Authentic Mapo Tofu Recipe that Passed the Chinese Husband Test

Are you sure you're not Sichuanese? – My Husband

Mapo Tofu is a hugely famous dish from the spicy food capitol of China, the Sichuan Province. I won't bore you with a long explanation of who created it and what fancy unheard of ingredients to buy. All you need is a skillet and ingredients you can easily find on Amazon or your local Asian grocery store.

My husband does the majority of the Chinese food cooking in our house. Let's face it, he does the majority of the cooking period. But every once in a while, I will come out of left field with a dish he loves. Mapo tofu was the first authentic Chinese dish I really ever made, and it's been a staple ever since. It's my go-to when we don't have anything else in the fridge and it's relatively easy to make. Over the past couple of years, I've made it my own and I've added and taken out ingredients along the way.

Mapo Tofu Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp ground Sichuan peppercorns*

• 1 block firm tofu

• 2 tbsp minced ginger

• 2 tbsp minced garlic

• 8 oz. ground pork*

• 1-2 tbsp spicy bean paste (doubanjiang)*

• 1-2 tbsp chili oil (Fly By Jing, we get it on sale at Costco or we make our own at home)*

• 2/3 cup water or chicken broth

• 1/5 tsp cornstarch

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 green onion (optional)

Directions

1. Dry your tofu block and then cut it into about 30 squares. Set aside.

2. In a skillet, add 1 tbsp of oil and saute the ginger and garlic until aromatic. Add the meat and break it up as it browns. Then add the ground Sichuan peppercorns.

3. Add 1-2 tbsp of the spicy bean paste to the meat and stir until blended.

4. Add 2/3 cup of water/broth and let simmer for about a minute. While simmering, combine 1/5 tsp cornstarch and 1/4 cup water.

5. Add cornstarch slurry to the skillet and stir. Let it simmer until the sauce thickens.

6. Then add 1-2 tbsp of chili oil. Stir it into the overall mixture and add the tofu.

7. Use a flat spatula to toss the tofu into the sauce and let everything cook for about 3 minutes.

8. Top with chopped green onion for that extra flavor kick.

*Pork is more authentic but you can use any ground meat you prefer

*We buy whole peppercorns so I put them in a pepper mill and eyeball it.

*Doubanjiang is SALTY, so make sure not to add too much more salt to the dish.

*Some chili oil can also be salty, see note about Doubanjiang.

Mapo tofu is best served over rice but you can definitely eat it just as it is.

Mapo Tofu is delicious and spicy. Perfect for wintery nights or any time you want to be adventurous with flavor. Or if you want to impress someone special. My husband brags about me making this dish all the time and it makes me feel so, so good.

Comment if you made it and tell me what you think!