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    Home » Main Courses

    Easy Honey Garlic Tofu Recipe (Vegan Option)

    Published: Aug 9, 2022 by Sherri Hall · This post may contain affiliate links.

    This Honey Garlic Tofu Recipe is a healthy dish that's packed with flavor! It's sweet, salty, tangy, and comes together in just 20 minutes!
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes
    Pressing the tofu 1 hour
    Total Time 20 minutes
    JUMP TO RECIPE
    A plate filled with cooked white rice topped with honey garlic tofu. Everything is garnished with black sesame seeds and chopped scallions.

    The perfect weeknight dinner should be quick, simple, healthy, and something that you can pack for lunch the next day. And this Honey Garlic Tofu Recipe checks all of those boxes.

    This easy recipe is kid-friendly, budget-friendly, and packed with fiber and protein.

    The tofu gets coated in cornstarch and fried until golden perfection. Then it gets tossed with a sticky honey garlic sauce that bursts with flavor!

    To make it a complete meal, serve with cooked rice and veggies on the side.

    A plate filled with cooked white rice topped with honey garlic tofu. Everything is garnished with black sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make Honey Garlic Tofu Recipe
    • Top Tips
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Serving
    • Storage
    • More Tofu Recipes
    • Honey Garlic Tofu Recipe

    Ingredients

    Get all the details on these simple ingredients in the recipe card at the post's bottom.

    • Tofu: It's important to use the right kind of tofu to get the right texture. I recommend using firm tofu or extra firm tofu for best results.
    • Honey: If you want to make this recipe completely vegan, you can either substitute the honey with maple syrup or use 2 tablespoon brown sugar instead.
    • Soy sauce: If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, use tamari in place of soy sauce.
    • Sesame oil: Just 1 tablespoon of sesame oil adds so much flavor to this dish! Use toasted sesame oil for best results.
    • Cornstarch: You'll need it both for coating the tofu and for thickening the sauce. If you don't have it on hand, use arrowroot powder or potato starch instead.
    • Rice vinegar: It adds tanginess and brightness to the sauce. If you don't have it on hand, you can use lime juice.
    • Green onions: For garnishing. Optional.
    • Spices: You'll need only garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
    • Garlic and ginger. These are the essentioal aromatics in most soy-based sauces.
    • Sesame seeds. They add nuttiness and crunch.
    Gathered ingredients for making our honey garlic tofu recipe.

    How to Make Honey Garlic Tofu Recipe

    1. Either use a tofu press or wrap a tofu block in a clean kitchen towel and place something heavy on top. Press for 1 hour to get rid of the excess moisture. Then, cut the block into 1-inch cubes.
    2. Into a medium bowl, toss the tofu cubes with cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. It should be well coated on all sides.
    Tofu cubes on a wooden cutting board.
    Tofu cubes tossed in corn starch and spices in a clear mixing bowl.

    3. Heat some olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the cubes in a single layer, and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

    4. In the meantime, make the sauce by mixing all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.

    Frying tofu cubes in a cast-irons skillet.
    Honey garlic stir fry sauce in a small white bowl.

    5. Pour the stir fry sauce over the tofu pieces and cook for 1-2 minutes, until it thickens and sticks to the tofu. Serve with chopped green onion!

    Cooking honey garlic tofu in a cast-iron skillet.

    Top Tips

    • Use extra-firm tofu. This type of tofu has less moisture, therefor it's chewier and yields a better result.
    • Press the tofu ahead of time. This is the most time-consuming part of the recipe. You can press the tofu and save it in the fridge 2 days ahead of time. This way the recipe will take only 15-20 minutes to make!
    • Adjust the consistency of the sauce if needed. If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it out by adding a splash of water or vegetable broth. On the other hand, if it's too thin, you can thicken it by dissolving 1 teaspoon of cornstarch in a little bit of cold water and adding it to the sauce.
    • Add vegetables. This honey garlic tofu recipe is even better if you throw in a bunch of veggies. My favorites include red bell peppers, bok choy, eggplant, broccoli, and green beans.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I bake the tofu?

    Yes! Preheat the oven to 390ºF (200ºC) and add the coated tofu to a baking sheet layered with parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray or olive oil spray and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Make sure to flip it halfway through for even browning.

    Can I make this recipe in the air fryer?

    Yes! Preheat the air fryer to 350ºF (180ºC). Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray and add the coated tofu nuggets. Air fry for 8-9 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crispy.

