Are you wanting to try Panda Express eggplant tofu, but can't find a restaurant that carries it on their menu? The wait is over. Our copycat recipe is everything you hoped it would be: sweet, spicy, savory, and finger licking good.
Looking for Chinese sides to serve with this? You'll love our Panda Express chow mein or Panda Express super greens. Don't miss our collection of 9 Panda Express stir fry recipes, too!
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Why This Recipe Works
- Our copycat Panda Express eggplant tofu sauce has just the right combination of sweet, spicy and savory.
- We cook the tofu, eggplant, and red pepper in batches in oil using a wok so the ingredients can brown; otherwise it will be over crowded and steam.
- The aromatics are cooked for only 30 seconds so they're golden brown.
- After the sauce has thickened in the wok, everything is added back and gently stirred to coat each piece.
Ingredients
The ingredients for our copycat Panda Express Eggplant tofu are easy to find at your local grocery store and keep well in your pantry or fridge. None of them are expensive, so feel free to stock up so you can make this delicious recipe whenever the mood strikes.
- Fat: We used olive oil, but you can use any other high smoke point oil.
- Vegetables: We used eggplant, red bell peppers, and green onion.
- Aromatics: We used garlic and ginger.
- Liquids: We used vegetable broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sambal oelek (fresh ground chili paste).
- Thickener: We used cornstarch, but you can also use arrowroot.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Gluten Free: Use gluten free vegetable broth, liquid aminos, and arrowroot.
- Spicy: Increase the red pepper flakes in the aromatics and the chili paste.
- Extra Protein: Add shiitake mushrooms, chicken, shrimp, beef, or pork.
- Garnish Options: Add white and black sesame seeds.
- Lower Fat: You can bake or air fry the eggplant to reduce the oil, but this will change the texture.
How to Make
Gather all the ingredients. Make sure the tofu is drained and pressed before cutting into cubes.
- To make the sauce, whisk all the ingredients together in a 2 cup measuring cup or a bowl then set aside. It will make one cup of sauce.
- Heat up 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok over medium high heat, then add the cubed tofu and fry until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Add more oil to the wok and stir fry the eggplant until soft. You'll need to add more oil while stir frying, as it will soak up the oil quickly. Drain it on a separate paper towel lined plate.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil and stir fry the red bell peppers until soft, roughly 2 minutes, then drain on top of the eggplant.
- Add ½ tablespoon of oil to the wok and stir fry the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes for 30 seconds, then remove.
- Whisk the sauce and pour it into the wok to let it thicken, roughly 1 minute.
- Add the tofu, vegetables, and garlic mixture back to the wok, then gently stir until well coated.
- Serve our copycat Panda Express eggplant tofu warm with a garnish of green onion.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, but it is a regional dish, and is only available at select restaurants where the demand for it is high. Generally speaking, it's only available at restaurants in California and Hawaii.
On the Panda Express website they state their eggplant tofu is a "mixture of browned tofu, eggplant, red bell pepper all in a proprietary sweet and spicy sauce." Unfortunately, it is high in fat due to the oil used in frying the eggplant.
As of 2023, there are six vegan items on their menu: eggplant tofu (available at select locations), super greens, chow mein, and steamed brown or white rice. The only vegan appetizer is their vegetable spring roll.
Serve
Since Panda Express markets this recipe as a side dish, you'll want to serve it with another side or appetizer like steamed white rice, or our copycat Panda Express fried rice, or cream cheese rangoons.
Store
- Make Ahead: You can prep all the ingredients ahead of time, but it's best to make this right before you want to eat it.
- Leftovers: You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: We don't recommend freezing leftovers as the texture will change when thawed and reheated.
Expert Tips
- To make this go smoothly, have everything ready before cooking.
- Drain the tofu and vegetables on paper towel-lined plates to absorb the extra oil.
- This recipe calls for a lot of oil because the eggplant absorbs a lot of it during the cooking process.
- Reduce the amount of oil needed by salting the eggplant and letting it drain in a colander for 20 minutes, or try baking or air frying the eggplant. This other cooking methods will change the texture.
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Recipe
Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- ¼ cup soy sauce or liquid aminos
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot
- 2 tablespoons water
For the Stir Fry
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 pound eggplant, cut in chunks
- 1 pound extra firm tofu, cubed
- 2 red bell peppers, cut in chunks
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons green onion, chopped (optional)
Equipment
Instructions
- Whisk all the sauce ingredients in a bowl or a measuring cup.
