Gochujang Tofu (Spicy Vegan Korean Crispy Tofu)

When you are in need of some bold flavours, look no further than Korean cuisine! This Spicy Gochujang Tofu recipe will exhilarate your tastebuds to the maximum and leave nothing to be desired! Naturally vegan, this Korean Tofu dish is not for the faint-hearted though: crispy fried tofu is covered in extremely tasty gochujang sauce that is spicy, salty, umami and a little bit smoky.

Complex, yet extremely delicious tofu with gochujang is a prime example of Korean cooking that you can easily recreate at home no matter where in the world you are!

Jump to:

• Why You Will Love This Recipe
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• But What Is Gochujang?
• Step-by-Step Method
• Watch How To Make It
• Tips & Tricks For The Best Gochujang Tofu
• Recipe FAQs
• What To Serve With Tofu With Gochujang?
• Reader Review
• Other Delicious Tofu Recipes
• What Else To Use Spicy Gochujang Paste For?
• Gochujang Tofu (Korean-Style Crispy Tofu Recipe)

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Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Korean dishes have been sweeping the world with their popularity in the recent decade, including Bulgogi, Korean Cucumber Salad, Bibimbap and Bokkeumbap, and this Gochujang Tofu is another must-try spicy food on everybody's list.
• An absolute delight for spicy food lovers!
• Tofu with Gochujang is an extremely quick recipe and will only require 20 minutes of hands-on time.

Ingredients and Substitutes

There are two elements to this flavoursome dish: crispy tofu and spicy gochujang sauce. 

For Pan-Fried Tofu Cubes

• tofu: firm or extra-firm tofu work best in this recipe. The texture of the tofu is very important in this recipe so silken tofu will not work here.
• cornflour: also known as corn starch. It can be substituted with potato starch too.
• chilli powder: if you can, use gochugaru (Korean chilli powder), but cayenne pepper or your typical chilli powder will work very well too. 
• oil: choose odourless oil suitable for frying, like vegetable oil. 

For Spicy Sauce

• gochujang: a spicy Korean fermented chilli paste, which is an essential ingredient in this recipe. 
• minced garlic.
• minced ginger.
• brown sugar: brown sugar can be substituted with 2 tablespoon of agave nectar, maple syrup or even clear honey if you're not cooking for vegans.
• soy sauce: or tamari (gluten-free). 
• sesame oil: we used toasted sesame oil. 
• tomato paste: also known as concentrated tomato puree.
• rice vinegar: can be replaced with white wine or apple cider vinegar. 
• cornflour: also known as cornstarch. 

You may also want to garnish your tofu rice bowls with some sesame seeds and green onions. 

Find all the ingredient quantities and full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. 

But What Is Gochujang?

Gochujang is a Korean red chili paste, typically made with chillies, fermented soybeans, rice and salt. It has fiery heat and mild sweetness that arises in the fermentation process, and most importantly that irresistible umami flavour. You can source this spicy fermented condiment in many large UK supermarkets (Asda and Waitrose have it).

Alternatively, you can buy both on Amazon or Sous Chef or visit your local Korean markets or local Asian market / food shops.

And if you have lots of leftover Gochyjang, don't hesitate to make Creamy Gochujang Pasta and Bokkeumbap next!

Step-by-Step Method

There are two main steps to making this spicy tofu recipe: making pan-fried crispy tofu and making the gochujang sauce.

How To Make Crispy Tofu?

There are many different types of tofu to choose from, but for this recipe, we need the firm or extra firm type. At least half an hour before you start cooking, take the block of tofu out of the fridge and drain it. If you want your tofu crispy with a firm texture, you will need to press tofu first.

Wrap in a clean tea towel and place something heavy on top: you can use a large skillet (or any other heavy pan), a chopping board with lots of cans on top or a bunch of books. Doing this ensures any excess water is pressed out.

In a large bowl, mix 3 tablespoon of cornflour with a generous pinch of salt and chilli powder.

After 30 minutes of pressing your tofu, cut it into small pieces (or you can break it up with your hands into uneven pieces) and tip them into the cornflour mixture. Make sure to cover all the tofu pieces thoroughly.

Heat oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the coated tofu pieces and stir fry for 5-6 minutes, or until browned and crispy.

Using a slotted spoon or a fish slice, take the crispy tofu out of the pan and onto a plate lined with paper towels. It will absorb any excess oil.

We use this method in our Teriyaki Tofu Poke Bowl recipe too!

How To Make Spicy Gochujang Sauce?

Gather all the sauce ingredients together. Heat sesame oil on low heat, add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for a minute, but don't let them brown too much.

Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, tomato puree and gochujang and stir the sauce until the sugar dissolves.

In a small bowl, mix a teaspoon of cornflour with 5 tablespoons of water. Pour the mixture into the pan with the sauce and stir.

Simmer on medium heat, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens to the right consistency to coat the tofu well (it will take up to 1 minute, as the sauce is relatively thick). 

Add the crispy tofu to the sauce and stir for 1-2 minutes to coat and warm through.

Scatter sesame seeds and spring onion on top and serve with your favourite side dishes (suggestions below). And here you have it - Gochujang Korean Tofu!

Watch How To Make It

Recipe FAQs

What To Serve With Tofu With Gochujang?

Korean Gochujang Tofu is best served with short-grain white rice for the most authentic experience. The varieties of glutinous rice are the most popular choice in Korean cuisine. However, it can be replaced with short-grain brown rice or even your ordinary long-grain rice. 

You can also add Crispy Spicy Tofu to Buddha-style rice bowls. 

Alternatively, try this Korean dish with rice or egg noodles, and you can even put some stir-fried vegetables through it. 

This Gochujang Tofu recipe can also benefit from a lovely green side dish. Some of our favourites include: 

• Chargrilled Pak Choi
• Korean Cucumber Salad
• Stir-fry veggies

Other Delicious Tofu Recipes

If you love tofu at least half as much as we do, we are sure you will enjoy some of the delicious recipes below:

What Else To Use Spicy Gochujang Paste For?

You will likely have a lot of gochujang paste left (they normally come packaged in big tubs), so put it to good use, and make some more delicious Korean cuisine-inspired recipes:

• No-Fuss Vegetarian Bibimbap
• Bokkeumbap (Korean Fried Rice)