This cashew tofu features crispy pan-fried tofu with tender vegetables and crunchy cashews in the most incredible stir fry sauce. You’ll love it even more than the classic chicken version!
Tofu is giving the takeout classic, cashew chicken a HUGE run for its money today!
It’s pretty hard not to love a bowl that colorful, perfectly saucy, and droolworthy though. Tofu is definitely having a moment right now.
I guarantee you’re going to be obsessed with this stir fry even if you’re a cashew chicken purist! It literally blew our minds and tastebuds.
Best part? It’s totally weeknight friendly and cooks up entirely in one pan.
Don’t sleep on devouring it from that same pan either. Once ya start it’s kinda hard to stop.
This Cashew Tofu features…
- Crispy pan-fried tofu and tender vegetables.
- A savory, flavorful stir-fry sauce.
- Crunchy roasted cashews.
- Under an hour to make and much healthier than traditional cashew chicken!
Making the Cashew Tofu
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Extra-firm tofu
- Cornstarch
- Vegetable oil
- Sweet pepper
- Broccoli
- Green onions
- Garlic
- Cashews
- Soy sauce
- Vegetable broth
- Hoisin sauce
- Agave nectar
How to Prepare Tofu
Prepare the tofu for pressing by cutting the tofu in half width-wise. Lay the two tofu slabs in a single layer on a kitchen towel and place another kitchen towel on top.
Now place something heavy on top of the tofu (like a bowl of fruit or a medium-weight book) and allow to sit for 30-60 minutes. Once the tofu has been pressed, you’re ready to dice it into cubes and proceed with cooking.
Why press tofu? Even extra-firm tofu is packaged in liquid and pressing the tofu ensures that it will fry up crispy.
Tips for Perfect Tofu Stir-Fry
- Coat tofu in cornstarch – the cornstarch coating gives the tofu a perfect crispy exterior once pan fried.
- Saute vegetables to crisp-tender – you don’t want the vegetables overcooked – they will finish cooking once the sauce and tofu is added.
- Add cashews at end of cooking – this helps the cashews stay perfectly crunchy.
- Serve tofu over rice – we recommend steamed jasmine rice, brown rice, or white rice. You can also serve it over quinoa or cauliflower rice!
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this recipe!
- Make it spicy – try sauteeing a jalapeno or serrano pepper with the other vegetables or add a few shakes of sriracha hot sauce.
- Change up the vegetables – try zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, or carrots in place of the other vegetables.
- Make it meaty – if you’d rather skip the tofu, you can use chicken or beef strips in its place.
Make Ahead Instructions
This cashew tofu stores very well in the fridge for up to 6 days. Be aware, the tofu won’t be crispy once reheated, but it will still be delicious.
Due to the tofu in this recipe, we do not recommend freezing.
The flavors and textures in this cashew tofu are absolutely mind blowing! The tofu is perfectly crispy and saucy, the vegetables are tender, and the cashews give it just the right amount of crunch.
Guarantee you will love this one even more than the classic chicken version!
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Watch this tofu made step-by-step on Google web stories.
More tofu favorites to try next!
Cashew Tofu Stir Fry
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Ingredients
Sauce
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons agave or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Stir Fry
- 1 brick (12 oz) extra-firm tofu, pressed for 30-60 minutes and cut into 1/2-in cubes
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 cup finely-chopped broccoli florets
- 1 medium sweet pepper, cut into 1-in strips
- 1 bunch green onions, white parts finely chopped, and green parts cut into 1-in pieces
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup roasted unsalted cashews
- Hot steamed rice for serving
Instructions
Sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk all sauce ingredients until smooth. Set aside for a moment.
Stir Fry
- In a medium bowl, toss tofu with cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until evenly combined.
- Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu and sear on all sides several minutes until crispy. Drain on paper towels.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in same pan and add broccoli, sweet pepper, and white parts of onion. Sauté several minutes until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add green onions and garlic and cook an additional minute or two until wilted.
- Add sauce, cashews, and tofu to skillet and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat until sauce is thickened.
- Season stir fry with salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve warm over rice and enjoy!
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