These little chunks of tofu are fried until golden and crisp, and coated in the most delicious Korean inspired BBQ sauce! This Korean BBQ tofu is gluten-free, easy to prepare and the perfect combination of spicy, sweet, tangy and crispy!
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS BBQ TOFU
This tofu is so crispy on the outside you can literally hear the crunch when you bite into it! The crispy, succulent tofu and the sticky, sweet and spicy Korean BBQ sauce makes the dreamiest combination! What’s even better is that you can prepare this sauce in advance and store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days, so you can use it as and when you need it.
THE KOREAN PEAR (BAE)
Have you tried bae? The only time I'll ever use the word 'bae' is when talking about food. Bae, also known as a Korean pear or apple pear is a large round fruit that is eaten raw or used as a sweetener in sauces and marinades. These pears are hard, crisp, sweet and slightly tart at the core. The bae is the star ingredient in this BBQ sauce, but if you're unable to find this pear you can use a sweet apple such as a Fuji apple as a substitute.
KOREAN BARBECUE SAUCE
This Korean barbecue sauce is a delicious flavour explosion and makes a great marinade for just about anything! If you’re not a fan of tofu you can use this sauce as a marinade for baked cauliflower wings or seitan pieces – it’ll be sure to add a flavour kick to any vegetable so you can get creative!
Serve this barbecue tofu with freshly cooked rice, noodles or some steamed broccoli for a hearty, easy and flavour-packed meal!
HOW TO MAKE KOREAN BBQ TOFU
STEP 1:
Press your tofu for at least 20 minutes - the longer you press the tofu, the crisper it will be. If you don’t have a tofu press you can put a clean tea towel on top of the tofu with a pot or book on top of it.
STEP 2:
To make the Korean BBQ sauce, start by finely grating the Korean pear and placing it in a medium sized saucepan along with the rice vinegar, tamari, gochugang, gochugaru, garlic, ginger, sugar, salt and pepper. Let it simmer on a medium heat for about 6 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
STEP 3:
Once the grated pear has softened completely, stir in the corn-starch and water mixture and cook for 2-3 more minutes until the sauce becomes thick and sticky. Remove from the heat and set aside while you prepare the tofu.
STEP 4:
Cut the tofu into small, bite-sized chunks, sprinkle 4 tbsp of cornstarch on top and toss until all the tofu is evenly coated in the cornstarch.
STEP 5:
Heat the oil in a large, non-stick pan and add the tofu. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan and cook in batches if necessary. Fry the tofu for about 10-12 minutes until they're browned on all sides. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and drop the fried tofu into the BBQ sauce. Toss to make sure all of the pieces of tofu are evenly coated in the sauce. Serve with spring onions, sesame seeds and freshly cooked rice.
TIPS FOR MAKING KOREAN BBQ TOFU
Prepare the BBQ sauce first and let it cool down while you fry the tofu. As the sauce cools down it’ll thicken and get even stickier.
To get the crispiest tofu make sure you toss it occasionally while frying to get an even crispness on all sides. Also, I find that the tofu maintains its crispness better if you add the freshly fried tofu directly into the cooled down BBQ sauce. In general, the longer you leave fried foods sitting around the more it’ll lose its crispness, so this meal is definitely best served right away!
If you're unable to find a Korean pear (Asian pear) you can use a sweet apple such as a Fuji apple as a substitute.
You can prepare this sauce in advance and store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days, so you can use it as and when you need it.
Make sure to press your tofu for at least 20 minutes; The longer you press it the crispier the tofu will be. If you don’t have a tofu press you can put a clean tea towel on top of the tofu with a book or pot on top of it.
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