I first made this Tomatillo Chipotle Tofu when I was living in Mexico City. The other week, I was going through some of my old blog posts and came across this Tomatillo Chipotle Tofu recipe. I realized that I haven't made this tofu recipe in years!
Since it's been forever since I've made this Tomatillo Chipotle Tofu, I decided to make it last week for dinner. I also decided that it was probably time to update the very old blog photos as well!
I forgot how much I love this tomatillo and chipotle sauce. There are so many flavors going on in the sauce. The tomatillos add a tart layer while the chipotle peppers in adobo add a layer of spice. Piloncillo is added to help balance out the tart and spicy notes. This creates a flavorful sauce that I just can't get enough of! If you can't find piloncillo, you can also use brown sugar.
I like to brown the tofu in avocado oil before cooking it in the sauce. I really like the texture and flavor of browning the tofu first. This always helps prevent the tofu from breaking apart while it cooks in the sauce.
I really love serving this Tomatillo Chipotle Tofu with rice. This time I just made a very simple Mexican white rice to serve alongside. I like adding a little extra of the tomatillo chipotle sauce on top of the tofu and rice. The sauce adds an extra layer of flavor to the rice.
And don't forget the corn tortillas! I love adding a little rice and tofu with the sauce in a tortilla.
If you love sauces that are a little bit tart, sweet, and spicy, you'll love this tomatillo chipotle sauce!
I'm definitely going to be making this Tomatillo Chipotle Tofu on a regular basis. I hope that you enjoy this tofu recipe as much as I do!
Tofu in Tomatillo + Chipotle Sauce
Browned tofu is simmered in a tomatillo + chipotle sauce that is easy to make and full of flavor. It's sweet, spicy, and tart all at the same time. For a complete meal, serve with rice and warmed corn tortillas.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Extra Firm Tofu, drained and pressed
- 2 Tbs Avocado Oil
- Salt + Pepper
- 1 Large White Onion, chopped
- 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 6-8 Tomatillos, husks removed + washed, roughly chopped into pieces
- 1 Chipotle Pepper in adobo sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Piloncillo, grated
- ¾ teaspoon Sea Salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
For serving {optional}
- Warmed Corn Tortillas
- Rice for a side dish
Instructions
- Cut the tofu into 8 rectangle pieces.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron over medium high heat. Season each tofu side with salt and pepper. Cook 4-6 minutes on each side, or until each side is lightly/golden brown. Transfer the tofu to a platter and start making the sauce.
- In the same skillet, add the chopped onion. Cook until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add the roughly chopped tomatillos and cook 6-8 minutes.
- Stir in the chipotle pepper, piloncillo, salt, and pepper. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and transfer the sauce into a blender and puree the sauce.
- Turn the pan back on to medium heat and add the pureed sauce. Add the cooked tofu into the sauce. Cook for about 20, or until the sauce has thickened
- Serve! I like to serve this tofu with warmed corn tortillas, which acts as a vehicle to hold extra sauce!
Notes
If you can't find piloncillo, just sub brown sugar.
XO
Jeni
[…] creating tomatillo sauces as the basis of a main entree with some sort of vegan protein like my Tofu in Tomatillo and Chipotle Sauce. Another thing that I just simply can’t get enough of is hominy. I know that some purists […]