;
Feb22

Crockpot Sweet & Sour Tofu

post featured image
The following content may contain affiliate links. When you click and shop the links, we receive a commission.

Hiii! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed my 2012 Mission Statement! I wrote it in about 5 minutes in my journal while drinking wine in a used book shop over the weekend. And I think it’s one of my favorite posts. And it seemed to be popular with you guys too. Goes to show that I shouldn’t over-think my writing. Or stop drinking wine. 😉

Speaking of not overthinking, I don’t like to overthink meals during the week. The best tool for not-overthinking or overworking or overcooking is the crock pot. Although, I used to have a newer crockpot that burned everything. So I threw it out when I inherited my grandmother’s crockpot that has to be from the 1940s and use that now. Perfection.

You know what else is perfection? Sweet & sour sauce.  I usually don’t like to have dinners with added sugar in them. I make an exception for this sauce. It’s soooo good.

You’ll need about 20 minutes to prep this and you can do it the night before. Slice your veggies, brown your tofu, make your sauce and stick it in the fridge. The next morning, combine it all in your crockpot and head out for the day. And start your rice cooker if you have one.

Crock Pot Sweet & Sour Tofu

  • 1 package of extra firm tofu, cubed
  • 2 T cornstarch
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 small head broccoli, chopped
  • 3 bell peppers (I used 2 red, 1 green), sliced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 large carrots, sliced
  • Any other veggies you want

Sweet & Sour Sauce

  • 2 c ketchup (find the kind without corn syrup since you’ll be adding sugar to the recipe)
  • 1.5 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • heaping 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • heaping 2/3 cup white sugar
  • 1.5 T fresh lemon juice

1. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.

2. Put the cornstarch in a bag with the cubed tofu and toss until well coated.

3. Put the tofu in the saute pan in a single layer and let cook on each side for 3-4 minutes, until well-browned and crispy. Try not to turn it before it’s brown!

4. While the tofu browns, combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and microwave for 2-3 minutes, until boiling. Set aside.

5. Add the browned tofu, chopped veggies and sweet & sour sauce to a crockpot. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. Enjoy over brown rice!

Note: You could easily sub chicken in this recipe. I got the sauce recipe from a church cookbook years ago and they served it over battered and fried chicken. To keep the crockpot ease, just dice up chicken breast and cook in the crockpot for 6-8 hrs on low or 3-4 hours on high, until the chicken is cooked through.

 

terilyn signatureterilyn signature

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    11 responses to “Crockpot Sweet & Sour Tofu”

    1. Sounds delicious! However, have you ever tried it without as much sugar? 2/3 C brown and white sugar sounds like a ton! Do you think it would work to take out one all together?

      • This is actually much less sugar than the original recipe called for! Every time I make it, I keep reducing it more and more and it’s been fine. I’m going to keep reducing it and will keep the recipe updated with that info!

    2. I never knew that sweet and sour sauce involved ketchup!! I love church cookbooks! Lots of love, tradition, and good old fashioned cooking behind those suckers.

    3. oooh, I love the idea of making sweet and sour from scratch. I might try this. I enjoy S & S at restaurants, but am always turned off in the store when I see it in the bottle. Must try!

    4. I’ve been trying to add more tofu to my diet because I don’t think I’ve been getting enough protein as a vegetarian. I used to not like tofu, but now I love it!! I think I just wasn’t having it cooked and seasoned the right way before. I can’t wait to make this!! Thanks for sharing!

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.