Easy Braised Tofu 家常豆腐

Still need a quick dinner idea or meal-prep option for the week? Try making this easy braised tofu! It’s one of my favorite ways to cook tofu: pan-fried until golden, then braised in a savory-spicy sauce with shiitake mushrooms until it soaks up all those delicious flavors. 

To press tofu, wrap tofu block in a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Place something heavy on top (like a cutting board topped with a book) to allow the water-logged tofu to drain, for at least 10 minutes. Cut into rectangles or slabs. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and fry the tofu pieces until golden brown on both sides.

Remove tofu from pan. Prep your other ingredients: we’re using scallion, garlic, and chilies, along with bell pepper and shiitake mushrooms. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauces, stir-fry sauce, cooking wine, and sugar.

Heat remaining oil in the same pan and sauté your aromatics until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add bell pepper and mushroom slices and stir-fry until softened, about 2 more minutes.

Give the stir-fry sauce a stir and pour it into the pan, along with the ¾ cup water. Bring to a boil, then add the previously fried tofu to the pan and reduce heat. Simmer for 5-6 minutes, until sauce is reduced and thickened. Taste and season with additional salt, if needed.

Garnish with chopped scallions and serve hot with rice. As a meal prep option, you can divide the tofu into 4-5 servings and make extra rice plus some veggies to put into tupperware containers for the week!

📖 Recipe

Easy Braised Tofu (家常豆腐)

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Pan-fried tofu braised in a savory-spicy sauce with shiitake mushrooms– a simple home-style Chinese dish that’s divine served over rice.

• Author: Hannah
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 15
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Main
• Method: Cook
• Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 14 oz block extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into ½-inch thick slices
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 scallions, sliced thinly into 1-inch lengthwise strips
• 3 dried chilies, cut in half and de-seeded
• 4–5 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
• ¼ cup red bell pepper, sliced finely
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp dark soy sauce*
• 1 ½ tbsp vegetarian stir-fry sauce*
• ½ tbsp Shaoxing wine (sub rice wine or dry sherry)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ¾ cup water

Instructions

• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and fry the tofu pieces until golden brown on both sides. Remove from pan.
• Heat remaining oil in the same pan and sauté minced garlic, scallion pieces, and chilies until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add bell pepper and mushroom slices and stir-fry until softened, about 2 more minutes.
• In the meantime, whisk together soy sauces, stir-fry sauce, cooking wine, and sugar. Give it all a stir and pour the sauce into the pan, along with the ¾ cup water. Bring to a boil, then add the previously fried tofu to the pan and reduce heat. Simmer for 5-6 minutes, until sauce is reduced and thickened. Taste and season with additional salt, if needed. Garnish with chopped scallions and serve hot with rice.

Notes

• To press tofu, wrap tofu block in a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Place something heavy on top (like a cutting board topped with a book) to allow the water-logged tofu to drain, for at least 10 minutes.
• My go-to cooking oils are avocado and grapeseed oil. Any vegetable oil or neutral-tasting oil that can withstand high heat is fine.
• *I use Lee Kum Lee vegetarian stir-fry sauce (Lee Kum Lee is the brand most recognized for their oyster sauce). You can use any vegetarian oyster sauce or mushroom stir-fry sauce. 
• Dark soy sauce is more aged and less salty, mostly used to add color to the dish; you can substitute it out for regular soy sauce if you can’t find it!
• If gluten-free, substitute gluten-free soy sauce or tamari.

Keywords: tofu, braised tofu, chinese