This spicy mapo tofu is an easy Chinese dish you can make at home in minutes. This version uses easily accessible ingredients.
I love Chinese food.
That being said, my pantry and fridge are a pathetic sight to anyone who even remotely knows how to put together a decent Chinese dish.
I’ve got a nub of ginger that takes up permanent residence in my freezer, some fish sauce and soy sauce hanging out on the fridge door shelf and an old jar of chili paste I found hidden in the pantry unopened.
I was talking with my friend Julie a couple of weeks ago about some tofu ideas (hi, I’m a walking stereotype. Let me just ask my Asian friend what she does with tofu) and mapo tofu came up as something her mom makes all the time.
A little googling and I saw a delicious Chinese dish in front of me with at least five crazy ingredients I will likely never use again in my lifetime.
So, I set out to make a mapo tofu dish at home using accessible ingredients and not stuff like fermented black beans and Sichuan peppercorns. Wha???
And if I do say so myself, the result is pretty stellar.
Like legit Chinese food, you could sell this to people and they’d totally pay for it kind of stellar.
It’s spicy without burning your tongue off (just don’t actually eat those dried chiles in there) and I absolutely love the combination of the tofu with the beef.
I’ve always only eaten tofu as the sole protein source in dishes before (like in this sweet and sour tofu recipe), never combining it with meat as if that wasn’t allowed.
Well, duh, I’m not vegetarian, I don’t know why I thought that.
Bring on the beef! Burger bowls anyone?
I’ve done tofu before but I’m usually trying to crisp it up and avoid it’s natural texture like in this sheet pan meal prep tofu recipe.
This dish is made with organic firm silken tofu and it’s a whole other ball game, folks.
I always assumed silken tofu meant soft. It doesn’t.
Silken tofu is a smooth, delicate variety that’s never pressed or drained so the texture is creamy and custard-like.
BTW – It’d be great in this healthy peanut butter cookie dough dip!
Love mapo tofu? Try one of these Chinese inspired recipes too:
Hot and Sour Egg Drop Soup
Sweet Corn Egg Drop Soup
Chinese Boneless Spare Ribs
Chinese Chicken Zoodles
General Tso Shrimp
Mapo Tofu
This spicy mapo tofu is an easy Chinese dish you can make at home in minutes. This version uses easily accessible ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound ground beef (a leaner cut is preferable so you don't have to deal with draining excess fat)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced and divided
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red chili paste
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- 4 dried chiles
- 1/2 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 package firm tofu
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Combine the beef, soy sauce, 1 of the minced garlic cloves and rice vinegar in a bowl, set aside.
- Combine the fish sauce, sugar, ginger, red chili paste and remaining clove of garlic in another small bow, mix and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add the dried chiles and peppercorns and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the green onions, cook for another 1 minute.
- Add the beef mixture, break up with a spatula or wooden spoon and cook until browned.
- Add the chili paste mixture and stir until combined.
- Add the tofu and chicken broth and stir gently. Bring to a boil and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl, pour it into the skillet and gently stir. This will thicken the sauce a bit.
- Serve over white rice and garnish with additional chopped green onions.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 377Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 1202mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 2gSugar: 9gProtein: 29g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.
Spicy Beef and Red Pepper Rice Bowl
Thursday 26th of February 2015
[…] few months ago, I made mapo tofu, a super delicious and spicy traditional Chinese dish that I pretty much […]
Bryan McDonald
Monday 17th of November 2014
Really like Tofu that is a feature food of Asia. I will try to do it for myself at home. Thanks for your experience.
Thalia @ butter and brioche
Saturday 18th of October 2014
I have never made mapo tofu before! Definitely a delicious meal that I will be recreating for - thanks for sharing the recipe.. I love any Asian inspired meal!
Linda | Brunch with Joy
Saturday 18th of October 2014
It's 11.14pm and I'm feeling hungry all over again. This looks super delicious, Gina, and I loveee silken tofu. You can also make hot plate tofu. Yum!!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom
Friday 17th of October 2014
Gina. . mapo tofu is one of my FAVE Asian food dishes. . I love this, yo. We need more bloggers making Asian food and getting the word out just how easy (and so much better) it is to cook at home!! anyway, going to pin this like a million times so people see it! :P LOVE!
Running to the Kitchen
Friday 17th of October 2014
Yay! It's seriously so amazing. I was pissed when I left like 3 servings in the pan and my husband ate ALL of it for lunch. I wanted those leftovers!!