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This recipe for Thai Peanut Sauce Tofu is a quick and easy vegan stir fry with seared tofu and colorful vegetables, all covered in a homemade peanut sauce. Serve it with a side of rice for a complete meal that’s ready in less than 30 minutes!
This Peanut Sauce Tofu is an easy and DELICIOUS alternative to peanut chicken. You can make the tofu on its own OR make an entire meal out of it by pairing it with a grain and some veggies. A great weeknight dinner and meal prep option.
Like many popular Thai food recipes, this has a unique, wonderful, complex flavor, with combinations of ingredients you won’t see in any other cuisine. Enjoy this easy Thai tofu with this homemade peanut sauce recipe when you have your next hankering for Thai food. You can make it in no time in your own kitchen and with plenty of flavor!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick & easy. If you multi task and make the sauce while the tofu and veggies are sautéing, you can have this dish on the table in just about 30 minutes. It’s perfect for those busy evenings when you get home late and don’t have much time to get dinner on the table.
- Super flavorful. The peanut sauce that you make for this tofu is absolutely amazing. It has the perfect balance of sweet and savory, and it really adds something special to the tofu and vegetables. The whole meal comes together with MAJOR deliciousness!
- Very satisfying. This tofu recipe is well-balanced and filling. The tofu is a great source of plant-based protein, we’ve got healthy fats from the peanut sauce, plenty of nutrients from the veggies and carbs from the rice.
Ingredients needed
This peanut sauce tofu recipe is simple, straightforward and (of course) SUPER tasty! To make it all you’ll need is:
- Tofu. For perfect pan-fried tofu that absorbs all of the delicious flavor from the sauce, you’ll want to press firm or extra-firm tofu. Here’s my guide to pressing tofu.
- Oil. For cooking the tofu.
- Vegetables. Broccoli, bell pepper and cabbage are sautéed and served along with the tofu and peanut sauce for plenty of veggie goodness.
- For the sauce. The delicious sauce is a simple mix of peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, milk (or water), maple syrup, lime juice and fresh ginger.
- Optional for serving. This is so good served over rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion for a pop of color.
How to make this recipe
This peanut sauce tofu recipe has so much flavor and is super easy! Here’s the simple process, but for the full, printable recipe, reference the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Prep the tofu. Drain and press the tofu and then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Cook the veggies. In the same skillet, add in the bell pepper, broccoli, and cabbage. Sauté until the veggies begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Set aside.
- Make the sauce. While the veggies are cooking, mix up the sauce by adding all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Cook the tofu. In the same skillet, add in the tofu. Sauté for about 10 minutes, turning every few minutes, so that it gets golden brown on most of the sides. You can also cook the veggies and tofu in 2 separate skillets if you’d like the meal to be ready faster.
- Add the sauce. Turning the heat down to low, pour half of the peanut sauce over the tofu and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. As desired, you can toss the veggies in the skillet as well but I like to serve them separately and simply drizzle some of the peanut sauce over the veggies.
- Serve. Once everything is cooked, add the rice (or other grain) to a bowl, top with the tofu and vegetables, and an extra drizzle of peanut sauce. Garnish with chopped green onion and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Expert tips
- Instead of blending the sauce in a blender or food processor, you can simply whisk everything together, you just need to finely mince the garlic and ginger before hand.
- We really love fresh ginger in the sauce, but 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger may be substituted.
- To really get a head start on dinner, make the rice ahead of time, or at least get it cooking before starting this recipe. You can also make the peanut sauce up to 3 days before you plan to serve it.
- Looking to cut carbs? Serve your peanut tofu and veggies over cauliflower rice.
Frequently asked questions
Most peanut sauce recipes are not vegan because they contain cow’s milk, fish sauce and/or honey. This particular recipe for peanut sauce is completely vegan. We’re using nondairy milk or water to make the sauce and maple syrup as the sweetener.
Peanut sauce is typically salty, sweet, acidic and bold — a truly unique flavor. If you like spicy, you can also add a little heat with sriracha sauce, red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne pepper.
This dish is really easy to make 100% gluten free. Simply, use gluten free tamari instead of soy sauce.
Storage recommendations
Add any leftovers to an airtight container and place it in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Rewarm in a skillet on the stovetop or pop it in the microwave to reheat. Reheating tofu in the skillet will crisp it up the best.
More tofu recipes to try
Looking for more delicious tofu recipes? Give these favs a try:
As usual, PLEASE let me know if you make this recipe and how you like it! You can come back here and leave a comment and/or tag me on instagram (@foodwithfeeling).
Peanut Sauce Tofu
Ingredients
- 15 oz block of firm or extra-firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into bit sized piece
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- ½ cup of peanut butter, creamy of chunky work here but a natural drippy peanut is best
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 clove of garlic
- ½ cup of milk or water, I like the extra creaminess that milk adds
- 1 teaspoon of maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon of lime juice
- ½ inch of fresh ginger, or 1/2 teaspoon of dried ginger
- 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced or chopped
- 1 heaping cup of broccoli, chopped into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup of cabbage, shredded or cut into bite sized pieces
- Optional for serving: chopped green onion, sesame seeds
Instructions
- Drain and press the tofu and then cut into bite sized pieces.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet and once hot, add in the bell pepper, broccoli, and cabbage. Sauté until the veggies begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce by adding all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. You can also simply whisk everything together, you just need to finely mince the garlic and ginger beforehand.
- In the same skillet, add in the tofu. Sauté for about 10 minutes, turning every few minutes, so that it gets golden brown on most of the sides. You can also cook the veggies and tofu in 2 separate skillets, if you’d like the meal to be ready faster.
- Turning the heat down to low, pour half of the peanut sauce over the tofu and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. As desired, you can toss the veggies in the skillet as well but I like to serve them separately and simply drizzle some of the peanut sauce over the veggies.
- Serve the tofu and veggies together with an extra drizzle of peanut sauce, green onion, and a nice sprinkle of sesame seeds. ENJOY!
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