Delicious Black Pepper Tofu with Bok Choy – a simple vegan tofu stir-fry that can be made in 20 minutes flat! Serve this over rice or rice noodles for a quick, easy weeknight dinner. Video. Looking for more? Check out our 50+ Amazing Tofu Recipes!
Laugh because that is the purest sound. – Hafez
Here is one of my favorite tofu recipes! This Black Pepper Tofu recipe with bok choy is quick and easy and perfect for busy weeknights when you are short on time. It’s loaded with healthy bok choy and can be served on its own, over jasmine rice, black rice, or rice noodles.
And even though this tofu stir fry is easiest made in a wok, don’t let this stop you if you don’t happen to have one. Half the time I make this in my cast iron skillet. Either way, it’s a super tasty way to serve up tofu and the vibrant baby bok choy! And keep in mind, I’ve simplified this recipe quite a bit to prevent you from making an extra trip to the Asian Market for specialty items.
What you will need
- Firm tofu: Opt for Organic, non-GMO, firm, or extra firm tofu. Sprouted tofu also works. Do not use silken tofu . Feel free to sub chicken or shrimp, see the recipe notes.
- Corn starch for dredging (optional)
- Wok oil (high-heat oil like peanut oil, avocado oil or coconut oil )
- Salt and crushed black peppercorns
- Shallot and Garlic Cloves – or substitute onions
- Baby bok choy (about 4) quartered lengthwise ( or use regular bock choy, chopped small) or sub other vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, or cabbage.
- Soy sauce ( or Gluten-free soy sauce Liquid Aminos, or light soy sauce, low-sodium soy sauce, tamari or sweet soy sauce, aka kecap manis)
- Chinese Cooking Wine (Shaoxing Wine) or sub-dry white wine, mirin, pale cooking sherry. Rice vinegar will not work here.
- Brown sugar (or sub cane sugar, palm sugar, coconut sugar or agave)
- Chili paste (optional) for a bit of heat to your preferred level of spiciness.
How to Make Perfect Black Pepper Tofu
- Blot tofu gently and cut the into 1-inch cubes. Tofu need not be “pressed hard”, this will dry it out.
- Whisk together the stir-fry sauce and set by stove.
- Prep the shallots, garlic and bok choy.
- Dredge tofu in a light coating of cornstarch.
- Heat oil in a wok or large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and ****add the salt and crushed peppercorns to the oil, swirling it around until fragrant. This is KEY to the flavor here.
- Add the tofu to the seasoned oil, and sear on all sides until golden and quite golden and crispy. Let it form a crust before turning- it will naturally release itself from the pan. Set it aside.
- Drizzle in more oil, add shallots, garlic, and bok choy, and stir-fry until just tender-crisp. Pour in the stir-fry sauce and simmer for just couple of minutes.
- Right before serving, toss the tofu back into the pan with the bok choy and sauce, tossing for 30 seconds. Any longer will render the tofu soggy.
- Serve immediately!
Serving Suggestions
Serve Black Pepper Tofu on its own for a low-carb meal, or serve over:
This recipe for Black Pepper Tofu is perfect for two people!
Although it has a fair amount of crushed black peppercorns, the Black Pepper Sauce is not overwhelming. It perfectly accentuates the tofu and the bok choy, and the dish tastes balanced.
Expert Tips
- Prep. As with most stir-fry recipes, my best advice is to prep all the ingredients beforehand. The cooking part goes very quickly and it’s too easy to burn things when you are not prepped and ready.
- Don’t press the tofu too hard. Gently blot. Otherwise, your tofu will be dry.
- Place ingredients close to the stove, ready to go. Turn the hood on.
- Season the oil. Add the salt and peppercorns to the heating oil in the pan- this is key to flavor here.
- Let the tofu develop a crust– don’t overmix it! As it gets golden, it will naturally release from the pan. Patience is key here.
- Use high-heat oil– peanut oil has the BEST flavor. Coconut oil, second.
And even though the dish tastes flavorful and saucy, it also tastes very clean. Which I love…
I’m not sure if it is just my imagination, but the natural water element of the bok choy feels very healing and restorative to the body.
