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!
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.
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!
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!
For more spicy dish ideas, check out these recipes!
Sambal Tofu with Air-Fried Bok Choy
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Fire Noodles with Crispy Tofu
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
- Diet: Vegan
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
- Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
- 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.
- 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
- Combine the panko and sesame seeds in one bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the white rice flour and water until smooth.
- Preheat a cast iron pan over medium heat. Add a thin layer of oil to the bottom.
- Dredge the tofu in the rice flour/water mixture, then press into the panko/sesame seed mixture until evenly coated.
- 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
- Boil the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain, then toss them with the sauce.
- 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
Deb Z says
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!!!
erinwyso says
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
Sara says
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!
★★★★★
erinwyso says
Sara, thanks for your kind feedback, so happy you enjoyed!
Song says
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!
★★★★★
Anonymous says
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!
erinwyso says
I'm so happy you like! 🙂
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
These noodles look and sound SO flavoursome & delicious.. I sure love the flavour of chilli so I definitely have to make these.
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
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
danielle says
Looks wonderful! This is exactly the kind of recipe I WANT to make and never do. 🙂
Jan Bartel says
If I don't have white rice flour, can I use AP flour instead?
erinwyso says
That would probably be fine, Jan … I hope you enjoy!
Maria says
Amazing photos! Can't wait to try tofu like that with the panko bread crumbs. Y U M ! Thanks for this!
Shan says
I am so going to make this! Do you use firm tofu for this? Do you think i could marinate the tofu first ? Suggestions? 🙂
erinwyso says
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!
Graeme says
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.
PGYx says
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!
erinwyso says
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!
PGYx says
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.
fae says
Mm, I know what I'm making for dinner!