Fried Stuffed Tofu (炸豆腐角)

Bring this iconic, crispy street food home with our simple, easy-to-follow recipe!

flodesk gif
Prep Time
25 min
Total Time
35 min
Yields
4 servings

A Recipe by Daddy Lau

My dad's been cooking Chinese food for over 50 years - as a kid fending for himself in Guangzhou, as the head chef of his own restaurant, and as a loving father in our home.

Hopefully, by learning this recipe, you'll get to experience some of the delicious joy we felt growing up eating his food!

- Randy

My dad actually grew up buying these from street vendors; they'd go door to door, and once you decided to purchase some delicious fried stuffed tofu, the vendor would fry it right then and there, at your door.

Today, street food vendors continue to offer it, and you'll also find it served as an appetizer or side dish in sit-down restaurants.

Follow our recipe below to bring this irresistible treat to your table!

Check out a quick story summary of our recipe!

Ingredients

Weight: US
oz
g
Volume: US
cup
mL
Servings
4

Main Ingredients

  • 1 tsp salt (

    for blanching

    )
  • 16 oz firm tofu
  • 0.25 oz cilantro
  • 3 stalk green onion
  • 6 oz sole fish (

    any white fish fillet works great

    )
  • 6 oz shrimp
  • 10 oz corn oil (

    or any neutral, refined oil suitable for frying

    )

Paste Marinade

  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.50 tsp sugar
  • 0.25 tsp white pepper
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Sauce

  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 0.50 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp boiling water
  • 0.50 tsp chili sauce (

    optional

    )

The best tofu for frying

Frying is a pretty aggressive method of cooking; it involves vigorous bubbling that can destroy the structure of delicate ingredients.

That's why we recommend firm or extra-firm tofu for this recipe. They'll be stronger and stand up to rougher handling. This will help when you're carving out the pockets and stuffing the tofu, and help it stay together during the frying stages.

If you are confident in handling the tofu, you can probably get away with using medium-firm tofu.

Deep-frying safety

If you're like me, deep-frying can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to notoriously wet items like tofu. Here are some of my dad's best tips for a safe deep-frying experience:

  • Dry surface: While you don't want to press the tofu and squeeze all its water out (a moist interior means it'll stay wonderfully tender), you do want the outer surface to be rather dry. Pat the tofu dry with a paper or kitchen towel. This reduces scary oil splatter.
  • Proper temperature: Use a thermometer or the wooden chopstick test to ensure the oil is at the right temperature.
  • Lower the food gently: While your instinct may be to stand from half court and splash the food into the oil like Steph Curry, trying to cook so far away from the stove is actually the worst approach to deep-frying. The farther the tofu travels between leaving your control and entering the oil, the bigger and more dangerously it'll splash. If you're intimidated by the thought of placing the tofu in by hand, use a strainer or slotted spoon to lower it in. As long as you can get the tofu to touch the surface of the oil before letting go, it will not splash. It's safer. Promise.
  • Double-frying: Fry in two stages. The first fry not only cooks the food through but also establishes the crust all around the outside. The second fry crisps up that crust at a higher temperature.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt (1 tsp).

Carefully place the tofu (16 oz) into the pot and boil for 5 minutes. Then, scoop out the tofu and set it aside in a strainer or colander to drain.

Mince the cilantro (0.25 oz) and the green onions (3 stalk).

Set the fish (6 oz) onto your cutting board and pat it dry with paper towels. Then, cut into small strips. Use the flat side of your knife to smash the fish into a paste.

Peel off the shells of the shrimp (6 oz).

Score along the back of each piece of shrimp to expose the veins. Wash the shrimp in a bowl of water and rinse the veins out.

Then, use the side of the knife to smash the shrimp into paste, just like you did with the fish.

Once the shrimp is mashed up, fold it into the fish paste to combine, and mash them together into one rather homogenous paste.

(Instead of smashing by hand, you can also put the fish and shrimp into a food processor and process the proteins into paste with some electronic help.)

Once the fish and shrimp are well-combined, place the paste into a bowl.

