Sweet and Sour Tofu ( with Pineapple)

Homemade sweet and sour tofu that’s better than take-out! The pineapple gives it the perfect hint of sweetness, tanginess, umami, and extra flavor. Pair this easy tofu dish with rice and your favorite veggie! Great for meal prep, potlucks and family dinners.

sweet and sour tofu

Highlights of Sweet and Sour Tofu

This sweet and sour tofu in pineapple sauce is savory, sweet, tangy and a bit spicy! It reminds me of tropical weather and pairs well with a side of iced coconut water. I’ve always loved a great sweet and savory tofu but adding a tropical twist is genius. Make this for a loved on and watch them fall in love with this dish AND you!
 
  • Easy to make
  • Super flavorful
  • Meal-prep friendly
  • High protein
  • Gluten-free option
  • 100% vegan

Tips for the Best Tofu Texture:

  1. Freeze packaged tofu and fully defrost before cooking. This texture is unreal and pretty similar to chicken. Make sure to press your tofu after defrosting or buy high protein tofu. Trader Joe’s has a great high protein tofu for $2.50. You can press your tofu after it has defrosted fully to make sure you get all excess liquid out.
  2. Air fried tofu is the best tofu! Air fry at 390 F for 16-22 minutes (depending on how crispy you like it). Flip/mix every 7-8 minutes to cook evenly. Don’t have an air-fryer? You can also bake at 400 for 22-25 minutes also flipping every 7-8 minutes for best results.
  3. PRO TIP: If you’re baking it use a silicone mat! This will help you achieve an ultimate level of crisp that you can normally only get using an air fryer. I have linked the one I have.
sweet and sour tofu

Tips and Substitutes:

  • Taste your pineapple and see how sweet it is. Adjust the amount of maple syrup depending on how sweet your pineapple is. You can always adjust sweetness after sauce is done as well.
  • Don’t have lemons? No problem! Try apple cider vinegar instead.
  • I know 1/4 cup sriracha seems like a lot but it ended up being very mild. This is something you can also adjust at the end or wait until the end to add to taste.
  • Gluten-free? Use tamari instead of soy sauce.
  • Add an extra tropical vibe by adding cashews into the mix. They also add texture and make it extra delicious! Add them at the very end when mixing the tofu into the sauce.
sweet and sour tofu

Other Delicious Tofu Recipes:

Sweet Ginger Tofu

Vegan Orange Chicken (Tofu)

Peanut Sauce Tofu

Crispy Breaded Tofu

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sweet and sour tofu

Sweet and Sour Tofu (with pineapple)


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  • Author: Anna Rios
  • Total Time: 40
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Homemade sweet and sour tofu that’s better than take-out! The pineapple gives it the perfect hint of sweetness and extra flavor. Pair this easy tofu dish with rice and your favorite veggie!


Ingredients

Sauce:
  • 3/4 cup vegetable broth
  • 2 Tsp ginger
  • 2 Tsp garlic
  • 1/4 cup pineapple or lemon juice
  • 1 cup pineapple, diced
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce, low sodium
  • 1/4 cup sriracha
  • 2-4 Tbsp maple syrup*
  • 3 Tbsp corn starch
  • 1/4 cup cold water
Tofu:
  • 1 block of extra firm tofu
  • 2 tbsp Soy Sauce or Tamari (low sodium)
  • ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast
  • 1 tsp Garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp Corn Starch (optional)
You will need 2 silicone baking sheets, 2 baking trays, 1 mixing bowl.

Instructions

  1. Freeze and defrost tofu for best results (optional).
  2. Preheat oven to 425 F (air fryer option below). Press tofu with a clean dish towel to make as dry as possible. Dice tofu into even pieces, make them no bigger than about 3/4 of an inch big.
  3. Add tofu cubes into a mixing bowl and add soy sauce, mix until well incorporated.
  4. Add nutritional yeast, corn starch and garlic powder. Mix well until tofu is well covered.
  5. Place your silicone baking sheets on top of your baking trays and begin adding tofu to trays. Avoid having tofu pieces too close to each other.
  6. Bake for about 15 minutes and then flip the tofu cubes. Bake for about another 25 minutes depending on how crunchy you’d like it.
Air fryer option:
  1. Follow steps above and instead of baking, air fry at 390 F for 20-30 minutes depending on how crispy you want it. Shake them around every 7-8 minutes to help them cook evenly.
Sauce:
  1. Add all sauce ingredients except corn starch and 1/4 cup cold water to a pan and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
  2. Make corn starch slurry by whisking together corn starch and 1/4 cup cold water. Add to sauce after it has been simmering for 10 minutes.
  3. Simmer for another 3 minutes while stirring and then add the baked or air fried tofu.
  4. Serve over rice and enjoy!
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Category: Tofu
  • Cuisine: Asian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 4 servings

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