Sometimes we just need to dig into a warm and comforting dish like mapo tofu, to warm you up. This is a classic dish with a spicy, mouth-numbingly savory sauce that coats tender ground meat and is loaded with seasoned silken tofu. This traditional Sichuan dish is filling and easy to make, but you just need to know exactly which ingredients to look for at your local Asian grocery store.
What is mapo tofu?
Mapo tofu is a Sichuan comfort dish full of silken tofu, savory ground meat, and spicy fermented chili sauce. Traditionally, mapo tofu is made with ground beef or pork, but we tried and loved it with turkey. Turkey is just as delicious and a bit leaner in fat if you have dietary restrictions, but of course feel free to use any meat you wish!
Mapo tofu is cooked in a wok to take advantage of the high-heat stir-frying technique, but we found that you don’t necessarily need this to make delicious mapo tofu. At the end of the day, mapo tofu is meant to be affordable, accessible, tasty, and filling.
Doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste)
Pixian (a district of Chengdu, China) doubanjiang is a savory, salty, and spicy fermented chili bean paste made with fermented fava beans, chilis, salt, and (sometimes) soybeans. Don’t mistake doubanjiang for everyday chili oil, chili paste, or its non-fermented spicy cousin, chili crisp. Doubanjiang has a more earthy flavor and a deep maroon color. There are other varieties of doubanjiang, but Pixian doubanjiang is best known for mapo tofu because it’s fermented for longer (at least 1 year) and has greater depth of flavor.
When trying to find Pixian doubanjiang at your local Asian grocery store, look for the words “broad bean paste” or “chili bean sauce” on the label or ingredients list. We used the Chuan Lao Hui brand from 99 Ranch, but there are other brands, such as Szechuan Flavor or Mala Market. Note that different brands of Pixian doubanjiang can have different fermentation times (3 months to 3+ years), so the flavor of your mapo tofu can change just by using a different brand.
Sichuan peppercorns
The Sichuan peppercorns in this dish offer that well-known mala (aka mouth-numbing) effect and give mapo tofu its spicy flavor. We prefer to toast the peppercorns in a pan and grind them fresh in a mortar and pestle to control the flavor. This is an extra step worth taking for a bright flavor profile, but you can also buy premade ground Sichuan peppercorns if you don’t have time.
When you buy Sichuan peppercorns, you’ll notice they have pinkish-red husks and are fragrant. Pick out any black seeds because they will give you a bitter consistency. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can also use a pepper grinder or coffee grinder.
Note that this recipe is very mild, and we only add one teaspoon to begin with. If you want more mala flavor, feel free to add more. You can also add it as a topping if you’re serving people with different spice-level preferences.
Ingredients in mapo tofu
Here’s an intro on what you need to make our version of mapo tofu:
- Pixian doubanjiang is a main ingredient and necessary in any style of mapo tofu. It’s made from fermented fava beans, chilis, soy beans, and salt. Don’t confuse this with chili oil paste in stores. We added more info above about how to find Pixian doubanjiang. We recommend taste-testing different brands to see which you prefer.
- Chili oil adds lots of heat and flavor to the mapo tofu, as you’ll see from the reddish, oily coating on top of the dish. You can make your own chili oil at home or use store-bought chili oil to make this disher easier.
- Silken tofu is one of the main proteins for mapo tofu. You’ll want to use silken or soft tofu for this recipe. Since it’s more delicate, we’ll blanch the tofu cubes in salted water to season and help keep their shape when cooking. Blanching tightens the outer layer of the tofu and prevents it from breaking down during stir-frying.
- Ground meat is the other protein in mapo tofu, and traditionally beef or pork is used in this recipe; however, we prefer ground turkey because it’s leaner in fat yet just as flavorful.
- Sichuan peppercorns give mapo tofu that famous mouth-numbingly hot characteristic. Toast fresh peppercorns in the pan and grind them fresh for the best pungent flavor. Since we’re a family with mild heat tolerance, we start with only one teaspoon as we cook; however, if you like spice, you can add more during cooking or as a topping afterward.
- Aromatics of garlic, ginger, and scallions complete the classic trio of Chinese cooking. We like to sauté these aromatics after the ground meat is caramelized to speed up rendering with less moisture in the pan.
- Extra seasonings like oyster sauce, roasted sesame oil, and sugar add some richness and sweetness to the overall flavor.
