Korean Braised Tofu (Dubu Jorim)

So much happens when you take a bite of this flavorful Korean braised tofu: it's savory, sweet, and fragrant with the perfect amount of heat. On top of that, It's an easy one-pan dish ready in under 30 minutes that's delicious whether hot or cold! It's truly a perfect weeknight meal that's ideal even as leftovers!

Korean braised tofu is one of my favorite dishes if I want a meatless meal. It's so delicious and packed with flavor that it goes especially well with rice. It's also a dish that I often bring to potlucks because it's good even when it's cold.

If you like meal prepping, you can double the recipe to make more during the weekend and keep it in the fridge to enjoy through the week as a main or side dish (banchan) to go with your meal.

Why You Need to Try This Recipe

• This tofu dish is so delicious that you won't want to miss it, especially if you usually don't like eating tofu.
• A one-pan dish in under 30 minutes means less hassle for a quick and delicious meal.
• You can serve it as a main dish or side dish to go with other meals.
• My step by step photos, video and detailed instructions with cooking tips will help you easily recreate this classic Korean dish at home even if you are new to cooking.

Ingredients You'll Need

Notes

• Tofu - Extra firm tofu works the best for this recipe as it holds its shape better after pan frying.
• Korean chili flakes - You can usually find this in your local Asian grocery stores or online.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1 - Prepare the sauce.

Whisk all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside until it's ready to use.

Step 2 - Slice and dry tofu.

Slice tofu into 12 to 16 square pieces that are around ½ an inch (1¼ cm) thick.

Gently pat dry each piece of tofu with a kitchen towel or paper towel to get rid of the excess water while drying the surface of the tofu. This will allow the tofu to get a crispy and golden brown surface when you pan fry your tofu

Step 3 - Pan fry tofu until crispy.

Heat 2 tablespoon vegetable oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, put tofu slices into your pan and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until golden brown. Flip the tofu carefully before adding 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and continuing to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. 

With a crispy and golden brown surface, the tofu can absorb the sauce better while creating a nice texture.

Add garlic and the white and light green part of the green onion into the pan between the tofu slices and cook for 30 seconds).

Step 4 - Cook tofu with the sauce.

Pour the sauce into the pan, cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes over medium low heat. Flip the tofu half way to allow both sides to cook evenly. Uncover the lid for the last 2 to 3 minutes to reduce the sauce.

Step 5 - Finish up and serve.

When it's done cooking, drizzle sesame oil over the tofu. Garnish with sesame seeds and the dark green part of the scallion. Serve warm or cold.

If you like this kind of easy and delicious vegetarian dish, make sure to try my air fryer Chinese eggplant with garlic soy dressing and Asian cucumber salad with miso and Sesame.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Make sure you pat dry the tofu before pan frying, so you can get a golden crispy surface.
• Fry the tofu in two batches if your pan is not big enough to fit all the tofu pieces at once. You can still cook all the tofu with the sauce altogether, you will just need to rotate the tofu more often so they could be cooked evenly.
• Make sure you measure the ingredients when making the sauce in order to get the perfect balance of flavors.
• It's important to let the sauce reduce at the end to give this dish more flavor.

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