Quick & Easy Vegan Pan-Fried Peanut Sauce Tofu
Today we are making a Quick & Easy Vegan Pan-Fried Peanut Sauce Tofu! Peanut Tofu is traditionally hailing from Thai cuisine. It is believed that foreigners brought peanuts into Thailand thousands of years ago. Since then, peanut-based dishes have been a speciality of the country. Peanut satay sauce on a choice of protein, peanut sauce with rice rolls, pad thai with peanuts and more. There are peanuts in so many amazing dishes!
In today’s recipe, we are making a super flavorful dish that takes a minimal amount of time and effort. Whisk a few ingredients together, press down some tofu, heat it up in a skillet until it all thickens – everything comes together so well, and it’s all under 30 minutes. Who doesn’t love that?! I don’t like spending hours on making dinner, and as a busy reader of this blog, I think you can also agree. Sure, a crispy baked tofu is great. But do you really want to turn on the oven when you come home from work exhausted? (Not always). The stovetop is much less intimidating, and quicker rather than waiting for your oven to heat up.
We have nutty peanut butter, sesame oil, ginger, chili garlic sauce, coconut sugar, red wine vinegar, lime juice and so many flavors meshing together. This creates the perfect creamy sauce, which is added onto pan-fried tofu and thickened to make every bite of tofu just chock-full of yum!
Why You’ll Love This Easy Pan-Fried Peanut Sauce Tofu
Quick and Easy: This recipe comes together in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for busy nights when you need a delicious meal without the hassle. The straightforward steps ensure you spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying your meal.
Flavor Explosion: This peanut sauce is rich and creamy! Combining the nuttiness of peanut butter with the umami of tamari, the tang of lime juice, the sweetness of coconut sugar, and the heat of chili garlic sauce is a great way to elevate this dish.
Nutritious and Filling: Packed with plant-based protein from the tofu and healthy fats from the peanut butter, this dish is both satisfying and nutritious. It provides a balanced meal that fuels your body with essential nutrients while keeping you full and energized.
Substitutions: Wet Ingredients
Avocado Oil: Use vegetable oil instead.
Peanut Butter: Smooth peanut butter creates a rich, creamy sauce. Feel free to use chunky if you prefer a bit of texture. Look for natural peanut butter that does not contain added sugars or oils – the only ingredient should be peanuts.
Tamari: This gluten-free soy sauce adds depth and umami to the peanut sauce. Soy sauce can be substituted. However, it will have more sodium so you may have to adjust the other ingredients after taste testing the final product. The sauce will also not be gluten-free if using soy sauce instead of tamari.
Coconut aminos is a low-sodium soy sauce substitute, that’s very low sodium and gluten-free. However, I do not prefer to use this in recipes because the flavor comes off as very bland as compared to tamari.
Chili Garlic Sauce: This is also known as sambal oelek. It adds heat and flavor. You can find some brands, such as Naked Naturals, that makes chili garlic sauce without sugar (to keep the recipe refined sugar-free).
Rice Wine Vinegar: This is also known as rice vinegar. It adds a subtle acidity that balances out the sauce. Do not substitute.
Lime Juice: Squeeze a lime to get the fresh juice, but the second best option will be bottled lime juice.
Substitutions: Dry Ingredients
Extra-Firm Tofu: Use extra firm tofu for the best texture. Pressing the tofu, even just a little with a kitchen towel beforehand, ensures it gets crispier when pan-fried. There are many different types of tofu, but the next best option would be medium-firm (or sometimes just labeled as “firm.”) It won’t be as crispy though.
What about all the extra water in the tofu? You can use a kitchen towel to press out the extra liquid, as stated in the recipe card below. Or if you have a tofu press (which will the best way to truly get the water out), that will do the job for you. It just takes longer, so you would have to leave your tofu in the press overnight.
Coconut Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness to balance the spice. Brown sugar can be used, but since it is sweeter than coconut sugar, I would start with 3 tbsp brown sugar instead of a quarter cup (which is 4 tbsp). You can always add more sweetener if desired later.
Fresh Ginger: Do not substitute with dried, powdered ginger. Use freshly grated ginger with a fine hole grater.
Fresh Peanuts & Sesame Seeds: Optional toppings that add a nice crunch.
Peanut Sauce Tofu Recipe Notes
- I love adding crushed peanuts, white (or black) sesame seeds, lime wedges or even a little bit of chopped green onions on top for color and texture.
- For a spicy peanut sauce, add in some red pepper flakes! (The chili garlic sauce adds heat, but you can ramp it up even more).
- Make it a whole meal! Serve with your choice of grains and a side of stir fry veggies (green beans suddenly look much more appetizing when you have this peanut tofu on the side)!
- You can make extra sauce for use in the future, over your choice of protein, or even as a peanut dipping sauce. Adjust the quantities of ingredients as needed, depending on if you want a milder or spicier sauce.
More Vegan Recipes You’ll Love
If you make this Easy Pan-Fried Peanut Sauce Tofu, then leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!
Quick & Easy Vegan Pan-Fried Peanut Sauce Tofu
Equipment
- Fine Hole Grater
- Kitchen Towel or Paper Towel
- Large Bowl
- Large Skillet
- Whisk
- Medium Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 block extra-firm tofu
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tbsp corn starch
For the Peanut Sauce
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter
- 6 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp chili garlic sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp ginger finely grated
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 medium cloves garlic finely grated
For the Toppings
- Fresh peanuts optional topping, for serving
- White sesame seeds optional topping, for serving
Instructions
- Unwrap the block of tofu and wrap it in a kitchen towel or paper towels. Lightly press it down to remove some of the excess water.
- Cut the tofu into medium-small cubes. In a large bowl, toss the cubes with 2 tbsp of cornstarch until fully coated. (You want the cubes to be on the smaller side so that they can become crispier).
- Heat a large skillet on medium-low heat. Once hot, add in 2 tbsp avocado oil. Place tofu evenly placing each cube separately on the skillet, and allow each side to pan-fry for ~4 minutes, until golden brown. This will take 7-8 minutes total for both sides.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk all the sauce ingredients together until no clumps remain.
- Pour the peanut sauce over the pan-fried tofu. Keep stirring the coated tofu and sauce for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Make sure to stir it carefully to avoid crumbling the tofu pieces.
- Remove from heat once it reaches the desired consistency. Serve over white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, rice noodles or your choice of grain. Top with crushed, roasted peanuts and sesame seeds!
Notes
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Storage
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
