No-Cook Spicy Tofu
Summer has finally arrived!
As temperatures rise, my interest in stove-top cooking drops dramatically. I’m sure you feel similarly.
Anything that can be popped onto the grill, prepared in advance, or eaten cold from the fridge takes precedence. Over the past few weeks, we’ve turned to this No-Cook Spicy Tofu more times than I can count.
It is deliciously spicy and packed with flavor. In fact, it might be one of my favorite recipes from this year and it couldn’t be simpler to make. As the name suggests, this dish requires zero cooking!
This spicy tofu dish comes together in less than 15 minutes, but you’ll want to marinate it in the refrigerator for several hours (or, preferably, 12 to 24 hours) before serving.
While the ingredient list is short, it might require an online order or trip to a specialty grocery store. Either way, I guarantee you’ll want to make this recipe over and over again.
Here’s what you’ll need:
No-Cook Spicy Tofu Ingredients:
- Firm Tofu – you’ll want to seek out firm tofu for this recipe and cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. I prefer vacuum packed, as it is already drained and pressed. If you’re local to Chicago, I love and highly recommend Phoenix Bean brand.
- Sambal Oelek – an Indonesian chili sauce, which goes by the name chili garlic sauce. I recommend Huy Fong brand, which can be found in most grocery stores. We’ll be using two entire tablespoons in this recipe!
- Spicy Chili Crisp – a popular, famous Chinese condiment, made from chilis, crispy onion, soybeans, and oil, originating from China’s Guizhou province. This recipe was tested with the most widely available brand, Lao Gan Ma. It is delicious and versatile! You can order it online if you can’t find it in stores. I’ve also heard that Trader Joe’s Chili Onion Crunch works as an OK substitute (although the ingredients are very different and I do recommend picking up Lao Gan Ma).
- Soy Sauce – for added seasoning and flavor.
- Sliced Scallions – thinly sliced green parts only. Don’t skimp on the scallions!
- Fresh Ginger and Garlic – finely grated with a microplane.
- Crushed Peanuts – this adds a lovely texture and flavor to each bite. I recommend using dry roasted, unsalted peanuts and pulsing them in a small food processor until roughly ground.
- Lime Juice and Cilantro – for brightness!
How to Make Spicy Tofu:
- Combine the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
2. Toss together gently until the tofu is evenly coated.
3. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours (minimum) or overnight for best flavor.
How to Serve No-Cook Spicy Tofu:
This tofu doesn’t need any accompanying dish! It tastes fantastic served straight from the fridge. Feel free to garnish it with additional chopped cilantro, sliced scallions, or crushed peanuts for added texture.
However, if you want to turn it into a more substantial meal, I love serving it on top of my favorite coconut rice with a side of sautéed greens (tatsoi, Chinese spinach, or baby bok choy are great options) or grilled asparagus.
No-Cook Spicy Tofu
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) block firm tofu, vacuum-packed or drained and pressed cut into ½-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons sambal oelek
- 1½ tablespoons spicy chili crisp (Lao Gan Ma brand)
- 1½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 3 scallions (green parts only) finely sliced
- 3 tablespoons finely crushed unsalted dry roasted peanuts
- 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger root
- 1 small garlic clove grated with a microplane
- 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves finely chopped
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Toss together gently until the tofu is evenly coated. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 2 hours (minimum) to 8 hours (ideal), or overnight for best flavor.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Substitute soy sauce with tamari.
36 Comments on “No-Cook Spicy Tofu”
Love this no-cook marinade recipe. What substitute do you recommend for chili crisp? They have so many chemicals. I’ve skipped or added pepper flakes to increase the spice.
Thanks,
Bethh
Sorry, but this recipe is VERY dependent on chili crisp. It would not be the same at all if you skipped it or just used pepper flakes.
This is my go to for tofu. Very versatile! Goes so well on bowls with sweet potatoes or savory oatmeal.
We love this recipe! We make it at least once a week. It is a great refreshing summer recipe with a salad, and also works great as a complement for winter meals.
I have used Sambal Oelek in other recipes but I used up my jar. I tried to buy more and can’t find it anywhere so I looked online and it is unavailable now due to prolonged drought that has affected the peppers that are used to make this sauce. Sriracha is made by the same company and made from the same peppers and that is in short supply. I saw it going for $30.00 a bottle last week with a sign saying limit of two. I would love to make this recipe when all the ingredients are available.
