Chinese Cuisine
Mapo Tofu with Roasted Peanuts
This mapo tofu with peanuts is a home-style Sichuan tofu recipe with soft tofu, roasted peanuts, chili bean paste, soy sauce, garlic, and aromatics. It is not the most traditional version of mapo tofu, but the peanuts add crunch and make the dish easy to serve with rice. Use this page if you are looking for an easy mapo tofu recipe, mapo tofu with peanuts, or a spicy tofu dish with a savory sauce.
- Total
- 30 minutes
Quick Recipe Summary
- Cuisine
- Chinese
- Category
- Chinese Cuisine
- Method
- Stir-fry
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Main Ingredient
- Firm Tofu
About This Recipe
This mapo tofu with peanuts is a home-style Sichuan tofu recipe with soft tofu, roasted peanuts, chili bean paste, soy sauce, garlic, and aromatics. It is not the most traditional version of mapo tofu, but the peanuts add crunch and make the dish easy to serve with rice. Use this page if you are looking for an easy mapo tofu recipe, mapo tofu with peanuts, or a spicy tofu dish with a savory sauce.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ready in about 30 minutes, so it can fit into a busy cooking day.
- Breaks the method into manageable steps instead of assuming you already know the technique.
- Helpful for practicing timing, heat control, and the order of adding ingredients.
- A useful tofu recipe for learning how texture and seasoning work together.
- Gives the dish a clear savory, mildly spicy flavor profile without making the method feel complicated.
Ingredients
- 400 g Firm Tofu
- 80 g Peanuts
- 2 stalks Green Onion
- 10 g Ginger
- 1 tsp Sichuan Peppercorns
- 1 tbsp Pixian Chili Bean Paste
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Cooking Wine
- 1/2 tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- To taste Salt
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch Slurry
- 3 tbsp Water
- As needed Vegetable Oil
Ingredient Notes
These notes explain the role of the main ingredients so the recipe is easier to adjust.
Firm Tofu
Tofu absorbs surrounding flavors, so sauce, broth, and aromatics matter more than heavy seasoning.
Peanuts
This ingredient helps define the flavor, texture, or structure of the dish.
stalks Green Onion
Scallions add freshness and are useful both as an aromatic base and as a finishing flavor.
Ginger
Ginger adds clean aroma and helps balance meat, seafood, tofu, and fermented flavors.
Ingredients & Techniques Used in This Recipe
These guides explain the key sauces, ingredients, and cooking techniques used in this recipe, so you can understand the dish instead of only following steps.
Sauce
Doubanjiang
Fermented chili bean paste that gives Sichuan dishes savory heat and depth.
Sauce
Shaoxing Wine
Chinese cooking wine used in marinades, stir-fries, braises, and sauces.
Sauce
Light Soy Sauce
The everyday soy sauce for salt, umami, marinades, and stir-fry seasoning.
Sauce
Sesame Oil
A finishing oil that adds nutty aroma to soups, noodles, fillings, and cold dishes.
Ingredient
Sichuan Peppercorn
The citrusy, numbing spice behind many Sichuan dishes.
Ingredient
Firm Tofu
A sturdy tofu style for stir-fries, braises, pan-frying, and saucy dishes.
Ingredient
Silken Tofu
Soft tofu used in soups, steamed dishes, mapo tofu, and gentle sauces.
Technique
How to Stir Fry Properly
Learn heat control, ingredient order, sauce timing, and quick wok cooking.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1
Fry the peanuts in hot oil until golden and crisp. Let them cool, then remove the skins if desired. Finely mince the ginger and slice the green onions.
Step 2
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, cooking wine, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, salt, water, and mix well to make the sauce.
Step 3
Cut the tofu into approximately 1 cm cubes.
Step 4
Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the tofu cubes and fry gently until lightly golden on all sides.
Step 5
Remove the tofu and drain excess oil.
Step 6
Leave a small amount of oil in the wok. Add Sichuan peppercorns and fry briefly until fragrant, then remove and discard them.
Step 7
Add the chili bean paste and stir-fry until the oil turns red and aromatic.
Step 8
Add the minced ginger and sliced green onions. Stir-fry until fragrant.
Step 9
Pour in the prepared sauce mixture and bring it to a simmer.
Step 10
Return the tofu to the wok and gently toss to coat with the sauce.
Step 11
Add the roasted peanuts and stir carefully to combine.
Step 12
Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook briefly until the sauce thickens. Serve immediately.
Cooking Tips
- Lightly frying the tofu helps it keep its shape and adds extra flavor. If you prefer a lighter version, blanch the tofu instead of frying. Fry peanuts over medium heat until just golden, as they continue to darken while cooling. Add the peanuts near the end of cooking to maintain their crunch.
- Use soft tofu and stir gently so the cubes do not break apart.
- Add roasted peanuts near the end so they keep some crunch.
- For a stronger Sichuan flavor, use Pixian doubanjiang and a small amount of Sichuan peppercorn.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve it with steamed rice when you want a simple Chinese home-cooked meal.
- Add a light soup or cold vegetable side if the stir-fry is salty, spicy, or saucy.
- Keep rice or noodles ready before cooking because stir-fries are best served immediately.
FAQ
Is mapo tofu with peanuts traditional?
Classic Sichuan mapo tofu usually does not include peanuts, but this home-style version uses roasted peanuts for crunch and contrast.
What should I serve with mapo tofu with peanuts?
Serve it with steamed rice and a simple vegetable side. The sauce is savory and spicy, so plain rice balances it well.
Recipe Card
This mapo tofu with peanuts is a home-style Sichuan tofu recipe with soft tofu, roasted peanuts, chili bean paste, soy sauce, garlic, and aromatics. It is not the most traditional version of mapo tofu, but the peanuts add crunch and make the dish easy to serve with rice. Use this page if you are looking for an easy mapo tofu recipe, mapo tofu with peanuts, or a spicy tofu dish with a savory sauce.
Ingredients
- 400 g Firm Tofu
- 80 g Peanuts
- 2 stalks Green Onion
- 10 g Ginger
- 1 tsp Sichuan Peppercorns
- 1 tbsp Pixian Chili Bean Paste
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Cooking Wine
- 1/2 tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- To taste Salt
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch Slurry
- 3 tbsp Water
- As needed Vegetable Oil
Method
- Fry the peanuts in hot oil until golden and crisp. Let them cool, then remove the skins if desired. Finely mince the ginger and slice the green onions.
- In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, cooking wine, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, salt, water, and mix well to make the sauce.
- Cut the tofu into approximately 1 cm cubes.
- Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the tofu cubes and fry gently until lightly golden on all sides.
- Remove the tofu and drain excess oil.
- Leave a small amount of oil in the wok. Add Sichuan peppercorns and fry briefly until fragrant, then remove and discard them.
- Add the chili bean paste and stir-fry until the oil turns red and aromatic.
- Add the minced ginger and sliced green onions. Stir-fry until fragrant.
- Pour in the prepared sauce mixture and bring it to a simmer.
- Return the tofu to the wok and gently toss to coat with the sauce.
- Add the roasted peanuts and stir carefully to combine.
- Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook briefly until the sauce thickens. Serve immediately.
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