Better than takeout, this Ginger Tofu Fried Rice gives you a fairly quick and easy option for a great-tasting and satisfying everyday meal. Crispy tofu, brown rice, veggies, and a tangy sauce come together to create a vegetarian delight.
This Crispy Teriyaki Tofu Rice Bowl is another great tofu-based recipe that works for any day of the week, and this Ancient Grains Bowl is a real stand-out when you want a plant-based meal.
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I love having a collection of easy, everyday meals that I can tap into when I'm short on time or want to do some weekly meal prep. Fried rice is a traditional Chinese preparation that combines cooked rice, vegetables, protein, sauce, and aromatics. The ingredients are then stir-fried in a large pan, giving you a super flavorful dish.
There are several options for making this recipe ahead of time, so be sure to check out the meal prep tips in the post.
This fried rice is built for two, but can easily be doubled if you want to have lots of leftovers.
This go-to meal uses simple ingredients, many of which you may already have on hand, and is super satisfying, making it the perfect recipe to add to your everyday meals recipe collection. Read on to learn more about how to make this Ginger Tofu Fried Rice, or jump straight to the recipe to start cooking!
Ingredient Notes
The full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
Extra Firm Tofu: There are many great uses for other types of tofu, but when it comes to a dish that needs the tofu to be crisp, extra-firm tofu is the only way to go. Look for tofu in either the refrigerated section near the produce or in the Asian foods aisle if you prefer a shelf-stable version.
Brown Rice: I generally use long-grain brown rice. You can substitute short grain or even white rice if you prefer, however, be sure to cook according to the package directions as they may differ from what's listed in the recipe instructions
Cornstarch: Adding cornstarch helps the tofu to crisp up when baking it.
Ground ginger: Ginger is one of the key flavors in this recipe so don't skip it!
How to make fried rice
Full Recipe Directions are included in the Recipe Card below
This recipe comes together in four main phases:
Cook and cool the rice. Cook the rice according to the package directions. Ideally, you'll make the rice at least 30 minutes in advance so it has time to cool before you stir fry it. As soon as the rice is done cooking, pop it in a bowl and chill it in the refrigerator until the tofu is done baking.
Bake the tofu. Once you've drained the tofu, you'll cube it, season it and bake it until crisp. See the tips below for more detailed instructions.
Make the sauce. Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Stir fry. Heat up the skillet or wok and then add some oil and the tofu. Stir fry it for a few minutes then add the veggies, followed by the rice and eggs. Finish with the sauce and let it all cook for a couple of minutes.
What is the best pan to use for this recipe? You need a fairly large skillet or wok for this recipe. A large, coated cast-iron skillet is a good choice. A 12" pan is ideal. A carbon steel pan or wok would also work very well.
Tips for baking tofu
When I first started cooking tofu, I experimented with many different cooking methods. And while pan frying gives you the crispiest results, it's a bit messy and uses a lot of oil.
After doing some research, and quite a bit of testing, I think this method of seasoning and baking gives you the best results.
MEAL PREP TIPS
You have a few options for meal-prepping this recipe:
- Make the entire recipe ahead of time, store it in the refrigerator, and reheat it when you are ready to eat. It will taste great but the tofu will lose a little bit of its crispiness.
- Cook the tofu ahead of time. This saves you the 30 minutes it takes to bake the tofu but again it won't be quite as crisp.
- Make the rice a day or two in advance. This gives you more of a true fried rice texture and means the hands-on time the day you make it is only about 15 minutes.
Recommended Tools
Large Rimmed Baking Sheet – These half-sheet pans are kitchen essentials!
Large skillet or wok - Carbon steel pans are a great choice when making fried rice or stir fry.
Storing Leftovers
This fried rice makes a great packable lunch. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave.
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Ginger Tofu Fried Rice
Ingredients
For the fried rice:
- ¾ cup brown rice
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- ½ cup vertically sliced onion
- ½ cup thinly sliced carrot, about 1 large carrot
- ⅔ cup frozen peas
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoon thinly sliced green onion
For the tofu:
- 1 12- ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1" slices
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons tamari soy sauce
For the Sauce:
- ¼ cup tamari soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Instructions
- Cook the rice. Add the rice and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, simmer for 35-40 minutes until rice is tender (check package directions for the ultimate cooking time as I've found it varies depending on the type of brown rice I'm using). Once the rice is done, pop it into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator until the tofu is done baking. NOTE: Ideally, this step is done at least 30 minutes in advance so the rice has time to cool and chill.
