Learn how to make flavorful and easy red-braised tofu. Its rich and savory flavor is sure to satisfy even the most discerning palates, and its versatility makes it a great addition to any meal. Whether you are a vegetarian or a meat eater, red-braised tofu is a dish that you won’t want to miss.
What is red-braised tofu?
Red-braising, also known as hong shao in Chinese, is a popular cooking technique in Chinese cuisine that involves slow-cooking food in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, spices, and sometimes wine or vinegar. The resulting dish is rich, savory, and has a deep red-brown color, hence the name “red-braised.” You can pretty much hong shao anything you like. In this post, I use tofu and it makes a delicious red-braised tofu
Tofu is perfect for red-braising
Tofu is like a sponge. It absorbs the flavors of whatever you cook them in. The tofu pieces are infused with the complex flavors of the sauce and take on a meaty texture from the braising process.
Why it’s necessary to air-fry or pan-fry/deep fry the tofu before braising
When the tofu is fried, it will develop a crispy crust. When you braise the tofu, it won’t disintegrate easily and the texture of the tofu becomes spongy and chewy in a pleasant way. If you braise the tofu without frying it, it won’t taste as good. My favorite method is to air-fry the tofu. It’s so convenient and you don’t need much oil or no oil at all if you use non-stick cooking spray, yet it gives results similar to pan frying or deep frying the tofu.
How to serve red-braised tofu
Red-braised tofu can be served as a main course, side dish, or appetizer. It is often garnished with sliced scallions, cilantro, or sesame seeds for added flavor and texture. The dish can also be paired with steamed rice or noodles to make a satisfying and filling meal.
Ingredients and substitutions
1. Extra-firm tofu
I do not recommend using anything less than extra-firm tofu for this dish
2. Rock sugar
Rock sugar is used to prepare the caramel that gives the dish its reddish look. If you don’t have rock sugar, you can always use regular granulated sugar
3. Ginger slices
Fresh ginger is best for this recipe
4. Green onion
We will use both the green and white part of the green onion
5. Chicken broth
You can also use water, but chicken broth gives a richer taste
6. Dried red chili
This adds a bit of kick to the dish. You can omit if you don’t want any spiciness
7. Spices: star anise and cinnamon stick
I use these two to flavor the dish. Some people use Chinese five-spice powder and also add nutmeg. It’s up to you if you want to add these two. I feel like the star anise and cinnamon stick are sufficient
8. Cooking wine
I use Shaoxing wine. You can use dry sherry, rice wine, or any cooking wine you have at home.
9. Vegetables
I use fresh mushrooms and carrots. Feel free to use bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. I recommend blanching those vegetables first and adding them last into the dish just before you thicken the sauce
How to cook red-braised tofu
1. Extra-firm tofu is the most suitable to use for this recipe. I do not recommend using anything less firm than that
2. It is best to air fry the tofu or pan fry the tofu so that the tofu can withstand the braising and gives a nice bouncy texture. Cut the tofu in half horizontally and then into 8 pieces, and diagonally into 16 pieces. It’s up to you how you want to cut the tofu. Pat the tofu dry on all sides with an absorbent paper towel
3. I use my air fryer to fry the tofu, which is very convenient and healthier without having to use any oil because I use a non-stick cooking spray instead. Spray your air-fryer basket with non-stick spray or brush with oil. Place the tofu pieces on the basket. Spray with non-stick spray or brush with some oil and air fry at 350 F (180 C) for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. The time varies from air fryer to air fryer. This is a great way to “fry” the tofu without using too much oil
4. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can pan fry the tofu. Preheat about 1/4 cup of oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Pan fry the tofu over medium heat until they are golden brown
5. Now we need to caramelize some sugar to give the dish an overall “reddish” color (that’s how it gets its name “red-braised”)
You can use a heavy-bottom pot or clay pot if you have one. Put one tablespoon of oil and rock sugar in the pot over medium-low heat and let the rock sugar slowly caramelizes. Watch the heat closely as you don’t want to burn the sugar because it will make your dish tastes bitter
6. Once the sugar turns golden brown, add the chicken broth gently. Be careful because it will sizzle vigorously and the caramel will seize and harden. Don’t worry, just keep cooking. The caramel will melt right back. 
