Honey Garlic Tofu

Sweet, spicy, sticky, and oh-so-garlicky. That’s right: Honey garlic tofu is the ultimate weeknight meal! Crispy tofu cubes are tossed in an umami-packed glazed sauce that’s not only scrumptious but also only needs five (!!) ingredients.

Whenever I’m strapped for time, I turn to honey garlic tofu. I have a BIG collection of recipes you can make in under 30 minutes, but this one is so fast — and so tasty — it’s almost beyond belief!

All you need to do is crisp the tofu up (in the oven or frying pan), then slather it in a sticky sauce. The whole process is very hands-off and fantastic for beginner cooks.

If you’ve been on the fence about tofu, or you want to try it, this is the recipe I’d recommend.

Many mistakenly believe tofu is a bland ingredient with no flavour. Millions of people around the globe love tofu, and the reason for this is simple: recipes like this one! Our quick prep does wonders for the tofu, turning it into something you’ll reach for again and again.

As a bonus, of course, tofu is loaded with plant-based protein and amino acids. It’s a nutrient-dense food — and not limited just to vegetarians, either.

🍯 Ingredient Notes

• Cornflour: Makes our tofu super crispy when coated. That means the tofu chunks retain a crunch even when tossed in our sticky sauce. For my U.S. readers, you’ll need cornstarch. It’s the same thing, just different names.
• Extra firm tofu: Tofu is a powerhouse ingredient that offers tons of plant-based protein. It’s also ideal for soaking up complex flavours like this honey garlic sauce. Extra firm tofu is my go-to for most recipes!

Here are a few more of my recent tofu recipes you might appreciate:

Secondly, we need ingredients to make the flavour-bomb sauce! You’ll only need 5 basic elements (not including oil or salt) to achieve an overload of interest.

Better yet? Most of these ingredients should be available in your local grocery store (or Asian market, if your store stocks less world groceries).

• Oil: Any neutral oil works here. My premier picks are rapeseed, sunflower, or refined coconut oil.
• Garlic: LOADS of it. There can never be too much garlic! After all, this recipe is called honey garlic tofu. The garlic melts down into the sauce, developing a lovely buttery sweetness.
• Dark soy sauce: The key to developing an intensely deep and powerful umami flavour. Dark soy has notes of caramel and sweetness, unlike the less mature tastes of light soy sauce; don’t swap one for the other.
• Honey: Brings a robust sweetness and beautiful floral aroma to the meal. Read about subs below!
• Red chilli powder: Provides the slightest kick of heat to match the salty, sweet, and sour flavours.
• Rice vinegar: Balances out the sweetness from honey with a delicate tang.

I also can’t resist topping off my honey garlic tofu with toasted sesame seeds and green onions (spring onions/scallions). The optional garnish totally makes this dish POP!

For a complete list of ingredients with quantities, see the recipe card.

🥬 Variations and Allergies

Make honey garlic tofu vegan with one simple swap: change out honey for agave syrup!

So, while honey garlic tofu sans honey might need a name change 😆, swapping the ingredient out won’t negatively affect the flavour.

And the best news? There are countless swaps you can make. Agave syrup, dandelion honey (easy to make at home!), or maple syrup (easily accessible) are fantastic options.

Honey garlic tofu can easily be made gluten free. It’s as simple as swapping dark soy sauce with tamari! Sometimes I use tamari even though I don’t have allergies — simply because it tastes so fantastic.

Spice it up! It’s no secret I love spicy food. If you also live for fiery spice, toss in chilli flakes, fresh bird-eye chillies, or even gochujang for a kick.

Add more vegetables. Sure, you can serve steamed or stir-fried vegetables on the side. But why not add some directly to the sauce? My preferred choice is bell pepper (capsicum).

🧑‍🍳 How to Cook Honey Garlic Tofu

Fifteen minutes. That’s all you need to make a truly memorable crowd-pleasing tofu dish. That’s right — honey garlic tofu cooks in no time, and it’s super-easy to prepare.

1. Step one: Press the tofu (optionally) and cut it into large cubes. Add to a bowl along with cornflour and toss to coat.
2. Step two: Shallow-fry, deep-fry, or bake the tofu until crispy.
3. Step three: Heat oil in a large wok. Add the minced garlic and saute for a few seconds. Then add the chilli powder, honey, and dark soy sauce. Stir to mix.
4. Step four: Add the tofu to the pan and toss until the cubes are completely covered in the thick, glossy sauce.

🤔 Do I Need to Press Tofu?

Technically, no.

Most recipe blogs and cookbooks will say that pressing tofu is a must.

The truth is, pressing tofu has benefits: Pressing draws out excess water, making it more likely to soak up new flavours from our sauce. It also becomes denser, making it crisp up better when fried. The texture is meatier, which can be preferable to newer vegetarians/vegans.

However, pressing tofu can be time-consuming, and many prefer the softer texture of non-pressed tofu. It’s used this way in most traditional Asian foods. Usually, extra-firm tofu is compressed enough (without pressing) to withstand stir-frying.

So, should you press tofu? For this recipe, I recommend it. But, it won’t be the end of the world if you don’t.

If you don’t want to go into the effort, you can buy vacuum-packed ready-pressed tofu.

Make tofu dishes on the regular? It’s 100% worth investing in a tofu press. They’re affordable and time-saving. With a press, you can squeeze out tons of water in just a few minutes.

❓FAQs

🫙 How to Store Honey Garlic Tofu

I’ll be surprised if you have any leftovers! The dish is so tasty I inevitably finish it in one sitting.

That said, honey garlic tofu makes for a great meal prep or lunchbox dish.

To store honey garlic tofu, wait for it to cool then pop it in an air-tight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Re-heating honey garlic tofu is a breeze. Just give it a blast in the microwave or tip it into a pan and heat it on the hob.

You may need to add a touch of extra water to adjust the sauce’s consistency. Topping with fresh garnishes gives the meal a slight boost of freshness, making it taste just like new.

🥦 Serving Suggestions

Serve honey garlic tofu over steaming hot jasmine rice and stir-fried green vegetables for a complete meal.

My go-to vegetables are broccoli (as pictured!), garlicky green beans, pak choy, choy sum, water spinach, or gai lan (Chinese broccoli). These can be served steamed (easy and fast) or stir-fried with extra garlic — after all, there’s no such thing as too much garlic!

If you want a nutrient-dense way to enjoy honey garlic tofu, serve it over quinoa or wild rice.

Sides like fried momos or mushroom wontons elevate the dish to a new level. The crispy appetizers offer a beautiful textural contrast to the sticky tofu and soft rice.