Buttery Gochujang Tofu and Broccoli 

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated January 28, 2026

  • Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
45 min
Rating
5(1,219)
Comments
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Awaken the palate with this boldly seasoned, gochujang-spiked tofu and broccoli dish. With its signature smoky sweetness, tangy heat and deep fermented flavors, the gochujang glaze becomes viscous and silky thanks to butter and sticky maple syrup. Dusting the tofu in cornstarch gives it more body, with a crisp, crusted exterior that readily absorbs the full bodied sauce, while the interior remains tender and moist. The broccoli florets also carry this sauce confidently, though you could substitute with another hardy, crisp vegetable like cauliflower, green beans or green cabbage. 

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • ½ cup cornstarch

  • Salt and pepper

  • 2 (14- to 16-ounce) blocks extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into ½-inch slices

  • 5 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 pound broccoli, cut into small 1-inch florets

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 3 tablespoons gochujang paste

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce 

  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup 

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

  • 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped 

  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced

  • Toasted white sesame seeds, for topping

  • Rice, to serve

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

42 grams carbs; 23 milligrams cholesterol; 586 calories; 18 grams monosaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 38 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 989 milligrams sodium; 26 grams protein; 10 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

    1. Step 1

      Place the cornstarch on a large plate or small rimmed sheet pan. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper and toss to combine. Coat both sides of the tofu in the cornstarch mixture, shake off any excess and set aside on a large plate or platter.

    2. Step 2

      Heat a large (12-inch) skillet on medium-high for 2 minutes. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil, add the broccoli, season with salt and pepper and toss until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes, or longer if preferred. Transfer to a bowl.

    3. Step 3

      With the heat still on medium-high, drizzle the skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil. Working in two batches, add half the tofu in a single layer, and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the large plate. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and cook the remaining tofu. Transfer the final batch of tofu to the plate. 

    4. Step 4

      Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter, gochujang, soy sauce, maple syrup, garlic and ginger, and cook until the butter has melted. Add 3 tablespoons of water and cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tofu and broccoli and gently toss until lightly coated. 

    5. Step 5

      Top with scallions and sesame seeds, and serve with rice.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,219 user ratings
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Comments

François Dionne

Excellent. I used my usual method to cook the tofu: I tear it into bite-size pieces, toss them with some potato or corn starch, then with a tablespoon of oil, and bake at 385 on a cookie sheet for about 30 min. Not sure the butter brings anything discernible, but the result is tasty. Heat will vary depending on your gochujang.

K8

I grew up in rural Missouri where “chickpeas” were considered an exotic imported food and the nearest Walmart was about an hour away. A “country store” version of gochujang can be whipped up with a combination of ketchup, hot sauce, soy sauce, and chili flakes. It ain’t the same thing, but it’ll work. In a way, it’s in the same spirit of Korea’s postwar cuisine.

Kate

This is a delicious and easy weeknight meal. I would skip the cornstarch step - you get just as good a crust on tofu when you pan fry without it and once you add the sauce the cornstarch makes the crust soggy. Added 1 T rice vinegar and 1.5 tsp toasted sesame oil to the sauce, which added some nice depth.

Chef Squirrel

I made this exactly as described. Coating the tofu and frying it like that works wonderfully! Seriously, it's the best tofu I have ever made, even my son was impressed. I'd never heard of gochujang before, but it is certainly worth the search. My husband discovered it on his morning eggs and now it is a staple. If you can't get it locally, try the internet. It's worth it.

Amy

This is very good and pretty healthy if you cut down the butter. I upped all the sauce ingredients by 50% except the butter because it needs more sauce. I also only used one block of tofu and more broccoli for a 50/50 ratio. I took another commenters suggestion to toss the tofu in cornstarch and bake. The only other change I made was breaking the tofu into bite sized pieces instead of cutting them. They come out almost like little fried pieces of chicken that way.

Minna

I followed the recipe as written, and although it’s a tasty dish, I don’t think the extra step of dredging the tofu in cornstarch is worth it. The resulting crispy coating on the tofu gets soggy nearly instantly when you toss the tofu in the sauce. Next time I make this, I will just pan fry the tofu pieces with salt and pepper.

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