On the side of the bowl containing your shrimp-and-fish paste, combine salt (1 tsp), sugar (0.50 tsp), white pepper (0.25 tsp), cornstarch (2 tsp), and water (2 tbsp). Mix these seasonings well to combine, then mix into the paste. Take your time and mix it thoroughly to ensure even distribution of all the ingredients.

Add sesame oil (1 tsp) and the chopped cilantro and green onions.

In a bowl, combine light soy sauce (2 tbsp), dark soy sauce (0.50 tsp), rice vinegar (1 tbsp), sugar (2 tbsp), and boiling water (2 tbsp). Optionally, add chili sauce (0.50 tsp) to your taste (you can use homemade or store-bought chili sauce). Mix well.

Have a taste to see if you'd like to make any adjustments.

Pat the tofu dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Any water left on the surface will make the oil splatter when frying, so try to get the tofu reasonably dry.

Cut each block of tofu across each diagonal so that each block results in four triangles.

Use a small spoon or the tip of your knife to carve out a deep space in each tofu triangle. It’s easiest to use the longest (hypotenuse!) side of the triangle. Be careful not to break the sides of the tofu; while making enough room for a good amount of filling, you still want to keep it structurally intact.

Once you’ve carved out pockets in all the tofu triangles, gather the leftover tofu bits together. Just like you smashed the fish and shrimp paste, use the side of your knife to smash up the tofu. Mix that into the fish and shrimp paste to bulk up the filling.

Use a spoon to carefully stuff the paste into the pockets of each tofu triangle. Fill the pockets thoroughly so there are no air pockets that would explode, but be careful not to overstuff.

Heat a pot on high heat.

Add oil (10 oz), enough to cover the tofu. They’ll be deep-frying in here.

You can either use a thermometer to ensure that the oil reaches 350° F, or use a wooden chopstick to check for small bubbles. When the oil is hot enough, carefully place the stuffed tofu into the pot. Fry for 3-4 minutes, or until just golden brown.

Then, remove the tofu. Heat up the oil to 375° F - 400° F. Put the tofu back into the pot to fry a second time. Let them fry for 3-5 minutes, until they become a deeper golden brown with the perfect crispy exterior.

Remove the fried tofu from the pot and let excess oil drain off while you cook the sauce.

Heat a clean pan on medium-low heat. Pour in the sauce mixture. Cook the sauce for about 2 minutes, until thickened to your liking. If it gets too thick, you can dilute it with water to thin it out again.

Pour your sauce into a serving bowl, and serve it alongside your fried stuffed tofu. Enjoy!

FAQ

What's the best oil for frying tofu?

  • Whenever you're frying at high heat, use a neutral, refined oil that can handle high temperatures. We like to use corn oil or tea seed oil, but other great options include canola oil, vegetable oil, and refined olive oil.

How do you keep the tofu from falling apart when deep-frying?

  • When deep-frying, you'll want to prioritize structural integrity. Use firm or even extra-firm tofu to make sure it's strong enough to hold its own against the vigorous bubbling of the deep-fry stages.

How do you get tofu crispy?

  • Deep-fried tofu has an irresistible crispy exterior and a tender, creamy interior. To achieve that crisp even without a batter, we blanch, dry, and then deep-fry the tofu twice. Each of these steps helps get the exterior closer to perfect; follow our recipe to get it just right!

What sauce do you serve with deep-fried tofu?

  • Make a dipping sauce by combining light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and boiling water, and optionally, chili sauce, to your taste. Check our ingredient list and recipe for more specific ratios.

Summary

Fried Stuffed Tofu (炸豆腐角)
Bring this iconic, crispy street food home with our simple, easy-to-follow recipe!
  • Prep Time: 25 min
  • Total Time: 35 min
  • Yield: 4 servings

Main Ingredients

  • 1 tsp salt (

    for blanching

    )
  • 16 oz firm tofu
  • 0.25 oz cilantro
  • 3 stalk green onion
  • 6 oz sole fish (

    any white fish fillet works great

    )
  • 6 oz shrimp
  • 10 oz corn oil (

    or any neutral, refined oil suitable for frying

    )

Paste Marinade

  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.50 tsp sugar
  • 0.25 tsp white pepper
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Sauce

  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 0.50 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp boiling water
  • 0.50 tsp chili sauce (

    optional

    )

Step 1 - Parboil tofu

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Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt (1 tsp).

