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    Home » Tofu » Mapo Tofu Recipe

    Mapo Tofu Recipe

    Published: Aug 4, 2020 Modified: Mar 13, 2023 by Tracy O.This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Delicious and flavorful mapo doufu dish is a classic and signature Sichuan Chinese cuisine. Also, it is best to serve with rice and hot & sour soup for lunch or dinner. If you like tofu, you can check out these crispy teriyaki tofu, bean curd pudding, miso soup and kimchi tofu soup. Let's learn how to make this quick, flavorful and authentic Chinese mapo tofu recipe for your meals with detailed photo instructions and a video.

    Like Chinese food? Check out these steamed pork patty, hairy gourd vermicelli, steamed shrimp, tomato eggs, congee, pork knuckles & ginger stew, steamed spare ribs, lo mai gai recipes.

    Chinese Mapo tofu dish top view

    What is mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐)?

    Mapo tofu is a popular and classic Sichuan Chinese dish. "Ma" stands for "ma-zi" (麻子) which means pockmarks. "Po" means "popo" (婆婆) which means an old woman or grandma. Literally translated as "pockmarked grandma's bean curd".

    Also, it is made with tofu, ground pork or beef, fermented broad bean paste and Sichuan peppercorns which give the dish its signature numbing and spicy flavor. Besides, the dish is often garnished with chopped scallions and served with steamed rice.

    Different areas in China make mapo tofu slightly different. Some make it very spicy and some less spicy that more suitable to people's taste. Like in Hong Kong people like to use garlic chili paste to make it less spicy and yet tasty. 

    What are the ingredients for a mapo doufu dish? 

    Normally, it consists of spicy sauce, tofu (doufu) and minced meat. Typically, a mapo tofu dish uses douban (fermented broad bean and chili paste) and douchi (fermented black beans) with minced meat, pork or beef and tofu.

    Sichuan ma po tofu is very spicy, hot, numbing, aromatic and tender. However, in this mapo tofu recipe, I use simple ingredients and cook in a way that my family can handle the spiciness yet very delicious and flavorful. The main ingredients are: ground pork, tofu, homemade chili oil , garlic and green onion. 

    Chinese ma po doufu ingredients

    Cooking tips for how to make mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐):

    • Add ½ tablespoon of homemade chili oil at a time, depending on how spicy you can tolerate it. Personally, I like to use 1.5 tablespoons of chili oil because this is how spicy my family can handle.
    • I like to use this homemade Sichuan chili oil because it is very aromatic, so it gives a good flavor to the meat and tofu.
    • We like soft tofu because it is smooth and soft. On the other hand, some people like to use medium firm or firm.
    • If you use soft tofu, I suggest not to stir-fry too hard with the pork and add tofu last.

    FAQs:

    What does tofu taste like?


    Doufu (tofu) has a bland taste. I would say pretty much no taste at all. It usually cooks with something and the sauce has strong flavors like crispy teriyaki tofu. 

    What kind of tofu do you use?

    Personally, I like to use soft tofu for mapo doufu, miso soup and kimchi tofu soup because of the smooth and silky texture. However, you can use medium firm or firm tofu if you cannot find any soft tofu around.

    How spicy is this mapo doufu dish?

    This ma po tofu recipe is not too spicy. It is more mild-medium. You can adjust the amount of homemade chili oil according to your spiciness.

    Can I use other meats?

    Normally, mapo tofu uses pork. But, you can use ground chicken or beef.

    Instructions for how to make Chinese mapo tofu:

    minced garlic on chopping board

    Preparation: 

    1. Minced 4 cloves of garlic.

    cut green onion on chopping board

    2. Cut 3 sticks of green onion. 

    tofu cut into cubes on a plate

    3. Cut a block of soft tofu (19 oz) into cubes and set them aside.

    sitr fry garlic in a pan

    Cooking:

    4. Add ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil into a non-stick pan. After that, turn on the heat to medium high and stir fry minced garlic a little bit. 

    ground pork with stir fried minced garlic in a pan

    5. Next, add ½ pound of ground pork and stir fry or loose up ground pork. 

    stir fry ground pork with sauce

    6. The following, add ¼ teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1.5 tablespoons of homemade chili oil, ½ cup of water and keep stir fried until the pork is cooked. 

    cornstarch mixture

    7. In a small container, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water. 

    stir fried ground pork with sauce in a pan

    8. After, pour cornstarch mixture with the pork and keep stir frying until the sauce is thickened. 

    Chinese mapo tofu add with the pork in a pan

    9. Lastly, add cut tofu and be gentle. Do not stir too hard because the soft tofu will break easily and cook it for a minute.

    sprinkle green onion on Chinese mapo tofu in a pan

    10. Top with green onion from step 2 and ready to serve.

    authentic Chinese mapo tofu on a sliver spoon

    Enjoy this simple, easy and delicious mapo tofu recipe! Also, check out these claypot rice, lobster yee mein, Korean jajangmyeon, Chinese eggplant and pork, ma yi shang shu, kung pao chicken recipes.

    YOU MAY ALSO LIKE THESE RECIPES:

    • SWEET AND SOUR PORK
    • SOY SAUCE CHICKEN
    • AUTHENTIC BEEF AND BROCCOLI
    • CHILI GARLIC SHRIMP

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    mapo tofu scoop on a sliver spoon

    Ma Po Tofu (麻婆豆腐)

    Ma Po Tofu is a popular Chinese dish from Sichuan province, China. It consists of spicy sauce, tofu and minced meat.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 156kcal
    Author: Tracy O.

    Video

    Ingredients

    • ½ pound Ground pork
    • 1 block Soft Tofu (19 oz)
    • 3 sticks Green onion
    • 4 cloves Garlic
    • ½ tablespoon Vegetable oil
    • 1 tablespoon Soy sauce
    • ¼ teaspoon Salt
    • 2 tablespoons Oyster sauce
    • 1 teaspoon Sugar
    • 1.5 tablespoons Chili oil homemade Sichuan style
    • ½ cup Water

    THICKEN SAUCE:

    • 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
    • 1 tablespoon Water

    Instructions

    • Minced 4 cloves of garlic.
    • Cut 3 sticks of green onion. 
    • Cut a block of soft tofu (19 oz) into cubes and set them aside.
    • Add ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil into a non-stick pan. After that, turn on the heat to medium high and stir fry minced garlic a little bit. 
    • Next, add ½ pound of ground pork and stir fry or loose up ground pork. 
    • The following, add ¼ teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1.5 tablespoons of chili oil (homemade), ½ cup of water and keep stir fried until the pork is cooked. 
    • In a small container, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water. 
    • After, pour cornstarch mixture with the pork and keep stir frying until the sauce is thickened. 
    • Lastly, add cut tofu and be gentle. Do not stir too hard because the soft tofu will break easily and cook it for a minute.
    • Top with green onion from step 2 and ready to serve.

    Notes

    Cooking tips for mapo doufu (麻婆豆腐):

    • Add ½ tablespoon of homemade chili oil at a time, depending on how spicy you can tolerate it. Personally, I like to use 1.5 tablespoons of chili oil because this is how spicy my family can handle.
    • I like to use this homemade Sichuan chili oil because it is very aromatic, so it gives a good flavor to the meat and tofu.
    • We like soft tofu because it is smooth and soft. On the other hand, some people like to use medium firm or firm.
    • If you use soft tofu, I suggest not to stir fried too hard with the pork and add tofu last.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 451mg | Potassium: 128mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.5mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @OhMyFoodRecipes or tag #OhMyFoodRecipes!

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