This recipe for Chinese Mapo Tofu is a classic, spicy, numbing, saucy tofu dish that comes together in 20 minutes. It's bold, comforting, and perfect over a bowl of freshly steamed rice.
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Mapo Tofu is one of my all-time favorite Sichuan dishes.
Silky-soft tofu simmered in a savory, aromatic chili bean sauce with minced pork, garlic, ginger, and a hint of lip-tingling Sichuan peppercorn.
It's incredibly satisfying, yet surprisingly easy to make at home with just a few pantry staples.
Why you'll love this recipe
Delicious flavor: doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste) and Sichuan peppercorn are the key ingredients that deliver the signature heat and numbing tingle.
Quick and easy: this dish is ready in about 20 minutes.
Customizable: adjust the spice, reduce the heat, or swap pork for a ground turkey version.
Ingredients you'll need
Pork:
- medium-firm tofu: cut into cubes; I don't recommend firm or extra firm tofu for this dish
- ground pork: or sub with ground turkey, ground chicken
- garlic: minced
- ginger: minced
- green onion: chopped; or white onion/shallot
Sauce:
- doubanjiang: fermented red broad chili bean paste; comes in a jar and can be a little spicy; adjust accordingly
- douchi: fermented black beans; rinsed and lightly mashed; you can sub in black bean sauce if you can't find it
- Shaoxing wine: optional
- granulated sugar: balances out the saltiness and flavor
- chili oil: optional; to your taste
- ground Sichuan peppercorn: adds a spicy numbing flavor to the dish; adjust to taste
- cold water: or chicken stock
- cornstarch: thickens the sauce
Where to find?
You can find these ingredients at Asian supermarkets.
How to make mapo tofu
Make the sauce:
In a bowl, combine doubanjiang, douchi, sugar, 1 C water (or chicken broth), Shaoxing wine, chili oil (if using) and ground Sichuan peppercorn.
Mix well and set aside.
Cook the pork:
Heat a wok or pot over medium heat.
Add ground pork and cook until no longer pink, breaking it apart with a spatula.
Stir in garlic, ginger, and the white parts of the green onion. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Pour in the sauce and mix with the ground pork.
Add in the tofu and simmer gently for a few minutes with the ground pork mixture, taking care not to break up the tofu too much.
In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and Ā¼ C cold water.
Slowly drizzle the cornstarch slurry into the pot and bring to a gentle boil, stirring gently, until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
Remove from heat, finish with a drizzle of sesame oil, extra chili oil (if desired) and garnish with green onions.
Serve hot with additional ground Sichuan peppercorn and chili oil, if desired.
How to serve
Serve Mapo Tofu hot with steamed jasmine rice and vegetables, such as blanched yu choy or garlic bok choy.
Pair with scallion pancakes, green onion beef pancakes, or lamb dumplings.
How to store & reheat
Store leftover Mapo tofu in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The longer it sits, the better the flavor.
To reheat on the stovetop over low heat, add a splash of water to loosen the sauce, or cover and microwave on high power until heated through.
Expert tips
Use medium tofu: for this dish, use a medium firm tofu for the best texture. Firm or extra firm tofu will be too solid, and soft tofu will disintegrate.
Be gentle with the tofu: avoid stirring aggressively or the tofu may break apart.
Adjust the numbing heat: start with less Sichuan peppercorn and add more to taste at the end.
Grind extra Sichuan peppercorn to make a mala spice mixture.
Other delicious recipes you may like
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Chinese Mapo Tofu
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 3 tablespoon doubanjiang (red fermented broad bean paste)
- 1 tablespoon douchi (fermented black beans) rinsed and lightly mashed, or black bean sauce
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine optional
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar or to taste
- 1-2 teaspoon chili oil optional, adjust to your taste
- Ā½-1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorn adjust to your taste
- 1 C water or chicken broth
Pork & tofu:
- 150 g ground pork
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Ā½" piece ginger minced
- 2 stalks green onion chopped, or white onion/shallot
- 1 pkg (300 g) medium-firm tofu cut into cubes
Cornstarch slurry:
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Ā¼ C cold water
Garnish:
- sesame oil
- chili oil
- ground Sichuan peppercorn
- green onion chopped
Instructions
Make the sauce:
- In a bowl, combine doubanjiang, douchi, sugar, 1 C water (or chicken broth), Shaoxing wine, chili oil (if using) and ground Sichuan peppercorn. Mix well and set aside.
Cook the pork:
- Heat a wok or pot over medium heat.
- Add ground pork and cook until no longer pink, breaking it apart with a spatula.
- Stir in garlic, ginger, and the white parts of the green onion. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour in the sauce and mix with the ground pork.
- Add in the tofu and simmer gently for a few minutes with the ground pork mixture, taking care not to break up the tofu too much.
- In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and Ā¼ C cold water.
- Slowly drizzle the cornstarch slurry into the pot and bring to a gentle boil, stirring gently, until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
- Remove from heat, finish with a drizzle of sesame oil and garnish with green onions.
- Serve hot over steamed rice with additional ground Sichuan peppercorn and chili oil, if desired.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Heidi
I love how much fabulous flavor you've packed into this dish. Your savory chili bean sauce is absolutely heavenly. Plus, the short time from start to finish makes this the perfect recipe for busy weeknights!
Michelle
Thanks Heidi, this dish is always a weeknight favorite for the boys! So much flavor in a short time š
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
This looks so good, Michelle - rich, saucy, and super comforting. Iād happily dig into a bowl of this.
Michelle
It goes so well with a bowl of hot steamy rice! Thanks Ben!
Dawn
This mapo tofu recipe looks incredible, Michelle! With the colder weather ahead of us, this would be so comforting!
Michelle
Yes, it's so comforting on a cold, chilly day! Just enough heat and spice to warm the belly, thanks Dawn!