- Drain the tofu. We used super firm, which doesn't need to be pressed. If you're using extra firm, press the tofu for 30 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.
- Cut the tofu into cubes. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a wok over medium high heat, then add the tofu. Fry in oil until golden, then drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok, then add the eggplant and stir fry until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir constantly, adding more oil when needed, as it soaks up the oil quickly. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil, stir fry the red bell peppers for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Drain on a plate.
- Heat ½ tablespoon of oil, then add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and stir fry for 30 seconds. Set aside.
- Whisk the sauce again, then pour it into the empty wok and cook until it thickens, about a minute.
- Add the garlic mixture and mix it with the sauce, then add the vegetables and tofu. Gently stir until everything is coated with the sauce.
- Serve warm, and garnish with green onion and sesame seeds.
Video
Notes
- To make this go smoothly, have everything ready before cooking.
- Drain the tofu and vegetables on paper towel-lined plates to absorb the extra oil.
- This recipe calls for a lot of oil because the eggplant absorbs a lot of it during the cooking process.
- Reduce the amount of oil needed by salting the eggplant and letting it drain in a colander for 20 minutes, or try baking or air frying the eggplant. This other cooking methods will change the texture.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Theo Simoncic
Absolutely fantastic. First time and it was delicious. The flavors were absorbed into both the eggplant and the tofu.
Emma
That's wonderful, Theo! Thanks so much for making our recipe. We're so glad you enjoyed it!
tina muriella
This was awful.
Emma
We're sorry that you didn't enjoy this dish, Tina. Could you provide more information on what went wrong? We are happy to help you troubleshoot!
Marv
Not the same as Panda's, but still really addicting!! Tastes really good after you let it marinate for a few hours after cooking.
Emma
We're so glad that you enjoyed it, Marv!
TE D
Great, yes you captured the Panda flavor perfectly. Since we are not fans of tofu, I eliminated it. Have you tried with other proteins?
Emma
Glad you enjoyed it! We haven't tested it with any other protein, but you can make it with any protein, including flank steak, chicken, or shrimp.
Rosie
Really good! I made the recipe mostly as written, subbed half the eggplant for mushroom. Love the sauce!
Emma
Glad you enjoyed it, Rosie!
Diane
I really enjoyed this rendition of one of my favorite dishes! I backed off a little on the heat, because sometimes our Panda makes it too spicy, but ended up putting some back in ! My teen boys don’t like eggplant , so I made theirs with shrimp and water chestnuts ! Delish ! Awesome sauce! Mahalo nui Loa!!!
Emma
Thank you so much, Diane! We are so glad that you and your boys enjoyed the eggplant tofu--even without the eggplant. 🙂
AB
Same here, I love this recipe! was looking for this for a long time as this is my husbands favorite thing to have, so glad the taste came out just like the restaurant. Didn't feel the need to add or subtract anything, it was just simply delicious! Thank you for posting this recipe.
Emma
Thank you so much! We're thrilled that you and your husband enjoyed it.
Ariana Berry
This recipe is super delicious!!! I used a heavy hand with the garlic and ginger adding a little more than the recipe asked, and I added 1 tbs of peanut butter to the sauce and onions to the veggies. I also lightly salted the veggies while stir frying. None of the alterations were needed however, it was just to my taste. The recipe is gorgeous as is!
Emma
Thank you so much for making our recipe and for your kind review! We are so glad that you have enjoyed the eggplant tofu. It's a real favorite with our family!
antonetta
SO GOOD EVERY ONE TRY ITTT!! One of my new favorites, I will be cooking this ALL THE TIME!
Emma
Thank you so much, Antonetta! This dish is a favorite with our family, and we're so glad you like it!
Prince
I made this for my family today and they really enjoyed it. I substituted bell peppers for celery and carrots, because of the virus and not being able to go out; as well as added 2 tablespoons of flakes instead of the 1/3 because we love spicy food. The sauce was pretty on par to the actual restaurant which my mom hinted at.
Emma
That's wonderful to hear, Prince! We're thrilled that your family enjoyed this recipe so much.
Alex
The eggplant is soft, and the red pepper adds color to this dish. The tofu is chewy and a great addition to this! I enjoyed this copycat recipe.
Emma
Thank you for your kind words, Alex!
Beth
This dish smells wonderful and looks delectable. The tofu is amazingly crispy, and the eggplant is succulent. The sauce is tangy and has a great Asian flavor.
Emma
Thanks for your review, Beth!