Easy sesame mushroom and tofu stir fry is a delicious meal that comes together in 30 minutes! Crispy tofu cooks with tender mushrooms in a savory sesame stir-fry sauce for a quick dinner idea.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Tofu: Bake the tofu in the oven before stir-frying them in the homemade sauce. I prefer using extra-firm tofu because it holds up well to the cooking process and pairs perfectly with the mushrooms.
- Spices: Season the tofu pieces with salt and black pepper before baking them.
- Mushrooms: Sliced shiitake mushrooms absorb the rich flavor of the sauce, but feel free to experiment with other mushroom varieties. I have tried this recipe with white mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, and Bella mushrooms.
- Scallions: Cook the white parts of the scallions with the mushrooms in the sauce, and finish the dish with thinly sliced scallion greens.
- Garlic: I recommend using three fresh garlic cloves, but measure with your heart.
- Chiles: Enhance the sesame mushroom and tofu stir fry flavor with dried Arbol chiles for a bit of heat.
- Stir-Fry Sauce: Prepare a unique sesame stir-fry sauce from scratch using soy sauce, rice vinegar, fish sauce, honey, black pepper, toasted sesame seeds, and a small amount of cornstarch to thicken the sauce and coat the tofu pieces.
- Sesame: Finish the dish with a drizzle of sesame oil and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds.
For even more sesame flavor, try crispy sesame tofu and a healthy sesame salmon bowl.
Additions and Substitutions
- I love the crunch of toasted peanuts or cashews.
Tools Used to Make the Recipe
All you need to make this easy plant-based meal is a rimmed baking sheet to prepare the crispy tofu and a wok or large skillet to stir-fry the remaining ingredients.
How to Make Sesame Mushroom and Tofu Stir Fry
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Prepare the tofu by patting it dry with a cloth to remove as much moisture as possible.
Cut the tofu into 1-inch pieces and lightly season them with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Arrange the tofu onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Cook for 15 minutes, moving the pieces on the baking sheet halfway through.
Step 3: Warm the oil in a wok over medium-high heat, and add the baked tofu to the pan. Fry until the pieces become crispy and golden brown. Set the tofu aside.
Step 4: Add the dried chiles, scallion whites, garlic, and more oil as needed. Cook for 1 minute.
Step 5: Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, fish sauce, honey, and water in a small bowl until the honey dissolves.
Step 6: Remove the pan from heat and pour the small bowl over the pan with a small amount of black pepper.
Step 7: Return the pan to medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Then, whisk in the flour.
Step 8: Add the mushrooms and lower the heat. Simmer until sauce reduces halfway, for about 5-8 minutes. Return the tofu to the pan and stir to combine.
Step 9: Transfer the mixture to a serving dish, drizzle with sesame oil and garnish with scallion greens and toasted sesame seeds to serve.
Expert Tips
- Microwave the tofu block on a microwave-safe plate for 1-2 minutes to draw more liquid from the tofu. Then, pat the tofu block dry with paper towels for even crisper tofu pieces.
Serving Suggestions
- White Rice, Brown Rice, Vegetable Fried Rice
- Green Beans, Broccoli and Cauliflower, Zucchini and Squash, Broccoletti, Asparagus
- Noodles
What to do with the Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Reheat: You can warm the leftovers in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, but I recommend warming the tofu pieces in a skillet on the stovetop.
- Repurpose: Use the leftover sesame mushroom and tofu stir fry to make a tofu rice bowl with bright greens such as spinach arugula salad.
More Tofu Recipes:
Sesame Mushroom and Tofu Stir Fry
- Small Bowl
- 1 package extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 package shiitake mushrooms, quartered
- 8 scallions, whites and greens reserved separately
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3-5 dried Arbol chiles, deseeded and chopped
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper. coarse ground
- sesame oil, for garnish
- ¼ teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Prepare the tofu by patting it dry with a cloth to remove as much moisture as possible. Cut the tofu into 1-inch pieces and lightly season them with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the tofu onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Cook for 15 minutes, moving the pieces on the baking sheet halfway through.
- Warm the oil in a wok over medium-high heat, and add the baked tofu to the pan. Fry until the pieces become crispy and golden brown. Set the tofu aside.
- Add the dried chiles, scallion whites, garlic, and more oil as needed. Cook for 1 minute.
- Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, fish sauce, honey, and water in a small bowl until the honey dissolves.
- Remove the pan from heat and pour the small bowl over the pan with a small amount of black pepper.
- Return the pan to medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Then, whisk in the flour.
- Add the mushrooms and lower the heat. Simmer until sauce reduces halfway, for about 5-8 minutes. Return the tofu to the pan and stir to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to a serving dish, drizzle with sesame oil and garnish with scallion greens and toasted sesame seeds to serve.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.