A simple easy recipe to whip up when days are full and time is short. Give this Black Pepper Tofu with Bok Choy, a try this coming week and let me know what you think!
xoxo
More Favorite Tofu Recipes
- 50+ Amazing Tofu Recipes
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- Tofu Paprikash
- Baked Tofu (with 3 Marinades)
- Grilled Bok Choy with Ponzu Sauce
- Broccoli Stir Fry
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Black Pepper Tofu Video
Black Pepper Tofu with Bok Choy
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Vegan, Gluten Free, Main
- Method: Stir fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A simple delicious recipe for Black Pepper Tofu with Bok Choy – a tasty vegan meal that can be made in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 12 ounces firm tofu, patted dry, cut into 1-inch cubes (do not use silken tofu ) or sub chicken or shrimp, see notes
- corn starch for dredging (optional)
- 2 tablespoons wok oil (high-heat oil like avocado oil, or coconut oil )
- 5-finger pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked peppercorns
- —–
- 1 fat shallot, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
- 6 ounces baby bok choy (about 4) quartered lengthwise (or if very thick, in half again) see notes.
- 1/4 cup green onions, cut into 1-inch lengths.
Black Pepper Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce ( or Gluten-free Liquid Aminos)
- 2 tablespoons Chinese Cooking Wine (Shaoxing Rice Wine) or sub-dry white wine, pale cooking sherry, or rice wine ( not vinegar!)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1–2 teaspoons brown sugar (or sub palm sugar, coconut sugar or agave)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon chili paste (optional)
Serve with rice, or on its own.
Instructions
- Cut tofu into cubes and blot dry with paper towels, pressing down gently.
- Make the stir-fry sauce, stirring ingredients together in a small until most of the sugar dissolves. Place it by the stove.
- Prep the shallots, garlic and bok choy.
- Dredge the tofu in a light coating of cornstarch (cornstarch is optional, but provides a crispier texture).
- Heat oil in a wok or large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the salt and crushed peppercorns to the oil, swirling it around until fragrant, about one minute.
- Add the tofu to the seasoned oil, and sear on all sides until golden and crispy, turning the heat down if need be. Be patient and take your time, it will take about 5-6 minutes.
- Set the crispy tofu aside on a paper towel-lined plate, and wipe the pan out.
- Heat another teaspoon or two of oil over medium heat, and add shallots, garlic and bok choy. Stir continuously until bok choy begins to wilt and shallots become golden, about 3-4 minutes. It will smell amazing. Add the wok sauce to the pan, careful to get all the sugar that may have settled in the bowl.
- Simmer for a couple of minutes, or until bok choy is just tender.
- At the very very end, toss the tofu back into the pan with scallions, bok choy and sauce ( just long enough to coat, only a few seconds.) Cooking any longer will remove the amazing crispiness! Taste for salt and heat, adjusting to your preference.
- Serve immediately, diving between two bowls.
Notes
- Feel free to substitute chicken breast for the tofu, cut into cubes, and prepared the same way.
- Feel free to crisp the tofu in the wok, without using cornstarch. Just make sure to pat dry the tofu with paper towels and season the oil in the pan with salt and pepper. Don’t move the tofu around too much in the pan. The tofu will naturally release from the pan when it develops a “crust”. So just turn and flop every so often, letting it get crispy.
- If your bok choy is longer than 4 inches, chop up the white root end into smaller pieces, and stir-fry them first for 1-2 minutes before adding the green parts.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 364
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 1115.3 mg
- Fat: 24.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.4 g
- Fiber: 6.4 g
- Protein: 24.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Gorgeous light, crispy, tasty dish…still delicious cold and crispy next day…a winner…thank you 🤓
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! Thank you!
Quick and easy meal.
Tried this for lunch today and it turned out great! Used broccoli instead of bok choy and served on its own. Could’ve left the tofu in the pan at the end a little longer to absorb some of the sauce but was afraid of it loosing it’s crispiness. The sauce is a keeper too. Although i will add a little cornstarch to the sauce next time to make it a little thicker. Thanks for the recipe Sylvia 🙂
Really easy and quick, and very tasty. A good fiery taste from the pepper. Tofu crisped up beautifully. I added sliced mushrooms and broccoli which worked well.
Made this last night and it was perfect! I used rice wine vinegar bcz I didn’t have cooking wine, and it gave it an interesting sweetness. Also, fresh ground pepper is so good with the shallots and garlic. SO good!
Really delicious! I am vegan and loving your recipes. Thank you so much! Jill
I had corn starch left over, so I added it to the sauce. Coated everything nicely.
I’m new to tofu and this was perfect. Added the cornstarch. Amazing flavor
I’d take the peppercorns out of the sauce list if they’re intended to be in the oil in an early step!
