Sweet & Sour Crispy Tofu Stir Fry

Sweet & Sour Crispy Tofu Stir Fry, made with an easy crispy tofu and a vegetable stir fry with tangy sweet & sour sauce.

A simple pan fried tofu is made nice and crispy with a touch of cornstarch in this recipe. The crunchy outside and soft middle really upgrades the texture of tofu. It’s super quick and easy to do, and is the perfect way to make tofu in any stir fried dish. A drizzle of sweet & sour sauce covers the tofu and vegetables, for an easy but elevated meal.

Ingredients in Sweet & Sour Crispy Tofu Stir Fry

For the vegetable stir fry

• Carrots
• Green peppers (or any peppers of your choice)
• Celery
• Green onions

Crispy tofu

• Firm tofu (drain and pressed) This is a great Tofu Press is you need one!
• Cornstarch (this is what makes the tofu crunchy when pan-fried)
• Salt
• Oil (for cooking)

Sweet & sour sauce

• Vegan sugar
• Apple cider vinegar
• Vegan ketchup
• Soy sauce
• Water
• Garlic
• Cornstarch
• Ground ginger

Instructions To Make This Dish

For the vegetable stir fry

1. Wash and chop all vegetables and add to a non stick pan with a touch of oil.
2. Sauté on medium low heat for 20 minutes, stirring often.
3. Make rice according to package directions if serving with rice.

For the crispy tofu

1. Drain and press tofu. Cut into small cubes.
2. In a large bowl, add cornstarch and salt. Stir.
3. Toss tofu cubes in the cornstarch mixture until evenly coated.
4. Add a small amount of oil to a non-stick pan.
5. Cook tofu on medium in the pan for about 5 minutes each side until crispy and golden brown.

For the sweet & sour sauce

1. Add apple cider vinegar, vegan sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, cold water, garlic, ginger, and corn starch to a small saucepan.
2. On medium heat stir frequently until it starts to boil. Allow sauce to boil for about 30 seconds then remove from heat.
3. Drizzle the tofu and stir fry with sweet and sour sauce. Garnish with more fresh green onion.

Common Questions

Do I have to press the tofu?

You never have to press tofu, but when a recipe calls for it, it’s a good idea. Pressing tofu compresses it and squeezes out the extra water from it. This makes it firmer and drier, which means you can get a more dense interior and wonderfully crisp exterior when you cook it.

If you need a great tofu press, you can purchase one here:

Can I use something other than cornstarch?

Coating tofu with a cornstarch mixture gives it a crunchy exterior with great flavour. Instead of cornstarch you can use potato starch, regular flour, or even gluten-free flour. Cornstarch, however, crisps up the best and is recommend for best results.

Can I use soft tofu?

Firm or extra-firm tofu has the least amount of liquid composition. That’s why it’s recommend for stir fries, especially if the tofu will be cubed. Technically you can use any kind, but a softer tofu will end up scrambled, whereas a firmer tofu will stay nicely cubed and have a denser texture!

Looking for more easy vegan dinner recipes? Try my Sweet & Sour Meatballs with Mushroom Rice!

Sweet & Sour Meatballs with Mushroom Rice