Pan-fried tofu is braised in a spicy, sweet, and savory sauce with garlic and scallions. This easy Korean braised tofu recipe is ready in just 20 minutes with minimal ingredients. Serve it as a side dish or main with steamed rice.
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Korean braised tofu, or dubu jorim, is a popular Korean side dish, or banchan, made with pan-fried tofu simmered in a sweet, spicy, and savory soy-based sauce with garlic and green onions.
It's commonly served with steamed rice and other banchan at Korean restaurants and in Korean households. It's one of my favorite ways to enjoy tofu because the sauce packs so much flavor into a simple meatless dish.
I also love that it keeps well for up to 4 days in the fridge, making it great for meal prep. You can even enjoy it cold if you're too lazy to reheat it.
I found that salting the tofu and letting it rest for 10 minutes before frying helps draw out excess moisture so it browns more easily in the pan.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Exact ingredient amounts are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Firm or Extra-Firm Block Tofu: Medium-firm tofu also works, but handle it carefully as it's more delicate. Avoid soft tofu because it can easily break apart during frying.
- Vegetable Oil: Or use any neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point, such as canola, refined avocado, sunflower, or grapeseed oil.
- Salt: Helps draw excess moisture from the tofu before frying.
- Green Onion: For garnishing.
Sauce
- Garlic Cloves
- Green Onions: Or substitute with ¼ cup finely diced onion.
- Regular Soy Sauce: Light soy sauce also works. For a less salty option, use low-sodium soy sauce. For a gluten-free option, use tamari or gluten-free soy sauce.
- White Granulated Sugar: Cane sugar or honey also works.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: This is more flavorful than untoasted sesame oil.
- Gochugaru: Korean red chili flakes available at Korean grocery stores or online. Regular red chili flakes can work in a pinch, but use less as they can be spicier.
- Rice Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar also works.
- Toasted Sesame Seeds: If unavailable, toast raw sesame seeds in a dry pan on medium heat until golden.
- Water: Use room-temperature water.
Expert Tips
- Don't slice too thin: Keep the tofu ⅓-inch thick for a substantial, meaty bite.
- Don't skip the salted rest: Give it 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture for better browning.
- Use a nonstick pan: This helps prevent the tofu from sticking or tearing when flipped.
- Don't over-fry the tofu: Fry just until golden or the tofu can become dry.
- Let the sauce reduce: Give it time to thicken so it coats the tofu well.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Korean braised tofu:
- Slice the tofu: Drain as much liquid from the tofu package as possible. Slice the tofu into 2.5-inch-long rectangles about ⅓-inch thick.
- Pat the tofu dry: Line a large baking sheet or large plate with paper towel and arrange the tofu in a single layer. Pat the tofu dry with more paper towel.
- Salt the tofu: Evenly sprinkle salt over the tofu. Set aside for 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture. If the surface looks very wet, you can pat it dry again before frying.
- Make the sauce: Meanwhile, combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl until the sugar has fully dissolved.
- Pan-fry the tofu: Heat vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the tofu in a single layer and pan-fry until golden, about 2-4 minutes per side.
- Braise the tofu: Pour the sauce over the tofu and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and coats the tofu. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with green onions and serve with steamed rice.
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy cold or reheat before serving.
- Freezer: I don't recommend freezing Korean braised tofu because freezing changes the texture of the tofu.
- Reheating: Microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan over medium heat with a few splashes of water.
Pairing Suggestions
Serve Korean braised tofu with:
- Steamed Rice: Soaks up the flavorful sauce.
- Korean Cucumber Salad: Adds a crisp, refreshing contrast.
- Gyeran Mari: Adds a mild, savory side to balance the spice.
FAQ
Use firm or extra-firm tofu, pat it dry, and cook it in a nonstick pan. Let the tofu turn golden before carefully flipping it.
Reduce the gochugaru to 1 teaspoon for a milder version or omit it for a non-spicy version.
📖 Recipe
Easy 20-Minute Korean Braised Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 lb (block) tofu firm or extra-firm
- 1.5 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 green onion finely chopped for garnishing
Sauce
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 green onions finely chopped
- ¼ cup regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil toasted kind
- 1 tablespoon gochugaru
- ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds toasted kind
- ⅓ cup water room temperature
Instructions
- Drain as much liquid from the tofu package as possible. Slice the tofu into 2.5-inch-long rectangles about ⅓-inch thick.
- Line a large baking sheet or large plate with paper towel and arrange the tofu in a single layer. Pat the tofu dry with more paper towel.
- Evenly sprinkle salt over the tofu. Set aside for 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture. If the surface looks very wet, you can pat it dry again before frying.
- Meanwhile, combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl until the sugar has fully dissolved.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the tofu in a single layer and pan-fry until golden, about 2-4 minutes per side.
- Pour the sauce over the tofu and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and coats the tofu. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with green onions and serve with steamed rice.
Patty
I sure did, it came out great! I'll add for anyone who might want to know, I am having left overs 2 days after making it, right from the fridge... Its great cold also - I highly recomment it. Also, if you are new to cooking with tofu, this was really easy to pull together
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and leaving a positive review, Patty! I appreciate you sharing your experience here.
Paulette
Absolutely a 10! Delicious. I added a little of chili garlic paste and also braised some bokchoy in the pan while the sauce was sizzling with the tofu. I just had the leftovers for lunch and I am stuffed.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much making my recipe and for leaving this review, Paulette! Happy this satisfied your tastebuds.
Hazel
Should you wipe off the salt from the tofu after letting it sweat for 10 minutes?
Christie Lai
You can if you'd like but the salt actually helps to crisp up the tofu a bit.
Robin
It really is a quick and easy recipe! It is very tasty. It's a little on the salty side - next time I will use low sodium soy sauce. I prepared it with rice and a sliced of avocado, which cut the salt. DELICIOUS 🙂
Christie Lai
Thanks for making my recipe and glad you enjoyed it, Robin! I appreciate the 5-star review 🙂
Faye
This is so good!!! I feel like I need to make a massive batch of the sauce and cook everything with it! 🙂 I am vegan and this recipe works perfectly for me. Thank you!
Christie Lai
Happy to read this, Faye! Thanks so much for making it and glad it worked out well for your dietary needs.
Kelly
This was really yummy! Only thing I noticed is that on tiktok you do a corn starch slurry but it doesn't appear to be in this recipe. Delicious 😋
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe and for leaving this kind review, Kelly! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂 That may be a different tofu recipe as this one does not contain the cornstarch slurry. Hope this clarifies!
Libby
This was so tasty and so easy (even without the sugar) had it with stirfry cabbage, zucchini and carrots and rice deeeeelish😋😋😋
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe! Glad you enjoyed it, Libby!
Anon
Spicy and delectable!
Christie Lai
So happy to read this! Glad you enjoyed it and thank you for making it 🙂