Mapo Tofu Recipe

Prepare ingredients

Drain the tofu and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes. Blanch the tofu briefly (optional) by bringing a pot of lightly salted water to a simmer, gently adding tofu, and poaching 1 minute; drain carefully and set aside. Separate scallion whites and greens and mince whites; chop greens for garnish. Measure out sauces and spices.

Toast Sichuan peppercorns

In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant (about 1–2 minutes), shaking the pan to avoid burning. Cool briefly, then grind with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder to a coarse powder. Set aside.

Brown the pork

Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or wide skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the ground pork and stir-fry, breaking it up with a spatula, until it starts to brown and most liquid evaporates (3–5 minutes). If the pork is very lean and sticks, add an extra 1 tsp oil.

Aromatics and doubanjiang

Push the pork to one side, add minced garlic, ginger and the white parts of the scallions to the oil and briefly fry until fragrant (20–30 seconds). Add the doubanjiang and tianmianjiang/hoisin and stir-fry with the meat for 1 minute to bloom the chili bean paste, stirring constantly so it doesn’t stick.

Deglaze and simmer

Add the Shaoxing wine to deglaze the pan and let it reduce 20–30 seconds. Pour in the chicken or vegetable stock, light soy sauce, and chili oil. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.

Add tofu and simmer gently

Gently add the tofu cubes into the sauce, spooning sauce around rather than stirring vigorously to avoid breaking the tofu. Simmer uncovered on low-medium heat for 4–6 minutes so tofu absorbs flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt or additional soy/chili as needed.

Thicken sauce

Mix the cornstarch with the cold water to form a smooth slurry. Slowly drizzle the slurry into the simmering sauce while gently shaking the pan or spooning sauce over tofu; cook 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens to a glossy, slightly viscous consistency that coats the tofu.

Finish and plate

Turn off the heat, drizzle sesame oil and sprinkle the ground toasted Sichuan peppercorns over the dish. Stir in most of the chopped green scallions (reserve a few for garnish). Transfer to a serving bowl, finish with remaining scallion greens and an extra drizzle of chili oil if desired. Serve hot over steamed rice.