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Chinese Mapo Tofu

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.
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Chinese
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 241kcal
Author Michelle

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
  • ½-1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorn adjust to your taste
  • 1 C water or chicken broth

Pork & tofu:

  • 150 g ground pork
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ½" 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
  • ¼ 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 ¼ 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

Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 323mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 63IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 2mg