• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Olives for Dinner

Vegan Recipes for Those Who Love to Cook and Eat

  • Recipes
  • Work with Us
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
Home » Entrees » Fire Noodles with Crispy Tofu

April 3, 2015

Fire Noodles with Crispy Tofu

Jump to Recipe

If you like spicy food, this fire noodles with crispy tofu will hit the spot! A creamy, rich and spicy sauce is tossed with noodles. Tofu is crusted in panko for a crispy crunch. When these two things come together, they make the perfect combo for a fiery hot and oh-so-crunchy dish!

Fire noodles and crispy tofu in a pan. this Recipe

Table of Contents

  • How to make this recipe
  • What are Thai chili peppers?
  • How to make this crispy tofu
  • For more spicy dish ideas, check out these recipes!
  • Fire Noodles with Crispy Tofu
    • Description
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions

How to make this recipe

Let’s start with the sauce! This one has coconut milk, rice vinegar, peanut butter, sambal and brown sugar. It’s a perfect balance of rich, savory, sweet, acidic and spicy. Add some thai chili peppers and ramp up the heat as much as you’d like. You can find them in an Asian grocer but, let’s face it, if you like spicy food, you already knew that. If you hate really spicy food, leave them out.

A close-up shot of spicy noodles and crispy tofu.

What are Thai chili peppers?

Thai chili peppers are popular in Southeast Asian cooking. They are small in size, but pack a punch. I love the clean burn of Thai chilis, seeing a neon oil slick on top of curries and smelling the aroma of a well-balanced chili sauce wafting off a dish. It’s a comforting smell, taste and feel as weird as that sounds!

A close-up shot of spicy noodles in a pan.

How to make this crispy tofu

This tofu is pulled through a rice flour and water mixture, then coated with panko and sesame seeds. It’s then fried in a little oil to develop some color and crunch. Once noodles are tossed in this sauce, the crunch of tofu and the notes of the sauce taste amazing together!

Crispy tofu fanned out in a pan with fire noodles.

For more spicy dish ideas, check out these recipes!

Vegan Buffalo Wings

Spicy Jackfruit Salad

Spicy Vegan Buffalo Wings

Sambal Tofu with Air-Fried Bok Choy

Firecracker Cauliflower

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
A close-up shot of spicy noodles in a pan.

Fire Noodles with Crispy Tofu


★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: erin wysocarski
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

If you love spicy food, this fire noodles with crispy tofu is for you! A creamy, savory and spicy sauce is tossed over noodles and served with a panko-crusted tofu. This is perfect served with grilled vegetables, crushed peanuts and chopped scallions.


Ingredients

for the sauce

  • 1 TB coconut oil
  • 1 TB minced ginger
  • 1 TB brown sugar
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar
  • 1/3 cup chunky peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup sambal (use a little more or less to taste)
  • 1–3 thai chili peppers, sliced or left whole, dried or a mix of the two (optional, obvs)
  • 2/3 cup full-fat coconut milk

for the tofu

  • 1 block tofu, cut into 8 slabs (no need to press)
  • 1 cup panko
  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds, white and/or black
  • 1/4 cup white rice flour
  • 1/2 cup water
  • oil, for sauteing

to serve

  • 2 servings of noodles, any kind
  • broccoli or your vegetable of choice, sauteed
  • crushed peanuts
  • sliced scallions

Instructions

to make the sauce

  1. Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
  2. Add in the minced ginger and allow to fry for about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, then add in the brown sugar and stir to coat. Add in the rice vinegar, stir, then add in the peanut butter and stir until liquefied.
  3. Add in the sambal and thai chilis (if using), stir, then  pour in the coconut milk. Bring to a small simmer, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat and cover.

to make the tofu

  1. Combine the panko and sesame seeds in one bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the white rice flour and water until smooth.
  2. Preheat a cast iron pan over medium heat. Add a thin layer of oil to the bottom.
  3. Dredge the tofu in the rice flour/water mixture, then press into the panko/sesame seed mixture until evenly coated.
  4. Place into the hot pan and allow each side to become golden brown, a few minutes on each side. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

to finish

  1. Boil the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain, then toss them with the sauce.
  2. Transfer to serving bowls, topping with the vegetables, tofu, crushed peanuts and sliced scallions. Serve immediately.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Dredged, Sautéed, Boiled
  • Cuisine: Asian, American

Keywords: spicy noodles, crispy tofu, panko tofu, sambal noodles

Did You Make This Recipe?

Tag @olivesfordinner on Instagram … we’d love to see it!

You may also like:

Meaty Chickpea Cutlets
Vegan Crab Coconut Soup
Meltable Vegan Mozzarella
Sesame Roasted Cauliflower with Sriracha-Vegenaise Dressing

Filed Under: Entrees, Tofu, Trending Posts Tagged With: coconut milk, noodles

We hope you enjoy this content!

We'd love for you to leave a comment below. For recipes, we would also love it if you gave it a rating. Thanks so much!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. fae says

    April 3, 2015 at 2:20 pm

    Mm, I know what I'm making for dinner!

    Reply
  2. PGYx says

    April 3, 2015 at 11:28 pm

    Looks amazing! I definitely need to make it after your delicious red curry and ginger noodles from yesterday! Forgot to mention in my comment on that post that I added some hot pepper to it.

    Do you make your sambal or buy? If so, what vegan kind do you like? Also could I sub for the rice flour? I have white flour and chickpea flour on hand but could get rice flour if this requires it. So glad I discovered your blog!

