Mapo Tofu is a hot and spicy Sichuan dish made with minced pork and tofu, but here I’ll share a hack that will make this much easier to make at home!
What is Mapo Tofu?
Mapo Tofu originated from the Sichuan province of China, where minced meat and tofu are stir-fried with a mixture of Doubanjiang (fermented broad beans), chili paste, and Szechuan peppercorns. The combination creates a fragrant and numbingly spicy dish!
This is a fairly easy recipe to make, as you can do it in one pot and under 30 minutes. If you’re up for something crazy spicy and crazy good, this is probably worth a try. They say this is the ultimate tofu dish you need to make to actually appreciate tofu, and I agree! It’s packed with flavor, high in protein, and super comforting.
I made this dish using Vivid Kitchen Mala Sauce, Oyster Sauce, and Allulose. They’re sugar-free and preservative-free, so it’s perfect for my diet, allowing me to easily enjoy a savory dish with a spicy kick while keeping me on track with my goals! I think that’s a yeobosayo!
Ingredients You’ll Need
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- Minced Pork – This is the most common choice of meat for Mapo Tofu, but you can also use minced beef or mushrooms.
- Silken or Soft Tofu – You can use either of the two kinds of tofu, depending on what’s available to you. I love using silken tofu because its creaminess complements the rich, spicy minced pork. Just note that it needs extra care when handling, as it’s very fragile. Make sure to find newly manufactured tofu for that fresh, creamy flavor, and does not have a sour/funky smell.
- Garlic, Scallions, and Ginger – These are the aromatics that will add flavor to the dish and remove odor from the meat. Every good dish starts with this aromatic-infused oil!
- Soy Sauce, Vivid Kitchen Oyster Sauce – For the savor and umami.
- Vivid Kitchen Mala Sauce – Usually, Mapo Tofu is made with a combination of Doubanjiang, Szechuan peppercorns, chili oil, and chili flakes. However, with Vivid Kitchen Mala Sauce, all those ingredients are in one bottle. This eliminates the guesswork of buying different items you might not have a use for later on. With this, you can make cooking much easier, healthier, and this also doubles as a dipping sauce! This is very spicy, so you can adjust the spice level according to your preference.
- Vivid Kitchen Allulose – This is their low-calorie sweetener, which I used to replace sugar. It will help balance out the savory and spicy flavors of the dish, making it more well-rounded.
- Pepper Powder – For more spice, but this is optional.
- Water – The dish needs a bit of water so the tofu can cook thoroughly and hold together better.
- Salt and Pepper – To taste.
- Potato Starch with Water – To create a slurry that will help thicken up the sauce.
- Chicken Bouillon or Stock Powder – For an additional flavor boost, but this is optional.
How to Make Mapo Tofu?
Prepare the ingredients: You need to do this beforehand because cooking Mapo Tofu is very quick. Mince the scallions, garlic, and ginger. Drain the tofu to keep it from watering down the sauce later on, then cube it by halving it horizontally first, then slicing it lengthwise and crosswise.
Sauté the pork: Place the pan on high heat, add a small amount of oil, then spread out the minced pork all over the pan and leave it brown for 3-5 minutes. Once slightly toasted, flip and leave the other side to brown, then saute the pork until it is cooked thoroughly. This will add more flavor to the dish.
Season the pork: Create a hole in the middle of the pan, add the garlic, scallions, ginger, and soy sauce. Sauté them with the pork until fragrant. Add oyster sauce, mala sauce, pepper powder, and allulose. Sauté this until the sauce ingredients are mixed well. Be careful not to burn the ingredients!
Add water, tofu, and slurry: Add water and chicken bouillon, then mix it well. Carefully add the tofu, carefully mix it, then bring it to a boil. Once boiling, remove the scum and extra oil coming up. Combine potato starch and water, then add this to the Mapo Tofu to thicken. Carefully mix this until the desired thickness is reached.
Finish the Mapo Tofu: Taste and adjust with salt and pepper, add more scallions, and serve with rice. Enjoy!
Serving and Storage
Mapo Tofu is hands down best served with rice. I’m sure you won’t even notice you already had two cups while eating this! I think this will also go well with udon or fresh noodles if you want to switch it up, but rice is still #1!
For any leftovers, this will store well in the fridge for about 3 days!
Other tofu dishes you might like:
- Spicy Minced Tofu Bowl
- General Cho Tofu
- Silken Tofu Banchan
- Dubu Kimchi
- Soondubu Jjigae
- White Soondubu
Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo!
Mapo Tofu
Ingredients
- 3 stalks Scallions Chopped
- 400 grams Silken or Soft Tofu Around 2 blocks
- 500 grams Minced Pork
- 1 tbsp Garlic
- 1/2 tbsp Ginger
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 3 tbsp Vivid Kitchen Mala Sauce
- 2 tbsp Vivid Kitchen Oyster Sauce
- 1 tbsp Pepper Powder Optional
- 1 tbsp Vivid Kitchen Allulose
- 200 ml Water
- Salt and Pepper To taste
- 1 1/2 tbsp Potato Starch
- 2 tbsp Water
- 1/2 tbsp Chicken Bouillon or Stock Powder Optional
Instructions
- Chop the garlic, scallions, and ginger.
- Drain the tofu, then carefully cube it by halving it horizontally, then slicing it lengthwise and crosswise.
- Place the pan on high heat, add a splash of oil, and spread out the pork into the pan. Leave to render and brown for 3-5 minutes.
- Once brown, flip and let the other side brown as well. Mix well until the pork is cooked.
- Make a space in the middle and add the scallions, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. Sauté this until the pork is fragrant.
- Season the pork with mala sauce, oyster sauce, pepper powder, and allulose. Mix this well.
- Add water, tofu, and chicken bouillon. Carefully mix this and bring it to a boil.
- Once boiling, remove the scum and extra oil on top.
- Combine potato starch and water, then add to the Mapo Tofu. Mix carefully until the desired thickness is reached.
- Taste and adjust with salt and pepper, add more scallions, mix, serve with rice, and enjoy!
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