Mapo Tofu

Mapo Tofu

Silky tofu and ground pork simmered in a fiery, numbing Sichuan sauce of doubanjiang and Sichuan peppercorns — one of China's most beloved weeknight dishes.

⏱ 30 min total🔪 8 min prep🔥 12 min cookMediumServes 4Chinese

Ingredients

  • •1 lb soft or medium-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • •1/2 lb ground pork
  • •2 tbsp doubanjiang (spicy bean paste)
  • •4 cloves garlic, minced
  • •1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
  • •1 tbsp soy sauce
  • •1 cup chicken broth
  • •2 tsp cornstarch
  • •2 tbsp water
  • •1 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns
  • •2 tbsp neutral oil
  • •3 stalks scallions, sliced

Directions

  1. 1Bring a pot of salted water to a simmer, gently add tofu cubes, and parboil 2 minutes; drain and set aside.
  2. 2Heat oil in a wok or deep skillet over medium-high, add doubanjiang and fry 1 minute until oil turns red.
  3. 3Add garlic and ginger; stir-fry 30 seconds until fragrant.
  4. 4Add ground pork and cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
  5. 5Pour in chicken broth and soy sauce; bring to a simmer.
  6. 6Gently slide in tofu and simmer 3 minutes, stirring carefully to avoid breaking cubes.
  7. 7Mix cornstarch and water into a slurry, drizzle in while stirring, and cook 1 minute until sauce thickens.
  8. 8Finish with ground Sichuan peppercorns and top with scallions; serve over steamed rice.

💡 Doubanjiang is sold at Asian grocery stores and increasingly at Loblaws or T&T; substitute 1 tbsp sriracha plus 1 tsp miso paste if unavailable. Sichuan peppercorns are in the spice aisle of most Asian supermarkets — grind them in a spice grinder or mortar.

Cook this with Miamzi 👨‍🍳

Miamzi knows what's in your kitchen — it checks this recipe against your ingredients, adds what's missing to your grocery list, plans your week, and invents new dishes from what you already have.

Create your free kitchen →

From the Miamzi recipe library.