I think one of the biggest things we’ve all learned this year is that the simple things are the things that bring us the most joy. That’s why I think the perfect way to end a pretty tough year is with a simple, easy-to-do dinner. This mapo tofu dish is a staple in my mom’s kitchen. She loves making this dish because it’s easy to throw together at a moment’s notice. Actually, when I was testing this recipe, I messed up the first batch because I made it incredibly spicy, so we just whipped up another batch in 20 minutes!
What is mapo tofu?
Mapo tofu is a traditional Chinese dish from the Sichuan province in China. Typically, it is made with ground pork, tofu, and a spicy sauce filled with Sichuan spices. Unfortunately, my family cannot handle that level of spice, so my mom opts for a more toned down version of this dish. Instead of using Sichuan spices, she uses chili garlic sauce to give it a moderate amount of spiciness. The dish is then served with white rice.
Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments
- Filippo Berio extra light olive oil – The anchor of this dish is Filippo Berio extra light olive oil. I love this olive oil because it has a higher smoke point than other olive oils which makes it the perfect oil to saute with.
- Ginger & garlic – These aromatics add flavor to the dish.
- Ground pork – Ground pork is the most traditional meat used in this recipe, but I’ve seen variations with ground chicken and even ground mushrooms for a vegetarian variation.
- Salt for seasoning
- Spicy bean sauce – Fermented beans are an essential ingredient to traditional mapo tofu. However, this sauce was a tad hard to find. I had to go to a few grocery stores to get it. If you can’t find it, I would recommend adding another tablespoon of oyster sauce as a substitute.
- Silken tofu – My mom swears that you have to use silken tofu, and to be honest, silken tofu does give you the most authentic experience. However, I say use whatever tofu you can find.
- Oyster sauce – Adds umami-ness to the sauce.
- Sesame oil – Adds more flavor to the dish.
- Chili garlic sauce – Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce adds spiciness to the sauce. If you want to go the more traditional route, you could add Sichuan chili oil instead.
- Water & corn starch – These ingredients combined create a corn starch slurry which thickens the sauce.
- Green onions for garnish
Making my mapo tofu
First add 2 tablespoons of Filippo Berio extra light olive oil to a pan. Heat over medium high heat. Next, add the garlic and ginger. Cook for ~1 minutes until soft and shiny. Add the ground pork and cook for 5-10 minutes until brown. Then add the salt, , spicy bean sauce, silken tofu, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and chili garlic sauce. Mix the water and corn starch and add to the pan as well. Stir and cook for 2-3 more minutes until the sauce thickens a bit. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if it tastes bland. Remove from the heat. Stir in the minced green onions and serve with a side of white rice.
Did you make this dish?
If you made this dish, I would love to see!
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Mapo Tofu
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Filippo Berio extra light olive oil
- ¼ oz ginger minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ lb ground pork
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp spicy bean sauce
- 1 package silken tofu 16 oz
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- ¼ tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 1 stalk green onions thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of Filippo Berio extra light olive oil in a pan over medium high heat.
- Add ginger and garlic and cook for ~1 minute until they are soft.
- Add ground pork and cook for 5-10 minutes until brown.
- Next, add salt, spicy bean sauce, silken tofu, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and chili garlic sauce. Mix the water and corn starch and add to the pan as well. Stir and cook for 2-3 more minutes until the sauce thickens a bit. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if it tastes bland.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the green onions and serve with a side of white rice.
Your mom’s Mapo Tofu recipe was really tasty, quick and easy! We will definitely do it again sometime soon.
Thank you Melissa! So glad you enjoyed it!