Crispy lemon pepper tofu is a restaurant-style dish that's packed with flavor. The vibrant, lemony sauce is slightly sweet and so addictive!
Recipe Snapshot
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
For the tofu:
- 12 ounces extra firm tofu (pressed for at least 15 minutes and then cubed or sliced as you like)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or tapioca starch)
- 2 teaspoons oil
For the sauce:
- 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce (or use tamari for gluten-free)
- 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon or more lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup (or another sweetener of choice)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 minced garlic cloves)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (mixed with 1/2 cup of water)
For garnish:
- chopped green onion, sesame seeds
Method
- Press and cube the tofu if you haven’t already. Add the cubed tofu to a bowl with salt & pepper and toss well. Sprinkle in the cornstarch and toss well to coat. If the tofu is still somewhat sticky then add a little bit more cornstarch (1-2 teaspoons at a time).
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Once hot, transfer the coated tofu to the skillet and cook for 6-9 minutes until golden on most edges.
- Move the tofu to one side of the skillet. Add the soy sauce, lemon juice, zest, maple syrup, garlic powder, black and white pepper, and salt. Mix well. (For variation, add 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or 1 dried red chili for heat)
- Add the cornstarch slurry and mix well. Once it starts to thicken, mix in the tofu and toss to coat. Taste and adjust salt and flavor. Switch off the heat and serve over cooked rice or quinoa.
Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note
Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.