Tofu isn’t just for vegetarians. If you love spicy food that brings a kick of heat, this easy Mapo Tofu recipe is the perfect glow-up to boring tofu! The chili-infused sauce with tingling-numbing Sichuan peppercorns and delicious bits of ground meat BEGS to be devoured over hot steamy rice. It’s a 30-minute low-effort meal that’ll have you never looking at tofu the same way again!

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🎥 Watch How to Make Mapo Tofu

What is Mapo Tofu?
Sichuan Mapo Tofu is a hearty Chinese dish with morsels of ground meat swimming in a spicy mapo tofu sauce made with chilies and fermented chili bean sauce. The creamy silky tofu helps cool your mouth from the spicy chilies and mouth-numbing effect of the Sichuan peppercorns. It's comforting while keeping you on your toes!
Don’t want to skip this easy Mapo Tofu recipe if you love spicy food! It practically BEGS to be devoured over hot steamy rice and hits the dinner table in 30 minutes or less!
🥘 Mapo Tofu Ingredients
- Soft or Silken Tofu is my favorite for ma po tofu because its delicate silky smooth texture deliciously contrasts the punchy spicy flavors of the chilies! Firm or medium-firm tofu works too if you prefer tofu that holds its shape well and has a “meatier” texture.
- Ground Meat: Usually ground pork is used, but any of your fave ground meat will do. You are the master chef of your kitchen, so use ground chicken, turkey, or more crumbled firm tofu if you prefer!
- Doubanjiang aka Toban Djan is a Chinese chili bean paste and a key ingredient of Chinese mapo tofu - so this can’t be skipped or substituted! Luckily, you can easily find it online or in local Asian markets.
- Dark Soy Sauce adds a deep rich color to the dish. Unlike regular soy sauce that’s primarily used for its flavor, dark soy sauce is used for the color it gives. You can skip it but just keep in mind, your mapo tofu will be lighter in color
- Szechuan Peppercorns are also a unique ingredient that has no other substitute because it give a tingly numbing feeling in your mouth like no other ingredient! If you haven’t had it before, start with a little and you can always add more. But if you add too much, it’ll give a VERY intense floral flavor that’s hard to mask.
- Oyster Sauce is sweet, salty, and umami all in one! Lee Kum Kee is my fave brand & easy to find in any local Asian market.
- Sesame Oil is a finishing oil for a subtly nutty flavor to your dish. A little goes a long way!
- Chicken Boullion: Instead of chicken stock, I like to use chicken bouillon because I ALWAYS have it in the pantry and it has a long shelf life!
See recipe card for quantities.
🔪 How to Make Mapo Tofu

Step 1: Cook Aromatics. Create the base seasoning of the ma po tofu by infusing the oil with aromatics. Heat the oil in a large pan on medium-low heat then add the garlic, ginger, and whites of green onions. Cook it for 1-2 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Lower the temperature if you notice they’re starting to brown.
Add the dried chilies and saute for a few more seconds and again, keep a close eye because they burn easily!

Step 2: Cook Meat. Increase the heat to medium-high then add the ground meat. Break up chunks of meat then cook for 3-5 minutes or until the fat has rendered and all the excess moisture has evaporated. Take the extra time to brown the meat and cook until crispy for extra flavor!

Step 3: Add Seasonings. Add the doubanjiang and combine until the meat is well coated in the chili bean sauce. Cook it for a few seconds to allow its sugars to caramelize, then stir in the oyster sauce, ground Szechuan peppercorns, chicken bouillon, sugar, & dark soy sauce. Cook for a few more seconds or until pork is well coated in the seasonings.

Step 4: Simmer. Pour in the water and bring to a simmer. Then, pour in the cornstarch slurry while continuously stirring. It’ll take a couple minutes to thicken then you can adjust to your preference. Add more water if you prefer the sauce thinner, but keep in mind it’ll also dilute the flavor. If you want the sauce thicker, add more cornstarch slurry and keep in mind it’ll continue to thicken as you cook it.