They are in both the sauce and searing the tofu. 🙂
We were looking for a recipe to use some of the bok choy from the CSA and found this gem. The flavors are in harmony, the black pepper is the star without being overwhelming and cracking the peppercorn in the mortar and pestle is just so satisfying. Next time we may serve it with rice to make use of all the gorgeous sauce.
I’ve been trying to get my picky house of boys (and husband)to eat a couple vegetarian meals a week. They always insist they HAVE to have a meat protein! Well, they didn’t miss it here at all even when they turn up their noses to the thought of eating tofu. The favors blended perfectly and the cornstarch on the tofu was so good! I’m totally obsessed with this! I served it over black rice using the “pasta method” you suggested and we were blown away. Trying the White Enchiladas tonight!!!
Great to hear Sherry!
we made this for dinner tonight, sort of following the recipe and it was quite tasty. I used extra firm tofu. I tossed the tofu chunks in tapioca starch since I’ve misplaced my cornstarch. I had only grownup bok choy, not baby, so I sliced each rib about 1/3 inch wide from stem to stern. Then I was short some green parts so I added the green parts of a leek. I never have shallots, so I used a half an onion, thinly sliced, and used pepper from the pepper mill (not crushed) only not quite as much since I find pepper spicy. I also used about 1/4 tsp of salt since we watch our salt intake. I cooked it in half canola half coconut. I used rice wine vinegar and agave instead of brown sugar. I used 1/3 tsp chili paste since I am a wimp. I think it had a little kick. The tofu had a nice chewy texture, instead of the usual mush. I like it and have saved the recipe.
Great to hear!
“Five FINGER pinch of salt” NOT five pinches”. Gah!!!
Oh dear. Yes, just a generous pinch.
What is the garnish in the picture? Is it saffron or chili threads?
Chili Threads. 😉
Hi. I don’t have any bok Choy on hand. What would recommend as a substitute? Broccoli?
That would work- maybe steam first?
How much is a 5 finger pinch of salt?
about a 1/4 teaspoon 🙂
If I’m out of cornstarch, I’m guessing coconut flour will work (probably better than almond flour?)
Give it a try?
Very excited to try this. For a touch more “clean”, I’m thinking of subbing the brown sugar with soft persimmon. We’ll see!
A neighbor off-handedly mentioned making a dish that sounded good, so she sent me this recipe. It’s THE THING I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR ALL MY LIFE. Is that an exaggeration? No! It’s that good. Moreover, the technique of seasoning the oil with salt & pepper, dredging the tofu in cornstarch has made this life-long veggie/tofu “stir-fry” maker ashamed she didn’t know these techniques before. Thanks so much! I make this with bok-choi or broccoli – whatever is on hand. Flawless!
Awesome Diane, glad you enjoyed this!
Simple and delicious! I cut the bok choi crosswise and separated the white from green parts, adding the white parts first, and the green parts after a few minutes to even out cooking times. Thanks for a flavorful and healthy supper!
We used Bok choy from our garden. The pepper sauce was delicious. Very easy recipe. Served over Udon noodles. YUM!.
This is a great, easy to follow recipe. The tofu looks so pretty with the black pepper specks–it makes the finished dish look like a lot more work than it is. Tonight I didn’t have bok choy so I baked some asparagus in the oven and added it to the tofu and ate it over rice with scallions. My tofu-averse dad even likes this recipe. Thanks!
Perfect Hannah! Love it!
Ok, I am a carnivore LIKE TRUE CARNIVORE, looking to reduce my meat and poultry consumption. I love my veggies, so I wasn’t scared, but tofu was never my thing. But this recipe did it for me! Although it was super simple (I was a little skeptical because I’m Caribbean and we season EVERYTHING up and down). But I needed a quick meal-prep lunch that was plant based (for my new journey), and this did the job and then some.
I may experiment with adding more veggies/more color, but overall, this was GREAT!!! Thank you for this recipe <3
Yay!!! I’m so happy! I think tofu can be very tasty! Feel free to add more veggies. 🙂
This one blew my husband away, he is finally a tofu fan! This is the best tofu dish I have made to date, its become a staple favourite – thank you!
YAY!!! Great to hear!
Once again absolutely delicious! Even my meat-eating husband, who had a furrowed brow while I was preparing it 🙂 just loved it. Another keeper for my meatless dinner collection. Thanks Sylvia.
Ahaha, love it!