Kung Pao Tofu

This Kung Pao Tofu is a delicious vegan take on a classic Asian-Inspired dish. Homemade Kung Pao sauce is sweet, spicy, and full of flavor. Tossed with colorful veggies, hearty crispy air fried tofu and crunchy peanuts, this dish has it all.

For more Asian-inspired vegan dishes, try this Vegan Fried Rice.

Why You’ll Love This Kung Pao Tofu

• Super easy – This dish comes together in just 30 minutes with just some chopping and stirring. No special skills are required to make this dish.
• Better than takeout – You can have takeout flavors any time you want with this easy Kung Pao recipe.
• Mix it up – Feel free to get creative with which veggies or proteins you add. Try sauteed tempeh or even chicken if you aren’t vegan.

Ingredients for Kung Pao Tofu

Stir Fry Ingredients

• Crispy Sesame Tofu – My Crispy Sesame Tofu recipe is the easiest way to add protein into this dish. Make it ahead in the air fryer or pan fry it. You can use tempeh or any other protein of choice.
• Veggies – Bell peppers, yellow onion, scallions
• Dried Chili Peppers – These are technically optional, but I do think they add flavor. I chose mild, but feel free to get as spicy as you’d like.
• Peanuts – Fresh or roasted peanuts work fine. Choose an unsalted variety if you want to reduce sodium for this dish.

Kung Pao Sauce Ingredients

• Soy Sauce – Both light and dark soy sauce is used in this recipe. If you can’t find dark soy sauce, using all light is fine.
• Cornstarch – This is used as a thickener for the sauce. For grain free, use 2x the amount of arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch.
• Rice vinegar
• Agave syrup – This is a necessary sweetener to tame the acidity of some of these ingredients. Sub maple syrup or granulated sugar instead if desired.
• Sesame Oil – Used as an ingredient in the sauce, for stir-frying the veggies, and for air-frying the tofu. Adds a lot of extra flavor.
• Garlic – Minced garlic is preferred, but if you don’t have it, you can sub garlic powder instead.
• Sichuan peppercorns (optional)

How to Make Kung Pao Tofu

Make the Crispy Sesame Tofu

Press the tofu by squeezing out the excess water either by hand or placing the paper towel-wrapped tofu between two plates with something heavy on top.

Slice into desired size and toss in the soy sauce and sesame oil. Once the tofu has absorbed the marinade, air fry at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until crispy.

Sauté the Veggies

While the tofu is cooking, chop the onion, bell pepper, and scallion. Place into a large sauté pan with the peanuts.

I like adding the peanuts at this stage because it gives them a nice toasted flavor. You do need to pay close attention and stir often so that they don’t burn. So if you want to make this step a bit easier, you can opt to add the peanuts at the very end instead.

Sauté the veggies and peanuts over medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until the onion is mostly translucent.

Make the Sauce

While the veggies sauté, mix together all ingredients for the sauce. Make sure the ingredients are not warmer than room temperature, otherwise the cornstarch will form clumps instead of mixing evenly.

Mix it all Up

Once the veggies are ready, add the sauce to the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. The heat is necessary to activate the cornstarch. Make sure to stir constantly so the mixture does not burn.

Once the sauce has thickened, remove the pan from heat and stir in the tofu.

Top with white sesame seeds and diced scallions if desired. Serve solo or over rice. Enjoy!

How to Store Kung Pao Tofu

• Fridge: When stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, this dish will last 3-5 days.

More Tips for Making Kung Pao Tofu

• Not Vegan? This dish is traditionally made with chicken.
• Gluten-Free? Swap the soy sauce with tamari and you are good to go!
• Want a different protein? Try tempeh or seitan instead of tofu!

Last Updated on February 14, 2025