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Crispy Tofu Spicy Fried Rice

Top view of a white serving bowl with tofu fried rice garnished with chopped spring onion.
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5 from 4 reviews

This Crispy Tofu Spicy Fried Rice is easy to make, 100% vegan and vegetarian, and loaded with delicious crispy pan-fried tofu! It packs a punch with bold flavors from Lao Gan Ma’s Spicy Chili Crisp Sauce, and is also easily customizable with your favorite veggies. This is one back pocket fried rice that all spicy fried rice lovers NEED to try!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 14 Garlic cloves – minced
  • 2 TBLS Ginger (about 1.5″ chunk) – minced
  • 10–22 Fresh Red Chilies, to taste and deseeded depending on your desired heat level – chopped
  • 1 Celery stalk – minced
  • ½ Carrot (medium sized) – minced
  • ½ Yellow Onion – minced
  • 3 Spring Onions (Scallions) – chopped, whites & greens separated (reserve 1/3 of the greens for garnish)
  • 2 large handfuls (about 2 cups) Mung Bean Sprouts – rinsed and drained
  • 5.5 TBLS Chili Garlic Sauce (I use Huy Fong’s Chili Garlic Sauce, but any other brand that you prefer will work)
  • 2.5 TSP Sriracha Sauce (Huy Fong’s)
  • 3 TBLS Light Soy Sauce (I use Healthy Boy’s. Use Tamari for gluten free.)
  • 6 TBLS Lao Gan Ma’s Spicy Chili Crisp sauce, to taste (preferred, but can be substituted with another Chinese chili oil with flakes)
  • Kosher Salt, to taste
  • Coarse ground Black Pepper, to taste
  • 6–7 grinds (about ¾ TSP) Ground White Pepper, to taste
  • 3.5 TBLS Peanut Oil (or any other cooking oil, I recommend one with a high burning point)
  • 2 TSP Chili Oil
  • 2 TSP Sesame Oil
  • 5 cups rice, cooked (Day old rice preferred, but if you don’t have any just cook in less water than you normally would and leave uncovered in a large shallow dish to dry.)
  • 1 pack (345-400g block) firm Tofu – drained, pat dried, and cut into small cubes

To Serve:

  • Remainder 1/3 of the spring onion greens
  • A drizzle of chili oil (optional)

Instructions

Prep:

  1. Sauce Bowl: Combine light soy sauce, Lao Gan Ma’s Spicy Chili Crisp sauce, and Chili Garlic Sauce in a medium sized bowl. Mix and set aside.
  2. Fresh Ingredients: Chop the garlic, ginger, fresh red chilies, celery, carrot, onion and spring onions (whites & greens separated) and set aside.
  3. Tofu: Drain the tofu pack and pat dry the block with paper towels. Gently squeeze out the excess water, then chop into ½” thick cubes.

For the Crispy Tofu:

  1. In a large nonstick fry pan, heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu cubes. Allow to cook for at least 1 minute without touching them. Then, gently shake the pan by the handle to make the tofu shift position. You’ll see that the bottom will have browned slightly. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste, and use a spatula to flip the tofu. Brown the tofu cubes on all sides – about 10-12 minutes. Set aside (you can leave them in the pan and add them directly to the wok of fried rice).

For the Crispy Tofu Spicy Fried Rice:

  1. In a large wok, heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil, 2 TSP chili oil, and 2 TSP sesame oil. Once heated, add the onions and spring onion whites and cook until the onions are translucent – about a minute.
  2. Add the minced celery and carrot and stir-fry until they have softened slightly – about another minute.
  3. Add the ginger, fresh red chilies, and garlic. Stir-fry until fragrant for 1-2 minutes. Season with a little black pepper and white pepper to taste and continue stir-frying.
  4. Add the cooked rice and pour the sauce all over it. Continue stir-frying for 4-5 minutes to combine, breaking the clumps of rice as you go with your spatula.
  5. Once everything is coated in the sauce, add the bean sprouts and top with 1 TBLS Spicy Chili Crisp (optional). Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until they have slightly softened and combined with the rice . Season with more black pepper and white pepper to taste and continue stir-frying.
  6. Add the crispy tofu and and continue stir-frying until everything in the wok is  combined – about 2-3 minutes.
  7. Sprinkle 2/3 of the spring onion greens over the rice and give everything a good stir until they are well distributed. Cook for 2-3 more minutes, then turn off the heat and transfer to a dish (or bowls).
  8. To Serve: Garnish with the remainder spring onion greens and serve with more chili oil on the side if desired.

Notes

  1. This fried rice will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. So this is a great recipe for all my meal prep aficionados out there! 😉
  2. Feel free to customize the veggies and add your favorites! Some fried rice friendly veggies suggestions I have are peas, diced bell peppers, green leafy Chinese vegetables like bok choy or choy sum, and broccoli. But don’t feel limited to just these veggies! Get creative and/or just use what you have on hand! 😊
  3. Recipe inspired by Seonkyoung Longest.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thatspicychick.com/crispy-tofu-spicy-fried-rice/