Mapo Tofu with red Sichuan sauce, tofu cubes, minced meat and spring onions
Chinese Recipe

Mapo Tofu

This Mapo Tofu recipe explains a recookable Sichuan variant: Tofu is gently warmed, minced meat and seasoning paste are roasted, the sauce is tied and finally sprinkled with ground Sichuan pepper.

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Total time 38 min
Calories 480 kcal
Servings 4 servings
Difficulty Medium
By the Published Updated Editorially approved

Why this recipe works

Mapo Tofu with Doubanjiang and Sichuan pepper

Mapo Tofu is not any tofu vegetable dish. Doubanjiang brings salt, chilli and depth, Sichuan pepper provides the typical tingling. The tofu is treated carefully to keep the cubes in the sauce completely.

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Recipe

Mapo Tofu

Mapo Tofu is cooked with soft tofu, doubanjiang, fermented black beans, minced meat, chilli oil and Sichuan pepper. The sauce should taste spicy and slightly numbing.

Ingredients

4 servings

Method

  1. 1

    Prepare Tofu

    Cut tofu into cubes and leave to marinate in hot salt water for 2 minutes. Drain carefully.

  2. 2

    Cheek and roast seasoning paste

    Heat oil, fry minced meat, fry Doubanjiang, black beans, garlic and ginger.

  3. 3

    Cook sauce

    Add broth, soy sauce and sugar and boil.

  4. 4

    Tofu garnish

    Place tofu in the sauce and let it marinate gently for 5 minutes. Do not stir strongly.

  5. 5

    Binding and serving

    Bind with stirred starch and serve with Sichuan pepper and spring onions.

Kitchen know-how

Tips for Mapo Tofu

Tofu gently move

Soft tofu breaks easily. Just push instead of stir strongly.

Doubanjiang roast

Short roasted bean paste tastes deeper and less raw.

Pepper at the end

Ground Sichuan pepper smells fresh best right before serving.

Variations

How to adapt this recipe

Leave out minced meat and finely chop mushrooms. Doubanjiang remains important for depth.

Use a little more broth and bind with starch as needed.

Nutrition per serving

480kcal
18.0 gCarbohydrates
28.0 gProtein
32.0 gFat

Values are estimates per serving and may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, portion size and preparation method used.

Frequently asked questions

FAQ about Mapo Tofu

Doubanjiang is a fermented bean chilipast from Sichuan and the most important spice base for Mapo Tofu.

Soft to medium-firm tofu is ideal. Very firm tofu looks less silky.

Yes, replace minced meat with mushrooms or let it go. The spice paste remains important.

Too strong stirring or sprubbling cooking breaks soft tofu. Gently push enough.

Keep cooking

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