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Szechuan Style Bean Curd Recipe

Bean curd gets a delicious kick of spicy and numbing flavor in this Szechuan-style dish. After getting the right ingredients, making this authentic recipe is easy! I'll share with you few tips on how to prevent tofu from breaking apart during cooking. Serve it over rice for a delicious weeknight meal.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 429 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

  • 1 pound silken tofu (or soft tofu, note 1)
  • salt for blanching
  • 6 oz ground beef (note 2)
  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Mapo Tofu Sauce
  • 1 ½ tablespoons doubanjiang (or spicy bean sauce, note 3)
  • 1 teaspoon fermented black beans (optional, you don’t have to use fermented black beans, as they are a main ingredient in doubanjiang)
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon ginger finely minced
  • 2/3 cup chicken broth or water
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce (or more to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1-3 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorn powder (start with 1 teaspoon. Taste and add more if needed, note 4)
Cornstarch Slurry (to Thicken the Sauce)
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water
For Serving
  • 1 green onion (chopped, note 5)
  • Steamed rice

Instructions

Blanch bean curd
    Cup of Yum
  1. Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes using a sharp knife. Be very gentle so you won’t break the tofu.
  2. In a medium saucepan, add water and bring it to a boil. Add a pinch of salt.
  3. Gently add sliced tofu cubes to the water and boil for 1 minute. This step will firm up your tofu and remove the raw soy flavor. Remove tofu from water, drain well, and set aside.
Cook ground beef
  1. In a large skillet (or wok) over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil. Once hot, add ground beef.
  2. Break the meat with your spoon and stir often until fully cooked. It will take about 7-10 minutes.
  3. Remove the meat and leave the oil in the pan.
Make Mapo Saue
  1. In the same wok or skillet, add doubanjiang. Adjust the heat to low. Saute for about 1 minute until the color slightly brightens up.
  2. Add optional chopped fermented black beans, garlic, and ginger. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Add chicken stock, soy sauce, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of Szechuan peppercorn powder. Bring it to a boil.
Add Tofu and Thicken the Sauce
  1. Add the blanched tofu to the sauce, and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. The tofu will soak up all the delicious flavors from the mapo sauce during this process.
  2. Make cornstarch slurry by whisking together cornstarch and water in a small mixing bowl. Add half of the slurry to the pan, and gently push the tofu and sauce to mix.
  3. Wait for 1 minute and pour the rest of the slurry into the pan, and mix to combine.
Add Cooked Meat
  1. Add cooked beef to the tofu mixture, and toss everything together. Taste and sprinkle more Szechuan peppercorn powder if you prefer an extra numbing sensation!
  2. Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle chopped green onions. Mix everything gently.

Notes

  • Use silken tofu for this recipe. It’s sometimes labeled as soft tofu.
  • The authentic mapo tofu recipe calls for ground beef, which has a firmer texture and stronger flavor than ground pork. You can also make a vegetarian version by using minced mushrooms.
  • Use spicy doubanjiang in this recipe. If you buy a non-spicy version, make sure to add chili powder or chili oil for the heat. You can also use Thai chili sauce Sambal Oelek or Korean Gochujiang as substitutes.
  • Start with 1 teaspoon of Szechuan peppercorn powder, gradually add more to taste.
  • Traditional mapo tofu uses garlic greens, which are not widely available at most local supermarkets. We substitute green onions in this recipe for the pop of the bright green color.
  • How to prevent your tofu from breaking? Make sure to blanch your tofu in boiling water with salt to firm it up before cooking. In addition, gently push your spoon when cooking.

Nutrition Information

Calories 429kcal (21%) Carbohydrates 43g (14%) Net Carbohydrates 42g Protein 18g (36%) Fat 20g (31%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g Monounsaturated Fat 9g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 31mg (10%) Sodium 494mg (21%) Potassium 392mg (11%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 31IU (1%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 63mg (6%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 429

% Daily Value*

Calories 429kcal 21%
Carbohydrates 43g 14%
Net Carbohydrates 42g
Protein 18g 36%
Fat 20g 31%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g 24%
Monounsaturated Fat 9g 45%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 31mg 10%
Sodium 494mg 21%
Potassium 392mg 8%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 31IU 1%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 63mg 6%
Iron 2mg 11%

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