Cubes of tofu in a glossy red chili sauce with ground Sichuan pepper, minced meat and sliced scallions in a white bowl. — Photo: Sichuanfoodlover · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Chinese · Lunch · Dinner

Mapo Tofu

Name: Mapo Tofu
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 cup brown rice; 2 cups water (for rice); 600 g (about 2 blocks) soft tofu; 150 g lean minced pork; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns; 2 tbsp doubanjiang (broad bean chili paste); 1 tbsp fermented black beans, rinsed and chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced; 1 tsp chili flakes; 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth; 1 tsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 3 tbsp cold water (for slurry); 3 scallions, sliced

麻婆豆腐

By BerryFit Kitchen · Nutrition checked with USDA data · Updated Oct 11, 2026 · How we make recipes

Silky cubes of tofu simmered in a fiery, numbing Sichuan sauce with a little lean minced pork and fermented black beans. This lighter version uses less oil and serves it over nutty brown rice for a satisfying weeknight dinner.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 60 min
Serves: 4

Medium
Dairy Free

21%

Per serving413kcal21% of a 2,000 kcal day

26gProtein

47gCarbs

15gFat

3gFiber

Calories come from: Carbs 44% · Fat 31% · Protein 25%

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Ingredients

For 4 servings

1 cup200 gbrown rice
2 cups480 gwater (for rice)
600 g (about 2 blocks)soft tofu
150 glean minced pork
1 tbsp14 gvegetable oil
1 tspSichuan peppercorns
2 tbsp36 gdoubanjiang (broad bean chili paste)
1 tbsp8 gfermented black beans, rinsed and chopped
3 cloves9 ggarlic, minced
1 tbsp6 gfresh ginger, minced
1 tspchili flakes
1 cup240 glow-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp6 gsoy sauce
1 tbsp8 gcornstarch
3 tbsp45 gcold water (for slurry)
345 gscallions, sliced

Steps

1
Rinse the brown rice, then add it to a pot with 2 cups water and bring to a boil.
2
Cover, lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes until tender; rest covered for 5 minutes.
3
While the rice cooks, cut the tofu into 2 cm cubes and set aside gently on a plate.
4
Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry wok over medium heat for 1 minute until fragrant, then grind them coarsely.
5
Heat the oil in the wok over medium-high heat and add the minced pork.
6
Stir-fry the pork for 4-5 minutes, breaking it up, until browned and no pink remains (71 °C / 160 °F).
7
Add the doubanjiang and stir for 1 minute until the oil turns red.
8
Stir in the black beans, garlic, ginger and chili flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
9
Pour in the chicken broth and soy sauce and bring to a simmer.
10
Slide in the tofu cubes and gently push them into the sauce without stirring hard.
11
Simmer for 5 minutes so the tofu absorbs the flavour.
12
Mix the cornstarch with the cold water, pour it in a little at a time and nudge the pan until the sauce thickens and turns glossy.
13
Stir in most of the scallions and half the ground Sichuan pepper.
14
Spoon over the brown rice and finish with the remaining scallions and Sichuan pepper.

Swaps, storage and make-ahead

Swaps

For a vegan version, replace the pork with finely chopped shiitake mushrooms and the chicken broth with vegetable broth, and choose a doubanjiang labelled vegan.
For a gluten-free version, use a chili bean paste labelled gluten-free, tamari labelled gluten-free instead of soy sauce, a broth labelled gluten-free, and fermented black beans labelled gluten-free.
Use medium or firm tofu instead of soft tofu if you want cubes that hold their shape more easily when stirring.
Swap the brown rice for quick-cooking white rice or microwave rice pouches to save about 30 minutes.

Storage

Refrigerate the tofu and sauce in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot. Store the rice separately: cool it quickly, refrigerate within 1 hour, eat within 1 day and reheat it only once until steaming hot. Avoid freezing the tofu, as the soft tofu turns spongy and the sauce can separate.

Make ahead

Cook the rice up to a day ahead, cooling it quickly and refrigerating it within 1 hour. Toast and grind the Sichuan peppercorns, and mince the garlic and ginger and slice the scallions up to a day ahead, keeping them covered in the fridge. Reheat the rice until steaming hot, and cook the tofu and sauce just before serving for the best texture.

Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.

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Allergens and nutrition

Contains: SoyGlutenCelery

Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.

Full nutrition

	Per serving (463 g)	Per 100 g
Calories	413 kcal	89 kcal
Protein	25.7 g	5.6 g
Carbohydrates	47.1 g	10.2 g
of which sugars	2 g	0.4 g
Fiber	2.9 g	0.6 g
Fat	14.7 g	3.2 g
of which saturated	2.3 g	0.5 g
Sodium	516 mg	111 mg

Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.