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Finished Mapo Tofu Recipe in a blue bowl with silken tofu in red sauce and scallions.
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Mapo Tofu Recipe

This easy mapo tofu takes 25 minutes in one pan. Silken tofu and ground pork in a numbing, chili-laced doubanjiang sauce over rice.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • 14 oz silken tofu cut into rough chunks
  • 8 oz ground pork or chicken
  • Neutral oil for cooking
  • 8 dried chilies
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp grated ginger
  • 1 tsp Sichuan pepper powder

For the Sauce

  • 2 tbsp spicy bean paste (doubanjiang)
  • ½ tsp MSG
  • 1 cup water

For the Slurry

  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp cold water

Optional Garnish

Instructions

  • Slice the silken tofu into rough chunks and set to the side.
  • Heat a pan over medium heat with a bit of oil. Add the dried chilies and toast for 30 seconds, then remove just the chilies and set them aside.
  • In the same oil, add the minced garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant. Add the ground pork and cook until mostly browned.
  • Add the Sichuan pepper powder and mix it into the meat.
  • Add the spicy bean paste, MSG, and water, and bring everything to a simmer.
  • Add the tofu along with the cornstarch slurry and the toasted chilies, stirring gently so the tofu stays in chunks. Remove from the heat once the sauce has thickened.
  • Serve over a fresh bowl of rice. Optionally garnish with more chili oil and scallions. But it's your food, you eat it how you like.

Video

Notes

  • Handle the silken tofu gently and fold rather than stir, or it will break apart.
  • Blanching the tofu briefly in salted water first firms it slightly and removes any raw, beany flavor. Optional but worth trying.
  • Bloom the chilies, Sichuan pepper and bean paste in the oil before adding liquid — that’s where the depth comes from.
  • Add the slurry gradually so you can control how thick the sauce gets.
  • Bean pastes vary a lot by brand, so taste before serving.