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Sweet Chili Crispy Torn Tofu Bowls

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The crispiest oven roasted tofu clusters covered in the best ever sweet and spicy sauce and served alongside tangy marinated avocados and cucumbers: these Sweet Chili Crispy Torn Tofu Bowls recipe is truly the Asian bowl of my dreams!

The crispiest oven roasted tofu clusters covered in the best ever sweet and spicy sauce and served alongside tangy marinated avocados and cucumbers: this Sweet Chili Crispy Torn Tofu Bowls recipe is truly the Asian bowl of my dreams!

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Asian food is by far one of my favorite cuisines to cook. With comforting Korean cuisine, super fresh Japanese flavors, your traditional Chinese stir fry, etc… I really do love it all. Moreover, I love playing with the sweet and spicy, tart and cozy, and crunchy and smooth flavor and texture juxtapositions that are so often brought into this world of cooking. All that said, I’m not super into making my own dumplings, sushi rolls, or spring rolls. I mean, it makes for a fun weekend activity… something to do as more of a project, ya know? On your average weekday, however, I much prefer a simple bowl of all of my favorite Asian ingredients. With veggies, all the sauce, and the crispiest ever tofu, these Sweet Chili Crispy Torn Tofu Bowls really hit the spot — like I seriously could make these every week!

the breakdown…

These Sweet Chili Crispy Torn Tofu Bowls are truly so easy. With a base of whatever you would like, the easiest crispy oven baked tofu, and a simple medley of marinated veggies, this dish really only has three parts. To start things off, I like to get going with the crispy tofu. Now, let me preface this by saying that just about everyone has their own opinions on how to make tofu extra crispy. I’ve heard about hacks of putting it in the freezer, pressing it for hours, or even pan frying it first. And, while I do love some of these methods for various dishes, I really think the key to a good piece of tofu is to use a good bit of cornstarch. You can use arrowroot starch if you would like to keep this gluten free, but don’t leave it out.

The crispiest oven roasted tofu clusters covered in the best ever sweet and spicy sauce and served alongside tangy marinated avocados and cucumbers: these Sweet Chili Crispy Torn Tofu Bowls recipe is truly the Asian bowl of my dreams!

Oh, and, definitely tear your tofu for this recipe. It makes all the difference in the world. I mean, when you get a good bit of the seasoning cornstarch into the tiny crevices that come from hand tearing the tofu, your tofu will get the ultimate crisp. For a non-pressing method, this tofu is really freaking fabulous.

those greens..

Send that battered up tofu to the oven and get started on the veggies. Rather than going with raw veggies, these avocados, cucumber, scallions, and sesame seeds are mixed up in a simple marinade of rice wine vinegar and brown sugar. Oh, and that cilantro really brings a nice flavor, too. Now, the main sauce of this dish is the sweet chili sauce you will pour over everything. Still, nobody wants to eat a dry bowl of veggies and rice.. They just don’t. Plus, with all that creaminess from the sweet chili sauce, you definitely need a bit of vinegar to cut through all of that smoothness. Hence, I like to marinate some creamy avocado, cruciferous scallions, and crunchy cucumbers with this tangy component. It’s delicious!

The crispiest oven roasted tofu clusters covered in the best ever sweet and spicy sauce and served alongside tangy marinated avocados and cucumbers: these Sweet Chili Crispy Torn Tofu Bowls recipe is truly the Asian bowl of my dreams!

The last step to this dish is that creamy spicy sweet chili sauce. This sauce is truly the easiest sauce out there — especially since I take a few shortcuts. By using store bought sweet chili sauce, you get most of the complicated steps out of the way. Making sweet chili sauce by yourself is a labor intensive process over the stove… which is completely unnecessary, if you ask me. By mixing up this sweet and sticky Asian red sauce with some creamy mayo or greek yogurt and a bit of spice, you get the most delicious sweet and spicy sauce. It’s almost like a sriracha mayo, just better. Oh, and definitely feel free to add more or less spice. This one is totally customizable. 

The crispiest oven roasted tofu clusters covered in the best ever sweet and spicy sauce and served alongside tangy marinated avocados and cucumbers: these Sweet Chili Crispy Torn Tofu Bowls recipe is truly the Asian bowl of my dreams!

how to serve it up…

Now that you have your crispy tofu, marinated salad, and creamy sweet chili sauce ready to go, all there’s left to do is assemble everything over your favorite grain! I love using brown rice for this one, but quinoa is also delicious for a gluten free option. You honestly can’t go wrong with any customizations in this one. Whether you serve these up for an easy weeknight dinner, or even serve them for a fun Asian dinner party with dumplings, soups, and any other Asian recipe, these are sure to be a hit.

I hope you love these Sweet Chili Crispy Torn Tofu Bowls as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments below:))

Sweet Chili Crispy Torn Tofu Bowls

Recipe by Annie PatrickCourse: Main CourseCuisine: Asian, FusionDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes
Total time

1

hour 

The crispiest oven roasted tofu clusters covered in the best ever sweet and spicy sauce and served alongside tangy marinated avocados and cucumbers: these Sweet Chili Crispy Torn Tofu Bowls recipe is truly the Asian bowl of my dreams!

Ingredients

  • crispy tofu:
  • 24 oz extra firm tofu, pat try and roughly torn with hands into 1-2 inch pieces

  • 3 tbsp cornstarch (or arrowroot starch or coconut flour for gluten free)

  • 2 tsp garlic powder

  • ½ tsp salt

  • Avocado oil or avocado oil spray, as needed (or another neutral oil)

  • assembly:
  • ¾ cup rice wine vinegar

  • 2 tbsp brown sugar

  • ½ cup fresh cilantro

  • 6 mini persian cucumbers, thinly sliced

  • 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds

  • 2 avocados, diced

  • Prepared brown rice, quinoa, or white rice, to serve

  • creamy sweet chili sauce:
  • ½ cup Asian sweet chili sauce

  • 3 tbsp mayonnaise or greek yogurt

  • 1-2 tbsp chili paste (or sriracha)

  • 2 limes, juiced

  • 2 tbsp water

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • On the baking sheet, toss the torn tofu with the cornstarch, garlic powder, and salt. Spray or drizzle with the oil so that each piece is fully coated. Transfer the sheet to the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, flipping halfway through.
  • Meanwhile, in the bottom of a shallow dish, whisk the rice wine vinegar with the brown sugar. Toss in the cilantro, cucumbers, scallions, sesame seeds, and avocados. Allow to marinate while your tofu continues to cook, about 20-40 minutes.
  • Lastly, in a small bowl, whisk all of the creamy sweet chili sauce ingredients until smooth.
  • Assemble your bowls with a base of your favorite grain. Top with some of the crispy tofu and marinated veggies. Finish with a drizzle of the creamy sweet chili sauce. Serve and enjoy!
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