An easy recipe for Thai Basil Recipe with Tofu that is ready in under 30 minutes. Easy swaps are available to make this Thai Tofu vegetarian and whether or not you can find Thai Basil doesn’t matter much for a delicious dinner the whole family will love.
The other night I was eating dinner with C and we were chatting about confidence in the kitchen. I’m a firm believer that anyone can be a great cook so long as they are willing to practice. Surprisingly, C agreed, even if I am the exclusive chef of this family. He claims I stunted his growth because I do all the cooking. On some level I have to agree. We’ve been together for a decade and it’s fair to say that I’ve cooked 99% of our meals. It doesn’t leave much room for him to develop his skills and confidence.
This is a situation that works for us, even if it’s unbalanced. C is a killer dishwasher and grocery shopper. I do all of the cooking. In our opinion it evens out in the end.
That being said, I try to keep him in the back of my mind when I’m developing recipes. I ask myself “would C be able to follow this recipe”. If the answer is no then I generally don’t post it. If it’s yes then you’ll see it here on the blog. This Thai Basil Recipe with Tofu totally fits the bill. Even though there’s zero chance of C making it, I know he’d be able to and those are the kinds of recipes that I like to share. Everyone from the beginner to the advanced cook are welcome here. No pre-requisites necessary!
What is Thai Basil or Pad Kra Pao?
Pad Kra Pao is a traditional Thai dish typically made with ground chicken and the herb Holy Basil (Thai Basil Leaves). My version is similar to this stir-fry except chicken is replaced with tofu and crisped up nicely before being combined with veggies, sauce ingredients and served on rice. In place of traditional Thai chilies (which can be hard to find) I use store-bought chili paste also called sambar oelek.
Ingredients in Thai Basil Tofu
- Rice – I like short-grain brown rice but use whatever you have or prefer
- Extra Firm Tofu (14 oz) – make sure you buy extra firm so it holds its shape!
- Tapioca starch – can also use cornstarch or flour which helps the tofu get crispy
- Soy sauce – feel free to use tamari if you are gluten-free
- Fish sauce – omit if vegan or vegetarian
- Chili Paste – also known as Sambal Oelek. Adds a nice spicy kick to this dish
- Rice Wine Vinegar – you can use a lime instead if you don’t have rice wine vinegar
- Coconut sugar – to balance out the acids and salt
- Sesame oil – can also use olive oil or a more neutral oil if you prefer
- Veggies – garlic, ginger, bell peppers, broccoli (or broccolini) and of course Thai basil or basil
- Raw sesame seeds
- optional toppings: cashews, scallions, additional basil, cilantro etc…
How to Cook Basil Tofu
This Thai dish is coated in tapioca starch to help it crisp up when you cook it. If you don’t have tapioca starch you can use cornstarch (I recommend organic if you can find it) or even regular white flour. Just add a pinch of salt and pepper to bring out the flavor.
Besides the tapioca starch this Thai basil recipe requires a light frying to achieve optimal crispiness.
You know your Thai tofu is ready for cooking when the oil simmers in the pan when you add a splash of water. At this point you can add your tofu and use tongs to flip the tofu occasionally until each piece is crispy and brown all over.
Make this Thai Basil Recipe Vegetarian
It’s super easy to make this Thai Basil recipe vegetarian. The only ingredient which isn’t technically vegetarian is the fish sauce. If you’re pescatarian I recommend keeping it in as it adds a lot of flavor, however if you’re a strict vegan or vegetarian feel free to omit the fish sauce. The flavor is still delicious even without it.
Easy Thai Basil Recipe Swaps
Don’t like tofu? Feel free to replace with any other protein. Thai basil chicken, beef or even chickpeas would work great. You can use pre-cooked or follow the same instructions as the tofu to get a nice crispy taste on your protein. You can also top it with a fried egg!
Make it vegan! Omit the fish sauce to make this thai basil recipe completely vegan.
Prefer different veggies? If red bell pepper or broccoli/broccolini aren’t your thing or you have other vegetables on hand, feel free to replace with what you have. This recipe is very forgiving.
