This Crispy Gochujang Tofu recipe uses Korean gochujang paste for a spicy glaze that's full of flavor! It comes together in just one pan, in about 30 minutes. Control the spice level to your preference for a dish that's super spicy or nice and mild!
The trick to the extra crispy tofu is a generous coating of corn starch, which crisps up beautifully when pan fried (check out the progress photos). The tofu holds this crispy texture well after coating in sauce and serving. This is absolutely my favorite way to make tofu! See the bottom of the post for my other crispy tofu recipes!
FAQ
What is gochujang?
Gochujang is a Korean chili paste that contains dried spicy red peppers, fermented soybean paste (similar to miso), salt, a sweetener, and sometimes additional flavoring such as garlic. These come together to make a versatile cooking ingredient that adds spice, sweetness, tanginess, and savoriness to a dish. Since it already has so many key flavors, you don't need to add much else to create a well-balanced, delicious sauce.
How spicy is gochujang?
Gochujang comes in multiple spice levels, so it can vary quite a bit. I typically buy "hot" gochujang, but you can also find mild, medium, and extra hot varieties.
Where can I buy gochujang?
Some brands of gochujang are popping up in traditional grocery stores in the US, but the best selection can be found in Korean grocery stores. If you have a Korean grocery store in your area, they will likely have a whole section dedicated to gochujang with many different brands and varieties. If you have trouble finding it locally, you can also buy gochujang online.
Are gochugaru and gochujang the same thing?
No, gochugaru is a dry spice, and gochujang is a paste. However, gochugaru is one of the key ingredients in making gochujang. Despite gochujang being made from gochugaru, they don't have the same flavor profile because of the other ingredients present in gochujang. The two should not be used interchangeably.
Key Tips - Crispy Gochujang Tofu
Try to keep the tofu pieces all about the same size.
- Tofu pieces about the same side will cook more evenly, avoiding overcooked small pieces or undercooked big pieces.
Control the spice level to your preference.
- You can use more or less gochujang to control how spicy the sauce is! 1 tablespoon per batch is very mild, 2 tablespoon is medium/mild, and 3 is medium/hot. I typically use 3 tablespoon and if you want it even hotter just add more!
- You can also add some extra spice to this dish with red pepper flakes. My favorite way to use them is to toss them in when the garlic is cooking! They're also a great topping, which makes it easy for everyone to adjust the spice level of just their serving.
Press the tofu to remove excess moisture.
- You'll find this suggestion for almost all recipes that call for pan-frying extra firm tofu. Tofu is packaged with a lot of excess water, and removing it will help you get a crispy outer coating on your pieces.
- I've invested in this tofu press, and I highly recommend it if you're pressing tofu often! It's easy to use, more effective than just placing heavy objects on top, and produces less waste. I press my tofu for about 30 minutes.
- If you don't have a tofu press, wrap the tofu block in paper towels and place on a rimmed plate. Set a heavy object on top (such as a cast iron pan), and let sit for 30 minutes. Change the paper towels if they become completely saturated.
Check out my guide on freezing fresh garlic to save some time in the kitchen.
- If you're looking for the convenience of pre-minced garlic, but the flavor of fresh garlic, freezing your own minced garlic is a great option! You'll be surprised to find that the flavor of frozen garlic is nearly as good as fresh, without the sticky prep and clean-up. Read more about it here: How to Freeze Garlic.
For extra crispy tofu, use more oil.
- Obviously, adding more oil adds more calories, so use your own judgement, but the more oil you have in the pan the more likely you are to get super golden and crispy tofu pieces.
Buy pre-cut broccoli florets for easy prep.
- Picking up a bag of pre-washed, trimmed broccoli florets will help save some time as opposed to buying a whole head of broccoli. I don’t, however, recommend using frozen broccoli florets.
The sauce can be mixed ahead of time.
- If you’re looking to prep portions of the meal in advance, mixing the sauce ahead of time is an easy way to speed up the process when you go to make the meal.
Dietary Restrictions - Crispy Gochujang Tofu
This dish is naturally Dairy-Free.
This dish is naturally Gluten-Free
- Just make sure you're using gluten-free soy sauce, such as tamari
- Some gochujang contains gluten, make sure you're using gluten-free gochujang.
This dish is naturally Vegan/Vegetarian.
A Note On Serving Sizes
Serving sizes are a very personal thing, making it very difficult for me to select a serving size that suits everyone. While this is listed as 4 servings, many people would prefer to have more than one serving. I typically serve this dish as 2-3 large dinner servings or 4 small lunch servings. Pictured here are two servings per bowl.
Crispy Gochujang Tofu
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 block extra firm tofu pressed to removed excess moisture, 12 oz package
- 10-12 oz fresh broccoli florets
- 3 green onions greens and whites separated and sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
- ¼ cup corn starch (sometimes called cornflour, but NOT corn meal)
- veggie oil or other neutral oil, for stir-frying
- toasted sesame seeds for topping
- crushed red pepper flakes optional, for topping or adding to sauce
For Sauce:
- 1-3 tablespoon gochujang paste use 1 for mild, 2 for medium, or 3+ for hot, per batch
- 2 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce use tamari for GF
- 2 tablespoon mirin Japanese sweet cooking wine
- ½ tablespoon ginger paste or fresh grated ginger optional
- ½ teaspoon MSG optional
- 1 ½ teaspoon corn starch
- 4 tablespoon warm water
Instructions
- Before beginning, press the tofu in a tofu press, or wrap in paper towels and place under a heavy object for 30 minutes to remove excess moisture.
- Prep the sauce: Dissolve the corn starch in the water (use the quantities listed in the sauce section of the ingredients list). Then combine that with all of the other sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Cut the tofu into ~¾” cubes. Dust the tofu with about ¼ cup of corn starch and toss to fully coat.
- Heat a generous swirl of veggie oil over medium-high heat in a wok or large skillet. Add the cubed tofu pieces. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the tofu is golden and crispy on most sides, about 10 minutes. Once cooked, remove to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add a little bit more oil and the broccoli and cook, stirring frequently, until the broccoli has brightened in color and is just starting to char, about 3 minutes. Remove the broccoli to a plate.
- Add a little more oil to the skillet if needed, then add the garlic and the whites of the green onion. If you want to add some extra spice, add a few crushed red pepper flakes now as well. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the sauce and mix everything together, let it come to a boil and thicken, then remove the skillet from heat.
- Add the tofu pieces and toss until they're fully coated in the sauce. Then add the broccoli and toss further (the broccoli will not get covered in as much sauce as the tofu). Serve immediately over a bed of white rice (I use jasmine), and top with the green onion greens, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes (optional).
Notes
Nutrition
If you like this recipe, you may also like...
If you like this recipe, you may also like my Soy Garlic Crispy Tofu, Crispy Orange Tofu, or Gochujang Buttered Noodles.
Send me pictures of your creations -- it'll make my day! Message @CraftyCookbook on Instagram, email me ([email protected]), or tag me in a post! Please note, tagged posts are only visible to me if your account is public. Did you make any interesting changes or substitutions for this recipe? Tell me about them in the comment section below!
Shane says
I dont usually like tofu but I saw this on reddit and it looked too good not to try. So glad I did!!
Anonymous says
Awesome, will definitely make again! Used shaoxing wine instead of mirin because that’s what I had and it still came out perfect.
P says
This was soooo dang good, definitely will make again!
Jamie says
Absolutely delicious! I added some garlic powder to it to give it a little something and it pulled everything together more, and I didn't have any mirin so I used rice wine vinegar (makes it more tangy which I love).
Jacqueline Schell says
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review, I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe!