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1
Fry the Beef Crisp
5 Mins
Medium-high heat, ~190°C (375°F)
Heat the oil in a wok or deep pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and Shaoxing wine and fry, breaking the meat into small crumbs, for about 5 minutes until it is browned and crisp at the edges and cooked through to 71°C (160°F). Lift the beef out and set aside.
Let the beef sit undisturbed for the first minute so it browns instead of steaming — crisp beef is what the classic dish is judged by.
Done when: Beef browned, dry and crumbly, with no pink remaining.
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2
Bloom the Doubanjiang
2 Mins
Medium heat, ~175°C (350°F)
In the same oil, add the doubanjiang, fermented black beans, dried chillies, garlic, ginger and scallion whites. Fry for 2 minutes, stirring, until the paste darkens slightly and a layer of red oil separates around the edges.
This is the step that makes the sauce: frying the paste in oil until the red oil appears is what gives mapo tofu its colour and depth. Do not rush it or skip it.
Done when: A fragrant red oil glistening around the darkened paste.
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3
Simmer the Tofu in the Sauce
5 Mins
Simmering, ~95°C (200°F)
Pour in the stock, soy sauce and sugar, and bring to a gentle simmer. Slide the tofu cubes in carefully, return the beef to the pan, and simmer gently for 5 minutes, shaking the pan instead of stirring, so the tofu absorbs the sauce without breaking.
Never stir mapo tofu with a spoon once the cubes are in — shake the pan or push the sauce around the edges with the back of a spoon, and the cubes stay whole.
Done when: Tofu hot through, sauce bubbling gently around the cubes.
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4
Thicken the Sauce
2 Mins
Simmering, ~95°C (200°F)
Stir the cornstarch slurry once more and drizzle it around the edges of the pan. Simmer for 1–2 minutes, shaking the pan, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the tofu in a glossy layer.
Add the slurry in two halves — you can always thicken more, but a sauce that is too thick hides the tofu and turns gluey.
Done when: A shiny sauce that clings to the tofu instead of running off.
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5
Finish with Sichuan Pepper
1 Min
No heat
Take the pan off the heat. Dust the ground Sichuan peppercorns evenly over the surface, scatter the scallion greens on top, and serve immediately in a warm bowl with steamed rice.
The ground pepper goes on last and off the heat, so its numbing, citrusy aroma stays alive instead of cooking away.
Done when: A bright red, glossy surface with visible peppercorn dust and green scallions.
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6
Serve at Once
5 Mins
No heat
Spoon the mapo tofu over or beside steamed rice and eat while it is steaming hot, so the sauce stays loose and the tofu stays tender.
Mapo tofu waits for no one — the sauce thickens as it cools, so serve it the moment it leaves the pan.
Done when: Tofu cubes whole, sauce glossy and hot, rice ready beside the bowl.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Ladle the mapo tofu into a warm bowl, dust with ground Sichuan pepper, scatter the scallion greens over the top and serve at once with steamed rice.
China
35m
France
Vietnam