Crispy Sweet Chili Tofu Bowls

Name: Crispy Sweet Chili Tofu Bowls
Prep time: 23 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 12 oz extra-firm tofu; 2 tablespoons tamari ((or soy sauce)); ¾ teaspoon garlic powder; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; ⅔ cup panko breadcrumbs ((gluten-free if needed)); Oil spray ((grapeseed oil or olive oil)); ⅓ cup granulated sugar ((or cane sugar)); ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon cold water; ¼ cup rice vinegar; 1 to 1½ teaspoon Sriracha, divided; 1 teaspoon tamari ((or soy sauce)); 2 teaspoons cornstarch; ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (); Cooked rice ((such as Jasmine, for serving)); Thinly sliced scallions/green onions ((for garnish))

Crispy breaded tofu glazed with a Thai sweet chili sauce and served over of rice. This rice bowl is simple yet satisfying—and takes only 35 minutes to make. Recipe includes air fryer and oven baked tofu instructions. (Vegan, Gluten Free).

Jump to Recipe

A crispy thai sweet chili tofu bowl featuring glazed tofu, sittin on white rice, topped with scallions.

If you're looking for a quick, but flavor-packed dinner, make these Crispy Sweet Chili Tofu Bowls. They come together in just about 30 minutes. By the end, you'll be happily digging into crispy tofu that's coated in Thai Sweet Chili Sauce—and piled over fluffy rice to soak up every last drop. The combination hits all the marks: crispy and soft, sweet and spicy, light but satisfying.

There are a few components to this dish, but it comes together faster than you think. The air fryer makes quick work of crisping up the tofu. (If you don't have an air fryer, not to worry—this recipe includes an oven baked method too!) While the tofu cooks, you'll make the easy homemade sweet chili sauce in a skillet. Then, when the tofu is golden brown, you'll add it to the warm sauce, toss to coat, and spoon it over rice. And just like that, dinner is served!

Jump to:

Ingredients
How to make
Serving suggestions
Frequently asked questions
📖 Recipe

Ingredients

You need just about 10 ingredients for this recipe! A couple of the ingredients are shared across the different components. Here's what you'll need:

For the crispy tofu: extra-firm tofu, tamari (or soy sauce), garlic powder, cornstarch, panko breadcrumbs, oil spray
For the Thai sweet chili sauce: sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, Sriracha, tamari, cornstarch, red pepper flakes
For serving: cooked rice, green onion

Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.

Ingredients to make crispy sweet chili tofu bowls: cubed tofu, Sriracha sauce, panko breadcrumbs, scallions, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, sugar, and cornstarch.

How to make

Crispy breaded air fryer tofu

Making the crispiest, golden brown tofu is easy with an air fryer! The method is:

Marinate the tofu: Let the cubed tofu briefly sit in a tamari and garlic powder mixture to soak up flavor.
Coat the tofu: Then, sprinkle the tofu with cornstarch and toss to mix. Then, dip the tofu into panko breadcrumbs to coat.
Bake the tofu: Give the panko-crusted tofu a spray with oil, then bake in an air fryer until golden brown. It's amazing how quickly the air fryer creates a crispy, brown crust with such little oil.

The recipe card below has all the info you need to make this recipe. But, if you'd like to see detailed step-by-step photos of the crispy breaded air fryer tofu method, check out this post!

Also, if you don't have an air fryer, don't worry—you can still make this recipe! We've included detailed oven method instructions in the recipe card below. Budget more cooking time though, because conventional ovens are slower.

Sauce for the crispy tofu bowls

While the tofu is baking, you'll have time to make the homemade Thai sweet chili sauce. It's so fast to make! We love this sauce so much, we've already shared the recipe to make a larger (double) batch of sauce on its own.

To make this recipe as user friendly as possible, we've included the sauce ingredients and method directly in the recipe card below. This recipe yields just enough sauce for coating the tofu. If you love sweet chili sauce as much as we do—and want to have extra on hand—then consider making a double batch (see here).

Once the sauce is done and the tofu is baked, you'll toss them together directly in the skillet. Then spoon those saucy irresistible cubes of tofu over steamed rice and garnish with scallions. If you're feeling fancy, we've included some other add-on ideas below.

Glossy Thai sweet chili sauce in a white skillet with a spoon stirring ther sauce

Serving suggestions

This recipe and the photographs show the simple combination we eat most often—ie. when we're in a rush and want something filling and flavorful to eat ASAP. That said, you can definitely build out these tofu bowls with more veggies and colorful toppings to give them more of a buddha bowl vibe. Buddha bowls usually have a mix of proteins, grains, fresh veggies and/or fruit. This recipe already has proteins and grains, so all you need to do is add some veggies.

Here are some additional toppings that would taste delicious with in these Sweet Chili Tofu Bowls:

Sesame Spiced Edamame
Fresh cubed mango
Thinly sliced carrots
Chopped cucumber
Quick Pickled Onions
Toasted sesame seeds
Fresh cilantro

If there are any other toppings you added to these crispy tofu bowls—and loved— let us know in the comments!

Frequently asked questions

Can I make this tofu recipe without an air fryer?

Yes! You can still make this recipe without an air fryer. Instead of air frying the tofu at 400°F (200°C), you'll need bake it at a slightly higher temperature and for longer. The browning on the crust will likely be a bit more uneven in the oven, but it'll still taste great!

With the oven method, it's important to be especially generous with the oil spray. Since an air fryer circulates hot air much faster, and within a smaller space, you can get a crispy crust with very little oil. But with an oven, you'll need to use more oil. See the recipe card for full details.

How to store leftovers?

To be completely honest, this dish is best enjoyed fresh. Fried breaded foods are always at their best when they are their hottest and crispiest. One benefit of the crispy breaded crust is that gives the chili garlic sauce a good base to cling to. But while this is delicious hot, it will eventually soften under the sauce as it sits. So for the best flavor and texture, we don't recommend storing leftovers.

But...if you're going to do it anyways, here's how!
If you unexpectedly have leftovers: refrigerate in an airtight container and just expect the tofu to be softer the next day (it'll still be tasty).
If you know you'll have leftovers: refrigerate the tofu and sauce separately. Reheat the tofu in an air fryer, and the sauce over the stove, then combine fresh the next day.

What kind of rice should I serve this with?

We love pairing steamed Jasmine rice with many Asian recipes! But you could also use long or short grain white rice, or long or short grain brown rice.