Garlic Pepper Tofu Stir-fry
This Garlic Pepper Tofu Stir-fry combines strips of pepper and tofu together in a savory, glossy stir-fry sauce. Easy to prep and cooks in less than 30 minutes.
While I love supporting businesses and getting takeout, to be honest, I have just been primarily cooking at home to save some money. A good stir-fry sauce doesn’t take much time to make, and I can still enjoy a high protein plant-based meal without too much fuss. It’s a win-win.
Why You’ll Love This Garlic Pepper Tofu Stir-fry
- Gives me all the takeout vibes, but with a little more control to fit my preferences. I can use my favorite protein, adjust the saltiness or sweetness of the sauce and use all the veggies I personally like.
- Can be an easy meal to throw together. I have tips below for making this meal faster during the week, but overall, this recipe comes together very quickly and cooks in less than 30 minutes.
- High in plant-protein and iron. Since we are using tofu as our main protein source this plant-based meal is packed with protein. Each serving of tofu in this dish provides 23 grams of protein when using super firm tofu. The iron from the tofu makes this a high iron dish and the peppers that are paired with it help you better absorb that iron.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tofu: I used super firm tofu, but extra firm tofu works too. If using extra firm tofu please make sure to press your tofu. I have guidelines for pressing tofu here.
- Tamari: To help my gluten-free friends, I tend to always use tamari, which you can definitely swap for soy sauce if gluten isn’t an issue. You can also use items like coconut aminos or low-sodium soy sauce if you are being mindful of the sodium.
- Maple Syrup: This is just my preferred sweetener, but you can use whatever sweetener you like. Try agave or brown sugar if preferred.
- Hoisin Sauce: To keep this gluten-free, I just used a gluten-free hoisin sauce. You can also use an equal amount of tamari and adjust sweetness based on your preference.
- Sriracha: I liked adding this for the spice, but feel free to skip if you prefer.
- Lime: I used fresh lime juice, but you can swap for rice wine vinegar.
- Mirin: I highly recommend sticking to this if possible. You can make some swaps like dry Sherry, but you will need to adjust the sweetness to compensate.
- Vegetable Bouillon: I used 1/2 tsp vegetable bouillon paste, but you can also use 1/2 a regular bouillon cube.
- Peppers: I used a combo of green and red bell pepper, but use 2 bell pepper of any variety that you like. I also threw in a Fresno pepper for a little more heat, but that is completely optional.
- Onions: I used red onion, but white onion or yellow onion works just as well.
- Garlic: Adjust the garlic to your liking, but I like to use 3 garlic cloves for this.
- Cornstarch: This will help you get a thick and glossy glaze for your stir-fry. Feel free to use arrowroot starch as a substitute.
How to Make Garlic Pepper Tofu Stir-fry
Preheat the oven to 425F. Pat the tofu dry and cut into thin strips (thick tofu like super firm tofu will crumble less when thinly cut). Place the strips on a large parchment lined baking tray or between 2 trays if needed.
In a large measuring cup whisk together 2 tbsp of tamari, 1 tbsp of oil and the lime juice. Using a brush, brush the top of the tofu slices with some of the sauce. Reserve what remains in the cup and place the tofu in the oven to bake for 10 minutes. Flip the tofu and brush the opposite side with the same mixture and again reserve the contents of the measuring cup. Bake the tofu again for 10 minutes then set aside.
To the measuring cup add the remaining tablespoon of tamari, maple syrup, hoisin sauce, mirin, sriracha, bouillon, water and cornstarch then whisk to combine and set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot add the peppers and onions with a pinch of salt and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, sauteing until fragrant then lower the heat to low.
Add the tofu strips and sauce to the pan and stir everything together with tongs until the sauce thickens and coats everything well, about 1-2 minutes.
Serve with rice or quinoa then garnish with fresh herbs, nuts or seeds based on preference and enjoy.
Expert Tips
- Cut the tofu how you like. I like to thinly slice the tofu to help provide more surface area for flavor. However, you can cube your tofu, or cut it into squares or triangles. If using cubes, squares or triangles, you can add the tofu to a baggy and pour the tamari and oil over it, seal and shake to coat before baking.
- Meal prep smarter not harder. To help cut a lot of prep time, I’ll press and pre-slice the tofu ahead of time. Pressing tofu in advance will save you at least 30 minutes and if you pre cut your tofu you can store it in an air tight container and pull it out when you are ready to use it during the week. I find this better to do on a Sunday ahead of the week and means you can eat freshly made food more efficiently.
- Tips for prepping tofu. If using a super firm tofu that is vacuum sealed, you don’t need to press it. Remove it from it’s packaging and pat dry. For other kinds of tofu stored in a tub of water, I recommend pressing your tofu to remove excess water before working with it.
- Taste the sauce before adding the cornstarch. At this point you can modify and adjust the ingredients to your preference. The amount of ingredients I shared was just my personal preference. Feel free to add more sweetener, more lime or vinegar to achieve the flavor balance you prefer.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make this gluten-free use a wheat-free tamari in place of soy sauce and a gluten-free hoisin sauce.
