Mapo Tofu Nachos Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Lolly

Henceforth, I will always “usher” my nachos to the platter. So much more civilized.

Jessica

I absolutely love this! Thank you!! I feel light headed and giddy when I smell the fragrant Szechuan peppercorns toasting in the pan, and it only gets better from there. I’ve made this many times. I never add the corn starch anymore; mine is quite thick already. I also omit the red pepper flakes lest it become too spicy for my taste. I use fake meat like Beyond or Viva (favorite) or Quorn (least favorite). I use the Kim Kum Lee brand of chili bean paste. Also good on spaghetti.

Claire

here to see what the veg version ends up looking like :D

mr_eph

used beyond meat instead of ground beef. half of the 16oz block. lights out.

Nathan

I crumbled a block of regular tofu and browned in the skillet (adding soy sauce at the end) to sub for the meat and used vegan cheese to make it all plant-based and was very pleased with the result! The doubanjiang and douchi are of course very salty, and I added more soy sauce than what is suggested, so I didn't need any added salt. In fact, the lightly salted tortilla chips would work well with this. The combination of ingredients makes the tofu mixture taste like chorizo!

Jen

I would try brown lentils cooked in either mushroom broth or faux beef broth.

timothy

I made this vegan by using TVP instead of meat and omitting the cheese. It was delicious and very decadent; I can't even imagine how rich it would be with real meat and dairy.

Kat

Use 8 oz tempeh (crumbled), tvp soaked in stock, or any ground substitute.

Lily T

I made this with leftover mapo tofu from a local Chinese restaurant. Very delicious, especially if you reheat in a pan and fry eggs in the same pan.

Sarah T.

First, thank you for introducing a new take on a classic dish. Second, I will make again, paying closer attention to the steps and ingredients. I made exactly as written 8/2023 and give it 5/10 first attempt. Interesting flavors but nothing stood out and zero spice. I’m positive this can be 10/10, there’s just too many great flavors involved to not be!I’ll use non salted blue tortilla chips again as well as the fermented black beans (adding more), pickled jalapeños, and cilantro.

Katherine

I found this to be just too heavy to enjoy. In regular nachos, you have pico de gallo or salsa to give some freshness and acidity. Even after loading these up with cilantro for freshness, they were too much. Won’t make again,

Bonnie

Does anyone have a suggestion on how to make this gluten free? Any tips would be appreciated! My daughter was just diagnosed with Celiac’s and I’m trying to navigate her favorite dishes!

Juniper

Best with low (or no) salt nachos. Consider a spritz of lime at serving time. Excellent recipe. I used beef 20% fat, which was great, though I imagine either ground pork or crumbled firm tofu or tempeh would be too.

Netta

Love this recipe! Easily made gluten free as well. Another new favorite

Birdie Kalasky

We loooove this recipe. We save the extra sauce and use it for noodles of any kind, what’s nice is that this recipe is also so flexible, typically I’ll make a salad / nacho bowl. Also we use beyond ground meat. Yum!

Granddaughter of immigrants

The brand of sauce that @Jessica is talking about is Lee Kum Kee, which is found in a lot of non-Asian supermarkets.

Michael Sierchio

I love this! I am not against fusion, though most examples tend to argue against the practice. This works really well.I prefer to extract the málà from Sichuan peppercorns into oil – no grit. If you're nostalgic about the grit, go for it.The mapo supagetti is even better!

Jessica

I absolutely love this! Thank you!! I feel light headed and giddy when I smell the fragrant Szechuan peppercorns toasting in the pan, and it only gets better from there. I’ve made this many times. I never add the corn starch anymore; mine is quite thick already. I also omit the red pepper flakes lest it become too spicy for my taste. I use fake meat like Beyond or Viva (favorite) or Quorn (least favorite). I use the Kim Kum Lee brand of chili bean paste. Also good on spaghetti.

Lily T

I made this with leftover mapo tofu from a local Chinese restaurant. Very delicious, especially if you reheat in a pan and fry eggs in the same pan.

Pat Janisch

Soy Chorizo (I use Trader Joe’s) works great for nachos but tends to overwhelm the other flavors in this preparation.

Nathan

I crumbled a block of regular tofu and browned in the skillet (adding soy sauce at the end) to sub for the meat and used vegan cheese to make it all plant-based and was very pleased with the result! The doubanjiang and douchi are of course very salty, and I added more soy sauce than what is suggested, so I didn't need any added salt. In fact, the lightly salted tortilla chips would work well with this. The combination of ingredients makes the tofu mixture taste like chorizo!

timothy

I made this vegan by using TVP instead of meat and omitting the cheese. It was delicious and very decadent; I can't even imagine how rich it would be with real meat and dairy.

mr_eph

used beyond meat instead of ground beef. half of the 16oz block. lights out.

Tforficatus

excellent funky spicy creamy nachos. Thanks very much to the author. I like how the recipe is set up for a double batch of sauce!

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Mapo Tofu Nachos Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is mapo tofu sauce made of? ›

Make the Sauce: Combine chicken broth, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, black bean garlic sauce, cornstarch, and Sichuan peppercorns in a bowl; whisk to combine and set aside. Make the Ma Po Tofu: Heat a wok over high heat until hot. Add oil, swirling to coat sides.

