A Tested Recipe
Crispy Pan-Fried Tofu with Savory Sauce.
Tofu fried until crispy, then coated in a thick savory sauce. The outside shatters, the inside stays soft. Easy enough for a Tuesday, good enough for guests.
By jackTao · Oct 6, 2025
Hands in the dough?
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The Mise en Place
Ingredients
Adjust portions
Main Ingredients
- 1 block firm tofu (old tofu/lao doufu)
- 2 eggs
Coating
- 50 g cornstarch (for coating)
- 18 ml cooking oil
Sauce
- 20 g light soy sauce
- 10 g oyster sauce
- 5 g dark soy sauce
- 10 g sugar
- 10 g cornstarch (for sauce)
- 200 ml water
The Method
Instructions
- Step 1
- Step 2
- Step 3
- Step 4
Prepare Ingredients
- Beat 2 eggs per block of tofu in a bowl to make egg wash. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the sauce: 20g light soy sauce, 10g oyster sauce, 5g dark soy sauce, 10g sugar, 10g cornstarch, and 200ml water. Whisk until sugar and cornstarch dissolve. Set aside.
- Cut firm tofu into slices about 1.2cm thick (approximately 5 slices per person).
- 01
Prepare Ingredients
- Beat 2 eggs per block of tofu in a bowl to make egg wash. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the sauce: 20g light soy sauce, 10g oyster sauce, 5g dark soy sauce, 10g sugar, 10g cornstarch, and 200ml water. Whisk until sugar and cornstarch dissolve. Set aside.
- Cut firm tofu into slices about 1.2cm thick (approximately 5 slices per person).
- 02
Coat the Tofu
- Pour 50g cornstarch per tofu block onto a plate.
- Coat each tofu slice with cornstarch on all sides, shaking off excess.
- Dip the cornstarch-coated tofu into the egg wash, ensuring it's fully covered.
- Set coated tofu slices aside on a clean plate.
- 03
Pan-Fry the Tofu
- Heat a flat-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add 18ml cooking oil.
- Wait for the oil to heat up.
- Carefully place the egg-coated tofu slices in the pan in a single layer.
- Reduce heat to low. Pan-fry until the bottom turns golden brown, about 3-.
- Flip each slice and continue frying until both sides are golden and crispy.
- 04
Add Sauce and Finish
- Once both sides are golden brown, pour the prepared sauce over the tofu.
- Gently shake the pan to ensure each piece is coated with sauce.
- Increase heat to high and cook for , allowing the sauce to thicken and coat the tofu.
- Turn off heat and serve immediately.
Cook's Notes
Notes
Use firm tofu (老豆腐/lao doufu) for best results. Soft or silken tofu will break apart during cooking.
Note Nº 01
Make sure to shake off excess cornstarch before dipping in egg wash to prevent clumping.
Note Nº 02
The key to crispy tofu is maintaining low heat during frying. High heat will burn the coating before the tofu is cooked through.
Note Nº 03
If cooking for more people, multiply ingredients proportionally: 1.25 blocks of tofu per person is recommended.
Note Nº 04
For extra servings: use 2 eggs per block of tofu and 50g cornstarch per block.
Note Nº 05
The sauce should be mixed well before adding to ensure the cornstarch doesn't clump when heated.
Note Nº 06
Don't overcrowd the pan - work in batches if necessary to ensure even browning.
Note Nº 07
Serve immediately while hot and crispy for the best texture and flavor.
Note Nº 08
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