Carefully place the tofu (16 oz) into the pot and boil for 5 minutes. Then, scoop out the tofu and set it aside in a strainer or colander to drain.

Step 2 - Cut aromatics

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Mince the cilantro (0.25 oz) and the green onions (3 stalk).

Step 3 - Prepare fish & shrimp

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Set the fish (6 oz) onto your cutting board and pat it dry with paper towels. Then, cut into small strips. Use the flat side of your knife to smash the fish into a paste.

Peel off the shells of the shrimp (6 oz).

Score along the back of each piece of shrimp to expose the veins. Wash the shrimp in a bowl of water and rinse the veins out.

Then, use the side of the knife to smash the shrimp into paste.

Once the shrimp is mashed up, fold it into the fish paste to combine, and mash them together into one homogenous paste.

Once the fish and shrimp are well-combined, place the paste into a bowl.

Step 4 - Marinate filling

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On the side of the bowl containing the filling paste, combine salt (1 tsp), sugar (0.50 tsp), white pepper (0.25 tsp), cornstarch (2 tsp), and water (2 tbsp). Mix these seasonings well to combine, then mix into the paste.

Add sesame oil (1 tsp) and the chopped cilantro and green onions.

Step 5 - Create dipping sauce

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In a bowl, combine light soy sauce (2 tbsp), dark soy sauce (0.50 tsp), rice vinegar (1 tbsp), sugar (2 tbsp), and boiling water (2 tbsp). Optionally, add chili sauce (0.50 tsp) to taste. Mix well.

Have a taste and make any adjustments you need.

Step 6 - Prepare tofu for stuffing

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Pat the tofu dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.

Cut each block of tofu across each diagonal so that each block results in four triangles.

Use a small spoon or the tip of your knife to carve out a deep space in each tofu triangle.

Once you’ve carved out pockets in all the tofu triangles, gather the leftover tofu bits together. Use the side of your knife to smash up the tofu. Mix that into the fish and shrimp paste to bulk up the filling.

Step 7 - Stuff tofu with filling

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Use a spoon to carefully stuff the paste into the pockets of each tofu triangle.

Step 8 - Fry stuffed tofu

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Heat a pot on high heat.

Add oil (10 oz), enough to cover the tofu.

You can either use a thermometer to ensure that the oil reaches 350° F, or use a wooden chopstick to check for small bubbles. When the oil is hot enough, carefully place the stuffed tofu into the pot. Fry for 3-4 minutes, or until just golden brown.

Then, remove the tofu. Heat up the oil to 375° F - 400° F. Put the tofu back into the pot to fry a second time. Let them fry for 3-5 minutes, until they become a deeper golden brown with the perfect crispy exterior.

Remove the fried tofu from the pot and let excess oil drain off while you cook the sauce.

Step 9 - Cook sauce & plate

↑ Jump to details

Heat a clean pan on medium-low heat. Pour in the sauce mixture. Cook the sauce for about 2 minutes, until thickened to your liking. If it gets too thick, you can dilute it with water to thin it out again.

Pour your sauce into a serving bowl, and serve it alongside your fried stuffed tofu. Enjoy!

Step 10 - Take pictures
Whip out your camera (1). Begin taking photos (1,000,000). Pick your favorites!
Step 11 - Share and tag us on Instagram @madewithlau #madewithlau!
Did you have fun making this recipe? We'd love to see & hear about it. (Especially my dad. He would be THRILLED!)

Enjoy!

We have many, many happy memories of enjoying this dish growing up.

Now, hopefully, you can create your own memories with this dish with your loved ones.

Also, I cordially invite you to eat with us and learn more about the dish, Chinese culture, and my family.

Cheers, and thanks for cooking with us!

Feel free to comment below if you have any questions about the recipe.