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    Oh My Veggies » Vegan Recipes

    Mango-Chili Tofu Stir-Fry (Vegetarian, Vegan)

    Published: Jan 28, 2021 · by Nicole · Updated: Jan 28, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe
    Mango Chili Tofu Stir Fry

    This post originally appeared as a guest post on Better Homes & Gardens! I’m a pretty big fan. So I was super excited when they invited me to take one of their popular recipes and make it meatless for my readers.

    A lot of people think that vegetarian cooking is intimidating or difficult, but I promise you it doesn’t have to be. And you can take just about any recipe and make it meatless. Yes, really, you can!

    Is there anything more satisfying than taking a meaty recipe and making it vegetarian? Okay, yes, there are probably a lot of things more satisfying than that. (Winning the lottery? Definitely more satisfying.) But I still love that feeling of victory I get when I take something I can't eat and make it into something tasty and meatless.

    I wanted to challenge myself, so I choose their Mango-Chili Chicken Stir-Fry recipe. I prefer not to use processed meat substitutes in my cooking, so I decided to replace the chicken with a package of extra-firm tofu.

    Wait! Don’t click away! Don’t give me the side-eye.

    When you prepare tofu the right way, it’s delicious. So I’m going to show you the best way to make it.

    Making Tofu that Tastes Good

    Tofu is packaged in water, so in order for it to absorb the flavors of the dish you’re preparing, you need to press that nasty tofu water out. If you just take the tofu out of the package, dice it up, and throw it in a stir fry, you will not like tofu. It needs pressing!

    pressing tofu

    How to Press Tofu

    I have a tofu press for this purpose, and it makes the job a LOT easier. But this is how you can press your tofu without one:

    • Put 2-3 layers of paper towels on a cutting board.
    • Put your tofu on top of that, then another layer of paper towels and another cutting board.
    • Weigh everything down with bottles and cans and let the tofu sit like this for 30 minutes. Trust me, it’s worth it!
    vegan tofu stir fry being served

    Making Mango Chili Tofu Stir Fry

    After pressing the tofu, I cut it into 16 triangles. There’s no real reason for triangles, but they look nice, right?).

    Next, I heated 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cooked the tofu for about 3-5 minutes on each side, until it was browned and crispy. (Oh, and you can use any kind of cooking oil you like–no need to go out and buy grapeseed oil if you don’t have it on hand.)

    Remove the tofu from the skillet and set it on a few layers of paper towels to absorb some of the excess oil, then stir fry the peppers, add the tofu back in, and stir in the fiery mango sauce.

    The only other slight change I made to the original Mango-Chili Chicken Stir-Fry recipe is that instead of using dried chile peppers, I tossed in a pinch or two of red pepper flakes and I added some black sesame seeds at the end.

    Oh, and I diced the mango instead of slicing it because I still haven’t figured out how to slice a mango without potentially losing a thumb.

    I served this with brown rice and it was absolutely delicious–we loved the sweet-and-spicy mango sauce with the crispy, chewy tofu. If you’re looking for an easy Meatless Monday dinner, this is it!

    Mango Chili Tofu Stir Fry
    Mango Chili Tofu Stir Fry

    Mango Chili Garlic Tofu Stir Fry

    This vegan stir fry recipe is loaded with flavor from fresh mango, protein packed tofu, and a chili-garlic sauce.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Email Recipe
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Asian, Caribbean, Chinese
    Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: tofu stir fry, vegan stir fry, vegetarian stir fry
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 409kcal
    Author: Oh My Veggies

    Ingredients

    • ⅓ cup bottled mango chutney
    • 2 teaspoons Asian chili garlic sauce
    • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 teaspoons cooking oil
    • ⅛ tsp crushed red pepper flakes add more for additional spice
    • 16 oz firm tofu pressed to remove extra moisture
    • 1 red bell pepper cut into 1- to 2-inch strips
    • 1 mango seeded, peeled, and diced
    • 2 tbsp grapeseed oil or other cooking oil
    • 2 cups cooked brown rice for serving
    • black sesame seeds for garnish

    Instructions

    For Sauce

    • For sauce, in a small bowl, combine chutney, chili garlic sauce, ginger, and garlic. Set aside.