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      April 4, 2015 at 1:40 am

      So happy you liked! I use Huy Fong brand sambal (no shrimp or fish is used in it) The white rice flour gives a good "goopy" texture that allows the panko to cling to it well. If you give AP flour a try, let me know how it works … I wouldn't recommend using chickpea flour here.

      Glad you like the recipes!

      Reply
    • PGYx says

      April 4, 2015 at 3:26 am

      Thanks! I will make this as soon as I get the sambal. Will let you know if I try the AP flour. I may use a mix of cayenne & habanero from my father-in-law's plants if I can't thai chili peppers here. This is a great excuse for me to explore the local asian food store.

      Reply
  3. Graeme says

    April 4, 2015 at 12:18 am

    I had a stir fry not too long ago that used 6 of those wonderful Thai bird chillies, per serving. Wow, it was hot. But so good.

    Reply
  4. Shan says

    April 4, 2015 at 12:35 pm

    I am so going to make this! Do you use firm tofu for this? Do you think i could marinate the tofu first ? Suggestions? 🙂

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      April 4, 2015 at 5:44 pm

      Shan, you can use any kind of firm tofu for this. If you are going to serve with the noodles, I recommend not marinating it. If you want to just make the tofu, you can press it, then marinate before breading it. I hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  5. Maria says

    April 6, 2015 at 12:52 am

    Amazing photos! Can't wait to try tofu like that with the panko bread crumbs. Y U M ! Thanks for this!

    Reply
  6. Jan Bartel says

    April 11, 2015 at 8:47 pm

    If I don't have white rice flour, can I use AP flour instead?

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      April 11, 2015 at 10:23 pm

      That would probably be fine, Jan … I hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  7. danielle says

    April 21, 2015 at 6:17 pm

    Looks wonderful! This is exactly the kind of recipe I WANT to make and never do. 🙂

    Reply
  8. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says

    May 5, 2015 at 10:01 pm

    Oh my gawsh! Sign me up for a big 'ole bowl of these! Or should I say "fire" me up? 🙂 These noodles and the tofu look seriously amazing and sound spectacular! I love anything spicy n hot, especially in noodle form! So naturally I am drooling over these! Yum yum YUM!!!! Can't wait to try! Thanks for sharing ♡ Cheers

    Reply
  9. Thalia @ butter and brioche says

    May 6, 2015 at 3:16 am

    These noodles look and sound SO flavoursome & delicious.. I sure love the flavour of chilli so I definitely have to make these.

    Reply
  10. Anonymous says

    May 8, 2015 at 5:10 pm

    I am so obsessed with this recipe. I made it at the weekend, and I'm making it again today because I need more! The first time I served it with asparagus, but today I'm going for green beans. So good!

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      May 8, 2015 at 8:56 pm

      I'm so happy you like! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Song says

    January 27, 2018 at 7:25 pm

    Wow. Your story sounds like my story. We should be together and they should be together. It does work out sometimes though. When we go out his meat dish comes with the vegetables that I want.

    Anyway, this dish looks so good. It even sounds delicious. I’m going to try it. Thanks for your recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  12. Sara says

    November 9, 2019 at 10:21 am

    Made this for dinner for my boyfriend and I and it was absolutely amazing! I made it with wide rice noodles and it was divine, a perfect balance of spice while also very filling and super good. We will definitely be repeating this recipe, thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      November 10, 2019 at 7:36 am

      Sara, thanks for your kind feedback, so happy you enjoyed!

      Reply
  13. Deb Z says

    March 3, 2023 at 5:33 pm

    Hi Erin,
    This looks terrific. I am not a fan of coconut milk. What can I sub for this? Cashew cream? Suggestions?
    Best to you and all of your efforts!!!

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      March 4, 2023 at 4:01 pm

      Thank you Deb! I think if you can find a plain, unsweetened rich-tasting cashew or oat milk, that should work here … maybe just use a little less of the liquid, since it’s going to have a much thinner consistency. I hope you enjoy the recipe! xo

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

Hi! I’m Erin Wysocarski. Glad you’re here.

I create vegan recipes for those who love to cook and eat. My husband Jeff photographs them. We live in Boston with our rescue dog, Harper. More about Erin →

Follow Me!

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest

As Seen On

Popular Recipes

Pasta, artistically draped around a fork on a table.

Pasta with White Wine Sauce

Two hands holding a glass mason jar of coffee sugar scrub

Homemade Coffee Sugar Scrub

Two hands framing a plate of curry on a dark background.

Cauliflower and Mushroom Curry

A whole head of firecracker cauliflower, basted with sauce in a cast iron pan against a dark background.

Firecracker Cauliflower

A top-down shot of sweet potato tempura and avocado vegan sushi rolls with pickled ginger against a dark background.

Sweet Potato Tempura and Avocado Rolls

Vegan Shrimp

Vegan Shrimp

Two hands holding a bowl of bang bang cauliflow

Vegan Bang Bang Cauliflower

A bagel loaded with carrot lox, red onion, capers and vegan cream cheese on a wooden board.

Carrot Lox

Footer

About

Olives for Dinner is a vegan food blog for those who love to cook and eat. You'll find fresh, creative and delicious recipes here, all made with plants!

Search for recipes

VIEW ALL RECIPES

Interviews

Timothy Pakron of Mississippi Vegan
Amrita Levan of Crazy Vegan Kitchen
Kathy Patalsky of Healthy. Happy. Life.

Sign up to get new recipes via email.

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
HOME ∙ ABOUT ∙ CONTACT ∙ PRIVACY

Copyright© 2023 · Brunch Pro Theme by Shay Bocks