Sweet Chili Glazed Tofu
By America's Test KitchenPublished on December 14, 2021
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Tofu
28 ounces soft tofu, cut into 3-inch-long by ½-inch-thick fingers½ teaspoon table salt ¼ teaspoon pepper ¾ cup cornstarch ¼ cup cornmeal ¼ cup vegetable oil, dividedGlaze
½ cup water ½ cup rice vinegar ⅓ cup sugar 4 garlic cloves, minced2-3 teaspoons Asian chili-garlic sauce 2 teaspoons cornstarch ¼ cup minced fresh cilantroBefore You Begin
Firm or extra-firm tofu will also work, but the finished dish will taste drier. To make the dish spicier, use the higher amount of Asian chili-garlic sauce.
Instructions
- Spread tofu over paper towel–lined baking sheet, let drain for 20 minutes, then gently press dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position, place paper towel–lined plate on rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees. Combine cornstarch and cornmeal in shallow dish. Working with several tofu pieces at a time, coat thoroughly with cornstarch mixture, pressing gently to adhere; transfer to wire rack set in baking sheet.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook half of tofu until crisp and lightly golden on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Lift tofu from oil, letting excess oil drip back into skillet, then transfer to plate in oven. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining tofu.
- Whisk water, vinegar, sugar, garlic, chili-garlic sauce, and cornstarch together in bowl. Wipe out now-empty skillet with paper towels, add glaze, and simmer over medium heat until syrupy and reduced to 1¼ cups, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Off heat, stir in cilantro. Add tofu and turn to coat with glaze. Season with salt to taste, and serve.
for the tofu
for the glaze
Yield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Tofu
Glaze
Ingredients
Tofu
Glaze
Ingredients
Tofu
Glaze
Why This Recipe Works
Crispy tofu fingers tossed with a bold sweet-and-spicy chili glaze can be served alongside your choice of rice or with vegetables. We wanted the coating for our tofu to be light, crisp, and nicely browned; to achieve this, we found that a combination of ¾ cup cornstarch and ¼ cup cornmeal was just right. Cutting our tofu into fingers gave us a greater coating-to-tofu ratio, which provided the right balance of crispy crust to creamy interior along with plenty of surface area for the clingy glaze to adhere to. Soft tofu gave us a lovely textural contrast between the crisp outside and the silky interior. To keep the light coating from getting greasy, we swapped the traditional skillet for nonstick so we could use less oil.
Before You Begin
Firm or extra-firm tofu will also work, but the finished dish will taste drier. To make the dish spicier, use the higher amount of Asian chili-garlic sauce.
Instructions
- Spread tofu over paper towel–lined baking sheet, let drain for 20 minutes, then gently press dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position, place paper towel–lined plate on rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees. Combine cornstarch and cornmeal in shallow dish. Working with several tofu pieces at a time, coat thoroughly with cornstarch mixture, pressing gently to adhere; transfer to wire rack set in baking sheet.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook half of tofu until crisp and lightly golden on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Lift tofu from oil, letting excess oil drip back into skillet, then transfer to plate in oven. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining tofu.
- Whisk water, vinegar, sugar, garlic, chili-garlic sauce, and cornstarch together in bowl. Wipe out now-empty skillet with paper towels, add glaze, and simmer over medium heat until syrupy and reduced to 1¼ cups, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Off heat, stir in cilantro. Add tofu and turn to coat with glaze. Season with salt to taste, and serve.
for the tofu
for the glaze
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