Korean Tofu in Teriyaki Sauce with Sesame Recipe
A simple, homemade way to bring Korean and Japanese flavors together on one plate: crispy tofu in a sticky, sweet-salty sauce, sprinkled with sesame seeds and scallions. In Korea, dishes like this often appear as one of many small side plates on the table, but it can easily take the lead role here. It tastes a bit like a lighter version of chicken in sauce, only completely plant-based.
Crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside tofu coated in a glossy teriyaki-style sauce gives you all the comfort of a takeout favorite in a lighter, fully plant-based version that’s easy to make at home.
Chef's tips
Don’t rush the frying stage: let the tofu get nicely golden on each side so it stays pleasantly firm in the sauce. If your pan is small, fry in batches rather than overcrowding it. Taste the sauce before adding the tofu and adjust the balance with a bit more sugar, soy sauce or vinegar to suit your preference.
How to serve
Serve in bowls with a generous portion of hot rice, topped with tofu, extra sesame seeds and scallions. Add quick sides like kimchi, pickled vegetables or a simple cucumber salad to create a more Korean-style spread.
Ingredients
- tofu firm, well drained - 400 g
- potato starch can also use potato flour - 3 tablespoons
- vegetable oil for frying - 3 tablespoons
- soy sauce preferably light - 4 tablespoons
- water - 4 tablespoons
- sugar you can use brown sugar - 1.5 tablespoons
- garlic finely chopped or grated - 2 cloves
- ginger freshly grated, slightly heaped - 1 tablespoon
- rice vinegar or lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
- sesame oil for aroma, not for frying - 1 tablespoon
- sesame seeds toasted in a dry pan - 2 tablespoons
- scallions chopped, for sprinkling - 3 tablespoons
- rice cooked, for serving (about 1.5 cups dry for 3 portions) - 240 g
Preparation
- Remove the tofu from the package, wrap it in paper towel and gently press with your hand to get rid of excess water. Cut into cubes about 2 cm on each side.
- Transfer the tofu cubes to a bowl, sprinkle with potato starch and gently mix with your hands until each cube is evenly coated in a thin layer of starch.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Arrange the tofu in a single layer and fry for 3–4 minutes on each side, until golden and slightly crispy. Add the remaining oil if needed. Transfer the fried tofu to a plate.
- In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, sugar, grated garlic, grated ginger and rice vinegar. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
- In the same pan, pour in the prepared sauce, set over medium heat and cook for 2–3 minutes, until it starts to thicken slightly and become glossy.
- Add the fried tofu to the sauce and gently stir for 1–2 minutes, until all the cubes are coated in the sauce and it thickens a bit more.
- Remove the pan from the heat, pour in the sesame oil and mix. Sprinkle the tofu with toasted sesame seeds and scallions.
- Serve immediately with hot rice, drizzling it with a little sauce from the pan.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
This is one of those weeknight recipes that feels like a treat but comes together with pantry staples. Once you get the hang of the sauce, you can easily adapt it to whatever vegetables or proteins you have on hand.
