Chinese Bourbon Tofu

photo by Tinkerbell




- Ready In:
- 1hr 10mins
- Ingredients:
- 12
- Yields:
-
4 4 oz. servings
- Serves:
- 4
ingredients
- 12 ounces extra firm tofu
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1⁄4 cup apple juice
- 1⁄3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1⁄2 cup water
- 1⁄2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1⁄2 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
directions
- Drain the tofu, and then remove excess moisture by cutting it in half lengthwise and microwaving on high, uncovered, for two minutes. Gently squeeze out and wipe off excess moisture, then throw tofu in the freezer for one or two hours before removing to thaw in the fridge -- this will give the tofu a slightly heavier texture.
- Cut tofu into bite-sized pieces. Combine garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, apple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, water, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Pour half of the mixture over the tofu and reserve the other half for later. Marinade tofu for at least 30 minutes.
- Drain any excess marinade from tofu (into your reserve marinade for later). Coat tofu pieces in flour. Heat oil over medium heat in a large frying pan and fry tofu until golden brown on all sides. (Add more oil as needed, but cook it all out before proceeding).
- Add reserved marinade to pan, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over rice.
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Reviews
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Fantastic dish! I don't like overly firm tofu so I used a 'regular' firm and skipped the freezer step (plus I was hungry and didn't want to wait!). I used fresh ginger instead of ground, and scaled back the soy sauce a bit. I shouldn't have tinkered with the soy though, because it obviously cuts down the sweetness. But even with that change, it was a delicious easy to prepare dish that I would definitely serve to company, maybe with some wilted greens or broccoli on the side.
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This has become one of my favorite recipes! I’ve tried it a couple different ways. I have marinated this for 30 minutes as well as overnight. I liked the shorter time of marinated tofu better because I’m not a big fan of tofu texture and it seemed less spongey that way. The second time I made this I also didn’t have apple juice or apples so I substituted it with white wine and it worked out well! Tasted the same. I also didn’t have red pepper flakes so I just used cayenne pepper.
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Tweaks
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Fantastic dish! I don't like overly firm tofu so I used a 'regular' firm and skipped the freezer step (plus I was hungry and didn't want to wait!). I used fresh ginger instead of ground, and scaled back the soy sauce a bit. I shouldn't have tinkered with the soy though, because it obviously cuts down the sweetness. But even with that change, it was a delicious easy to prepare dish that I would definitely serve to company, maybe with some wilted greens or broccoli on the side.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I've been a vegetarian since my mid-teens, although I didn't get into cooking until I went to college and faced the struggle of staying healthy on campus. I love Asian dishes and trying new things with tofu and other vegetarian staples. I don't bake often, but when I do, I bake vegan, because vegan pastries are soooo moist and delicious!