    For Stir Fry

    • Cut tofu into 16 triangular pieces. (Be sure tofu is pressed before starting to cook, to remove excess moisture.)
    • In a large wok or large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
    • Add red pepper flakes. Cook and stir for 10 seconds.
    • Add tofu, and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, until browned. Remove from pan and set aside on paper towels to drain excess oil.
    • Add the bell peppers to the pan. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes, until just tender.
    • Add the tofu back into the pan. Add sauce, stirring to coat all, and heat through.
    • Serve over rice and top with diced mango and a sprinkling of black sesame seeds.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 409kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 13gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 140mgPotassium: 258mgFiber: 5gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 1510IUVitamin C: 60mgCalcium: 168mgIron: 2mg
    Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!

    This post was originally published in 2013. It has since been updated.

    « Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta
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    Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes main dishes, mangoes, tofu

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Brian @ A Thought For Food says

      August 20, 2013 at 10:05 am

      Well doesn't this look amazing! Heading over now to see the post!

      Reply
    2. Caitlin says

      August 20, 2013 at 10:26 am

      i love how bright and summery this dish looks!

      Reply
    3. christina says

      August 20, 2013 at 10:39 am

      I am always looking for new tofu dishes and this looks great!

      Reply
    4. Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says

      August 20, 2013 at 11:52 am

      I totally agree with you on tofu! If someone doesn't like tofu, they haven't had it done right! : )

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        August 20, 2013 at 8:40 pm

        Yup, totally! People don't believe me when I tell them that, but it's true. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Ash-foodfashionparty says

      August 20, 2013 at 12:30 pm

      Congrats on your post and this plate looks like a beautiful summer dish.

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        August 20, 2013 at 8:38 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    6. [email protected]'s Recipes says

      August 20, 2013 at 1:59 pm

      I can eat this every day! The stir-fry looks outstanding!

      Reply
    7. Maria Tadic says

      August 20, 2013 at 2:41 pm

      I love tofu - especially when it's pressed OR roasted. So much better texture! A lot of people dont realize how delicious it can be!!

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        August 20, 2013 at 8:35 pm

        Yes, it's so good roasted too!

        Reply
    8. Averie @ Averie Cooks says

      August 20, 2013 at 3:27 pm

      Omg gorgeous! I am a huge fan of mango tofu (and red peppers). Yours is stunning!

      Congrats on your BHG feature!

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        August 20, 2013 at 8:34 pm

        Thank you! I thought about adding pineapple too like your BBQ tofu recipe. 🙂

        Reply
    9. Kelly @ A Girl Worth Saving says

      August 20, 2013 at 4:35 pm

      I don't eat tofu but that looks fantastic! Congrats on your feature!

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        August 20, 2013 at 8:33 pm

        Thank you! 🙂

        Reply
    10. Emma says

      August 20, 2013 at 6:25 pm

      This looks fab! It makes me sad when people tell me they hate tofu as it can be so good if prepared right. Hurrah for veganizing meat recipes!

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        August 20, 2013 at 8:33 pm

        I blame restaurants! I have gone to so many restaurants where the tofu is just awful. I didn't start to appreciate tofu until I started making it myself.

        Reply
    11. Amanda says

      August 20, 2013 at 7:29 pm

      So pretty! I love the bright colors 🙂

      Reply
    12. Courtney @ The Fig Tree says

      August 20, 2013 at 8:01 pm

      Ooooo! This looks delicious! Must try this ASAP. The mango chili sauce sounds perfect!

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        August 20, 2013 at 8:31 pm

        I could seriously put that sauce on everything I eat. 🙂

        Reply
    13. Brenda Williams says

      August 21, 2013 at 12:04 am

      Mango chili...I'm in! Yummy. I am going to forever be amazed at the creative dishes you can make. WOW...this one is beautiful...the photos are really good!

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        August 22, 2013 at 5:18 pm

        Yes, you would love it--it's nice and spicy! 🙂

        Reply
    14. Erica says

      August 21, 2013 at 7:09 am

      Just wanted to tell you that your recipe pictures looks SO much more delicious than the pictures from BH&G. If I had seen the original recipe I wouldn't have been motivated to try it (even though I do eat chicken). But your pictures look so amazing that this is going on my list to cook next week.

