Korean Gochujang Tofu is a vegan and gluten-free dish where tofu is baked or fried until crisp from outside and then mixed with a savory spicy sauce. Make this easy and delicious dish at home instead of an expensive take-out.
If you are looking for more tofu recipes, then I have a few more for you – General Tso’s Tofu and Asian Garlic Tofu. You can also substitute paneer with tofu in some of my Indo Chinese recipes such as – Chilli Paneer and Sesame Grilled Paneer.
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About This Recipe
Gochujang Tofu (Dubu Kecheob Jorim) is a Korean dish where tofu is braised and then coated with a sweet, spicy, and tangy sauce (Korean ketchup). It is crispy from the outside with the usual soft tofu texture on the inside.
It is a great appetizer to serve during get-togethers or house parties or to serve as a main dish with steamed rice for quick meals.
To make this Korean-style spicy gochujang tofu, tofu is lightly crisped from the outside by either pan-frying or baking it. It is then mixed with a mixture of sauces (Korean ketchup) and a few other ingredients to create a blast of flavors that makes it very delicious and mouth-watering.
The flavorsome sauce mixture has brown sugar, tamari, gochujang, and tomato ketchup as its ingredients. You can adjust the quantity of gochujang (Korean red chili paste) if you like your tofu to be less or more spicy.
You can also air fry tofu cubes instead of pan frying or baking.
This tofu with gochujang is,
- Vegan
- Gluten-Free
- Addictive
- Spicy + Sweet + Tangy
- Easy to make
- A perfect starter
Ingredients
You will find all the ingredients to make gochujang tofu in the Asian aisle of a grocery store or order them online. If you have any Asian grocery stores near you, then check them out as well.
Tofu – You will need firm tofu to make this recipe. Tofu is rich in vegetarian protein and is a great ingredient to include in your diet.
Oil – I used light olive oil to brush the tofu but you can use butter, vegetable oil, or even sesame oil.
For the sauce – The sweet, spicy, and tangy sauce is prepared with a combination of brown sugar, tamari, gochujang, tomato ketchup, and water. While Gochujang gives a spicy taste, brown sugar and tomato ketchup add a nice tangy-sweet flavor to the sauce.
You can use soy sauce in place of tamari but it will not be gluten free.
Gochujang is a thick and sticky Korean red chili paste that is commonly used in Korean cooking to spice up the dishes. It is prepared of glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, red pepper flakes, salt and sometimes sweeteners.
Gochujang adds a spicy kick and pungent flavor to the recipes it is added to. The spice level can be different depending upon the various brands, so select the paste according to its spice level. You can always adjust the amount of Gochujang paste in the recipe to make it less or more spicy.
Others – To complete the recipe, will need a few more basic ingredients such as garlic, onion, sesame seeds, and green onions. Sesame seeds and green onions are used for garnishing, and they also add a nice bite to the recipe.
How to make Gochujang Tofu?
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Drain 18 oz tofu on a kitchen towel and press it between the towel for 10 minutes to get rid of any extra moisture. This step will make sure the tofu grills to a crispy outer layer. I like to keep a heavyweight over the tofu to release any extra moisture.
Cut tofu slab into bite-size cubes and arrange them on a baking tray in a single layer. Spray with any cooking oil.
Bake for 15 minutes. Flip the cubes and bake for another 5 minutes until the edges are browned. If not, then bake for a few more minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and keep it aside.
Note – You can also pan fry or air fry the tofu instead of baking.
Stir together 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp tamari, 2 tbsp gochujang, 2 tbsp tomato ketchup, and ½ cup water in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp light olive oil in a wide pan over medium high heat.
Once the oil is hot and shimmery, add 1 tsp minced garlic and ¼ cup finely chopped onion to the pan and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Add tofu cubes and the sauce mixture to the pan and toss everything well.
Garnish with 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds and 1 tbsp chopped green onions and serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
To pan-fry tofu in a skillet, add 2-3 tbsp oil in the center of a skillet and swirl it to coat the entire skillet. Now, once the oil is nicely heated, add the tofu cubes to the skillet in a single layer. Cook on medium-high heat and turn over once the side becomes light golden in color.
Cook from both sides on medium-high heat, until it turns golden brown in color.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve gochujang tofu on its own as a starter or with steamed rice for a quick main course. You can also serve it as a side dish with your Korean meals.
To make things interesting, add this spicy braised tofu in between burger buns and make a Korean-style burger. Serve with some fries or potato wedges on the side.
Same way, you can stuff it in between a tortilla and make yourself a Korean tofu wrap.
Storage Suggestions
Since the tofu is nicely pressed and then baked until the outer layer is crisped, you can store gochujang tofu for 1-2 days in the refrigerator. If not pressed and baked well, tofu keeps releasing water and diluting the sauce making it less appealing over time.
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Recipe Card
Gochujang Tofu Recipe
Ingredients
- 18 ounces firm tofu
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon chopped green onions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Drain 18 oz slab of tofu on a kitchen towel and press it between the towel for 10 minutes to get rid of any extra moisture. This step will make sure the tofu grills to a crispy outer layer. I like to keep a heavyweight over the tofu to release any extra moisture.
- Cut the tofu into bite size cubes and arrange them on a baking tray in a single layer. Spray with any cooking oil.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Flip the cubes and bake for another 5 minutes until the edges are browned. If not, then bake for a few more minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and keep it aside.
- Note – You can also pan fry or air fry the tofu instead of baking.
- Stir together 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp tamari, 2 tbsp gochujang, 2 tbsp tomato ketchup, and ½ cup water in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp light olive oil in a wide pan over medium high heat.
- Once the oil is hot and shimmery, add 1 tsp minced garlic and ¼ cup finely chopped onion to the pan and saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the tofu and the sauce mixture to the pan and toss everything well.
- Garnish with 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds and 1 tbsp chopped green onions and serve hot.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!