Step 5: Add Tofu. Gently add in the tofu, drizzle on sesame oil, and very carefully stir so the tofu doesn’t get smashed. Once the tofu has warmed, sprinkle on green onions and serve with freshly steamed white rice. Enjoy!
👩🏽🍳 Key Tips for This Easy Mapo Tofu Recipe
- Infuse the Oil with Aromatics Low & Slow. Keep a close eye on the aromatics and cook them at a low temperature so you extract as much flavor as possible without burning. If you burn the garlic, you have to start over because it’s super pungent & overpowering.
- Stir Gently When Mixing Tofu, especially when using the soft tofu. It’s SUPER delicate and easy to crush, so mix it as gently and minimally as possible.
- Adjust the Sauce Consistency to Your Preference by adding more water if the mapo sauce is too thick. If you like the sauce thicker, add more cornstarch slurry, but keep in mind the slurry will thicken the sauce the longer you cook it, so wait a few minutes before adding more.

💭 Recipe FAQs
Leftover mapo tofu keeps well in the fridge & tastes even better the longer it sits! Keep for up to 4 days.
Reheat it in the microwave until warm and enjoy with hot steamy rice.
If you’re using soft or silken tofu, it’s best not to because it’s too delicate and could end up smashed. If you’re using firm or medium-firm tofu, gently press excess moisture out of the tofu so it absorbs more of the sauce.
The easiest way to do this is to lay the tofu in a single layer between layers of paper towels. Then, place a heavy object like a wooden cutting board, baking tray, or pan on top to help release excess moisture while prepping the rest of the ingredients.
This easy mapo tofu sauce is made of browned ground meat, Doubanjiang, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, Szechuan peppercorns, sugar, chicken bouillon, and sesame oil. To thicken the sauce, a cornstarch slurry is mixed in at the end to your desired consistency!
Mapo tofu is traced back to 1862 by an elderly woman in China, Mrs. Chen, who had a pock-marked face. She ran a restaurant and was given the nickname mapo. “Ma” means pockmark and “po” means old woman or grandma.
Even though this wasn’t the most endearing name, her spicy tofu dish became so popular and eventually became a signature dish!
🥗 What Goes Well with Mapo Tofu?
Sichuan Mapo Tofu is typically served over white rice, but if you want to do a more filling Asian Takeout at home, you can serve it with a comforting bowl of Wonton Soup or Hot & Sour Soup and a side of Eggplant Tofu Stir-Fry or Honey Walnut Shrimp!
Let's Get Cooking!
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Easy Mapo Tofu Recipe
Watch How to Make It!

Ingredients
AROMATICS:
- 4 tablespoons neutral oil*
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- ½ tablespoon ginger minced
- 3 green onions thinly sliced with whites & greens divided
- 7 dried chilies cut into 2-inch pieces
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 2 tablespoons toban jang Chinese chili bean paste
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- ½ - 1 teaspoon toasted ground Szechuan peppercorns*
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
- 2 ½ teaspoons sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 ¾ cup water
- 2½ teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water
- 14 oz silken tofu cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Instructions
- In a wok or large pan, heat 4 tablespoons of oil on medium low heat. Toss in garlic, ginger, & whites of green onions & cook for a few seconds or until fragrant. Add dried chili & cook for a few more seconds - make sure to keep a close eye so the chilies don’t burn.
- Turn high up to medium-high, then add in ground pork & cook for a few minutes, or until browned & cooked thorough.
- Add in toban jang Chinese chili bean paste & mix together with pork & cook for a few seconds to allow to slightly caramelize. Then, stir in oyster sauce, ground szechuan peppercorns, chicken bouillon, sugar, & dark soy sauce. Cook for a few more seconds or until pork is well coated in the seasonings.
- Pour in water & bring to a simmer. In the meanwhile, create a slurry by mixing cornstarch and water. Pour in the cornstarch slurry & continuously stir until it starts to thicken. If it becomes too thick, you can add more water.
- Add in tofu and very gently toss in the sauce, being careful not to break the tofu pieces. Finish with sesame oil & top with green onions, if desired. Serve it with hot rice & enjoy!
Notes
- Neutral Oil: I highly recommend using a neutral oil so it doesn't alter the flavor of the chili oil you create. My favorite is using grapeseed oil, but vegetable or canola oil would also work.
- Protein: For this recipe, I used ground turkey to make it leaner, however, alternatively you can use ground pork.
- Szechuan Peppercorns: If you haven’t tried Szechuan peppercorns before or are sensitive to spice, try starting with ½ tablespoon of Szechuan peppercorns first. You can always add more if you like it!
Nutrition
Exact calculations may vary. For the most accurate nutritional information, use your preferred nutrition calculator, actual ingredients, and quantities used for the recipe. Please consult with your physician or registered dietitian if more precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
Enrique
Yum!🤪