- Chicken stock is added to deglaze the pot and serve as a rich broth. You can also use other types on hand, but try to use unsalted or low-sodium stock to control the salinity of the mapo tofu.
- To chicken the mapo tofu, you’ll want to make a cornstarch slurry in the end. You can also use potato starch instead of cornstarch.
How make mapo tofu
- Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan, then grind them fresh to release more floral, brighter aromatics.
- Boil the tofu cubes in salted water for a couple of minutes to season and firm them up so they don’t fall apart in the stew as easily.
- Sear the ground meat in the pan. We prefer the crispy texture and caramelized flavor this adds to the meat.
- Add the aromatics after searing the meat to prevent excess liquid while searing. Season the meat and aromatics with the ground Sichuan peppercorns, Pixian doubanjiang, chili oil, and other seasonings to coat all the ingredients properly.
- Deglaze with the stock, then add the slurry to thicken the sauce. Make sure you do this without heat and simultaneously stirring to prevent lumps. Then bring the stew off the heat to activate the slurry until it reaches a thicker consistency.
- We like to finish off our mapo tofu with a drizzle of roasted sesame oil and more green onions over rice.
Making ahead & storage
Mapo tofu is an easy meal prep dish because it’s easy to whip up during the week and easy to heat up in the microwave over rice. We almost prefer mapo tofu leftovers because the flavors marry together, especially the tofu. There’s also a good amount of protein in this dish!
Mapo Tofu
Ingredients
Fresh ground peppercorn
- 2 tsp dried Sichuan peppercorns
Tofu
- 3 c water
- 1 tbsp kosher salt Diamond Crystal brand
- 7 oz silken tofu cut into ½ inch cubes
Meat and aromatics
- 2 tbsp neutral oil split in half
- 8 oz ground turkey
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 3 white scallions sliced thinly
- 1 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorn powder from above
Seasonings
- 2 tbsp chili oil
- 1 tbsp Pixian doubanjiang fermented broad bean sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- ¼ tsp sugar
- ⅔ c chicken stock unsalted or low-sodium
Slurry
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp water
Topping
- ¼ tsp roasted sesame oil
- 3 scallion greens sliced thinly
Equipment Used
- measuring cups and spoons
- knife and cutting board
- saute pan
- small pot
- Strainer
- mortar and pestle food processor
- spatula
Instructions
Fresh ground peppercorn
- Pick the 2 tsp dried Sichuan peppercorns with pink husks and remove any bitter black centers.
- In a saute pan over medium heat, add peppercorns.
- Stir and toast the peppercorns until you begin to see light smoke rise from the berries and they are fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer the toasted berries into a mortar (or food processor) and process until they are powder consistency. Set aside.
Tofu
- In a small pot over medium-high heat, add the 3 c water and 1 tbsp kosher salt. Bring to a boil.
- Gently put the 7 oz silken tofu into the water and cook for 2 minutes.
- Strain the tofu and set aside.
Assembly
- In a medium saute pan over high heat, preheat half of the 2 tbsp neutral oil.
- Add the 8 oz ground turkey and saute until the meat is fully browned and crispy, about 7-10 minutes. There shouldn’t be any liquid in the pan when it’s finished.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tbsp neutral oil. Add the 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp minced ginger, and 3 white scallions sliced thinly. Stir to combine and cook until the aromatics are fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Sprinkle on the fresh 1 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorn powder and stir to combine.
- Add the seasonings into the pan: 2 tbsp chili oil, 1 tbsp Pixian doubanjiang, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, and ¼ tsp sugar. Stir thoroughly to make sure all the meat and aromatics are covered.
- Add the ⅔ c chicken stock and deglaze the pan with a spoon or spatula.
- Taste test the stew at this point for any adjustments. If you want to add more spice, add more chili oil (in 1 tbsp increments) or ground peppercorns (in ¼ tsp increments). If you want more salt, add a pinch of kosher salt (⅛ tsp). If the mapo tofu is too salty, add more chicken stock (1-2 tbsp at a time).
- On the side, whisk together the 1 tsp cornstarch and 1 tbsp water until it’s smooth. Remove the sauté pan from the heat and slowly pour in the cornstarch slurry, stirring consistently to prevent clumping. Place the pan back onto the stove over medium heat.
- Gently add the seasoned tofu to the pan and stir. Continue simmering for another 2-3 minutes to allow the tofu to heat and the slurry to thicken the stew.
- Drizzle with ¼ tsp roasted sesame oil and top with thinly sliced 3 scallion greens. Serve with rice.
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