Made with pantry staples, this Korean Braised Tofu (also known as Dubu Jorim), comes together so quickly and easily. Firm tofu is quickly pan-fried and then coated in a savoury sauce to make for the easiest side dish or appetizer for any meal.

One of my favourite ways to eat tofu is this tasty braised tofu. It’s so flavorful and doesn’t require a ton of work which is always a plus. It’s made in one pan and I can make it within a couple of minutes. There’s no need to press the tofu for this recipe (but if you’d like to, you can see my post here on How to Press Tofu), so it comes together even faster!

A plate with Dubu Jorim, Korean braised tofu.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s a super versatile recipe as you can sure this Korean tofu recipe as a side dish, an appetizer, or even as a main dish. Serve it on its own or over a bowl of rice or noodles!
It’s very easy to make as it doesn’t have a lot of complicated steps.
It takes less than 20 minutes to make so it’s perfect for a weeknight meal!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make Korean braised tofu.

soy sauce — I recommend using low sodium.
mirin — a staple in my house, this is a Japanese version of rice wine.
sesame oil — I’m a fan of pure sesame oil for this but you can also use toasted sesame oil as well!
gochugaru (고추가루) — aka Korean chili/hot pepper powder.
brown sugar — I use light brown sugar but regular or dark brown sugar will work as well.
garlic — I like to use freshly minced garlic. I always have garlic frozen which is why the photo up above have the garlic as a square piece. Here’s how to freeze garlic.
sesame seeds — I always go with toasted sesame seeds.
green onions
firm tofu — I recommend firm or extra firm tofu to make this braised tofu so it doesn’t fall apart as it cooks.
olive oil

How to Make Korean Braised Tofu

Sauce needed to make korean braised tofu.

Tofu cut into squares on a cutting board.

Add all the ingredients needed to make the sauce into a small bowl or measuring cup and set aside.
Cut the tofu into 1/4 or 1/2 inch thick squares, depending on how thick you’d like them to be, pat dry with a paper towel, and set aside.

Add olive oil to a non-stick skillet on medium heat and add the tofu to the pan.
Sear the tofu until golden, around 4 to 5 minutes, on each side.
Add the sauce that you made earlier and lower the heat to low.
Let the tofu and the sauce simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, flipping the tofu occasionally or spooning the sauce over top of it.
Serve as is or top with more sesame seeds and green onions.

Recipe Tips and Notes

Keep an eye on the pan while it simmers as the sugar in the sauce can burn if the heat is too high or simmered for too long.
Feel free to adjust the amount of gochugaru in the sauce if you’d like for the tofu recipe to be more spicy.
This can be enjoyed hot or cold so feel free to make extra for the next day! No reheating neccessary.
I highly recommend using toasted sesame seeds over regular ones.

Close up of braised tofu in a pink plate.

Make Ahead Tips

Meal prep: once cooled, store the braised tofu in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. Feel free to serve this straight from the fridge or reheated. This tastes even better after it has had some time to soak up the sauce overnight in the fridge!

Korean Braised Tofu

5 from 29 votes

Print Rate

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 25

Servings: servings

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

4 tbsp soy sauce, low sodium
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp gochugaru
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp garlic, minced
4 tbsp water
2 tsp sesame seeds
2-3 stalks green onions, sliced

Everything else:

1 block firm tofu, firm or extra firm tofu works (420g)
½ tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Add all the ingredients needed to make the sauce into a small bowl or measuring cup and set aside.
Cut the tofu into 1/4 or 1/2 inch thick squares, depending on how thick you’d like them to be, pat dry with a paper towel, and set aside.
Add olive oil to a non-stick skillet on medium heat and add the tofu to the pan.
Sear the tofu until golden, around 4 to 5 minutes, on each side.
Add the sauce that you made earlier and lower the heat to low.
Let the tofu and the sauce simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, flipping the tofu occasionally or spooning the sauce over top of it.
Serve as is or top with more sesame seeds and green onions.

Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥

Nutrition Per Serving

Author: Carmy

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Korean

Nutrition Disclaimer

More Tofu Recipes To Try

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