Chinese · Dinner

Mapo tofu

Name: Mapo tofu
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 2 pounds soft or silken tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes; 1 tablespoon kosher salt, for blanching water; 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns; 1/3 cup neutral oil; 8 ounces ground beef; 3 tablespoons Pixian doubanjiang, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon fermented black beans, rinsed and chopped; 1 tablespoon minced ginger; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon ground dried Sichuan chile or 2 tablespoons chile oil; 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock; 1 teaspoon light soy sauce; 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water; 4 scallions, thinly sliced with whites and greens separated; 4 cups steamed rice

Silken tofu and crisp ground beef in a red Sichuan sauce of Pixian doubanjiang, fermented black beans, chile oil, garlic, ginger, and freshly ground Sichuan pepper.

About 50 minTotal

About 45 minActive

$$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 6 servings

Equipment

A large carbon-steel wok is ideal; a wide skillet works only in small uncrowded batches.
Best household stir-fry starting point
YOSUKATA 13.5-Inch Pre-Seasoned Black Carbon Steel Wok
View at Amazon
Another workable path: A large carbon-steel wok is ideal; a wide skillet works only in small uncrowded batches.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched high-heat batch searing, tossing area, and a stable household-cooktop base, then verified the 13.5-inch pre-seasoned black carbon-steel model, care burden, current manufacturer identity, and exact Amazon destination. Kwilt has not cooked with this wok.
YOSUKATA 13.5-Inch Pre-Seasoned Black Carbon Steel Wok: The 13.5-inch bowl provides a broad hot zone for batch searing and enough sloped surface to toss without steaming, while its flat base remains stable on common gas and electric household cooktops. Trade-off: Carbon steel must be dried and lightly oiled after washing, its seasoning can react with long acidic cooks, and the wooden handle rules out unrestricted oven use.
Another workable path: Use a large uncoated carbon-steel wok suited to your burner, or a wide heavy skillet for small batches; never crowd a cooler pan and expect equivalent stir-fry browning.
Sources
YOSUKATA 13.5-inch black carbon-steel wok specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 6 servings

2 pounds soft or silken tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon kosher salt, for blanching water
2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
1/3 cup neutral oil
8 ounces ground beef
3 tablespoons Pixian doubanjiang, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fermented black beans, rinsed and chopped
1 tablespoon minced ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground dried Sichuan chile or 2 tablespoons chile oil
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
4 scallions, thinly sliced with whites and greens separated
4 cups steamed rice

Instructions

Slide tofu into gently simmering salted water for 2 minutes; turn off heat and leave it submerged. Toast peppercorns briefly, cool, and grind finely.
Heat oil in a over medium-high. Brown beef until crisp and 160°F, 4 to 5 minutes. Lower heat; fry doubanjiang until oil turns red, then add black beans, ginger, garlic, chile, and scallion whites for 30 seconds.
Add stock and soy and simmer 3 minutes. Drain tofu and slide it in; shake the wok rather than stirring hard and simmer 5 minutes so the cubes absorb sauce.
Stir slurry and add it in three small additions, gently nudging after each, until the sauce suspends around rather than blankets the tofu.
Simmer 1 minute, scatter with scallion greens and ground Sichuan pepper, and serve immediately with rice.

Sichuan, ChinaSichuan cooking traditions

From the table

About this recipe

Mapo tofu is a Sichuan dish defined by tender tofu, chile-bean paste, fermented black beans, meat, and the hot-numbing fragrance of fresh-ground Sichuan pepper.

Mapo tofu is a Sichuan dish defined by tender tofu, chile-bean paste, fermented black beans, meat, and the hot-numbing fragrance of Sichuan pepper. Beef is historically documented, while pork is also widespread. Pixian doubanjiang supplies salt and fermentation; substituting generic chile-garlic sauce changes the dish. The name's common English translation refers to its woman creator through an outdated appearance-based nickname and need not be repeated as branding. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Merge two unusually strong Chinese rating patterns, choose historically grounded beef, and encode the gentle tofu and staged-thickening techniques often omitted in shortcuts.

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