Some of the recipes I post on this site are what I consider to be healthy, but not all of them are. They’re all vegan, but that doesn’t always mean healthy, and sometimes we end up with something that’s indulgent. I’m okay with that! This bang bang tofu recipe is a great example of one of my indulgent dishes. I felt like I had to put my little disclaimer up there because somebody is bound to show up here and be surprised. Could I make this dish in the oven in order to reduce the oil content? Probably. But either way it’s getting drenched in mayonnaise. May as well go all out! And rest assured: it’s so worth it.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Vegan mayonnaise. Look for this near the regular mayonnaise or in the natural foods section of your supermarket. I used Hellman’s vegan.Sambal oelek. Look for this spicy chili paste in the international foods section of your supermarket.Maple syrup. Another liquid sweetener such as agave can be substituted if you’d like.Rice vinegar.Sriracha sauce. Be careful what brand you buy, because it recently came to my attention that Huy Fong sriracha (the most popular brand) isn’t vegan because it’s made with conventional sugar (which is processed with bone char. Unfortunately I learned this after taking the photos for this post, which I will try to update. For a list of vegan sriracha brands, see this article. Cornstarch.Peanut oil. Any high-heat oil suitable for frying can be substituted here. Canola oil, corn oil, and avocado oil will all work!Tofu. Use extra-firm or super-firm tofu for this recipe. Extra-firm tofu will need to be pressed first, but super-firm will not.Salt.Fresh chives or green onions.
Note: ⅓ cup of sweet chili sauce can be used to replace the sambal oelek, maple syrup and rice vinegar, if you can find it. I used to buy it at Trader Joe’s, but it appears to have been discontinued.
How It’s Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
To make your bang bang sauce, stir together the mayonnaise, sambal oelek, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and sriracha sauce.
Heat your oil in a medium nonstick skillet. Make sure it’s at least ⅛ inch deep.Roll diced tofu cubes in cornstarch to coat them, then add them to the oil. Make sure you don’t crowd the skillet — they will stick together if they touch.Fry the tofu cubes in batches, cooking them for a few minutes on each side.Remove the cooked tofu cubes from the skillet and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle them with a bit of salt.
Once all of the tofu cubes are cooked, place them into a bowl and add the sauce.Toss everything together to coat the tofu with the sauce.
Serve your bang bang tofu with a sprinkle of fresh chives or scallions, and some extra sriracha for dipping.
Leftovers & Storage
Bang bang tofu is best served right away, as the crispy coating won’t hold up very long in sauce. If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They won’t stay crispy, but they will still taste good!
More Tofu Recipes
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