Chinese Braised Tofu

Fried tofu braised in a luscious gravy with colorful vegetables! This quick and easy Chinese braised tofu is a tasty main dish ready in 30 minutes! It's better-than-takeout saving you money. I share how to deep fry or shallow fry the tofu.

Chinese braised tofu dish features soft or medium firm tofu deep fried and braised in a savory stir-fry sauce with broccoli, carrots and snap peas. But if you're not a fan of deep-frying, I share how to shallow fry the tofu.

It's a very popular dish served at many Chinese restaurants and is best served with steamed rice for a complete meal.

What makes this tofu dish stand out is the tofu is first deep fried to create a chewy exterior that soaks up the sauce. While the interior is soft and neutral in taste balancing the savory flavors in the sauce!

My husband and I are huge fans of this dish because of the contrasting textures and tastes. The sauce also tastes so good over plain rice.

It's a fantastic plant based dish if you're looking for more meatless recipes. You can also make this dish vegan by substituting the oyster sauce with vegetarian stir fry sauce!

Ingredients & Substitutes

Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements. 

• Medium Firm Tofu (pictured below): or substitute with firm to extra-firm tofu for a chewier texture. Soft tofu will be more difficult to work with and requires a very gentle hand but yields a very delicious texture!
• Broccoli Florets: or substitute with frozen broccoli florets or cauliflower florets.
• Carrots: or substitute with frozen carrot medallions or dicd bell peppers.
• Snap peas: or substitute with snow peas or baby corn.
• Garlic
• Cold Water
• Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. Avoid olive oil, coconut oil or any heavy scented oils.

Stir Fry Sauce

• Oyster sauce: this is a thick brown sauce made of oysters that adds a lot of umami flavor. Or substitute with vegetarian stir-fry sauce if you're vegan or don't like oysters. If you're gluten-free: substitute with a gluten-free version.
• Sesame Oil: for that nutty flavor! If you're allergic to sesame, omit this ingredient.
• Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce.
• Shaoxing wine: a Chinese rice cooking wine. Or substitute with Dry Sherry. For a non-alcoholic or gluten-free version, substitute with any broth.      
• Cold Water: to dilute the sauce so it's not too salty.
• Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch.

Note: Most Asian grocers will carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.  

Instructions

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Chinese braised tofu:

Prepare Tofu

1. Carefully pat dry the block of tofu with clean paper towels to remove excess moisture. Slice the tofu block into half lengthwise and then slice each half into ½-inch thick pieces or squares. Gently transfer the sliced tofu (with the help of a large knife) to a large flat plate without a lip.
2. In a small bowl, combine stir-fry sauce ingredients as listed above and set aside.
3. Choose ONE cooking method below:
   • To Deep Fry Tofu: Heat 2 cups or 500 ml vegetable oil in a large pan or wok on medium heat to 350 F with a digital instant read thermometer. Lower the plate of tofu as close to the pan as possible and gently slide the tofu squares, a few at a time, off the plate into the hot oil with a spatula. Fry tofu on both sides until golden brown on the outside and soft on the inside. Remove the fried tofu with a slotted spoon and transfer them onto a wire rack or paper towel lined plate to drain off excess oil and set aside.
   • To Shallow Fry Tofu: Heat ⅓ cup or 80 ml vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan on medium heat. Lower the plate of tofu close to the pan and slide the tofu squares into the pan one at a time. Fry them until golden on both sides and soft on the inside. Remove and transfer tofu to a wire rack or paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil.

Braising

1. Remove most of the vegetable oil in the pan, reserving 1 teaspoon or 5 ml of in the pan. Increase to medium-high heat and add garlic, carrots, broccoli florets, and snap pea followed by ½ cup or 125 ml cold water. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes until they've softened and most of the water has evaporated.
2. Gently toss back in fried tofu and add the remaining cold water. Stir fry for 30 seconds.
3. Reduce to medium heat. Pour in the prepared stir-fry sauce and gently toss with the other ingredients.
4. Increase to medium-high heat to thicken the sauce. Once it's thickened to your desired consistency, transfer the dish to a large serving plate and enjoy!

Storage

• Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
• Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing Chinese braised tofu because the freezer will change the texture of the tofu.

Pairing Suggestions

This dish serves well with:

• starters like egg rolls, crab rangoons, egg drop soup, hot and sour soup
• white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, fried rice, chow mein, lo mein, or plain noodles
• cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.

Other recipes you may like

• Crispy Soy Garlic Tofu
• Spicy Gochujang Sesame Tofu
• Silken Tofu with Onion & Garlic
• Sweet and Sticky Tofu