Peanut Sauce Tofu at Home

This dish for Thai Peanut Sauce Tofu is a short and straightforward vegan stir fry with seared tofu and colorful vegetables, all covered in a from-scratch peanut sauce. Serve it with a side of rice for a complete meal that’s ready in less than 30 minutes!

This Peanut Sauce Tofu is an straightforward and SAVORY alternative to peanut chicken. You can make the tofu on its own OR make an entire meal out of it by pairing it with a grain and some veggies. A great busy-night dinner and meal prep option.

Like many popular Thai food recipes, this has a unique, welcome, complex flavor, with combinations of ingredients you won’t see in any other cuisine. Enjoy this unfussy Thai tofu with this from-scratch peanut sauce recipe when you have your next hankering for Thai food. You can make it in no time in your own kitchen and with plenty of flavor!

Why you’ll love this method

• Speedy & unfussy. If you multi task and make the sauce while the tofu and veggies are sautéing, you can have this dish on the table in only about 30 minutes. It’s reliable for those busy evenings when you get home late and don’t have much time to get dinner on the table.
• Especially savory. The peanut sauce that you make for this tofu is completely memorable. It has the dependable balance of sweet and savory, and it genuinely adds something special to the tofu and vegetables. The whole meal comes together with MAJOR deliciousness!
• Particularly satisfying. This tofu recipe is well-balanced and filling. The tofu is a great source of plant-based protein, we’ve got healthy fats from the peanut sauce, plenty of nutrients from the veggies and carbs from the rice.

Ingredients needed

This peanut sauce tofu recipe is simple, straightforward and (of course) TRULY flavorful! To make it all you’ll need is:

• Tofu. For reliable pan-fried tofu that absorbs all of the satisfying flavor from the sauce, you’ll want to press firm or extra-firm tofu. Here’s my guide to pressing tofu.
• Oil. For cooking the tofu.
• Vegetables. Broccoli, bell pepper and cabbage are sautéed and served along with the tofu and peanut sauce for plenty of veggie goodness.
• For the sauce. The satisfying sauce is a simple mix of peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, milk (or water), maple syrup, lime juice and fresh ginger.
• Optional for serving. This is deeply good served over rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion for a pop of color.

How for this method

This peanut sauce tofu recipe has so much flavor and is truly straightforward! Here’s the simple process, but for the full, printable recipe, reference the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

1. Prep the tofu. Drain and press the tofu and then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
2. Cook the veggies. In the same skillet, add in the bell pepper, broccoli, and cabbage. Sauté until the veggies begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Set aside.
3. Make the sauce. While the veggies are cooking, mix up the sauce by adding all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
4. Cook the tofu. In the same skillet, add in the tofu. Sauté for about 10 minutes, turning every few minutes, so that it gets golden brown on most of the sides. You can also cook the veggies and tofu in 2 separate skillets if you’d like the meal to be ready faster.
5. Add the sauce. Turning the heat down to low, pour half of the peanut sauce over the tofu and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. As desired, you can toss the veggies in the skillet as well but I like to serve them separately and simply drizzle some of the peanut sauce over the veggies.
6. Serve. Once everything is cooked, add the rice (or other grain) to a bowl, top with the tofu and vegetables, and an extra drizzle of peanut sauce. Garnish with chopped green onion and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Expert tips

• Instead of blending the sauce in a blender or food processor, you can simply whisk everything together, you simply need to finely mince the garlic and ginger before hand.
• We genuinely love fresh ginger in the sauce, but 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger may be substituted.
• To truly get a head start on dinner, make the rice ahead of time, or at least get it cooking before starting this dish. You can also make the peanut sauce up to 3 days before you plan to serve it.
• Looking to cut carbs? Serve your peanut tofu and veggies over cauliflower rice.

Frequently asked questions

Storage recommendations

Add any leftovers to an airtight container and place it in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Rewarm in a skillet on the stovetop or pop it in the microwave to reheat. Reheating tofu in the skillet will crisp it up the go-to.

More tofu recipes to try

Looking for more flavor-packed tofu recipes? Give these favs a try:

• Dependable Baked Tofu
• Tofu Tacos
• Cashew Tofu Stir Fry
• Tofu Caprese Skewers
• Straightforward Grilled Tofu
• Sheet Pan Tofu & Veggies
• Tofu Stir Fry
• Tofu Scramble