Tofu Tangsuyuk (Korean Sweet and Sour Tofu)

Tangsuyuk (탕수육) is a popular Korean-Chinese version of sweet and sour pork or beef. It’s crispy deep-fried meat coated in a delicious thick sweet and sour sauce.

For this recipe, I used tofu instead of meat and it was absolutely divine! The crispy tofu soaks up all the delicious flavors from the sauce and tastes so good! You can even substitute the tofu for oyster mushrooms too!

What you’ll need to for Tofu Tangsuyuk:

For frying tofu: 

• Firm tofu
• Cornstarch
• All purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Neutral oil for frying

For the sauce:

• Carrot
• Red bell pepper
• Orange
• Yellow onion
• Sugar
• Vinegar
• Soy sauce
• Water

For the slurry: 

• Cornstarch
• Water

How to make this at home:

Peel and slice the carrot into coins, about ¼-inch thick. Dice ½ of a medium-sized onion and one red bell pepper. Peel and slice an orange and set it aside.

Drain the liquid from the tofu package and use a paper towel to absorb any excess liquid. We want the tofu to be dry as possible for frying.

Dice the tofu into ½-inch cubes. Transfer the tofu cubes to a gallon-sized Ziploc back and add your flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Seal and shake the bag to evenly coat the tofu in the flour mixture.

Fill a dutch oven about halfway with neutral cooking oil. Heat it to 350ºF and carefully place half of the flour-coated tofu in the oil (it’s best to fry in batches to prevent overcrowding the pot). Fry the tofu for 6-8 minutes or until it is golden and crispy. Repeat this step with the remaining tofu.

Transfer the deep-fried tofu to a paper towel-lined plate to allow it to catch any excess oil.

In another pot, combine the soy sauce, water, vinegar, and sugar and bring it to a simmer on medium heat. Once the sauce is a simmer, add the diced veggies and sliced orange. Let the sauce simmer for another 2-3 minutes or until the onions have become slightly translucent.

Make a slurry with cornstarch and water. Add the slurry to the sauce and stir to combine. Allow the sauce to simmer until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes.

Serve the sauce over the fried tofu or on the side to dip!

Video Tutorial

Other Korean recipes you may like:

• Korean Scallion Salad 파무침 (Pa Muchim)
• Korean Pickled Radish (Chicken-Mu 치킨무)
• Sodduk Sodduk (Korean Rice Cake & Sausage Skewers) with Gochujang Aioli
• Korean Spicy Chicken
• 10 Minute Kimchi-Jjigae (Korean Kimchi Stew)

Tofu Tangsuyuk (Sweet and Sour Tofu)

Serves: 2-3 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes 15 minutes

Rating: 4.0/5

( 3 voted )

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Ingredients

For frying tofu: 

• 1 package tofu, firm
• ½ cup cornstarch
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3-4 cups of neutral oil, depending on the size of your dutch oven

For the sauce:

• 1 carrot, sliced 
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 orange, peeled and sliced
• ½ medium-sized yellow onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ tablespoon vinegar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons water

For the slurry: 

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoon water

Instructions

1. Cut the carrot into coins. Dice your onion, red bell pepper, and orange. Set them aside. 
2. Drain the water from the tofu and use a paper towel to absorb any excess liquid. Dice the tofu into ½-inch cubes. Transfer the tofu cubes to a gallon-size Ziploc bag and add the all purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking soda. Seal and shake the bag to fully coat the tofu in the flour mixture. 
3. Heat neutral oil in a dutch oven on medium-high heat to 350ºF. Carefully place half of the flour-coated tofu in the hot oil and fry for 6-8 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Remove the fried tofu from the oil and transfer it to a plate lined with a paper towel to catch any excess oil. Repeat this step with the remaining tofu. 
4. In another pot, combine soy sauce, water, vinegar, and sugar, and bring it to a simmer on medium heat. Once the sauce is at a simmer, add the diced vegetables and fruit. Let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes or until the onions have become slightly translucent. 
5. Make a slurry with cornstarch and water and add it to the sauce.  Stir to combine and allow it to simmer until it has thickened, about 2 minutes (the sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon). 
6. Serve the sauce over the fried tofu or on the side to dip, the choice is yours! Enjoy 🙂