Can’t find Thai Basil? While this recipe is more tradition with Thai Basil, you can also use regular sweet basil and it will still be delicious.
More Thai-Inspired Recipes:
PrintThai Basil Tofu
An easy recipe for Thai Basil Tofu that is ready in under 30 minutes. Easy swaps are available to make this Thai Tofu vegetarian and whether or not you can find Thai Basil doesn’t matter much for a delicious dinner the whole family will love.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: Thai
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dry brown rice
- 14 oz package extra firm tofu
- 1 tbsp tapioca starch or flour (can also use cornstarch)
- pinch of salt + pepper
- 1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1–2 tbsp chili paste (sambal oelek)
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- 2 tbsp sesame oil (can also use olive oil or a more neutral oil)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 large red or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 head of broccolini or broccoli, ends trimmed or cut into florets
- 1 cup fresh Thai or regular basil, roughly torn
- 1 tbsp raw sesame seeds
- optional toppings: cashews, scallions, additional basil, cilantro etc…
Instructions
- Make rice according to package instructions.
- Place tofu block in a dishtowel or paper towel and squeeze to remove moisture. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
- In a large bowl combine tofu, tapioca starch, salt and pepper to coat tofu.
- In a small bowl make sauce by combining soy sauce (or tamari), fish sauce, chili paste, rice wine vinegar and coconut sugar. Set aside.
- Add sesame oil to a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Drop a splash of water into the skillet and if the oil simmers it is ready.
- Add the tofu, flipping occasionally until brown all over and crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Add the garlic, ginger, and peppers, and broccolini or broccoli to skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add a tablespoon of water and cover skillet with a top or tin foil. Allow veggies to steam for 2 minutes. Remove top and cook until veggies are slightly browned and cooked through.
- Add the tofu back to the skillet and pour in the pre-mixed sauce to bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook for about 3 minutes or until sauce has thickened to preference.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the basil and sesame seeds.
- Serve over rice with optional toppings.
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12 Comments
Davana Hunter
November 4, 2023 at 5:36 pmThis dish has amazing flavor! I would recommend cutting back on the soy sauce some though. It’s very salty! I definitely will try this recipe again and cut back on the sodium next time!
★★★★
Davida Lederle
November 6, 2023 at 10:20 amThank you for the feedback! I’m glad you enjoyed!
Angel
May 29, 2023 at 7:52 pmI agree with the other reviews, this was incredible. I usually don’t follow recipes exactly because a lot of them use more salt/soy than I prefer. I only reduced the tamari and sugar by a smidge and it was perfect.
★★★★★
Talya Bernstein Galaganov
December 23, 2021 at 10:43 pmSOOOOOOOOOO good! I finally got hold of some Thai Basil and tried it. JUST like in restaurants! My husband pronounced it “incredible!”
★★★★★
Megan Ruschhaupt
September 15, 2021 at 7:44 pmMade it just as written and it was delicious. It is now one of my favorite stir fries (if not THE favorite). Thank you!
★★★★★
Kristin
August 2, 2021 at 10:08 pmDelish! I subbed eggplant for the broccolini and it was so good!
★★★★
Jodi H.
May 23, 2021 at 6:45 pmTrying to recreate something similar from a restaurant in San Francisco that closed (Thep Phenom) and this is the best match yet! I added some oven-roasted crispy thai basil on top to really match my memory. Yum! 5 stars for sure!
★★★★★
Davida Lederle
May 24, 2021 at 10:07 amSo happy to hear that!
Gracie
September 20, 2020 at 11:44 pmThe Thai Basil Tofu is so delicious; it’s FULL of flavor and easy to make! I was so amazed on how easy it was to cook this dish. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Davida Lederle
September 21, 2020 at 11:57 amSo glad to hear it, Gracie!
Micaela @MindfulMomma
August 19, 2020 at 12:02 pmDo you press the water out of your tofu before using – or can you get away without that step?
Davida Lederle
August 19, 2020 at 12:11 pmI do a little squeeze with a dishtowel but you don’t need a tofu press. Thanks for reminding me to add that to the instructions!