Sichuan Mapo Tofu, a spicy tofu dish from Chinese cuisine, is unfussy and short to cook at home. This direct recipe captures the classic taste by combining soft tofu and ground pork in a rich, savory sauce made with doubanjiang. Serve it with rice for a satisfying weeknight meal.

Looking for a direct way to make classic Chinese mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐) at home? We want to share our favorite mapo tofu recipe, which replicates the true taste we experienced in Sichuan province during our travels in China.

This Sichuan mapo tofu recipe is made of soft tofu pieces simmered in a rich, spicy sauce with fresh garlic, scallions, and a touch of ground pork. The dish pairs wonderfully with steamed rice.

Mapo tofu presented with rice on a tray.

Preparing mapo tofu is quite straightforward, though you’ll need a few special ingredients to capture the classic flavor. However, feel free to adjust it to match your taste preferences or reduce the spiciness to suit your heat tolerance.

Key Ingredients for Mapo Tofu

These key ingredients are commonly used in Sichuan Chinese cooking. You can easily purchase them in local Asian markets or online.

Doubanjiang (fermented chili paste)

In Chinese cuisine, doubanjiang (fermented chili paste of broad bean paste) is an important spicy sauce made from fermented broad beans, soybeans, salt, and red chili peppers. It ferments for months, creating a rich, savory flavor with deep umami and spicy notes. It’s essential for making mapo tofu and hard to replace.

Note: For premium quality, try “Pixian Broad Bean Paste” available at local Asian markets or online retailers. It hails from Pixian, a small county in Sichuan province.

Sichuan peppercorn

Sichuan peppercorn is a key Chinese spice in Mapo tofu, offering a unique numbing sensation and boosting the dish’s spice. Add it as powder or whole, alone or with other spices. It brings a distinctive, citrusy flavor that complements the chili peppers and fermented chili paste well.

Douchi (fermented black beans) – optional

Fermented black beans add umami and balance the heat from Sichuan peppercorns in Mapo tofu. They’re commonly paired with doubanjiang in Sichuan dishes like twice-cooked pork for a distinct flavor. Together with other seasonings, they create the dish’s complex taste, but omitting them won’t drastically change the flavor.

Soft tofu

A keeper tofu for mapo tofu is the soft tofu. Its tender texture holds shape when cooked. Unlike firm tofu, soft tofu has a silky, smooth consistency that allows absorption of the rich, spicy sauce, enhancing the flavor.

Note: Avoid silken tofu as it lacks firmness, easily breaking apart in the spicy sauce and leading to a mushy texture.

How the dish comes together

Blanch the Tofu

Cut the tofu into small cubes. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add a pinch of salt. Add the tofu to the pot and cook for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.

Stir-Fry the Aromatics

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat and add vegetable oil. Add ginger, dried crushed chilies, and green onion and stir fry until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.

Add Ground Pork

Turn the heat to medium-high. Add the ground pork and cook until browned and crispy, breaking up large pieces. Then add doubanjiang, fermented black beans (if using), and garlic. Stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add tofu and simmer

Add the blanched tofu and chicken stock to the wok or skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5-7 minutes to heat through..

Add ground Sichuan pepper and stir. In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the wok or skillet and stir gently to thicken the sauce.

To serve, garnish with sliced green onions and more Sichuan pepper if desired. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Vegetarian or Vegan Adaptation Tip

To make a vegetarian or vegan version, replace the ground pork with mushrooms or a plant-based meat. Substitute chicken stock with vegetable stock. Alternatively, omit the pork and use tofu exclusively, but reduce the amount of seasoning and condiments.

Yield: 4 people
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb (450 g) soft tofu, sliced into 1/2-inch cubes
4 tbsp (60 ml) oil
3 tbsp minced ginger
3-4 dried red chilies, sliced
3 green onion, chopped
1/2 lb (225 g) minced pork
2 tbsp Sichuan chili bean paste (doubanjiang)
1/2 tbsp fermented black beans (douchi), optional
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock, low sodium preferred
1-2 tsp Sichuan peppercorn powder
2 tsp cornstarch
3 tbsp (45 ml) water

Method

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add a pinch of salt. Add the tofu to the pot and cook for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat and add vegetable oil. Add ginger, dried crushed chilies, and green onion and stir fry until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.
Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the ground pork and cook until browned and crispy, breaking up any large pieces with a spatula. Add doubanjiang, fermented black beans (if using), and garlic to the wok or skillet. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the blanched tofu and chicken stock to the wok or skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5-7 minutes, until the tofu is heated through.
Add ground Sichuan pepper and stir. In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the wok or skillet and stir gently to thicken the sauce. Garnish with sliced green onions and more Sichuan pepper if desired. Serve hot with steamed rice