Crispy Fried Tofu with Garlicky Soy Sauce & Chili Sweet and Sour Sauce

October 30, 2020Mrs. Lin's Kitchen
crispy fried tofu

Crispy fried tofu is one of the popular food that you can order in a Boba Tea shop in the US. This is such a quick and easy recipe and makes a delicious appetizer or afternoon snack.

Today, I will share with you the secret of making the tofu crispy outside and soft inside. I will also show you how to make the garlicky soy sauce and chili sweet and sour sauce to enjoy the crispy fried tofu with.

Ingredients

crispy fried tofu
  • 1 block of firm/medium firm/extra firm tofu
crispy fried tofu

I used firm tofu for this recipe but medium firm or extra firm are okay, too. I wouldn’t recommend soft tofu because it is too soft for frying.

Garlicky Soy Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce/gluten-free soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon grated garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon black vinegar
  • 2 finely chopped cilantro sprigs
crispy fried tofu

I used black vinegar in my garlicky soy sauce and it might be difficult to find at a non-Asian supermarket. Black vinegar is less tart than regular vinegar but it has more malty and smoky flavor.

Chili Sweet and Sour Sauce

crispy fried tofu
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon sriracha
  • Dash of grated garlic
  • Dash of salt

If you want to make the Chili Sweet and Sour Sauce spicier, feel free to add more sriracha.

Crispy Fried Tofu Recipe

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Crispy Fried Tofu with Garlicky Soy Sauce & Chili Sweet and Sour Sauce

Crispy fried tofu is one of the popular food that you can order in a Boba Tea shop in the US. This is such a quick and easy recipe and makes a delicious appetizer or afternoon snack.

Ingredients

  • 1 block tofu, firm/extra firm/medium firm

Garlicky Soy Sauce

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce, gluten-free soy sauce
  • 1 tsp grated garlic
  • 1/4 tsp black vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 sprigs cilantro

Chili Sweet & Sour Sauce

  • 1 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp sriracha
  • dash of grated garlic
  • dash of salt

Instructions

Prep & Fry Tofu

  • 1)

    Open the tofu box and drain out all the water

  • 2)

    Put some paper towels on a flat plate and place the block of tofu in the middle. Place some more paper towels on top of the tofu.
    Add some weight on top of the tofu to help squeeze out all the excess water.
    Leave it for about 30 to 50 minutes.

  • 3)

    Cut the tofu into 16 equal portions (triangle or rectangular shape)

  • 4)

    Add oil in a pan or a wok and heat it up on medium-high heat

  • 5)

    When the oil temperature reaches about 200 F, add tofu into pan and fry on both sides for about 5 minutes or until the outside is slightly hardened and the color of tofu turns light yellow-brown.

  • 6)

    Take tofu out and let it rest for about 5 minutes

  • 7)

    After 5 minutes, fry the tofu for the second time until it becomes golden brown and crispy on the outside. It took me about 2 minutes more

Garlicky Soy Sauce

  • 1)

    To make the garlicky soy sauce, add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce in a clean bowl, 1 teaspoon of grated garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1/4 teaspoon of black vinegar, and finely chopped cilantro.
    Mix everything together.

Chili Sweet & Sour Sauce

  • 1)

    In a clean bowl, add 1 tablespoon of ketchup, 1 teaspoon of white vinegar, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of sriracha, a dash of grated ginger and a dash of salt.
    Mix well and make sure the sugar is all dissolved. I added ¼ tsp of sriracha but you can add more if you like the sauce spicier

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