I’m not a vegetarian, but vegetarian dishes can be delicious, and meat can be too damn expensive sometimes. And sometimes tofu can taste like rubber if you’re not careful — but make them crispy and they’re a delight. This dish has a lot of crunch and flavor. My spouse, a true carnivore, went back for seconds on this one, so I’ll chalk it up as a win.

I started with this recipe and switched up some of the flavors in the sauce. One thing I didn’t add in this batch was anything spicy, but some chili pepper or gochujang would definitely punch this up a bit. Let your own taste decide where you want this flavor train to go.

1 package extra firm tofu, drained and pressed (a heavy skillet works well here)
3 tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil
1/2 cup cornstarch
(Optional garnish) sesame seeds
(Optional garnish) finely chopped green onion

Sauce:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. ginger, minced
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. hoisin sauce (or oyster sauce)
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. Chinese cooking wine
1 tsp. rice vinegar
½ tbsp. corn starch
½ cup water, room temperature

Combine the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Pat dry the tofu with paper towels to remove excess moisture and dice into ¾-inch cubes.

Spread cornstarch onto a large plate or baking sheet and generously and gently coat the diced tofu in small batches. Feel free to add more cornstarch if needed.

Heat the oil in a large pan on medium heat. Fry the tofu until golden and crispy, flipping over as one side gets brown and crunchy. This is going to take a while — be patient while you’re waiting for the tofu to brown. If you get tired of staring at it, go clean up that mess you made.

Remove fried tofu from pan onto a plate lined with paper towels.

Add the sauce into the pan and simmer to thicken.

Toss the fried tofu in the thickened sauce until evenly coated. Remove from heat.

To serve, garnish with sesame seeds and/or green onions.