These gochujang tofu bowls feature perfectly crispy tofu tossed in a spicy gochujang sauce and piled high over fluffy rice with pickled vegetables and kimchi.
Flavor bomb of a dinner bowl incoming! It’s been a hot sec since we had a banger tofu recipe hit the website and the wait is over.
A good saucy and spicy gochujang chicken is one of our favorites to make at home and I’ve been dying to try a tofu version so these beautiful bowls were a no-brainer to pull together.
It’s got all the bowl essentials including crispy tofu, a spicy + flavorful sauce, pickled veg, fluffy rice, and even a little kimchi action on top. Face planting is highly encouraged here.
If you haven’t tried gochujang before you’re in for a treat! This spicy fermented chili paste is packed full of goodness and lends the most incredible funky, savory flavor to the tofu.
Pile it all in a rice bowl and I think we’ve got a winner!
These Tofu Bowls feature…
- Crispy pan-fried tofu coated in a spicy gochujang sauce.
- Fluffy steamed rice as a bowl base
- Flavorful pickled carrot and cucumber and kimchi for topping
Making the Gochujang Tofu
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Carrots
- Cucumber
- Ginger
- Apple cider vinegar
- Honey
- Extra-firm tofu
- Cornstarch
- Vegetable oil
- Gochujang
- Garlic
- Honey
- Brown sugar
- Rice wine vinegar
- Soy sauce
- Green onions
How To Press 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, place another kitchen towel on top, arrange on a plate, and place a sheet pan on top.
Now place something heavy on top of the sheet pan (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 removing some of this liquid ensures that the tofu will cook up crispy.
Tips for Perfect Gochujang Tofu
- Quick pickle vegetables – we do a quick pickle method for the carrots and cucumber which means just a quick 30-60 minute soak in the vinegar mixture.
- Use cornstarch coating for tofu – a light dusting of cornstarch will give the tofu a perfectly crispy exterior.
- Pan fry tofu – sear the tofu in vegetable oil on all sides until golden brown and drain on paper towels.
- Toss tofu in sauce just before serving – this will help keep the tofu crispy.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this tofu.
- Choose a different grain – try building bowls with brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice.
- Add more vegetables – try adding sauteed broccoli, bok choy, sweet pepper, mushrooms, or green beans to bowls.
- Adjust heat level – add more or less gochujang depending on how spicy you want your sauce.
How To Meal Prep Bowls
If you would like to meal prep these bowls, follow the following instructions.
- Pickle vegetables – pickle the carrot and cucumber and store in a jar or container in refrigerator up to 1 week.
- Make tofu – assemble the tofu through step 4 and store in meal prep containers alongside rice in refrigerator up to 6 days. Note that the tofu will not be crispy if you use this make-ahead method, but it will still be delicious.
- Assembly – when ready to serve bowls, reheat tofu and rice in containers and top with pickled vegetables, kimchi, and sesame seeds for serving.
All the flavors in these gochujang bowls just absolutely work together! The spicy savory flavors from the tofu pair perfectly with the tangy pickled vegetables and all that fragrant steamed rice action.
Trust me, this is a bowl you’ll want to have meal prepped all week!
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.
More tofu bowls to try next!
Crispy Gochujang Tofu Bowls
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Ingredients
Quick Pickled Carrots and Cucumber
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 small carrots, peeled into ribbons
- 1 small cucumber, peeled into ribbons
- 3 (1-inch) peeled slices fresh ginger
Crispy Gochujang Tofu
- 1 brick (12 oz) extra-firm tofu, pressed for 30-60 min and cut into 1/2-in cubes
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup gochujang
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 bunch green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Steamed rice, kimchi, and sesame seeds for serving
Instructions
Quick Pickled Carrots and Cucumber
- Whisk water, apple cider vinegar, honey, and salt in a large jar or container until honey is dissolved. Add carrot, cucumber, and ginger submerging in the liquid. Screw lid on jar or container and allow to sit 30-60 minutes at room temperature (or refrigerate overnight).
Crispy Gochujang Tofu
- In a medium bowl, toss tofu with cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until evenly combined.
- Heat 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.
- In a medium bowl, whisk gochujang, garlic, honey, brown sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce until smooth.
- Pour sauce into same pan used for tofu and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until thickened and bubbly. Fold in tofu and green onions until tofu is evenly coated and green onion is wilted. Season tofu with salt and pepper to taste if needed.
- Assemble bowls by spooning rice into serving bowls and topping with gochujang tofu, pickled carrots and cucumber, kimchi, and sesame seeds. Serve bowls immediately and enjoy!
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