Salt and pepper tofu is a popular dish on the menu of many Chinese restaurants. It is easy to prepare and has a sharp and contracting flavor from chili, peppercorn, garlic, and ginger. The tofu soaks up all the delicious flavor from the seasonings like a blank canvas.

Note: Tofu is the direct translation of the Chinese words 豆腐. In some recipes, it is also called bean curd.

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How to prepare salt and pepper tofu

Here are the simple steps to prepare my salt and pepper tofu. I often use a combination of ginger, garlic, spring onions, and dried chili in my cooking, including this recipe. This combination is the base of many of my stir-fried dishes, which work like magic. Also, check out my General Tso chicken, which I use to create an excellent umami taste. 

1. Cut and fry the tofu

1. Place the tofu cubes on kitchen paper towels or a dry cloth to absorb as much water as possible.
2. If you are using silken tofu or soft tofu, you can harden it by removing the excess water and putting a heavy object on it. Place the tofu on a tabletop, cover it with a cloth, and put a cutting board on top. After half an hour, you will find lots of water released from the tofu.
3. Cut the tofu into half to one-inch cubes.
4. Coat the tofu with cornstarch and all-purpose flour, which helps absorb the water to form a crispy texture during frying. Wheat starch and potato starch are also suitable alternatives to cornstarch.
5. Heat some oil in a large frying pan to medium-high heat (180°C/355°F). You can measure it with a kitchen thermometer or place wooden chopsticks into the oil. The temperature is suitable for deep-frying the tofu when a constant stream of bubbles rises around the chopsticks.
6. Flip the tofu to the other side occasionally to ensure even cooking. Deep fry the tofu until golden brown.
7. Remove the fried tofu with a slotted spoon and drain in a colander to remove the excess oil.

I made this recipe again in 2024 with a slight improvement. Instead of coating the firm tofu with starch and flour, I pan-fried it in a nonstick pan. This method eliminates the need for coating the tofu and avoids deep-frying, making it simpler, using less oil, and healthier.

2. Prepare the aromatics

1. The tofu pieces are tossed in a mixture of spring onions, dry chilies, garlic, and ginger.
2. Cut the spring onions into small rings and coarsely chopped garlic and ginger.
3. Remove the dry chili seeds and cut them into a few short sections.

3. Prepare the salt and pepper mixture

1. Place the white peppercorns, cumin seeds, and Szechuan peppercorns in a pan without oil. Dry fry them over low heat until aromatic. (About 45 seconds).
2. Remove and let it cool, then ground it with a mortar and pestle or an electric spice grinder.
3. Let it pass through a fine sieve to remove the large particles if you prefer a fine texture.
4. Mix well with salt, and it is ready to use.

Note: Combine salt, ground cumin, white pepper, and Szechuan peppercorn to simplify. These items are commonly found in most Asean grocery stores.

4. Stir-fry the tofu

1. Heat some oil in the wok and saute the dried chili, spring onions, ginger, and garlic over low heat until aromatic.
2. Return the crispy tofu to the wok.
3. Sprinkle the ground pepper seasoning mixture abundantly into the wok, then thoroughly mix it with the tofu cubes. 
4. Finally, mix some sesame oil and light soy sauce with the tofu (optional). 
5. Garnish with spring onion rings and finely chopped red chili or red bell pepper. To serve, sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top.

The salt and pepper tofu is good to serve without a sauce. However, if you like, any chili sauce is a good choice as a dipping sauce for the tofu. I like to use the extra salt and pepper seasoning for dipping to accentuate the taste.

Tips for better results

1. The choice of tofu is individual, but using extra-firm tofu will make it easier to handle and less likely to break during cooking.
2. If you don’t have dried chili, substitute it with red chili flakes.
3. If you do not like the tongue-numbing mouthfeel, please substitute the white pepper with black pepper and omit the Szechuan peppercorn. However, the traditional Chinese salt and pepper combination usually includes Szechuan peppercorns.
4. The cumin seeds are also optional, and you can substitute a small amount of Chinese five-spice powder.
5. You can purchase the Szechuan peppercorn powder if you can’t get all the Szechuan peppercorns from the grocery store.

Other related Chinese food recipes for you:

• Braised Tofu With Vegetables – This recipe is an authentic home-cooked dish popular among Chinese households. It is braised in a clay pot, which adds an earthy aroma.
• Mapo Tofu has the bursting and mouth-numbing flavor you must try.
• Vegetable stir fry:  This stir-fry is one of the most popular recipes on this food blog.

Continue to Content

Salt and Pepper Tofu

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Salt and pepper tofu. It has a crispy exterior and a load of flavor from the savory seasoning. An authentic Chinese recipe.

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Ingredients

Ingredients A

• 4 pieces of firm tofu
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour

Ingredients B (seasoning)

• 1 tbsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp white peppercorns
• 1/2 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Ingredients C (aromatic)

• 1/2 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1/2 tbsp chopped ginger
• 1/2 tbsp chopped spring onion
• 1 dried chili, removed seeds, and cut into short sections

Ingredients D (garnish)

• Spring onion rings
• Chopped fresh red chili

Instructions

1. Place the tofu cubes on kitchen paper towels single layer to absorb as much water as 
2. Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes.
3. Coat the tofu with a mixture of cornstarch and all-purpose flour.
4. Heat some oil to medium-high heat (180°C/355°F). 
5. Deep fry the tofu until golden brown.
6. Remove the fried tofu and drain in a colander.
7. Place the white peppercorns, cumin seeds, and Szechuan peppercorns in a pan without oil. Dry fry them over low heat until aromatic.
8. Remove and let it cool, then ground it with a mortar and pestle.
9. Heat some oil in the wok and saute the dried chili, spring onions, ginger, and garlic over low heat until aromatic.
10. Return the crispy tofu into the wok.
11. Sprinkle the ground pepper seasoning mixture abundantly into the wok, then thoroughly mix it with the tofu cubes. 
12. Garnish with spring onion rings and some finely chopped red chili to serve.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 495Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 4973mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 33g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 4/6/2022