Yes! I’m not the biggest fan of meal prep in the traditional sense. Instead, I like to prep some items ahead of the week to make life easier. That way I can save time and go directly to the cooking part, which if well planned can take just 25 minutes. Choose an hour during the week where you can just prep some things in advance. This can be washing produce, pressing tofu, cutting the tofu the way you want it, baking the tofu in advance and storing for later, or even making the sauce (just whisk everything except the cornstarch together and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days). Taking on any of these tasks in advance means you save a lot of minutes having to do everything day of. Less stress and you get a meal on the table a lot faster.
This would change the preparation of the meal as other alternatives will not require the same prep. However, if you are allergic to soy try making a version of this using chickpeas. Rinse and drain the chickpeas and stir fry them in a pan with a little oil for a few minutes until golden. Transfer to a plate then heat more oil and cook the peppers, onions, and garlic as recommended. Swap the soy sauce/tamari for a soy-free alternative like coconut aminos and the hoisin sauce for more coconut aminos or a sweet barbecue sauce.
Absolutely! Feel free to make the stir-fry then store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Heat up as desired then serve over your grain of choice.
More Nutrient Additions
If served as directed with super firm tofu, this meal can provide 23 grams of protein per serving. If you want to up that protein, add a serving of cooked quinoa or farro for an extra 6 grams of protein or add 1/2 cup edamame for an additional 9 grams of protein and extra fiber.
Since I cut the tofu into strips, I decided to use pepper strips and onions. Feel free to change up the vegetables to your liking. Good options can include broccoli, zucchini, snow peas, or even shredded cabbage.
More Tofu Recipes
- Crispy Shredded Za’atar Tofu Cabbage Wraps
- Sticky Harissa Tofu Tacos
- Maple Miso Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Cornmeal Crusted Tofu
- Crispy Lemon Herb Tofu Patties
- Smoky Shredded Tofu Breakfast Sandwich
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
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Garlic Pepper Tofu Stir-fry
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Garlic Pepper Tofu Stir-fry combines strips of pepper and tofu together in a savory, glossy stir-fry sauce. Easy to prep and cooks in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp tamari
- 2 tbsp of oil
- Juice of 1 lime or 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 lb block super firm (vacuum sealed tofu) or extra firm tofu (press this style tofu before using)
- 1–2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce (choose gluten-free)
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp sriracha or less based on preference
- 1/2 tsp vegetable bouillon paste or vegetable paste
- 1/4 cup of water
- 1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1/4 medium red onion, sliced into strips
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
To serve: Cooked rice or quinoa, minced herbs, nuts or seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Pat the tofu dry and cut into thin strips (thick tofu like super firm tofu will crumble less when thinly cut). Place the strips on a large parchment lined baking tray or between 2 trays if needed.
- In a large measuring cup whisk together 2 tbsp of tamari, 1 tbsp of oil and the lime juice. Using a brush, brush the top of the tofu slices with some of the sauce. Reserve what remains in the cup and place the tofu in the oven to bake for 10 minutes. Flip the tofu and brush the opposite side with the same mixture and again reserve the contents of the measuring cup. Bake the tofu agai for 10 minutes then set aside.
- To the measuring cup add the remaining tbsp of tamari maple syrup, hoisin sauce, mirin, sriracha, bouillon, water and cornstarch then whisk to combine and set aside.
- Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot add the peppers and onions with a pinch of salt and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, sauteing until fragrant then lower the heat to low.
- Add the tofu strips and sauce to the pan and stir everything together with tongs until the sauce thickens and coats everything well, about 1-2 minutes.
- Serve with rice or quinoa then garnish with fresh herbs, nuts or seeds based on preference and enjoy.
Notes
Cut the tofu how you like. I like to thinly slice the tofu to help provide more surface area for flavor. However, you can cube your tofu, or cut it into squares or triangles. If using cubes, squares or triangles, you can add the tofu to a baggy and pour the tamari and oil over it, seal and shake to coat before baking.
Meal prep smarter not harder. To help cut a lot of prep time, I’ll press and pre-slice the tofu ahead of time. Pressing tofu in advance will save you at least 30 minutes and if you pre cut your tofu you can store it in an air tight container and pull it out when you are ready to use it during the week. I find this better to do on a Sunday ahead of the week and means you can eat freshly made food more efficiently.
Tips for prepping tofu. If using a super firm tofu that is vacuum sealed, you don’t need to press it. Remove it from it’s packaging and pat dry. For other kinds of tofu stored in a tub of water, I recommend pressing your tofu to remove excess water before working with it.
Taste the sauce before adding the cornstarch. At this point you can modify and adjust the ingredients to your preference. The amount of ingredients I shared was just my personal preference. Feel free to add more sweetener, more lime or vinegar to achieve the flavor balance you prefer.
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