80 20 Mapo Tofu
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Mapo Tofu but in 20 minutes

dougdoesdelicious
dougdoesdelicious

Normally with my 80/20 series, I try to find the 20% that gives you maximum results but this recipe is already so simple as it is, it was hard to simplify any further. So instead, I’ll show you exactly how to make it in less than 20 minutes (it was actually a little under 15 minutes when I timed it).

Mapo tofu is a super popular asian dish that can be made in a variety of ways (e.g. with more peppercorns for sichuan flavor, or miso paste for a japanese style) but it really only takes about 5 ingredients for it to taste delicious.

Also in testing, I tried many of the pre-made mapo tofu sauce packets from the asian grocery store, and while they’re all pretty good, I felt it was both cheaper and just as simple to use a chili bean sauce (aka douban jiang) which is likely to be more available at grocery stores and can also be used in many other asian recipes (like taiwanese beef noodle soup).

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Cook time: 20 min (Prep: 10 min)
Servings
Volume
Mass

Ingredients

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Cornstarch Slurry (optional)

Topping

Directions

(tap to cross out each step and ingredient as you go)

  • Add a drizzle of oil to a heated pan, and add ground pork.
    • 1 tbsp vegetable oil (12 g)
      (or another neutral cooking oil like avocado oil, etc)
    • 1 lb pork, ground (450 g)
  • Break up ground pork and cook for about 5-7 minutes until pork has slightly browned and the fat has reduced.
    • Add green onions and garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
      • 3 stalk green onion, chopped (45 g)
      • 2 clove garlic, minced or grated (6 g)
    • Add chili bean sauce and mix to combine. Stir fry for about 1 minute.
      • 2 tbsp douban jiang (50 g)
        (chili bean sauce, example)
    • Add chicken broth to the pan and simmer for about 2 - 3 minutes.
      • 1 cup chicken broth (240 g)
        (or water)
    • Add the cubed silken tofu to the pan and stir to combine.
      • 1 box silken tofu, cubed (400 g)
    • (Optional) Mix corn starch and water in a small bowl to create a corn starch slurry. Then add the slurry to thicken the sauce.
      • 2 tbsp cornstarch (18 g)
      • 4 tbsp water (60 g)
    • Serve with rice and garnish with green onions. Enjoy!
      • 1 stalk green onion, chopped (15 g)
    OR

    Notes

    What type of tofu should I use for Mapo Tofu?

    How do I achieve a more authentic flavor of Mapo Tofu?

    Can I make Mapo Tofu vegetarian or vegan?

    How do I control the spiciness of the dish?

    How can I prevent the tofu from breaking apart while cooking?

    Cost Savings

    Cost Savings

    Prices may vary based on location and specific ingredient & restaurant choices. ⓘ

    Homemade Cost

    $1.98

    per serving

    Restaurant Cost

    $15.53

    ~2 servings (incl. tax & tip)

    Total Savings

    $11.56

    ~2 servings

    You can save up to 89% by cooking this dish at home!

    Nutrition Information

    (tap or hover to view ingredient breakdown)

    Per serving

    Nutrient
    Amount
    % DV
    Calories
    388 kcal
    19%
    Fat
    21 g
    27%
    Saturated fat
    6.3 g
    31%
    Trans fat
    0 g
    Fiber
    1.2 g
    4.1%
    Carbohydrates
    11 g
    4.1%
    Sugars
    0.6 g
    1.2%
    Protein
    37 g
    74%
    Sodium
    1,182 mg
    51%
    Cholesterol
    91 mg
    30%

    Total (4 servings)

    Nutrient
    Amount
    % DV
    Calories
    1,552 kcal
    76%
    Fat
    84 g
    108%
    Saturated fat
    25 g
    124%
    Trans fat
    0 g
    Fiber
    4.8 g
    16%
    Carbohydrates
    44 g
    16%
    Sugars
    2.4 g
    4.8%
    Protein
    148 g
    296%
    Sodium
    4,728 mg
    204%
    Cholesterol
    364 mg
    120%

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