Mapo Tofu

User Reviews

4.9

1,161 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    10 mins

  • Cook Time

    10 mins

  • Total Time

    35 mins

  • Servings

    6 servings

  • Calories

    335 kcal

  • Course

    Side Dish

  • Cuisine

    Chinese

Mapo Tofu

This mapo tofu recipe is the true blue, authentic real deal—the spicy, tongue-numbing, rice-is-absolutely-not-optional mapo tofu that you get in the restaurants!

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Ingredients

Servings
  • ½ cup oil (divided)
  • 1-2 fresh Thai bird chili peppers (thinly sliced)
  • 6-8 dried red chilies (roughly chopped)
  • 1/2- 1 1/2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns (powdered or finely ground, reserving 1/4 teaspoon for garnish at the end; if you want a milder flavor use 1/2 or 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorn)
  • 3 tablespoons ginger (finely minced)
  • 3 tablespoons garlic (finely minced)
  • 8 ounces ground pork
  • 1-2 tablespoons spicy bean sauce (depending on your desired salt/spice levels)
  • 2/3 cup low sodium chicken broth (or water)
  • 1 pound silken tofu (cut into 1 inch/2.5cm cubes)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)
  • 1 scallion (finely chopped)
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Instructions

  1. First, we toast the chilies. If you have homemade toasted chili oil, you can skip this step. Heat your wok or a small saucepan over low heat. Add half of the oil and throw in the fresh and dried peppers. Stir occasionally and heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes, ensuring that the peppers don’t burn. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. Heat the remaining half of the oil in your wok over medium heat. Add the ginger. After 1 minute, add the garlic. Fry for another minute, and then turn up the heat to high and add the ground pork. Break up the meat and fry it until it’s cooked through. Add your ground Sichuan peppercorns and stir for about 15-30 seconds, taking care to not let it burn, as it will turn bitter if it does.
  3. Add the spicy bean sauce to the mixture and stir it in well. Add the chicken broth to the wok and stir. Let this simmer for a minute or so. While that's happening, ready your tofu and combine the water and cornstarch in a small bowl.
  4. Add the cornstarch mixture to your sauce and stir. Let it bubble away until the sauce starts to thicken. (If it gets too thick, splash in a little more water or chicken stock.)
  5. Then add your chili oil from before—peppers and all! If you are using homemade chili oil, ONLY use the standing oil, as it's likely that you have salted it and you only want the oil, not additional salt. Stir the oil into the sauce, and add the tofu. Use your spatula to gently toss the tofu in the sauce. Let everything cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the sesame oil and sugar (if using) along with the scallions and stir until the scallions are just wilted.
  6. Serve with a last sprinkle of Sichuan peppercorn powder as a garnish if desired.

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Calories 335kcal (17%) Carbohydrates 8g (3%) Protein 11g (22%) Fat 29g (45%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Cholesterol 27mg (9%) Sodium 126mg (5%) Potassium 340mg (10%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 165IU (3%) Vitamin C 3.5mg (4%) Calcium 47mg (5%) Iron 1.4mg (8%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 335 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories 335kcal 17%
Carbohydrates 8g 3%
Protein 11g 22%
Fat 29g 45%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 27mg 9%
Sodium 126mg 5%
Potassium 340mg 7%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 165IU 3%
Vitamin C 3.5mg 4%
Calcium 47mg 5%
Iron 1.4mg 8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Genuine Reviews

User Reviews

Overall Rating

4.9

1,161 reviews
Excellent

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