Oh, it’s the BESTEST! Don’t know why the whole world isn’t making this😋
Has anyone tried this with silken tofu? Thanks!
It would be too soft for this application/sauce thickness and I’m pretty sure it would fall apart! If the sauce was thinner, you could almost serve it over silken but I don’t think it’s as good of a choice for this recipe.
We love this recipe and fix it all the time! It is one of our favorite go to recipes. It is easy to fix and the flavor is amazing. We marinate it overnight for the best flavor. Try it!
This is one of my favorite summer dishes!
Incredibly delicious! I didn’t know I loved cold tofu until I tried this.
So happy to hear this! It is one of my favorite easy dinners, especially in the warm months.
Hi, came across this while looking for Mala Xiang Guo firm tofu recipes and oh wow this looks amazing.
Delicious! I doubled the lime and ginger and added a splash of black vinegar for fun and to stretch the marinade. Ate with Japanese rice and a soft boiled egg. Yum!
Wow! I’m learning to really enjoy tofu & this recipe is a keeper!! Easy to make & very very flavorful! I served it over cucumber “noodles”.
OMG. This is insanely delicious!
It is one of my favorites! I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
This was great. Now can we have a breakfast version, please?
You could eat it for breakfast! 😉
Delicious! I added cucumber chunks for some veg content and lunch was served!
Thank you so much for this recipe. It’s just too hot to turn on the stove and I’ve already made it twice this week. Even Mr. Meat loves it. And it’s CHEAP!! It took me a minute to find the magic crispy hot oil, but now it’s my favorite condiment. It’s great on eggs, dumplings and I even threw some on leftover potato salad. You are officially my new favorite person in the world.
This was amazing, despite the fact that I was missing the spicy chilli crisp (couldn’t wait long enough for an online order) coriander and had to sub peanut butter for the peanuts… can’t wait to try your version to the letter…my mouth is watering thinking about how much better it can be!
Oh my gosh, so happy to hear that!! Also, it will be SO good once you get the chili crisp – it really is the secret ingredient 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think!!
love the chili paste and crisp, new to tofu though, but willing to take the leap! thank you
LAURA!!!!! This is so good. Wow wow wow. I love cold tofu (the texture just works better for me), and this sauce is outrageous. I used the Chili Onion Crunch from Trader Joe’s instead of the spicy chili crisp, and it’s still great. Thanks for this new fridge staple!
Hey Alexa!!! Yay!!! I’m so thrilled to hear that, and I also didn’t know that Trader Joe’s sold a chili onion crunch (it has GOT to be similar, I can’t imagine that it was inspired by anything other than the Lao Gan Ma version) – gotta try and grab that one asap. So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for trying it and reporting back 🙂 xo
This sounds amazing! One question – what is the texture like? For whatever reason I’ve always thought raw tofu would be odd – I’ve only ever had it cooked. And could you cook this if you wanted?
There are a lot of tofu dishes (especially cold preparations) that use tofu straight from package – it’s very common. As far as the texture, it’s hard to describe because there is no direct comparison that makes sense. Firm, but a bit silky in the inside. It will depend on the brand of tofu, which is why I recommend a higher quality vacuum pressed for this. You could bake and crisp the tofu, but honestly, I don’t think it would improve the dish at all – in fact, I think it would detract from what the texture is intended to be – and it would just require more work.
Okay – makes sense – this is new to me but I’m game to try it – love tofu and these flavors sound incredible!!!
Can’t wait to try this! Sounds like a great summer dinner! Thanks, Laura!
Just made this and it was/is really, really good. I used softer tofu (what I had on hand) after baking in oven. Had no peanuts so skipped that, and added a little sesame oil. What a GREAT recipe. Many thanks!
So thrilled to hear that! And glad it worked well with your modifications too.
Excellent with poached chicken, sans tofu.
Oh! That’s good to know! Thanks!!
Loving the vegan recipe! Trader Joe’s super firm tofu is also fantastic for a no-press tofu.
Yeah!! ? Super firm tofu would work too! Thanks Gio!