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        August 22, 2013 at 5:18 pm

        Aw, thank you so much! I hope you like the recipe--even if you do use chicken! 😉

        Reply
    15. Kelli @ The Corner Kitchen says

      August 21, 2013 at 11:44 am

      Congrats on the BHG guest post!

      Love this recipe! I feel like I've been in a rut of making the same tofu dishes lately....can't wait to try this and change it up!

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        August 22, 2013 at 5:16 pm

        Thank you! I get in a rut with tofu recipes sometimes too. When you find what works, you want to stick with it!

        Reply
    16. Laura (Tutti Dolci) says

      August 21, 2013 at 12:13 pm

      I love stir-fry, these flavors sound so good together!

      Reply
    17. Lauwchen says

      August 21, 2013 at 12:33 pm

      This looks amazing! I made my own version of it today 🙂 (in Belgium, I haven't seen mango chutney anywhere, so I made it myself :D)

      This one is definitely a keeper 😉

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        August 22, 2013 at 5:15 pm

        I'm glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

        Reply
    18. Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health says

      August 21, 2013 at 3:13 pm

      I love turning meat dishes vegetarian and you did a fantastic job with this one. It looks amazing! Congrats on the guest post too!!

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        August 22, 2013 at 5:14 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    19. Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says

      August 21, 2013 at 6:07 pm

      Congrats on your BHG feature, how exciting! This stir fry looks scrumptious and certainly magazine cover worthy! I love it.

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        August 22, 2013 at 5:13 pm

        Thank you, Georgia! 🙂

        Reply
    20. mjskit says

      August 21, 2013 at 10:39 pm

      Just came back from BH&G - Congratulations! Great guest post and what a dish!!!

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        August 22, 2013 at 5:12 pm

        Thank you! 🙂

        Reply
    21. Erika says

      August 22, 2013 at 8:45 am

      Ok so you've definitely convinced me to start pressing my tofu. I've always been too lazy but I ADORE those crispy tofu edges and have never figured out how to achieve them at home. Thanks for the tip!! And I have like 5 mangoes ripening on my counter so this is perfect!

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        August 22, 2013 at 5:11 pm

        That's how you do it! You press it and cook it in a skillet with about a tablespoon of oil. And then it gets crispy!

        Reply
    22. Daniela @ FoodrecipesHQ says

      August 23, 2013 at 4:54 am

      Mango and tofu... a combination I have never tried. Colors are amazing and the pics are so... appealing!

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        August 24, 2013 at 3:52 pm

        It's really good! Averie Cooks has a great recipe for BBQ tofu with pineapple and mangoes too. 🙂

        Reply
    23. Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says

      August 23, 2013 at 7:40 am

      Yum!! We love using mangoes in savory stir fry's. This looks scrumptious 🙂

      Reply
    24. Anna {Herbivore Triathlete} says

      September 09, 2013 at 8:34 pm

      This looks awesome Kierstin!! I love tofu, I always press mine when I buy it, freeze it, then press again after it thaws. Lots of steps, but totally worth it.

      Mangoes are so good, I don't know how to make pretty slices either, he he, it's hard to cut one of those suckers! Still haven't found black sesame seeds anywhere locally either.

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        September 10, 2013 at 6:58 pm

        Yeah, it's SO easy to cube mangoes, but slicing is tricky! The only thing I can think of is maybe cutting the pit out, then slicing the mango meat, THEN peeling it. But that seems like it would be a pain, huh? (Perhaps I should Google this?)

        Reply
    25. DamnGina says

      October 26, 2013 at 11:53 am

      Hey looks great but where did you buy the sauce? or did you make it????????????

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        October 27, 2013 at 7:09 pm

        If you follow the link, there's a recipe for it on the Better Homes & Gardens website. It's a semi-homemade sauce made with store-bought mango chutney.

        Reply
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    Nicole is a life long vegetarian and the author of the popular vegan cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. She loves sharing her recipes and showing the world just how easy and delicious meatless meals can be!
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