Silky Sichuan Mapo Tofu with Sizzling Chili Oil and Pork
This is the mapo tofu that ruins takeout for you: custardy cubes of silken tofu and crisp, savory pork bound in a glossy chili-bean sauce that is fiery and mouth-tinglingly numbing from toasted Sichuan peppercorns. It comes together in one wok in about 30 minutes and tastes like it simmered all day. Spoon it over steaming rice and watch it disappear.
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Nutrition (per serving)
If your idea of mapo tofu comes from a takeout container, this version will spoil you. Custardy cubes of silken tofu and crisp, savory pork are bound in a glossy chili-bean sauce that is equal parts fiery and mouth-tinglingly numbing from freshly toasted Sichuan peppercorns.
Best of all, it comes together in a single wok in about 30 minutes. The trick is treating the tofu gently so it stays silky, building a deeply savory sauce, and finishing with chili oil and scallions right before serving. Spoon it over hot steamed rice and dig in.
Step-by-step instructions
Gently slide the cubed tofu into a pot of barely simmering salted water and let it sit off the heat while you cook, so it firms up and will not break apart in the sauce.
Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry wok until fragrant and grind them, then brown the ground pork in the chili oil over high heat until crisp and deeply golden.
Push the pork aside and fry the doubanjiang, garlic, ginger and scallion whites until the oil turns glossy and brick-red and smells fragrant.
Pour in the stock and soy sauce, gently slide in the drained tofu, and simmer for a few minutes, spooning the sauce over so the cubes drink it in, then stir in the cornstarch slurry to thicken.
Finish with the ground Sichuan pepper and scallion greens, then ladle the mapo tofu over steamed rice and drizzle with a little extra chili oil.
Serve it immediately, while the tofu is hot and the sauce is glossy. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for a couple of days and reheat gently with a splash of water. Add a handful of steamed greens or a fried egg to round it into a full meal.
Ingredients
- 1 (14 oz) block silken or soft tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6 oz ground pork
- 2 tablespoons doubanjiang (Sichuan chili bean paste)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 3 scallions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground
- 2 tablespoons chili oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
- Cooked white rice, to serve
Step-by-Step
- 1
Gently slide the cubed tofu into a pot of barely simmering salted water and let it sit off the heat while you cook, so it firms up and will not break apart in the sauce.
- 2
Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry wok until fragrant and grind them, then brown the ground pork in the chili oil over high heat until crisp and deeply golden.
- 3
Push the pork aside and fry the doubanjiang, garlic, ginger and scallion whites until the oil turns glossy and brick-red and smells fragrant.
- 4
Pour in the stock and soy sauce, gently slide in the drained tofu, and simmer for a few minutes, spooning the sauce over so the cubes drink it in, then stir in the cornstarch slurry to thicken.
- 5
Finish with the ground Sichuan pepper and scallion greens, then ladle the mapo tofu over steamed rice and drizzle with a little extra chili oil.
Recipe
Silky Sichuan Mapo Tofu with Sizzling Chili Oil and Pork
Ingredients
- 1 (14 oz) block silken or soft tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6 oz ground pork
- 2 tablespoons doubanjiang (Sichuan chili bean paste)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 3 scallions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground
- 2 tablespoons chili oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
- Cooked white rice, to serve
Instructions
- 1
Gently slide the cubed tofu into a pot of barely simmering salted water and let it sit off the heat while you cook, so it firms up and will not break apart in the sauce.
- 2
Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry wok until fragrant and grind them, then brown the ground pork in the chili oil over high heat until crisp and deeply golden.
- 3
Push the pork aside and fry the doubanjiang, garlic, ginger and scallion whites until the oil turns glossy and brick-red and smells fragrant.
- 4
Pour in the stock and soy sauce, gently slide in the drained tofu, and simmer for a few minutes, spooning the sauce over so the cubes drink it in, then stir in the cornstarch slurry to thicken.
- 5
Finish with the ground Sichuan pepper and scallion greens, then ladle the mapo tofu over steamed rice and drizzle with a little extra chili oil.
Nutrition Facts
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.