SichuanMedium 30 min serves 3 Vegetarian-ok

Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)

Name: Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Sichuan
Ingredients: silken or soft tofu; ground pork (or beef); doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste); fermented black beans (douchi), rinsed & minced (optional); garlic, minced; ginger, minced; scallions, white part + green part separated; chili flakes (or 2 dried chilies); Sichuan peppercorn, ground; light soy sauce; chicken stock (or water + 1/2 tsp mushroom powder); cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water); neutral oil

麻婆豆腐 · má pó dòu fu

家庭快手版 · Home version: Restaurant version uses a wide-oil velveted beef + Sichuan peppercorn oil finish. Family version is leaner but keeps the má là (numbing-spicy) soul.

Named after 'Pockmarked Grandma Chen' of Chengdu in the 1800s. The home version is a weeknight staple across China — silken tofu in a spicy, numbing, bean-paste sauce that exists to be poured over rice.

Ingredients

silken or soft tofu嫩豆腐asian400 g
ground pork (or beef)猪肉末local150 g
doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste)郫县豆瓣酱asian1.5 tbsp
fermented black beans (douchi), rinsed & minced (optional)豆豉asian1 tsp
garlic, minced蒜末local2 cloves
ginger, minced姜末local1 tsp
scallions, white part + green part separated小葱local3 stalks
chili flakes (or 2 dried chilies)辣椒面/干辣椒local1 tsp
Sichuan peppercorn, ground花椒粉asian1 tsp
light soy sauce生抽asian1 tbsp
chicken stock (or water + 1/2 tsp mushroom powder)高汤/水local250 ml
cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water)水淀粉local3 tbsp total
neutral oil食用油local2 tbsp

silken or soft tofu: Medium-firm works too — handle gently.

ground pork (or beef): Skip for vegetarian version.

Adjust to your taste

Pick a level and we'll show exactly how much to change — no more "适量".

Spice level

Saltiness

Oiliness

Make it vegetarian

Instructions

1Cut tofu into 2 cm cubes. Blanch in gently simmering salted water for 2 minutes, then drain (keeps it from breaking and warms it up).
豆腐切块焯水
Look for Medium heat 2 minutes
Visual: Water barely simmering, tofu cubes floating without sticking together
You know it's right when: Tofu looks slightly puffy and is hot through
Skip blanching if using medium-firm tofu and you're in a rush — just be extra gentle later.
2Heat oil in a wok over medium. Add ground pork and fry until it changes color and starts to render.
炒肉末
Look for Medium heat 2-3 minutes
Visual: Pork turns from pink to pale brown, releasing fat
You know it's right when: No pink remains; edges begin to crisp slightly
3Push pork aside. Add doubanjiang and fry 1 minute until the oil turns red. Add douchi, garlic, ginger, and chili flakes; stir 30 seconds until fragrant.
炒豆瓣酱出红油
Look for Medium heat 1-1.5 minutes
Visual: Oil turns deep red-orange (the classic 红油 moment)
You know it's right when: Fragrant and sharp — don't let it burn dark
4Add soy sauce, then pour in the stock. Bring to a simmer.
加高汤
Look for Medium heat 1 minute to reach simmer
Visual: Sauce is bubbling gently, deep red
You know it's right when: Steady small bubbles, not a rolling boil
5Gently slide in the tofu. Shake the pan (don't stir — it breaks) and simmer 5 minutes so it absorbs the sauce.
轻推豆腐，不搅动
Look for Medium-low 5 minutes
Visual: Tofu bathed in sauce, edges slightly darkened from soaking
You know it's right when: Sauce has reduced by about a third
6Add half the cornstarch slurry, stir gently by pushing the sauce, and watch it thicken. Repeat with the rest if you want a thicker coat.
分次勾芡
Look for 30-60 seconds
Visual: Sauce turns glossy and clings to the back of a spoon
You know it's right when: Spoon leaves a clear trail through the sauce
7Off heat: stir in the white scallion parts. Plate, dust generously with ground Sichuan pepper, and top with green scallions.
起锅撒花椒面
Look for
Visual: Steam carries the Sichuan pepper aroma — that's the má là signature
You know it's right when: Serve immediately over rice

Tips

· Never stir the tofu with a spatula — push the pan or stir the sauce around it.
· The ground Sichuan peppercorn at the end is non-negotiable: it's what makes it má pó.
· Vegetarian version: skip pork, add 1 tsp more doubanjiang + a few dried shiitake, rehydrated and sliced.
· Doubanjiang is salty — taste before adding extra salt.