Easy Pan Fried Apricot Tofu
This Apricot Ginger Tofu uses fresh ginger and garlic to pack that one-two punch of flavor. If you use freshly frozen ginger and garlic, no worries. I have those in my freezer, too. Otherwise the sauce is simple to mix up and fully customizable to what you love best in a sauce.
This is one of my favorite quick and easy recipes to make on busy weeknights. It’s fast, flavorful, and tastes like your favorite take-out.
Serve this over some white rice, coconut rice, or cauliflower rice with a side of homemade Hawaiian rolls.
Ingredients
For the full list of ingredients, complete with recipe quantities, please see the recipe card below.
- Tofu: I prefer an extra firm or even super firm tofu for this recipe. That will crumble the best and won’t turn to mush in the pan. You could make this with firm tofu, just make sure that you break it into bigger pieces as they will naturally crumble while cooking. Soft or silken tofu won’t work at all.
- Apricot Jam: Finding a good jam is essential for this recipe. I’ve had the best success with Bonne Maman and the Trader Joe’s variety of apricot jam with minimal ingredients.
Tip! The brand of apricot jam that you use will determine the amount of sugar that you need to use. Depending on how sweet your jam is, you may or may not need to add that extra touch of sweetness.
Variations
There are so many ways of changing this recipe up!
- Change the jam. Switch to orange marmalade for more of a Panda Express inspired orange tofu. Use a peach and mango jam for a slightly different flavor.
- Make it spicy! Add in one chopped red pepper of your choosing and cook for a few minutes with the tofu before adding the sauce. Alternatively, you can add up to a teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- Make it sweet and sour! Add up to 1 tablespoon of your favorite rice wine vinegar for a bit of tang and sour to the sauce.
- Make it a meal! While the tofu is cooking, steam up some of your favorite veggies to go along side this dish. Some of my favorites are cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots; bok choy with bell peppers; green beans; or sugar snap peas with carrots and bell peppers.
Substitutions
- Need to make this gluten free? Simply swap out the soy sauce for your favorite brand of tamari or coconut amino acids.
- If you don’t have cornstarch, you can use an equal amount of tapioca starch or even arrowroot powder. However, in testing this recipe I’ve found that both the tapioca and arrowroot powder don’t have the tofu get as crispy as the cornstarch. So cornstarch is my first choice but the others work as well.
Instructions
Make sure to check out the recipe card below for the full recipe and ingredient list.
Making this tofu is pretty simple! It comes down to 4 easy steps.
- First, crumble the tofu into a large bowl and toss with cornstarch and soy sauce (or tamari).
- Next, mix up the sauce in a separate bowl.
- Now begin to pan fry the tofu over medium-high heat on the stove. Try not to disturb the tofu for at least the first 5 minutes to get a good crust on one side. This helps it be extra crispy! Cook for about 15 minutes total, or until the tofu is fully cooked.
- Finally, pour the sauce over the tofu and mix well for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and serve over rice and you’re done!
How to Store
Fridge: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If possible, store separate from other ingredients like rice or veggies. Reheat in the microwave in 30 second intervals, or, warm in a skillet on the stove top until warmed through.
Asian Inspired Recipes
Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!
If you try these out, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. And if you want more delicious, vegan friendly recipes you can subscribe to the newsletter. Did you make these? Please tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest! I love to see your creations!
Equipment
- Skillet
- Cooking spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Cooking spray or neutral oil
Ingredients
Tofu
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Sauce
- 1/3 cup apricot jam see variations below
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh garlic mashed
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger mashed
- 1 tablespoon sugar brown sugar or coconut sugar recommended
Instructions
- Crumble and coat the tofu. Crumble the tofu into bite sized pieces into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle over top the one tablespoon of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Mix to evenly coat the tofu.
- Cook the tofu. In a large flat bottomed pan over medium-high heat, add a spray of cooking spray or up to 1 tablespoon of cooking oil of your choice. Leave it alone for about 5 minutes without stirring so that it develops a bit of a crispy crust. Once you see that crust form, begin to gently stir the tofu around, letting all the sides become evenly browned.
- Mix the sauce. While the tofu is cooking, into another bowl whisk together all the sauce ingredients: apricot jam, soy sauce, onion powder, garlic, and ginger.
- Combine and serve. After 15 minutes or so the tofu will be evenly browned and crispy. Add the sauce over top and stir to coat the tofu evenly in the sauce. Let it cook for 30 seconds before removing from the heat. Serve over rice and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
More Tofu Recipes
Tons of tofu based recipes for you to choose from! Savory to sweet, these use all types of tofu to make recipes that everyone will love.
