Sweet and Sour Pineapple Tofu (Vegan)

This better-than-takeout sweet and sour pineapple tofu is easy to make, healthy, completely vegan and comes together in under 30 minutes. It combines pieces of juicy pineapple with crispy tofu tossed in a delicious Asian stir-fry sauce. Perfect quick weeknight dinner that your whole family will love!

We love and regularly make this vegan sweet and sour tofu recipe since it came out on the blog years ago. I'll sometimes tweak the basic recipe to make a lighter sauce and will also often add fresh pineapple to make for a fun Hawaiian-style dish, which my kids rave about. 

So here is the recipe for this easy and delicious sweet and sour pineapple tofu! It is so good, you will be obsessed!

The big chunks of juicy pineapple are absolutely addictive and pair beautifully with the chewy bite from the tofu. The sweet and sour sauce comes together in 5 minutes, which you can do while the tofu roasts in the pan. Then, serve over rice for a satisfying meal that's even better than takeout!

You will love how fast this recipe is to prepare, plus it is easy to make, versatile, filling and very flavorful, making it the perfect weeknight dinner to make for your whole family. Also a great recipe if you are new to cooking tofu since the steps are pretty straightforward and the tofu bursts with huge flavors. Everyone will love it, even the hungry meat-eater!

Let me know if you give it a try! ❤️

Recipe highlights

• Packed with sweet and tangy flavors from the sauce, pineapple and peppers
• High-protein recipe that's very satisfying and filling
• Easy to make and comes together fast
• Versatile: you can add more veggies or swap for other plant protein
• Just as good as take-out, but much healthier!
• Vegan, dairy-free and can be made gluten-free

Ingredients you will need (+ substitutions)

(all the ingredient details down in the recipe card)

• Tofu: you can use extra firm tofu or firm tofu for this recipe. I prefer extra chewy tofu for stir-fries, so I used the super-firm organic tofu from Wilwood, but use your favorite kind as long as it is firm enough to hold in the pan while cooking.
• Pineapple: you will need fresh pineapple for this recipe. You can peel and cube your own pineapple from scratch or for an easier recipe, simply get the already prepared chunks of pineapple. Most groceries will keep it! You can also use canned pineapple if that's all you have.
• Bell pepper: choose any colors that you like, such as red or orange bell pepper.

For the sweet and sour sauce

• Soy sauce: you can use low-sodium to keep this recipe's salt content lower.
• Cornstarch: used to thicken the sauce. A little extra cornstarch also is used to coat the tofu, which helps make it crispy without having to add a ton of oil.
• Rice vinegar: can be swapped for lime juice.
• Tomato paste: to make for a sweet and sour flavor, can be swapped for ketchup.
• Brown sugar: great sweetener for making Asian brown sauce, although regular sugar and even maple syrup will work. If using maple syrup, then add about ½ tablespoon extra cornstarch.
• Garlic: for a nice boost in flavor.
• Water: cold water for mixing the sauce, you can also use veggie broth if you have some handy for more flavor.

How to make vegan pineapple tofu

(full detailed recipe down in the recipe card)

Cook the tofu

Remove the tofu from its packaging and pat dry to remove the extra water using paper towels or a clean hand towel.

Slice the tofu in about 1-2 inch bite-size cubes. Transfer the tofu cubes to a large bowl and sprinkle the cornstarch over. Use your fingers to toss the cubes until they are well-coated.

Then, warm up a large pan with a little olive oil (or sesame oil for more flavor) and transfer the cornstarch-coated tofu. Cook on medium-high heat and flip once in a while until golden brown on most sides. This can take 10-15 minutes.

Once the tofu is done, transfer the cubes to a plate and set aside.

Make the sauce

In a medium bowl, add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, tomato paste, garlic, brown sugar and cornstarch. Whisk until combined. This can be done while the tofu is roasting.

Assemble and serve

Put the pan you used to cook the tofu back on the stove, then add a little extra oil. Then, cook the pepper for 5-7 minutes on medium-high heat.

Pour the sauce over the pan and add the pineapple chunks (careful for the hot splashes). Stir right away and cook for 1-2 minutes or until bubbly and thicker. Add the cooked tofu back to the pan, stir to combine and warm up for 1-2 minutes.

Serve over rice or noodles. Enjoy!

Helpful tips

• To save some time, get started by cooking the tofu. While it is cooking, then whisk the sauce together. That way there is no downtime and you can get the recipe done in under 30 minutes!
• Avoid adding salt to the tofu while cooking it. The sweet and sour sauce is salty enough, thanks to the soy sauce.

Serving suggestions

When serving the pineapple tofu, you can sprinkle some sesame seeds, top with toasted cashews and add green onions. If you like spicy food, then drizzle some sriracha.

Also, this dish is great served in many different ways, such as with:

• Brown rice or jasmine white rice
• Quinoa to make your meal even more rich in protein
• Udon noodles or soba
• Pineapple coconut rice
• Zoodles (zucchini noodles) for a boost in veggies
• Cauliflower rice 

Variations

This is a versatile recipe, feel free to add more veggies or use different plant proteins if you prefer. Here are a few ideas:

• Vegetables: swap the peppers for cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms or zucchini. Baby corn and some leafy greens, such as gai lan, would also work well. You might want to double on the sauce recipe if adding lots of extra veggies.
• Protein: you can make it with tempeh or vegan chicken product, if you prefer. We don't cook with them often, but these frozen vegan chicken bites from Daring would be perfect in this recipe and mimic the classic take out pineapple dish pretty well. For these swaps, I would recommend skipping the cornstarch while cooking it.
• Others: try adding a spoonful of sambal oelek for a little heat, some lime juice for a more tangy sauce or some grated fresh ginger for a boost in fresh flavor.

Storage tips

This recipe is best when just prepared since over time, the tofu will get softer from soaking the sauce. That being said, leftovers are still great and this recipe makes for great lunches the next day.

You can keep the extra in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat using the microwave or on the stove.

FAQs

Do I need to press the tofu?

For this recipe, I did not press the tofu. Pressing tofu allows it to absorb more flavor, so for this marinade-free tofu recipe, I usually skip pressing it to save an extra step. You can just remove the excess water with a clean towel and do a quick press using your hands to squeeze some of the extra water while the block is wrapped in the towel (so it crips better).

How can I make this recipe gluten-free?

For a GF recipe, simply swap the soy sauce for gluten-free tamari sauce. The rest of the ingredients are naturally GF!

Can I make it in the oven?

Yes! You can bake the cornstarch-coated cubes of tofu in a preheated oven (400ºF) for about 25 minutes and warm up the mixed sauce in a small pot, then combine. This baked teriyaki tofu recipe will show you how to do that!

More vegan takeout-style recipes you might like

• 20-min sticky tofu
• Thai basil tofu stir fry
• Mango fried rice
• Vegan garlic udon noodles
• Vietnamese stir-fried noodles
• Thai green curry fried rice
• Gochujang tofu
• Bokchoy tofu stir fry

I hope you like this tofu pineapple recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

Let's stay in touch with Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Also, don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to be sure not to miss anything.