocado oil.
- Crumbled veggie burgers – Or the vegan meat replacement of your choice, or just use extra mushrooms. I like to use plant-based burger patties by Beyond Meat to replace the ground beef in the traditional version of mapo tofu.
- Diced mushrooms – You can use white or cremini mushrooms, or another variety you like.
- Ginger and garlic – Classic flavour builders in Asian sauces.
- Scallions
- Douban sauce – AKA chili bean paste or doubanjiang sauce.
- Chili oil – I drain this off the top of a jar of Fly by Jing’s.
- Ground Sichuan pepper seasoning – I love Nom Nom Paleo’s.
- Low-sodium soy sauce – Swap in tamari, liquid aminos, or coconut aminos for gluten-free mapo tofu.
- Sugar
- Broth – Use vegetable broth or a mixture of water + stock cube/liquid.
- Cornstarch slurry – Cornstarch mixed with water.
- Silken tofu – I like to use a firm silken tofu for this recipe.
- Toasted sesame oil – For a nutty finish, use toasted sesame oil.
How to Make Mapo Tofu
- Stir-fry the “meat” and mushrooms. Heat the oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat. Once it’s shimmering, add the mushrooms and vegan meat substitute and cook for 5 minutes.
- Bring water to a boil. In another pot, bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the aromatics. Stir in the ginger, garlic, and the whites of the scallion. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until fragrant.
- Build the sauce. Stir in the douban sauce, chili oil, Szechuan peppercorn seasoning, soy sauce, and sugar. After a minute or two, pour in the broth and cornstarch slurry.
- Boil the tofu. Add the tofu to the salted water and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain off the excess water.
- Finish. Add the tofu to the wok and stir gently. Season to taste, garnish with toasted sesame oil and scallion greens, and serve with rice.
Tips for Success
- Choose the right tofu. Silken tofu is essential for authentic mapo tofu. Its smooth, tender texture absorbs the flavours perfectly. It’s found in shelf-stable boxes, not in the refrigerated section with other varieties of tofu.
- Prep in advance. Stir fries move quickly, so have all your ingredients chopped and measured before you start cooking.
- Stir gently. Once you add the tofu, stir it gently into the sauce. Silken tofu is so soft, it’s easy to break apart!
Variations
- Swap in tempeh for the veggie burger. Crumbled tempeh is a great substitute for the veggie burger. It has a crumbly texture like ground beef, but it’s more natural if you’re not a fan of ground beef substitutes that taste like beef.
- Or try seitan. Seitan is another potential substitute for the veggie burger. Use store-bought or make my vegan chicken recipe. Crumble it or dice it finely before adding it to the stir-fry.
What to Serve With Mapo Tofu
Traditionally, mapo tofu is served over rice, but you can use cauliflower rice if you’re trying to cut down on grains, or cooked quinoa for even more protein.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Store leftover mapo tofu in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: You can also freeze mapo tofu for up to 3 months, either in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat: Warm leftovers in a pan set over medium heat or in the microwave until heated through.
More Asian-Inspired Vegan Recipes
Enjoy friends! If you make this mapo tofu recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Mapo Tofu
This easy vegan mapo tofu recipe takes just 25 minutes to make from start to finish! It’s spicy, saucy, and loaded with plant-based protein.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil, a neutral, high smoke point oil like sunflower, grapeseed, safflower, avocado oil or even olive oil
- 2 crumbled Beyond Meat burgers, or vegan meat replacement of choice or 2 cups diced mushrooms
- ½ cup diced mushrooms, if you’re using mushrooms only above you can leave this out or honestly just use it up if you have a bit more
- 2 knobs fresh ginger, for 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 5 cloves garlic, for 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ¼ cup diced scallion whites
- 1 tablespoon douban sauce, chili bean paste
- 1 tablespoon chili oil, I usually just drain some off from the jar like Fly by Jing's jar
- 1 teaspoon ground Szechuan pepper seasoning, I love nom nom paleo’s own
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar, more or less to taste
- 1 cup vegetable broth, or mix 1 cup of water + 1 teaspoon of stock liquid (such as Yondu) or stock cube, add more water if you want yours saucier
- cornstarch slurry, 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
- 1 pound firm silken tofu, excess water drained, sliced in half length wise, then into cubes
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, to add near the end for flavour
- 1/4 cup diced scallion greens, for topping
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a wok or pan over medium to medium high heat.
- Add in your vegan meat (or mushroom substitute) and mushrooms. Sauté over medium high heat until vegan meat is completely cooked and the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.
- In a separate pot, start boiling the water. Salt the pot well.
- To the vegan meat and mushrooms, add in aromatics – ginger, garlic and scallion whites. Stir to combine and cook for about 3 minutes until fragrant.
- Then add in douban sauce, chili oil, Sichuan peppercorn seasoning, soy sauce, and sugar to the vegan meat mixture. Stir to combine, about 1-2 minutes.
- Finish the mapo tofu sauce by adding in the vegetable broth/seasoned water and the cornstarch slurry. Mix thoroughly to combine and thicken.
- When the sauce is nearly finished, boil the cubed tofu in the salted water for about 1-2 minutes. Scoop it out, shake off excess water, and add to the mix, stirring gently to combine with the sauce.
- Taste and add more salt or pepper if desired. Top with toasted sesame oil and diced scallion greens. Serve over white rice and enjoy!
Notes
- Refrigerator: Store leftover mapo tofu in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: You can also freeze mapo tofu for up to 3 months, either in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat: Warm leftovers in a pan set over medium heat or in the microwave until heated through.
Calories: 242kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 588mg, Potassium: 444mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 258IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 104mg, Iron: 2mg
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
