This quick and easy honey garlic tofu is so delicious coated in a sweet and savoury, sticky sauce. Simply serve it with rice and steamed broccoli for a healthy weeknight vegetarian meal everyone will love!
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very simple to make and utterly delicious. I didn’t stop raving about it all dinner!! Will be adding this meal to my regular rotation for sure. I served with a sesame coleslaw – yum! – Alex
While I personally do eat meat, I don’t like to eat it everyday and therefore I am always on the hunt for simple and delicious vegan or vegetarian recipes that have big flavour. Tofu is one of my favourite proteins to cook with as it’s super versatile (not to mention cheap!) and really takes on the flavours you cook it with, especially this honey garlic sauce.
I am guessing that like me, on busy weeknights you’re looking for 30 minute meals. Easy recipes that taste delicious but you don’t have to spend too long in the kitchen cooking. This is one of those recipes and is a great option when you want something healthy and full of flavour.
You can really serve this honey garlic sauce however you like. So if tofu isn’t for you, just serve the sauce over some stir-fried vegetables, or cook some chicken breast or thigh instead of the tofu and serve over rice.
If you like the flavours of honey garlic, you can try my honey garlic chicken wings which are so addictingly good. If you’re looking for more vegetarian meals using tofu, then I think you’ll also love this crispy tofu and zoodles with peanut sauce.
Key Ingredients
This honey garlic tofu is one of those simple meals that you can whip up after a busy day using mostly pantry staples for the most delicious, sweet and sticky sauce.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Firm tofu – make sure to use firm or hard tofu, don’t buy silken tofu, as it won’t work the same. I recommend prepping the tofu first by pressing it to remove a lot of the extra moisture.
- Cornflour – also known as corn starch, this is used to coat the tofu to give it a crispy texture, and also to thicken the honey garlic sauce.
- Honey – for the key sweetness and flavour of this sticky sauce.
- Soy sauce – adds a salty, umami flavour for the sauce.
- Rice wine vinegar – balances the sweet and salty flavours.
- Garlic and ginger – adds lots of flavour to the sauce. While I am using fresh, you can definitely use jarred instead.
- Broccoli – you can serve this tofu with any sides you like but I think keeping it simple with some steamed rice and broccoli is the perfect accompaniment.
- Sesame seeds – I use a combination of black and white sesame seeds to give extra colour and texture to the tofu. You can also garnish with some sliced spring onions.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To get started, I do recommend that you press the tofu. Do this by placing two paper towels on a chopping board, followed by the tofu, then another two paper towels and placing a heavy based saucepan or skillet on top. Let the tofu press to remove excess moisture for 10-30 minutes.
This step is going to remove any extra moisture from the tofu so that we get nice crispy and not soggy pieces.
From here, cut the tofu into small cubes, about 1cm. Add the tofu to a large mixing bowl and toss with the cornflour, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook for about 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally until golden and crispy on all sides.
While the tofu cooks, you can mix up the sauce in a small bowl or jar.
Add the sauce to the pan with the tofu and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring for a few minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and the tofu is coated.
Serve the honey garlic tofu over rice, with some steamed broccoli. Garnish with sesame seeds and some of the green part of a spring onion if you like.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
You can prep the honey garlic tofu and store it in an airtight container in portions with the broccoli and rice, in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can also freeze the meals for up to 1 month.
Reheat the honey garlic tofu in a non-stick pan over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much, or in the microwave until hot and the rice is steaming.
Recipe FAQs
A key ingredient of the sauce is honey, therefore this recipe is not suitable for vegan diets.
Depending on the brand of tofu, some contain more water than others. Pressing the tofu removes the excess moisture, which helps the tofu crisp up when cooked. If you skip this step, your tofu will just be a little softer in texture.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More quick weeknight vegetarian meals:
Gnocchi Puttanesca (Vegan!)
Air Fryer Cauliflower Tacos
Chickpea and Lentil Curry
Crispy Black Bean Tacos
Honey Garlic Tofu
Ingredients
- 450 g firm tofu drained and pressed
- 1 tablespoon cornflour/cornstarch cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the honey garlic sauce:
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon cornflour/cornstarch cornstarch
To serve:
- Cooked rice
- Steamed broccoli
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cut the pressed tofu into small cubes. In a bowl, toss the tofu with cornflour, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
- Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the tofu cubes and cook for about 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally until golden and crispy on all sides.
- In a small bowl or jar, combine the honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, crushed garlic, minced ginger, and 1 teaspoon of cornflour.
- Add the sauce to the pan with the tofu and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sauce thickens slightly and the tofu is coated, about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve the honey garlic tofu over rice, alongside steamed broccoli. Sprinkle with sesame seeds for garnish.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Alex says
Delicious recipe that we make regularly. It’s easy, reliable and so tasty!
Sally says
That’s so great to hear!
Bryanna says
Made this today using half the honey and it still worked out perfectly. Very delicious!
Sally says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Alex says
Very simple to make and utterly delicious. I didn’t stop raving about it all dinner!! Will be adding this meal to my regular rotation for sure. I served with a sesame coleslaw – yum!
Sally says
Amazing! So glad you enjoyed this one Alex 🙂