Chinese Five Spice Tofu stir fry. Fried tofu balls, baby bok choy and carrots smothered in a sweet, thick Chinese Five Spice sauce. An easy stir-fry dish to make for a weeknight meal. Comes together in less than 20 minutes.
Versatile dish
This Chinese 5 spice tofu stir fry pairs deliciously with some rice or noodles. The best part is that it is packed with veggies like bok choy and carrots! It's a great and simple dish for those looking to start the new year on a healthier note.
I love making this dish for my husband because he likes to eat a more meatless diet. So tofu and veggies are a must for him. It's a fantastic dish to put into a weekly rotation and works well for meal preparation too!
What does it taste like?
Imagine soft chewy fried tofu balls, crunchy carrots and soft bok choy smothered in a sweet umami sauce with a hint of the Chinese Five Spice.
Chinese Five Spice has a unique licorice flavour thanks to the star anise. It possesses sweet and warm flavours from the fennel and cinnamon. And a peppery taste from the Sichuan peppercorns.
What is Chinese 5 spice made of?
Chinese five spice is made of the following spices: star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan (Szechuan) peppercorns, and fennel seeds.
What can you use Chinese 5 spice for?
It's usually used to marinate meats like Char Siu or Roasted Duck.
Where can I buy Chinese five spice?
Most Asian grocers will carry this spice. It comes in a powder or grounded form so look in the dried spice area. You can also purchase it online.
Where can I buy fried tofu balls?
Most Asian grocers will carry this item in their tofu area or the refrigerated aisle.
There are quite a few Chinese five spice tofu recipes online but this one is super simple, healthy and tasty! I hope you give it a try!
Other recipes you may like!
CHINESE SALT & PEPPER TOFU
SILKEN TOFU WITH ONION AND GARLIC
ASIAN BREADED TOFU NUGGETS
SWEET AND STICKY TOFU
VEGAN KIMCHI TOFU STEW
TOFU KATSU
SWEET SOY TOFU & VEGETABLES
For this recipe
You will need the following ingredients for this Chinese five spice braised tofu:
- 142 grams fried tofu balls, sliced into bite size pieces
- 1 stalk green onion, finely chopped
- 128 grams carrot, sliced
- 1 small cooking onion, sliced
- 238 grams baby Bok Choy
- 5 slices ginger with skin on
- 1 cup of water
- 2 teaspoon cooking oil
Stir-fry sauce:
- 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
How to make Chinese Five Spice Tofu Stir-fry
In a small bowl, mix together your stir-fry sauce ingredients until well combined.
In a hot pan set over medium high heat, add cooking oil followed by onion and ginger. Fry until onions have softened.
Next toss in your bok choy, green onions and carrots. Sauté until the bok choy has wilted.
Toss in your fried tofu balls followed by a cup of water. Mix and allow the water to cook the tofu balls and vegetables for 2 minutes until tofu balls are softened.
Lower your heat to low setting and pour your stir-fry sauce. Quickly give everything a good mix ensuring tofu and veggies are covered in sauce.
Remove off heat and serve!
Note: This dish will last up to 3-4 days refrigerated. It can be reheated for later.
Give it a try!
Well I hope you give my Chinese Five Spice Tofu Stir-fry recipe a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.
Thanks for visiting my blog! If you enjoyed this Chinese five spice fried tofu, please share it with your family and friends or on social media! Take a picture if you've made my recipe and tag me on Instagram @ChristieAtHome in your feed or stories so I can share your creation in my stories with credits to you!
Made this recipe and loved it?
If you could leave a star rating for my tofu with Chinese five spice, I would greatly appreciate it 🙂 Thanks so much!
Take care,
Christie
*This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I also earn from qualifying purchases through additional affiliate programs
Chinese Five Spice Tofu Stir-fry (20-min. Recipe)
Ingredients
- 142 grams fried tofu balls sliced into bite size pieces
- 1 stalk green onion finely chopped
- 128 grams carrot sliced
- 1 small yellow onion sliced
- 238 grams Bok Choy
- 5 slices ginger with skin on
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoon vegetable oil
Stir-fry sauce:
- 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together your stir-fry sauce ingredients until well combined.
- In a hot pan set over medium high heat, add cooking oil followed by onion and ginger. Fry until onions have softened.
- Next toss in your bok choy, green onions and carrots. Sauté until the bok choy has wilted.
- Toss in your fried tofu balls followed by a cup of water. Mix and allow the water to cook the tofu balls and vegetables for 2 minutes until tofu balls are softened.
- Lower your heat to low setting and pour your stir-fry sauce. Quickly give everything a good mix ensuring tofu and veggies are covered in sauce.
- Remove off heat and serve!
Josiah - DIY Thrill
This tofu stir fry looks so savory!
Michelle | Sift & Simmer
I love the addition of the vegetables in the tofu stir fry! Yum!
Rosemary
I bet that 5 spice made the kitchen smell amazing! Its funny, in Arabic cooking we use something called 7 spice!
Leanne
Love the flavour of Chinese 5 spice. I always have some in my pantry. I'm looking for new ways to prepare tofu and this looks like it would hit the spot!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
This really is such a feast for the eyes. I always love your homemade sauce recipes... and serving up dinner in just 20 minutes is unbeatable for busy weeknights!
Noelani
Thank you for the beautiful recipes! I made beef tomato and I may have overcooked my vegetables but it was still beautiful!
christieathome
Thank you so much for these kind words and for making my recipe! I'm so glad you enjoyed the dish regardless 🙂 Have a lovely day!