7. Add ginger slices, the white part of green onions, dried red chilies, star anise, and a cinnamon stick. 
8. Bring it back to a simmer and add the seasoning
9. Add the fried tofu pieces and carrot slices
10. Let them simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes
11. Since I’m using fresh mushrooms, they don’t take long to cook. Add the mushroom slices and simmer for another 2-3 minutes until they are soft
12. Have a taste and adjust to your preference. It should be savory and sweet. Add the green parts of the green onion
13. Typically, the red-braised dishes are cooked until the sauce is reduced, but in this recipe, our family actually likes the sauce to go with rice. So I didn’t cook the sauce until it reduces. I thicken the sauce with cornstarch slurry. Combine cornstarch with water to make a cornstarch slurry. Pour this into the pot while stirring at the same time. The sauce will thicken 
14. Serve immediately with rice or noodles or whatever you prefer
This is a very easy dish to prepare and it’s so delicious. My kids love the texture of the bouncy and meaty tofu. This is definitely
Variations
You can pretty much red braise anything. While the traditional recipe for red braised tofu is quite simple, there are many variations that you can try. Some people like to add vegetables such as bok choy, while others add meat such as pork or beef. You can also use other meatless options such as seitan and tempeh.
Did you make this easy red-braised tofu recipe?
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Easy Red-Braised Tofu (Hong Shao Dou Fu)
Ingredients
- 400 g extra-firm tofu
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 Tbsp rock sugar
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 slices fresh ginger
- 5 stalks green onion separate the white and green parts
- 2 dried red chilies
- 1 small star anise
- 1 small cinnamon stick
Vegetables:
- 200 g white mushrooms cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 medium carrot cut into 1/4-inch slices
Seasonings: (adjust to your taste)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp Chinese cooking wine
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar or more as needed
To thicken the sauce: (optional)
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp water
Instructions
Prepare the tofu:
- Extra-firm tofu is the most suitable to use for this recipe. I do not recommend using anything less firm than that
- It is best to air fry the tofu or pan fry the tofu so that the tofu can withstand the braising and gives a nice bouncy texture.
- Cut the tofu in half horizontally and then into 8 pieces, and diagonally into 16 pieces. It's up to you how you want to cut the tofu. Pat the tofu dry on all sides with an absorbent paper towel
To air fry the tofu:
- Spray your air-fryer basket with non-stick spray or brush with oil. Place the tofu pieces on the basket. Spray with non-stick spray or brush with some oil and air fry at 350 F (180 C) for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. The time varies from air fryer to air fryer. This is a great way to "fry" the tofu without using too much oil
To pan fry the tofu:
- Preheat about 1/4 cup of oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Pan fry the tofu over medium heat until they are golden brown
Caramelize the rock sugar:
- Now we need to caramelize some sugar to give the dish an overall “reddish” color (that’s how it gets its name “red-braised”)
- You can use a heavy-bottom pot or clay pot if you have one. Put one tablespoon of oil and rock sugar on the pot over medium-low heat and let the rock sugar slowly caramelizes. Watch the heat closely as you don't want to burn the sugar because it will make your dish tastes bitter
- Once the sugar turns golden brown, add the chicken broth gently. Be careful because it will sizzle vigorously and the caramel will seize and harden. Don’t worry, just keep cooking. The caramel will melt right back.
Braising:
- Add ginger slices, the white part of green onions, dried red chilies, star anise, and cinnamon stick into the pot. Bring it back to a simmer and add the seasoning
- Add the fried tofu pieces and carrot slices. Let them simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
- Since I’m using fresh mushrooms, they don’t take long to cook. Add the mushroom slices and simmer for another 2-3 minutes until they are soft. Have a taste and adjust to your preference. It should be savory and sweet. Add the green parts of the green onion
Thicken the sauce (optional):
- Typically, the red-braised dishes are cooked until the sauce is reduced, but in this recipe, our family actually likes the sauce to go with rice. So I didn’t cook the sauce until it reduces. I thicken the sauce with cornstarch slurry. Combine cornstarch with water to make a cornstarch slurry. Pour this into the pot while stirring at the same time. The sauce will thicken
- If you don't want to thicken the sauce, simply cook it a bit longer until the sauce is reduced and thickens
Serving:
- Serve immediately with rice or noodles or whatever you prefer
2 comments
delicious, thank you 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed them Jaci!! Thank you for the feedback 🙂