Sweet and Sour Tofu

This vegan sweet and sour tofu is made with crispy tofu in a healthy sweet and sour sauce served with sautéed vegetables on a bed of brown rice and then drizzled with extra sauce for added bliss. You will love this sweet-and-sour tofu recipe.

I whip up sweet and sour tofu whenever I crave Chinese food to replace my former love for sweet and sour chicken. Of course,  I don't eat chicken anymore, but you can easily make sweet and sour tofu vegan. And don't worry, this sweet and sour tofu recipe tastes nothing like chicken. Instead, it combines crispy tofu in a sweet and sour sauce, served on a bed of brown rice with sautéed vegetables. 

Jump to:

• How to Make Sweet and Sour Sauce
• Avoid Store-Bought Sauces
• Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce Ingredients
• Sweet and Sour Sauce Substitutions
• How to Make Sweet and Sour Tofu
• Cooking Options
• Other Ingredients:
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Other Vegan Asian Recipes to Enjoy!
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

I love Chinese food but have yet to discover a healthy vegan Chinese restaurant. Or even a Chinese restaurant that offers vegan fare. Since I love Chinese food, I create dishes replicating my favorite dishes before transitioning to a plant-based diet. 

So, let's make a sweet and sour tofu stir fry for a vegan Chinese treat! 

How to Make Sweet and Sour Sauce

Generally, I never buy bottled sauces because of all the unknown ingredients, as most contain oil and a ton of sugar. Instead, I rely on fresh juice, maple, or date syrup to make something sweet.

Yes, these natural sugars are still sugars, yet they are processed differently, making them a healthier alternative. 

1. Combine all ingredients, except the corn starch and water, and heat on medium-low until heated.
2. Combine arrowroot or cornstarch and water, forming a paste.
3. Add to the hot sauce mixture.
4. The sauce will thicken in a few short minutes.
5. Remove the pan from the heat.

Avoid Store-Bought Sauces

For instance, a popular store-bought brand called Kikkoman Sweet and Sour Sauce contains:

• Water
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Sugar
• Vinegar Modified Corn Starch
• Salt
• Pineapple Flakes
• Brown Rice Syrup
• Tapioca Flour
• Natural Flavors
• Ascorbic Acid Salt
• Dehydrated Red Bell Pepper
• Extractives of Paprika 

For that reason, I make a homemade sweet and sour sauce for tofu. 

Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce Ingredients

• Pineapple juice: Using fresh pineapple juice is best, but in a pinch canned pineapple juice works just as well. Choose sugar-free or natural for a healthier option.
• Maple syrup or date syrup: Used as a thickener and different sweetness to bring out the natural flavor in the pineapple
• Rice Vinegar: This sweet vinegar provides a balance to the fruit's sweetness and provides tanginess to the sauce
• Ketchup: it's a seasoning tool and flavor enhancer with a fantastic umami quality. I like sugar-free organic ketchup.
• Soy Sauce or Tamari: Provides a savory component.
• Arrow Root Powder mixed with water or substitute corn starch mixed with water. Arrowroot is a natural thickener for the sauce.

Sweet and Sour Sauce Substitutions

• Date syrup or agave nectar is a great substitute for maple syrup.
• Tomato paste can replace ketchup.
• Cornstarch replaces arrowroot powder. Any flour is also a great substitute, but often it takes an additional Tablespoon of flour and more time for the flour to thicken the sauce.
• Choose Tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce for a gluten-free option.

How to Make Sweet and Sour Tofu

First, press the tofu. If using extra-firm tofu, follow the instructions for Pressed Tofu for Grilling, Baking, Air-frying, or Cooking in a Skillet. To avoid pressing, choose sprouted tofu, which is already pressed and ready for marinating. 

1. Cut the tofu into equal-sized cubes to cook evenly
2. Then, I suggest always marinating tofu overnight.
3. Using ¼ cup of the sweet and sour sauce, marinate the tofu overnight and coat the tofu with the sweet and sour sauce. 
4. Another suggestion is to flip the container over a few times while refrigerating to coat all the tofu pieces. 

• Next, bake, air fry, grill, or pan-sear the tofu. My favorite methods for cooking tofu are air-frying or grilling. 

Cooking Options

Grilling

1. Preheat the grill to low.
2. Place a grill mat on the grill (you can also use a grill pan, or if you are careful, place the tofu directly on the grill.
3. Cook for about 8 minutes on each side.
4. Remove from the grill and place back in the marinade until ready to use.  
5. Then, cut it into strips or cubes, or leave it as tofu steaks.

Baking

1. Follow the same pressing and marinating process. 
2. Then, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
3. Place cut or uncut tofu on a silicone baking mat  or parchment paper
4. Cook for 15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and flip tofu over; cook for an additional 15 minutes. 

Air Frying

1. Follow the same pressing and marinating process. 
2. Set the air fryer temperature to 375 degrees.
3. Cook for 10-15 minutes, shaking the basket several times through the cooking process.

Skillet

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the skillet before adding the tofu.
2. Add the tofu pieces to the hot skillet and allow to cook for a couple of minutes.
3. Add a little of the marinade to the skillet, then flip the tofu pieces over.
4. Cooki a few more minutes, adding a little marinade when the skillet gets dry or the tofu begins to stick to th pan to release the peices.
5. Flip one more time and continue to add marinade until the tofu is brown.
6. Toss in the remaining marinade,

Other Ingredients:

While the tofu cooks, prepare brown rice and cut vegetables and pineapple into similar sizes to cook evenly. 

• Red Bell Pepper: Offers beautiful red color and sweetness to a recipe
• Fresh Pineapple: cooking pineapple softens the fruit and brings out the sweet flavor as well as provides natural sweet, pineapple juice.
• Mame (shelled edamame): Edamame beans are whole, immature soybeans, sometimes referred to as vegetable-type soybeans. They are green and differ in color from regular soybeans, which are typically light brown, tan, or beige.
• Jalapeno: seeded and diced jalapeno provides a mild spice to a dish. Add a few seeds f you like it hotter, but if you are sensitive to spice, add sparingly.
• White or yellow onion: Yellow onions have a taste balanced between pungent and sweet, making them an all-purpose onion, while white onions have a more intense flavor that doesn't go over well in some dishes
• Brown rice: brown rice is nutty, a bit bready (like whole-wheat bread), and quite earthy.
• Sesame seeds (optional): Toasting sesame seeds makes them crunchier and can enhance their flavor.

• Saute the vegetables in a non-stick pan until onions are translucent and vegetables are al dente (approximately 10 minutes on medium-low).

Then, serve by placing the cooked brown rice on the base of a large plate or tray. Add the cooked tofu to the middle and surround it with sauteed vegetables and pineapple. Next, drizzle with extra sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds. 

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Choose extra-extra from tofu or sprouted tofu to skip the step of pressing the tofu.
• Marinating the tofu overnight helps absorb the marinade for a deeper flavor.
• Making the sauce ahead of time is a time-saving tip. Since the sweet and sour sauce is used for the tofu marinade and the sauce for the recipe, it makes sense to make it the day before.
• The brown rice can also be prepared ahead of time and reheated right before serving. I often make a large portion of brown rice at the beginning of the week to use for recipes throughout the week.
• The store-bottled sweet and sour sauce can be substituted for homemade sauce, but if you seek a healthier option, homemade sauce is the better option.

Try this vegan sweet and sour tofu recipe for a great weeknight meal the whole family will enjoy!

Other Vegan Asian Recipes to Enjoy!

If you love this vegan sweet and sour tofu recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!

📖 Recipe