Easy Honey Garlic Tofu with Soy Sauce & Butter

Honey Garlic Tofu is a delicious 15-minute tofu recipe with just 5 ingredients needed for the magical Honey Garlic Sauce! This is a terrific protein-packed quick vegetarian dinner idea for busy nights and is made with pantry staples that you likely already have to hand. If you're looking for a recipe that will transform tofu into a mouth-watering dish, this is it.

This might just be my favorite ever method to cook tofu. Sweet, sticky, punchy honey garlic tofu with absolutely heaps of flavor. This recipe takes literally 20 minutes to cook, maximum, from start to finish, and is an absolutely delicious way to enjoy a protein-packed vegetarian dinner.

When I first went vegetarian I, like many people, wasn't sold on tofu. I kept dabbling here and there and always kind of had this disappointing feeling of…oh, is this it for me now? I didn't want to eat meat but having tofu as my alternative wasn't doing it for me.

Of course, nowadays there are countless meat alternatives that you could opt for and never have to try tofu at all. However, if you ever try tofu - even just once - please let it be in this honey garlic tofu recipe.

Other tofu recipes I'm loving recently are these buffalo tofu wraps, and this spicy gochujang tofu recipe.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This recipe is: 

• Crispy
• Punchy
• Sweet
• Fragrant
• Tender
• Quick
• Easy
• So. damn. Delicious.

When I first perfected the recipe, I'm not joking when I say I made it three times in one week because it's such a good meal. Plus, it's quick and easy and high in protein - perfect for when you want a dinner that's big on flavors but low in effort.

Other tofu recipes I love making include these crispy tofu nuggets (baked, not fried!), and this go-to marinaded tofu recipe.

What You'll Need: Ingredients

To make this honey garlic tofu, you'll need a chopping board, knife, frying pan, and tongs or a spatula or wooden spoon.

That's it!

Here are all the ingredients you'll need. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for the exact quantities I use.

• Tofu (firm or extra firm is best for this recipe)
• Salt and pepper
• Cornflour (also known as corn starch)
• Vegetable oil
• Garlic
• Soy sauce
• White rice wine vinegar
• Honey
• Butter

Just 10 ingredients and ready in under 20 minutes - perfection!

How to Get Crispy Tofu

Coating your tofu in cornflour is an absolute must for super crispy tofu. That's what we do in this recipe, and it creates a wonderful batter/crispy coating to absorb the honey garlic sauce and pack all that flavor in.

Best Way To Cut Your Tofu

I like cutting thin slices off my block of tofu and coating the whole slice in corn flour before frying. Then, once the honey garlic tofu is done, I then slice it into thin strips and place it on top of my rice. 

I feel like this most resembles a honey garlic chicken traditional dish, and it's just my preference.

You could definitely also cube the tofu for more crispy goodness!

How To Make The Honey Garlic Tofu

If you're serving your honey garlic tofu over rice, first get your rice cooking in whatever method you prefer. You could also slice your spring onion ready so it's ready to go.

Step 1:Preparing & Marinating The Tofu

Then, unpackage your tofu and pat it dry if you need to. Many blocks of tofu require pressing before you use them, but the brand I use most often (Tofoo) doesn't need this step, so follow your packet instructions to prepare your tofu accordingly.

Slice the tofu block into thin (2cm thick) slices. Add the tofu to a container and cover with soy sauce and a little sesame oil. Marinade for 30 minutes.

CHEF'S TIP: You could skip marinating the tofu if you're in a rush. It will still taste great.

Step 2: Cooking The Tofu

In a large bowl or container, add the corn flour, salt, and pepper. Coat the tofu in the corn flour, ensuring every side is properly and evenly coated.

Heat your oil in your frying pan, and fry the tofu for about 3-4 minutes on each side on high heat before removing from the pan.

Step 3: Making Your Honey Garlic Sauce

Add your minced garlic to the same frying pan, then add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, and butter and cook for 30 seconds or so.

Note - things will get pretty hot and bubbly at this point, so take care when adding the liquids to your pan! Turn down the heat if you need to.

Step 4: Re-Cooking The Tofu In The Sauce

Next, re-add your cooked tofu to the sauce. Fry for a further 2-3 minutes on each side so it's fully coated in the honey garlic sauce, then remove the tofu slices from the pan and place on a chopping board. 

It will smell insanely good at this point!!

Slice the honey garlic tofu into strips and serve with fluffy rice and thinly sliced spring onion. You could also add some chopped coriander and a squeeze of lemon juice for some extra freshness to complement this dish. 

Can I Make Honey Garlic Tofu in the Air Fryer?

The second time I tested this recipe, I cooked the tofu in the air fryer. I did the same steps of slicing the tofu and coating it in the corn flour batter, then sprayed each slice with oil and placed in the air fryer at 200C for 15 minutes.

Then, I made the honey garlic sauce in a pan on the hob and tossed the crispy cooked tofu in it once done.

My opinion: In my opinion, the honey garlic tofu tastes best when fried all in the same pan. It was crispier and more flavourful - the air fryer version, even when coated in the honey garlic sauce, was a little on the dry side.

However, there's no denying that cooking your tofu in the air fryer uses less oil and would therefore be lower in calories/fat overall, so it's definitely an option to consider.

What's The Best Way to Reheat The Tofu?

If you've made your honey garlic tofu and have leftovers to enjoy, you could reheat it either by baking in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes, popping in the air fryer for 10 minutes, or reheating it in a saucepan on the hob.

I like reheating my honey garlic tofu in the air fryer as it's so quick and easy!

What Tofu To Use?

Make sure you use a firm or extra firm tofu for this recipe - if you're from the UK, I always use the Tofoo brand as you don't need to press it!

Smoked tofu also adds a really lovely almost nutty flavour to this honey garlic recipe.

Make sure you avoid soft tofu like silken tofu as it will simply fall apart when fried!

How to Serve Your Honey & Garlic Tofu

Personally, I think this recipe is best served simple, with fluffy white rice and thinly sliced spring onion on top. However, it could also be great as:

• A sandwich filling, with mayo, crispy lettuce, and fresh tomatoes
• In a salad
• Over noodles (like these tofu noodles, for example)
• As a protein-packed accompaniment to any of your favorite Asian-inspired meals
• As a flavoursome topping for a noodle soup

Storing This Recipe

This recipe is best served immediately but also reheats great. Just store your honey garlic tofu in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days and reheat it either by popping in the microwave, or in the oven.