What is a good side dish for mapo tofu? ›

I would eat Mapo Tofu with a bowl of steamed rice and vegetables that will help cool the mouth-numbing spice of this dish!

What rice to serve with mapo tofu? ›

Add the chilli oil, if using, and sprinkle over the Sichuan peppercorns. The sauce shouldn't need seasoning with salt, as many of the ingredients are salty already. Serve with boiled white rice.

What does Mapo mean in Chinese? ›

Etymology and history. "Ma" stands for mázi, 麻子, which means pockmarks. "Po" is the first syllable of pópo, 婆婆, which means an old woman or grandma. Hence, mápó is an old woman whose face is pockmarked. It is thus sometimes translated as "pockmarked grandma's beancurd".

What bean paste for mapo tofu? ›

You can order mapo tofu from many Chinese restaurants, but it's also quite doable at home. You can find the pivotal fermented chile and broad (fava) bean sauce or paste called doubanjiang (sometimes rendered as “toban djan”) at a Chinese market.

What is the flavor of mapo tofu? ›

Mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐 mápó dòufǔ) is a classic Sichuan dish featuring soft tofu, minced meat (usually beef or pork), and, most importantly, chili bean paste. It has a spicy, salty flavor that goes perfectly with rice.

What does mapo tofu mean in Chinese? ›

Mapo tofu is sometimes translated as “pockmarked old woman's bean curd.” (In Chinese, “ma” refers to pockmarks, and “po” can refer to an older woman.) The name is an inelegant nod to the smallpox-scarred skin of Mrs.

Why is mapo tofu healthy? ›

Best: Ma-Po Tofu

Made from soybeans, tofu is packed with protein: Half a cup has 11 grams. It's also high in iron and calcium. In this dish, it's cooked in a bean-based sauce that gets its spicy flavor from chili instead of sodium. Bonus: Chili peppers have vitamins, including A and C.

Should mapo tofu be eaten with rice? ›

Mapo tofu is a spicy dish from the Chinese province of Sichuan, consisting of fresh silk tofu and minced meat in sauce of fermented beans, chilli oil and Sichuan peppercorns. A well-made mapo tofu will tingle your tongue and can be eaten with steamed rice.

Can I use Gochujang in mapo tofu? ›

Doubanjiang Substitute: If you really can't find doubanjiang, you can use gochujang (Korean chili paste; spicy) or doenjang (Korean soybean paste; non-spicy). However, the ingredients are slightly different and have different flavor profiles.

What makes mapo tofu red? ›

Any redness and bright color in a mapo tofu sauce comes from chili sauce, so if you want to make a redder mapo tofu, you're going to need to use a redder chili sauce. Our recipe uses Guilin Style Chili Sauce and isn't too glaringly red, so you may want to play around with chili sauces to get more color.

What is the difference between Chinese and Korean mapo tofu? ›

Chinese mapo tofu is made with a soybean paste called doubanjiang. In Korean mapo tofu, this doubanjiang is substituted with a mixture of gochujang and doenjang. The salty and spicy, fermented soybean doubanjiang is effectively replaced with Korean fermented soybean paste and spicy Korean red chili pepper paste.

What is a fun fact about mapo tofu? ›

It's a dish that stems from humble origins, though its name does little to stoke an appetite. Mapo tofu is said to have originated in Chengdu in the late 1800s. Ma translates to “pockmarks”, while po refers to an older woman. Together these reference the dish's inventor, Mrs Chen, an elderly woman with smallpox scars.

What does Ma Ma mean in Chinese? ›

mā ma. mama mommy mother CL:個|个[ge4],位[wei4]

How long does mapo tofu last? ›

How to store: Mapo tofu is best served fresh. You can keep leftover mapotofu in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.

Is mapo sauce spicy? ›

Mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐, ma po dou fu) is one of the most popular dishes from Sichuan cuisine. The tofu pieces are braised in a rich spicy, and savory sauce along with fresh garlic and scallions, with a small amount of ground pork to enhance the flavor.

What is mapo tofu with beyond beef panda express? ›

Mapo Tofu with Beyond Beef is made with small bites of firm tofu and plant-based Beyond Beef, wok-tossed in a spicy Sichuan garlic sauce. String Beans with Beyond Beef is made with hand-cut fresh string beans wok-fired with plant-based Beyond Beef in an addictive, savory garlic sauce.

Is mapo tofu very spicy? ›

The dish is spicy, aromatic, deeply flavorful, and has a unique numbing character imparted from the Sichuan peppercorns. While the Sichuan-style mapo tofu is known for its boldness and intensity, the Japanese version has a milder character as it has been adapted to the Japanese palate.

Why does mapo tofu make your mouth tingle? ›

What Causes the Tingling? Turns Out, It's All In Your Head. Eating Sichuan peppercorns stimulates your trigeminal nerve. That's part of the nervous system located in the head, which is responsible for sensations in the face and mouth, including pain, touch, and temperature.

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