Crank up the heat in your dinner with this Tofu in Chili Garlic Sauce! It’s perfect for spice-lovers and it’s so easy that you can have it on the table in about 15 minutes.
Do you like some heat in your food? If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you know I do! I love anything and everything hot: Buffalo Quinoa Balls, Spicy Sesame Noodles, and Buffalo Chick’n Rice Skillet are just a few of the spicy recipes I’ve shared.
Most of the time I add a small amount of heat to my recipes because I know everyone is not as hot-crazed as I am. Today, however, I have a no-nonsense, lets-get-this-spicy-party-started meal for you hot & spicy people – my Tofu in Chili Garlic Sauce.
Sambal Oelek – My Spicy Friend
I used Sambal Oelek for the heat in this Tofu in Chili Garlic Sauce. Sambal is a sauce originating in Southeast Asia and made of hot red chili peppers with some salt and vinegar. It’s one of my Vegan Kitchen Staples.
Most store-bought brands do contain preservatives so if you’re not into that, you could make your own. I found this recipe that looks good. I’m going to try it soon but for now, I don’t use it all the time so I don’t stress too much about the store-bought kind.
I use sambal oelek in many of my recipes to add a little heat. Try adding it to:
- curries
- tomato sauce
- rice dishes
- noodles
- soups
Tofu in Chili Garlic Sauce
This recipe actually came to me by accident. I was making some tofu and I wanted to add a little spice to the sauce. I tipped the bottle of sambal oelek over my sauce base to add a tiny bit and a whole bunch fell into the sauce. Never one to shy away from a little extra heat (and let’s be honest, I was being lazy not wanting to spend the 1 minute redoing the sauce), I decided to buckle up and try the tofu.
I’m so glad that I did because, although it was hot, it was also delicious. I had to tone down the heat a bit for the recipe, even for you hot-sauce lovers out there because it was almost too overwhelming even for me. But don’t worry, this Tofu in Chili Garlic Sauce is still hot!
For those of you with less of an inclination towards heat, you can cut down to 1 TB. It will still be just as tasty, though not as spicy.
For those of you not into tofu, I’ve used this sauce on veggies like broccoli and bok choy and really enjoyed it too.
If you make this Tofu in Chili Garlic Sauce recipe, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below.
Tofu in Chili Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 14 oz extra firm tofu in water (drained, rinsed, and pressed)
- 1-2 TB extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
Sauce
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 TB Sambal Oelek
- 3 TB tamari (or soy sauce if not GF)
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 2 TB rice vinegar
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Cut the pressed tofu into squares or rectangles. I cut it in half through the middle first keeping the same shape but making it thinner, then I cut them into triangles.
- Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan and fry the tofu on medium heat about 5 minutes. Flip tofu and cook for another 5 minutes until both sides are browned.
- While tofu is cooking, combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl, whisk, and set aside.
- Once tofu is cooked transfer to a plate.
- Add the sauce to the pan and heat on medium until bubbling.
- Add tofu back into the pan with sauce and cook for 1 minute.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Mary Ellen Valverde MS, CNS, LDN is a Licensed Nutritionist and Certified Nutrition Specialist helping people thrive on a plant-powered diet. Mary Ellen offers a completely holistic and science-based approach to designing a healthy, plant-based life.
When she’s not working with clients or creating new meals for her blog, you can find Mary Ellen doting on her two rescue shih tzus, creating the perfect vegan mac & cheese, or exploring the world with her husband.
Cadry says
Oh, I love hot and spicy foods too. I know I would be all over this! It sounds like it was a happy accident indeed.
Mary Ellen says
My favorite accident in a while!
Jenn says
Yes! Love the looks of this recipe! Chili garlic sauce is so good!
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
I just got back from the store with tofu, but I just realized I forgot the sambal! I’ll have to pick some up very soon. This is such a great recipe!
Strength and Sunshine says
I love using gallons of chili sauce and paste in my asian meals, so good!
johanna @ green gourmet giraffe says
It looks lovely but a tsp of the sambal oelek will probably do me!
Sarah Newman, Vegan Chickpea says
Yes, I love sambal oelek too, or anything spicy! Such a perfect compliment to tofu. I love how you made a chili garlic sauce with such minimal sugar – usually those store bought sauces are loaded with it!
Mary Ellen says
I’m such a spicy person too! Thanks, a little sweetness is tasty but too much is overwhelming.
Kate says
Oh, this looks amazing Mary Ellen! I will have to give this a try as both Andrew and I love experimenting with tofu.
Mary Ellen says
Thanks so much Kate! If you try it, let me know what you think! I know you have some great tofu recipes yourself. 🙂
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
Yum, I need to get sambal oelek because we are obsessed with spicy here. This looks perfect, thanks!
Mary Ellen says
Thanks Christine! I’m spicy obsessed too!
Linda from Veganosity says
Yum! I love spicy sauces and this sounds so good. This is such a great recipe for a busy weeknight when you want something healthy and fast.
Mary Ellen says
Thanks Linda! Yes, it’s really easy to get on the table fast!
Jennifer says
I need to buy more Sambal Oelek. This looks so tasty!
Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says
This definitely looks like my sort of tofu! Yum.
Mary Ellen says
Thanks so much Kari!
Sarah De la Cruz says
I love tofu so much! This looks so amazing—that sauce!
Mel | avirtualvwgan.com says
I love ‘accidental’ recipes! They save so much time ;O)
As a proper hot and spicy food lover I cannot believe that I haven’t tried sambal oelek!! At least not in my own cooking. I might have eaten it in restaurants without realizing I suppose. I have just added it to my shopping list and will be making this when I get it. Can’t wait!
Mary Ellen says
Accidental recipes are so fun! Yes, I know you love spicy so you need to get on sambal oelek!!
Randi Tisdall says
I clicked on this post because I wanted to see what you used for the sauce- I’ve never bought Sambal Oelek, but it sounds delicious! I will have to try it out soon with some veg, since my system can’t really handle tofu anymore:( The video was so cute too!
Mary Ellen says
Thanks Randi! I actually use the sauce on veggies too so if you get a chance to try it out on some let me know. I’ve used it on bok choy so far. 🙂
Agness of Run Agness Run says
Wow! This sauce seems like a great side dish and I can’t wait to give it a try! Is it possible to use honey instead of maple syrup?
Mary Ellen says
Hi Agness, thanks! I would think you could substitute honey for the maple syrup. I haven’t tried it but I use maple syrup in place of honey in recipes so it should be totally fine.
If you do get to give it a try, let me know! I hope you enjoy! 🙂
Jennifer Bliss says
You had me at Garlic!!!!!
Jeremy Sallin says
I’ve been sampling chili sauces and making my own variations for years. This is BY FAR the best chili sauce I’ve ever had! Well done! Thank you for sharing.
Mary Ellen says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Jeremy! That makes me so happy!