Mapo Tofu Recipe

We're cooking up some Sichuan cuisine in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen tonight, my friends. Care to join me?

If you are a spicy food lover, Sichuan cooking is ideal for exploration. In fact, Sichuan cuisine is characterized by big, bold flavors with pungent spice, lots of spicy chili peppers and unique flavors.

This particular dish is called Mapo Tofu, and I believe it may become one of your new favorites, even if you aren't a fan of tofu. 

What is Mapo Tofu? Mapo Tofu is a Sichuan dish made with tofu and ground beef or pork simmered in a spicy sauce made from chili-bean paste and wonderful seasonings. You will find variations within the Sichuan region itself as well as other areas and Chinese restaurants that have adopted the dish, like Korean, Japan, and America.

The term "mapo" means "pockmarked old woman", referring to the creator of the dish.

I personally love it for its spicy warmth and heavy use of Chinese doubanjiang, which always has a place in my kitchen. It's so full of flavor and easy to work with. As mentioned, there are different ways to make it, but this is how I like to make mine, with some added heat and spicy factor.

Let's talk about how we make Mapo Tofu, shall we?

Mapo Tofu Ingredients

• Tofu. I prefer very firm tofu for this recipe, though soft or silken tofu is often used. Use your preferred consistency.
• Oil for Cooking. Peanut oil is good here. Or use vegetable oil or chili oil for more heat factor.
• Ground Pork or Ground Beef. I am using ground pork, though ground beef is often used.
• Doubanjiang. Doubanjiang is a Chinese chili bean paste made from fermented soybeans, broad beans, and hot peppers. It is also called Toban Djan, spicy bean paste or broad bean chili sauce. Learn more about doubanjiang.
• Hot Peppers. Use Chinese hot peppers if you can obtain them, like the Chao Tian Jiao, or "Facing Heaven Pepper", or use whatever is available to you. Serrano peppers are great here, or bird's eye peppers.
• Other Vegetables. Green onion or scallions, garlic, ginger.
• Chinese 5 Spice. Optional, for a bit more flavor. I love it.
• Chicken Stock. Or you can use water, for simmering.
• Soy Sauce. Use your favorite. But light soy sauce is more commonly used.
• Corn Starch Slurry. For thickening your sauce.
• For Serving. Sichuan peppercorns (freshly ground), sesame oil, spicy chili flakes, chopped scallions or other chopped fresh herbs, steamed rice if desired.

How to Make Mapo Tofu - the Recipe Method

Boil the Tofu. Bring a small pot of water to a boil with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Then, add the cubed tofu and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Blanching the tofu relaxes and seasons the tofu, making it more supple. Boil a bit longer and the outer edges will firm up a bit. In fact, you can skip this step if you wish.

Thicken the Sauce. Stir the cornstarch with the water to form a slurry. Then, pour the slurry into the simmering sauce and gently stir. The sauce will thicken up quickly.

Garnish and Serve. Sprinkle with ground Sichuan peppercorns to taste, drizzle with sesame oil, and garnish with scallions and extra chili flakes. Finally, serve the mapo tofu over steamed rice, if desired. Sichuan pepper is unique and very flavorful.

Storage & Leftovers

Storing your Mapo Tofu in an airtight container in the fridge may allow you to store the leftovers for up to 3-4 days. In fact, to maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate the dish promptly.

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

• Mongolian Beef
• Szechuan Chicken with Homemade Szechuan Sauce
• Szechuan Beef
• Drunken Noodles
• Chinese Pepper Steak
• Cashew Chicken
• Spicy Chicken Fried Rice
• Spicy Ramen Noodles
• Dan Dan Noodles
• Teriyaki Shrimp Stir Fry
• Sichuan Dry-Fried Green Beans Recipe (Ganbian Sijidou)
• Shuizhu Yu (Boiled Fish In A Seething Sea Of Chilies)