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§03 · Dinner · Chinese · tofu-stir-fry

Revised Jul 2026 · 2 revisions

Tofu Stir-Fry

Crisp tofu and vegetables in a glossy tamari-ginger sauce over rice. It scratches the takeout itch, no delivery app required.

Illustration of Tofu Stir-Fry
Hands-on 25 min Total 45 min Serves4 Ingredients12 Cost / Serv.$1.49 Calories425 Contains Soy
Servings
4 servings
×1

Ingredients

Everything here is already in your pantry.

Ran low on something?

What swaps in
Tofu
Extra-firm tofu less pressing neededSuper-firm tofu no pressing at all
Frozen Broccoli
Fresh florets 1:1 by weight; roasts better
Frozen Bell Pepper Strips
Fresh bell peppers 1:1, and they'll actually crispFrozen pepper-and-onion blend pull back the onion accordingly
Garlic
Fresh cloves 1 tsp jarred = 1 clove
Ground Ginger
Fresh grated ginger about 1 tbsp per ½ tsp; brighter and hotter, not the same warmth
Red Pepper Flakes
Cayenne about ⅓ the amount, and no flecksGochugaru milder and fruitier
Tamari
Soy sauce 1:1, but it contains wheat, so the dish stops being gluten-freeCoconut aminos soy- and gluten-free, sweeter and much less salty; use about 1.5× and salt to taste
Maple Syrup
Honey 1:1, floral and a touch sweeterDate syrup 1:1, deeper and less sweetAgave nectar thinner and sweeter; use about ¾
Cornstarch
Arrowroot 1:1, clearer finishPotato starch 1:1Tapioca starch 1:1, glossier
Canola Oil
Sunflower oil 1:1Grapeseed oil 1:1Avocado oil 1:1, higher smoke pointRefined coconut oil 1:1, solid at room temperature
Brown Rice
Short-grain brown rice stickier; same ~45 minutesMedium-grain brown rice between the twoWhite rice about 20 minutes instead of 45, with less fibre

No close substitute for Rice Vinegar.

What you'll need

Method

  1. Start the 1 cup185 g brown rice first: simmer it in 2 cups water, covered, until tender, about 40 minutes. It’s the long pole, so get it going before anything else and the rest comes together while it cooks.
  2. Pat the 1 block324 g cubed tofu thoroughly dry, then toss with the 2 tbsp16 g cornstarch until every cube wears a thin, dry film. Heat the 2 tbsp28 g oil in a wok or large skillet over high and fry the tofu, turning, until crisp and golden on all sides. Remove to a plate.
  3. Add the 3 cups264 g frozen broccoli and 1 cup149 g bell pepper; stir-fry 5 minutes until bright and just tender. Add the 3 tsp15 g garlic, 1 tsp1.6 g ginger, and ½ tsp1.1 g red pepper flakes; toss 30 seconds.
  4. Whisk the 3 tbsp54 g tamari, 1 tbsp15 g rice vinegar, and 1 tbsp20 g maple syrup with ¼ cup water. Return the tofu, pour in the sauce, and toss 1–2 minutes — the cornstarch clinging to the tofu pulls it into a glossy glaze.
  5. Pile over the rice.

Kids: skip the red pepper flakes and add an extra splash of maple — it reads like sweet takeout.

Dietary

  • Gluten free
  • Tree nut free
  • Peanut free
  • Soy contains
  • Sesame free

Nutrition

Per serving · makes 4
Calories425Protein21gCarbs54gFiber6.4gSugars6.3gFat16gSaturated Fat1.9gSodium793mg
Vitamins & minerals
Iron3.9mgCalcium607mgPotassium660mgMagnesium128mgZinc2.8mgFolate96µgVitamin C108mgVitamin B120.0µgOmega-3 (ALA)0.65g
Estimated from pantry data.
Change log · 2 revisions
  1. 24 Jul 2026

    HeardThe rice was assumed already cooked, and the 25-minute time and 'faster than takeout' line didn't count it.

    ChangedAdded a first step to start the brown rice (about 40 minutes, the long pole here), corrected the total time to a realistic 45 minutes, and softened the takeout speed claim in the summary.

  2. 13 Jul 2026

    FoundThe most-cooked tofu stir-fries dry the tofu and dredge it in cornstarch before frying, and that crust is what makes it crisp and lets the glaze cling; ours only crisped the tofu on all sides with no dredge, so the crisp-tofu summary outran the method.

    ChangedMoved the cornstarch from the sauce slurry onto the tofu as a dredge so it fries up crisp and the sauce glazes off the starch that sloughs off — one quantity, no separate slurry.

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MVP field manual · tofu-stir-fry