Mapo Tofu is an iconic Sichuan dish consisting of creamy blocks of tofu smothered in a tongue-numbing sauce and pops of flavourful ground pork.

It’s a fan favourite in Chinese restaurants all over the world… and the best part is, making your own at home is pretty simple.

Keep scrolling for our foolproof Mapo Tofu recipe recipe, because we pity tofu who doesn’t!

Ingredients for Our Mapo Tofu Recipe

• 1 tbsp oil
• 700g tofu, cubed
• 4 tbsp (60g) minced onion
• 1 tbsp (15g) minced garlic
• 1 tbsp (15g) minced ginger
• 120g minced pork
• 1.5 tbsp Doubanjiang (hot chilli paste) 
• 1 tsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
• 1 tbsp cooking wine 
• 1.75 (140 mL) cup water 
• Starch mixture (1 tbsp water, 1/2 tbsp starch)
• 2 tbsp (30g) green onion
• 2 tbsp (30g) red onion
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp sugar
• 0.5 tsp chicken powder 
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorn oil
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp (15g) minced green onion

Step by Step Instructions for Our Mapo Tofu Recipe

Served with rice, this tasty and filling Sichuan specialty is easy to make for a satisfying and delicious dinner. Here are the step by step instructions!

To prep your tofu, cut it into even bite-sized cubes.

Boil a pot of hot water, add cubed tofu in with 1 tsp of salt. Cook for 2 minutes, then drain and set aside.

Heat your pan/wok until hot. Add your oil, onion, minced garlic, and ginger and stir fry until fragrant.

(We accidentally forgot to add our onion until later, as you can see in the photos, but try your best to add it with your other aromatics)

Add minced pork and stir fry on high heat for one minute. 

Add your Doubanjiang, hoisin sauce, and chili garlic sauce.

Then stir fry until fragrant and thoroughly covered in that gorgeous mapo tofu red.

Add cooking wine.

Add 140mL of water, then your tofu, and let it cook for about 5 minutes. 

Add your diced peppers.

Slowly add 1/3 of your starch mixture. Stir frequently to prevent sticking on the bottom. Wait 30 seconds and stir in another 1/3 of your starch mixture.

When your tofu is boiling again, add the remaining 1/3 starch mixture.

Add your Sichuan pepper oil, a drizzle of sesame oil, and green onion, mix well and pour on a plate to serve.

We Hope You Enjoy Our Mapo Tofu Recipe!

Let us know in the comments if you have any questions, or be sure to let us know if you’ve tested the recipe out. We’re always looking to improve our recipes and make sure they taste great for everyone.