- Heat the oven. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Drain the tofu. Slice the tofu into 1" thick pieces. Place it on a flat surface covered with paper towels. Cover the slices with a paper towel and press down to remove as much moisture as possible.
- Season the tofu. Cut the drained tofu into 1" cubes and add to a medium mixing bowl. Add the olive oil and sesame oil, tamari and cornstarch. Mix until all of the tofu cubes are coated.
- Bake the tofu. Spread the seasoned tofu on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Make the sauce. Combine soy, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, sugar and garlic in a small bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
- Make the stir fry. When both tofu and rice are done, heat the avocado oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and cook for 2-3 minutes, to furhter crisp the tofu. Add peas, onion and carrots, cook for 2 minutes. Add rice and egg, cook for 1 minute, stirring continually. Add tamari mixture and cook for 2 minutes.
- Serve. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon of green onion. Serve immediately.
Notes
- I use a mandolin to slice the carrots for this dish so I get nice thin slices. If you don't have one, you can either just slice them as thin as you can with a knife, or use a peeler to create long thin strips.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in April 2015. It was updated in February 2023 with some new information and photos as well as a few modifications to the original recipe.
Amber | Caleighs Kitchen
This sounds really good! I hated tofu at first too, but it just takes to so many different flavors! I am also jealous you have somewhere close by that offers those kind of lunch options!
Shannon @ Dinner from the Heart
Tofu is a staple at our house. We always have some in the fridge - even pickled with spices! It helps that my hubs is Chinese. 😉
Adding tofu to fried rice is a great idea and I love that you baked it instead of deep frying it to dry it out. This sounds and looks delicious.
FoodieGirlChicago
Pickled tofu sounds so interesting!
Josie
Yum, this looks awesome, Kathryn! Love adding ginger to everything 🙂 Pinning it for later!
Kirsten
Kathryn,
I so rarely eat tofu, but I enjoy the flavor/texture of bbq or baked tofu so I don't know why it doesn't appear more often. I've gotten into the flavor of ginger water in the evenings, so I may as well spread it out during the day too.
Thanks!
peter @feedyoursoultoo
love the look and flavor of this dish. My wife is a fried rice junkie. Add to my to do list!
GiselleR @ Diary of an ExSloth
I've got a blog of tofu in the fridge and no idea what to do with it. Thanks for the inspo! 😀
IttyBittyFoodies
One of kids was the same. Took about six months of showing him tofu in all different ways till he liked it. Now he LOVES tofu. I do incorporate it in fried rice and noodles. So yummy! Great recipe. I've not used ginger in my fried rice.
Celine @Mrs Minty Cream
I am a fried rice lover and your post just gave me new ideas on how to spice up my next fried rice dinner! Thanks!
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes
This sounds so good! I love tofu, but haven't had it in such a on time.
Elaine @ Dishes Delish
I love tofu! Especially when it's nice and crispy like yours looks! I look forward to trying your recipe as I'm always looking for ways to make the delicious cubes!
Betty Davies | Slow The Cook Down
I've had the same relationship with tofu! I love it now though, will definitely give this a go!
FoodieGirlChicago
Thanks Betty - enjoy!
Avani Shah
Hi! What is tamari soy sauce? Can I use regular soy sauce?
Urban Foodie Kitchen
Hi. Tamari is a Japanese version of soy sauce. It has a slightly different flavor than soy sauce but yes you can use soy sauce as a substitute. Enjoy!
Allyssa
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing ginger tofu fried rice recipe! Will surely have this again! It's really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
Liz
This recipe sounds delicious! Tofu is starting to grow on me!
Urban Foodie Kitchen
Thanks Liz! It took a while for tofu to grow on me but now I'm always looking for new ways to use it.
Chandice Probst
What a great meatless Monday dish!! So full of flavor and easy to follow instructions, thank you!