Crispy Tofu with Spicy Brown Sauce and Mango Salsa
The cold weather continues to hang on here in Colorado, but this crispy tofu with spicy brown sauce and mango salsa is sure to transport you to a tropical place. Ok, maybe not, but these flavors will having you feeling warm and cozy. After all, what’s more tropical feeling than delicious and easy mango salsa? As an added bonus, this is a completely vegan recipe. Perfect any night of the week.
About this Crispy Tofu with Spicy Brown Sauce and Mango Salsa Recipe
This crispy tofu with spicy brown sauce and mango salsa recipe is packed with bright, delicious flavors and is completely vegan too. The spicy brown sauce tastes great with the sweet mango salsa. They completely compliment one another. Add the crispy tofu and crunchy crushed cashews and this is one well rounded meal. I guarantee that your family will be craving more.
Any leftover mango salsa can be used through the week in a variety of ways. Enjoy with tortilla chips or use it over grilled fish or chicken. This salsa is so delicious you’ll find plenty of ways to enjoy it.
How to Prep the Tofu
When prepping the crispy tofu, you’ll want to make sure you press out all of the moisture. Use paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to wrap the tofu and absorb an excess moisture. This will help the tofu to get crispy when it bakes. If you have a tofu press handy, that will work best. However, paper towels will work fine too. Cube the tofu into evenly sized pieces.
Combine the cornstarch, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl or on a plate. Gently toss the cubed tofu in the cornstarch mixture. Do not let the tofu sit in the cornstarch for too long as it will get pasty. Also, be sure to shake off any excess cornstarch before placing the breaded tofu on the prepared baking tray. Spray the tofu with olive oil cooking spray and bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees. Turn the tofu every 10 minutes so all sides get crispy. Spray it again with olive oil cooking spray half way through baking.
This recipe makes four light dinner servings or two heartier dinner servings. Please see below for the nutritional information.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Reheat tofu in the microwave until heated through. Looking for more vegan recipe ideas? Try my plant-based tofu parmesan or plant-based spicy tahini noodles with crispy tofu. Both are so good you’ll never know they’re vegan recipes.
Crispy Tofu with Spicy Brown Sauce and Mango Salsa
Ingredients
Crispy Tofu
- 1 block super firm tofu, press out the moisture
- ¼ cup cornstarch, for dusting the tofu
- salt, add to the cornstarch
- pepper, add to the cornstarch
- 1 cup rice, equals about 3 cups cooked
Spicy Brown Sauce
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil, or vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons ginger, fresh minced, remove the skin from the ginger first
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water, form a slurry
- ¼ – ½ cup vegetable stock, or water
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional, omit if you do not like spice
Mango Salsa
- 1 mango, pitted and diced small
- ½ cup strawberries, diced small – about 6-8 berries
- ½ cup red onion, diced small
- ½ medium jalapeno, seeded and diced small
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh squeezed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh squeezed
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced small
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons cashews, crushed into small pieces
Optional toppings:
- scallions
- toasted sesame seeds
- extra crushed cashews
Equipment
- 1 baking tray spray with olive oil cooking spray
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 non-stick saute pan
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Press any moisture out of the tofu using a kitchen towel or paper towels. Cube the tofu into bite-sized pieces.
- Grab a large mixing bowl, combine the cornstarch, salt and pepper. Toss the tofu cubes with the cornstarch mixture making sure all sides are well coated.Remove the tofu from the cornstarch mixture and shake off any excess cornstarch. If you leave the tofu in the cornstarch for too long, it will get pasty.
- Gently spray a baking tray with olive oil cooking spray and line the tofu cubes on the tray. Spray the tofu with olive oil cooking spray. Cook for 40 minutes, turning the tofu every 10 minutes to make sure each side gets crispy. You might need to spray the tofu cubes with a little more cooking spray halfway through this process.
- Prepare spicy brown sauce
- While the tofu is cooking begin making your spicy brown sauce.In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, low sodium soy sauce, light brown sugar, rice vinegar, vegetable stock, and cornstarch slurry. Mix well.
- Grab a sauce pan and place it over medium heat. Add the avocado oil. Once hot, add the garlic and minced ginger. Saute until fragrant and lightly browned.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the soy sauce mixture. Gently stir the sauce until everything is well combined and begins to thicken. If it gets too thick, simply add more veggie stock. Once it reaches your desired thickness, remove the sauce from the heat and set it aside. Toss the crispy tofu with the sauce making sure its well coated.
- Prepare mango salsa
- Grab a plastic or glass bowl that can be sealed.Combine the diced onion, jalapeno, strawberries, avocado, and mango in the bowl.
- Next, add the chopped fresh cilantro and the lemon and lime juice. Gently toss all of the ingredients together. Finally, add some crushed cashews on top. Set aside.
- Make your white rice. I use minute rice, so I cook mine in the microwave. But you can boil the rice according to the package as well.
- Assemble your dish
- Add rice to the bottom of the plate. Add some of the saucy crispy tofu. Top everything with the mango salsa, along with any other toppings. Examples include, extra crushed cashew, toasted sesame seeds and/or sliced scallions. Serve and ENJOY!
One Comment on “Crispy Tofu with Spicy Brown Sauce and Mango Salsa”
I made this twice and changed a couple things from the original recipe. I really liked it as written; but the second time I made it I was craving a sweet and sour chicken flavor. So I added about 1-2 Tablespoons of ketchup to the brown sauce and subbed pineapple instead of strawberries and it really hit the spot! I really liked making the crispy tofu in the oven; it really gave it a crunchy texture. This recipe is very healthy and satisfying!