Crispy Fried Tofu with Garlic Sauce

Crispy fried tofu with garlic sauce, stuffed with Taiwanese sweet and sour pickled cabbage, THIS is the ultimate night market food you need to make this summer!

Today I am sharing my secret tips on making EXTRA CRISPY fried tofu as well as my savory, homemade garlic sauce. 

If you have been to Taiwan, you know about Taiwan’s famous stinky tofu.

I tried making it before at my house, and not going to lie, my house smelled terrible for seven days straight. I do not recommend frying fermented stinky tofu at home; even though it was delicious, I will just have stinky tofu whenever I am back in Taiwan.

However, I did work on a copycat recipe that resembles the famous stinky tofu with the same texture, identical sauce, and of course, the BEST homemade pickled cabbage. Give this recipe a try, because I PROMISE you will love it! 

The key to making EXTRA CRISPY Fried Tofu is letting the tofu rest in saltwater for at least 20 minutes.

Not only does this help draw out the water, which makes the tofu crispy, the salt also seasons the tofu as well. Stinky Tofu has a distinct texture where it is crispy on the outside but still juicy and soft on the inside. Letting it rest in saltwater and then coated with rice flour helps replicate the Stinky Tofu texture you find at night markets. 

The star of this Crispy Fried Tofu recipe is the savory homemade garlic sauce that’s drizzled on top.

All you need is vegetarian oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and freshly grated garlic. This sauce goes well with EVERYTHING, but especially on top of this crispy fried tofu, and sweet and sour cabbage, it completes the dish!

The sauce is the copycat garlic sauce you find at night market but 100x better. If you have any leftover sauce, drizzle on top of steamed vegetables, and you will thank me later! 

To get the authentic night market Stinky Tofu at home, make sure to make my Taiwanese Pickled Cabbage pair with the crispy fried tofu!

Don’t worry; the cabbage is super easy to make at home. I like to make the cabbage in bulk since it lasts in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. The pickled cabbage makes a fantastic side dish that goes well with everything. 

Do you want more Taiwanese Nightmarket recipes? Here are some of my go-to Taiwanese night market recipes that will bring you back to Taiwan! 

• Fried Chicken (Crispy and Light!)
• Taiwanese Honey Castella Sponge Cake (Fail-proof)
• Chicken Dumplings (SUPER JUICY)
• Taiwanese Black Pepper Steak Sauce (Nightmarket Style!)

Ingredients 

• 1 pack of Medium Firm Tofu (cut into 2-inch cubes) 
• 1 tbsp of Salt 
• 2 cups of Water 
• 1.5 cups of Rice Flour or corn starch  

Garlic Sauce 

• 6 cloves of Garlic (grated) 
• 2.5 tbsp of Vegetarian Oyster Sauce (the best vegetarian oyster sauce!)
• 1.5 tbsp of Soy Sauce 
• 2 tbsp of Sugar 

1. Soak the tofu in 1 tbsp of salt and 2 cups of water. Make sure all the tofu is soaked in the water for at least 20 minutes. 
2. In a bowl, mix freshly grated garlic, soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, and sugar. 
3. Gently pat dry the tofu, and coat the tofu in rice flour. Let the tofu rest in the rice flour for 5 minutes while you heat the oil. 
4. In a pan, add in oil, turn the heat up to medium-high. Once the oil is hot, add tofu and let it fry for 10 minutes until crispy and golden brown. 
5. Remove and set aside, optional but highly recommended, turn the heat up to high, and double fry for another 1-2 minutes to make it EXTRA crispy!
6. Make a hole in the tofu, stuff with homemade Taiwanese pickled cabbage, drizzle on the garlic sauce, garnish with cilantro and ENJOY!!! 

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Crispy fried tofu with garlic sauce

Crispy fried tofu with garlic sauce, stuffed with Taiwanese sweet and sour pickled cabbage, THIS is the ultimate night market food you need to make this summer! Today I am sharing my secret tips on making EXTRA CRISPY fried tofu as well as my savory, homemade garlic sauce. If you have been to Taiwan, you know about Taiwan’s famous stinky tofu. I tried making it before at my house, and not going to lie, my house smelled terrible for seven days straight. I do not recommend frying fermented stinky tofu at home; even though it was delicious, I will just have stinky tofu whenever I am back in Taiwan. However, I did work on a copycat recipe that resembles the famous stinky tofu with the same texture, identical sauce, and of course, the BEST homemade pickled cabbage. Give this recipe a try, because I PROMISE you will love it!

Prep Time20 mins

Active Time15 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Asian, Taiwanese

Keyword: Asian Food, Asian Recipes, Easy, Easy Recipes, Fried Tofu, Night market, Street Food, Taiwanese Food, Taiwanese Recipes, Tofu, VEGETARIAN, Vegetarian Recipes

Yield: 4 People

Materials

• 1 pack of Medium Firm Tofu cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 tbsp of Salt
• 2 cups of Water
• 1.5 cups of Rice Flour

Garlic Sauce

• 6 cloves of Garlic grated
• 2.5 tbsp of Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
• 1.5 tbsp of Soy Sauce
• 2 tbsp of Sugar

Instructions

• Soak the tofu in 1 tbsp of salt and 2 cups of water. Make sure all the tofu is soaked in the water for at least 20 minutes.
• In a bowl, mix freshly grated garlic, soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, and sugar.
• Gently pat dry the tofu, and coat the tofu in rice flour. Let the tofu rest in the rice flour for 5 minutes while you heat the oil.
• In a pan, add in oil, turn the heat up to medium-high. Once the oil is hot, add tofu and let it fry for 10 minutes until crispy and golden brown.
• Remove and set aside, optional but highly recommended, turn the heat up to high, and double fry for another 1-2 minutes to make it EXTRA crispy!
• Make a hole in the tofu, stuff with homemade Taiwanese pickled cabbage, drizzle on the garlic sauce, garnish with cilantro and ENJOY!!!

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