Honey Sriracha Sesame Tofu (One Pot)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Quick and easy honey sriracha sesame tofu recipe, made with simple ingredients. It’s a 30 minute, stovetop, vegetarian, sweet and salty one pot dinner idea.
Growing up, I wasn’t too fond of tofu until I was introduced to this sweet and salty recipe. Even my picky husband approves of this recipe and let’s just say he loves his meats! I am not sure if this is authentically Chinese or Japanese or just American. All I know is that it’s inspired by Asian flavors and makes a great vegetarian one pot meal for meatless Mondays. Thanks to my mom’s best friend who showed me how to make this. This is just as delicious as my Chinese Jalapeno Chicken (One Pot).
Table of contents
Key ingredients
- Sesame– I use both, sesame seeds and sesame oil, for best flavor.
- Olive oil– This can be replaced with any other mild tasting oil like vegetable or canola.
- Tofu– This should be extra firm and pressed to remove excess liquid.
- Ginger– I highly recommend using fresh over the powdered version.
- Garlic– Fresh version tastes so much better than the powder form.
- Soy sauce– This should. be low sodium.
- Vinegar– Just use your classic distilled white vinegar.
- Honey– I like to use raw honey for best flavor but you can use whatever you have on hand.
- Sriracha sauce– This adds spice and flavor as well.
- Salt and pepper- Add this according to your taste.
- Red chili flakes– Control the quantity here to prevent the overall dish from becoming too spicy.
Variations
- Enhance the ginger flavor- Omit the garlic and replace it with ginger. You can also add more ginger, if you like.
- Add broccoli- About 1/2 cup frozen broccoli florets is enough. Add this when you add all the seasonings and let it cook until sauce thickens and becomes tender. You can add sliced green peppers and red peppers.
- Turn this into a salad– Add your favorite greens, sliced red peppers and green peppers in a salad bowl. Arrange the cooked tofu on top of the salad and toss some toasted sesame seeds and. Drizzle some soy sauce and sprinkle some red chili flakes and toss finely chopped green onions on top and serve immediately.
- Turn this into a noodle meal– Toss this cooked tofu and its thick sauce with some boiled noodles. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds and enjoy.
- Make crusted tofu– Drain and press tofu and cut it into 2 inch square pieces. Dip them in whisked egg that’s been seasoned with salt, pepper, Sriracha, lemon juice, soy sauce and then coat them in breadcrumbs and sesame seeds. Pan fry them until sesame seeds are golden brown.
- Make dressing/ marinade or sauce in advance– And use it as a glaze for baked/ grilled chicken or beef or any other recipes of your choice. Add olive oil, sesame oil, honey, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, 4 tbsp water and 2 tbsp cornstarch in a nonstick saucepan. Mix and cook over medium high heat until sauce thickens and enjoy.
How to make easy one pot honey sriracha sesame tofu recipe?
- Pan fry tofu– Do this on stovetop in a nonstick pan.
- Add seasonings and other ingredients– This includes ginger, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, Sriracha, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, water.
- Mix– Until combined.
- Cook– Until sauce thickens.
- Garnish– With sesame seeds.
Tips and techniques for sticky tofu
- Use extra firm tofu– I cannot stress how important this is to prevent tofu from crumbling during cooking. Don’t use any other form. The results won’t be the same.
- Drain and press tofu– This allows you to get rid of excess liquid.
- Don’t replace sesame oil with olive oil– Because that little bit of sesame oil does add some necessary flavor.
- Use toasted sesame seeds– Because it enhances the flavor and fragrance.
- Use low sodium soy sauce– Because this will prevent the meal from becoming too salty.
- Other garnish options– Finely chopped green onions, chopped nuts such as peanuts, black sesame seeds.
- Adjust the spicy kick– By adjusting the amount of Sriracha sauce and red chili flakes, based on your preference.
What to serve with crispy tofu stir fry?
- Noodles– This is my personal favorite. Just boiled rice noodles are best or you can pair with Sesame Noodles (One Pot).
- Rice– Plain boiled jasmine rice are great or you can try Vegetable Fried Rice (One Pot) or Kimchi Fried Rice (One Pot).
- Salad– Keep it simple to allow the flavors of the tofu to shine through. My best recommendation would be this Green Salad (One Bowl).
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can eat it raw although it’s very bland and does not have much flavor until it’s cooked with herbs and seasonings.
Place a thick clean kitchen towel on a table. Then, place the tofu on top of the towel. Place another thick clean kitchen towel on top of the tofu. Finally, place something heavy on top of the towel such as a heavy skillet or some heavy books for 30 minutes up to 1 hour until liquid from tofu is pressed and released. This takes a minimum of 30 minutes up to 1 hour. The longer the better because it will drain out maximum liquid from tofu.
There are a few different methods: Pan fry it on the stovetop in a little oil until golden brown and crispy. Deep fry it until crispy. Bake it in the oven until crispy. Coat it with cornstarch prior to baking, frying or even pan frying for maximum crispiness.
For any of these methods to work well and yield the best results, tofu should always be pressed to get rid of excess liquid/ water first.
Storage
- Refrigerate– In a sealed container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Freeze– I don’t recommend this since tofu doesn’t thaw well.
- Reheat-In the microwave or a nonstick pan over medium low heat.
- Make ahead– This can be made 1 day in advance and stored in the fridge until you are ready to heat and serve.
More one pot vegetarian dinner meals
- Sesame Noodles Recipe (One Pot)
- One Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe
- Easy Vegetable Soup Recipe (One Pot)
- Cauliflower Fried Rice (One Pot)
Honey Sriracha Sesame Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Sesame oil
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 block Tofu, Extra firm, Drained, Pressed, Cut into small 1 inch cubes
- 1 tbsp Ginger , Finely minced or paste
- 1 tbsp Garlic , Finely minced or paste
- 1/4 cup Soy sauce, Low sodium
- 1 tbsp Vinegar
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 3 tbsp Sriracha, Adjust based on your preferenc
- Salt, To taste
- Pepper , To taste
- 1/2 tsp Red chili flakes, Optional
- 2 tbsp Water
- 1 tbsp Sesame seeds, Toasted, For garnish
Instructions
- Heat sesame oil and olive oil in a nonstick saucepan over medium high heat.
- Add cubed tofu and saute until golden brown.
- Add ginger, garlic and saue for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add soy sauce, vinegar, honey, Sriracha, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, water and cook until sauce is reduced and thickens to your desired consistency.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
This was my first time ever making tofu and my boyfriend and I absolutely loved it. Thank you for this awesome recipe! I used “firm” tofu and it still turned out great!
We make this meal often and just love it so much. Thank you for posting it! 🙂