    Do leftovers keep well?

    This recipe is best served fresh. Although it's still delicious, the tofu doesn't stay crispy once it cools down, and the sauce thickens even more.

    Is this honey garlic tofu recipe good for freezing?

    No. This recipe is not freezer-friendly. If you freeze it, the texture of the tofu will change and it will get soggy.

    Honey garlic tofu served over cooked white rice and topped with black sesame seeds and chopped green onion.

    Serving

    My favorite way to serve this honey garlic tofu recipe is with cooked rice on the side. Brown rice, jasmine rice, and even quinoa are all great to pair alongside this dish.

    If you want to add more volume, you can toss in some air fryer broccoli, green beans, or asparagus.

    Storage

    Let leftovers cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container for 4-5 days.

    Picking up a piece of tofu with wooden chopsticks, from a plate full of cooked tofu served over white rice.

    More Tofu Recipes

    • Air Fryer Buffalo Tofu
    • Air Fryer Tofu Nuggets
    • Baked BBQ Tofu
    • Salt and Pepper Air Fryer Tofu
    • Vegan Fried Rice with Tofu
    • Tofu Ground Beef
    • Tomato Tofu Pasta
    • Chipotle Plant-Based Sofritas
    • Vegan Tofu Ramen

    If you're looking for even more ideas on how to cook tofu, check out my 50 Best Tofu Recipes!

    A plate filled with cooked white rice topped with honey garlic tofu. Everything is garnished with black sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
    Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    5 from 1 vote

    Honey Garlic Tofu Recipe

    This Honey Garlic Tofu Recipe is a healthy dish that's packed with flavor! It's sweet, salty, tangy, and comes together in just 20 minutes!
    Course Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan, vegetarian
    Keyword easy recipes, garlic, honey, quick, spring, summer, tofu
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes
    Pressing the tofu 1 hour
    Total Time 20 minutes
    Servings 3
    Calories 278kcal
    Author Sherri Hall

    Ingredients

    For the tofu

    • 14 oz (400g) extra-firm tofu, pressed and cubed*
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or arrowroot starch)
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • A pinch of salt and black pepper
    • 1-2 tablespoon olive oil, for cooking

    For the sauce

    • 3 tablespoon honey (use maple syrup to make it vegan)
    • 3 tablespoon soy sauce (use tamari to make it GF)
    • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
    • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
    • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
    • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or arrowroot starch)
    • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
    • 2 green onions, chopped (for garnish, optional)

    Instructions

    • Either use a tofu press or wrap a tofu block in a clean kitchen towel and place something heavy on top. Press for 1 hour to get rid of the excess moisture. Then, cut the block into 1-inch cubes
    • In a mixing bowl, toss the tofu with cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. It should be well coated on all sides.
    • Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the cubes in a single layer, and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
    • In the meantime, make the sauce by mixing all of the ingredients together in a small bowl- honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, cornstarch, and sesame seeds (if using).
    • Pour the stir fry sauce over the tofu pieces and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce thickens and sticks to the tofu. Serve with chopped green onion!

    (Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs and other helpful information for this recipe)

    Suggested Equipment/Tools

    Tofu Press

    Notes

    • Use extra-firm tofu. This type of tofu has less moisture, therefore it's chewier and yields a better result.
    • Press the tofu ahead of time. This is the most time-consuming part of the recipe. You can press the tofu and save it in the fridge 2 days ahead of time. This way the recipe will take only 15-20 minutes to make!
    • Adjust the consistency of the sauce if needed. If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it out by adding a splash of water or vegetable broth. On the other hand, if it's too thin, you can thicken it by dissolving 1 teaspoon of cornstarch in a little bit of cold water and adding it to the sauce.
    • Add vegetables. This recipe is even better if you throw in a bunch of veggies. My favorites include red bell peppers, bok choy, eggplant, broccoli, and green beans.
     
    *The total time doesn't include the time it takes to press the tofu as this is considered inactive cooking time.
    The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Fiber: 1g

    Post photography by: Petranka Atanasova.

    ©Watch Learn Eat. All content and images are copyright protected. Recipes and photos are not to be used or republished without prior permission. If you adapt this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, and link back to this post for the original recipe.

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    About Sherri

    Founder, Author, Recipe Developer, & Photographer

    With a lifelong passion for cooking, I specialize in creating easy meatless meals that are omnivore-approved!

    Learn more about me

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