Stuffed Tofu With Pork
⏲ ~27 min total · prep 16 · cook 11 · 4 servings
Sides⏱ 45 min total🔥 5.0g net carbs⚡ ≈258 kcal/serving~3% of calories from carbs
By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor
Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026
Ingredients
- 14 oz block extra-firm tofu
- 8 oz ground pork
- 2 green onions, minced, white and green parts divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 tbsp coconut aminos, divided
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
Instructions
- Wrap the tofu block in paper towels, set a heavy can on top, and press 15 minutes to squeeze out the water.
- Cut the block into 8 equal rectangles, then cut a deep slit into the side of each piece, leaving 1/4 inch of tofu on the far side so the pocket stays intact.
- Mix the ground pork, the white parts of the green onions, garlic, ginger, egg yolk, 1 tbsp of the coconut aminos, and the white pepper in a bowl; it stays soft — do not add flour.
- Open each pocket with your thumb and fill with about 1 tablespoon of the pork mixture, pressing gently so it sits level with the tofu surface.
- Heat the avocado oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium and fry the tofu pieces golden brown, 3-4 minutes per side, in batches if needed so they never crowd.
- Pour in the chicken broth and remaining 2 tbsp coconut aminos, cover, and simmer over medium-low 7-8 minutes, until the pork is cooked through and the liquid has reduced to a few glossy tablespoons.
- Drizzle with the sesame oil and shower with the reserved green onion tops.
Why this recipe works
- Pressed tofu, golden crust Fifteen minutes under a can squeezes out the water that would spit and steam in the oil. Dry tofu fries to a deep brown crust and holds its pocket shape.
- Egg yolk instead of starch The yolk binds the pork filling soft and rich, with no flour to cloud the braising liquid. It sets gently as the pieces simmer.
- A finishing braise Chicken broth and coconut aminos simmer the stuffed pieces until the pork cooks through, then reduce to a few glossy tablespoons. That reduction is the sauce.
Tips for making this recipe well
Leave a quarter-inch wall
Cut the slit and stop with 1/4 inch of tofu at the far side. Puncturing the back means the filling escapes into the pan.
Fill level, not heaped
About 1 tablespoon per piece, pressed level with the surface. Mounded filling keeps the piece from sitting flat in the oil.
Batch the frying
Give the pieces room in the nonstick skillet. Crowding drops the oil temperature and the tofu turns pale instead of gold.
Reduce to glossy
After 7 to 8 minutes covered, the liquid should be down to a few tablespoons that coat the spoon. More than that and the plates get soggy.
Sesame oil off the heat
Drizzle it after the pan leaves the burner. Toasted sesame oil goes flat and slightly bitter when cooked hard.
Serving suggestions
Spoon the pan sauce over the stuffed pieces and shower them with the reserved green onion tops. Serve them over cauliflower rice, which catches the glossy reduction, or alongside blanched greens. Two pieces make a side; four make a dinner. They are best hot, while the tofu crust still crackles against the soft pork center. Chili oil at the table wakes the whole plate up.
Storage and meal prep
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a covered skillet with a splash of water over medium-low, which steams the pieces tender and re-loosens the reduced sauce. Freezing is not recommended; thawed tofu turns spongy and weeps liquid into the pan. If you want to work ahead, press and cut the tofu and mix the pork filling in the morning, then stuff and fry at dinner.
Variations worth trying
- Ground chicken or turkey Swap the pork for an equal amount of ground chicken. The filling stays soft and the simmer time is the same.
- Shiitake in the filling Mince 3 fresh shiitake caps into the pork mix. They add a dark, savory edge that suits the coconut aminos.
- Chili oil finish Drizzle a teaspoon of chili crisp over the pieces along with the sesame oil. It turns the dish into something you would order out.
- Extra sauce version Double the broth and coconut aminos in the braising step. Spoon the deeper reduction over a bowl of cauliflower rice.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use soft or silken tofu?
No. Extra-firm is the only style that holds a pocket and a crust; softer tofu collapses in the oil and the filling falls out.
Why no flour or cornstarch in the filling?
The egg yolk binds the pork on its own, and starch would thicken the braising liquid into paste. The filling is meant to stay soft.
What are coconut aminos doing here?
They stand in for soy sauce with a slightly sweeter, milder edge, which suits the ginger and sesame. Divide them as written: 1 tablespoon in the filling, 2 in the braise.
My tofu stuck to the pan.
The pieces were not pressed long enough, or the oil was not hot when they went in. Fifteen minutes under a can, a fully heated pan, and they release on their own once the crust forms.
How many net carbs per serving?
5.0 net carbs, most of that from the tofu itself. The pork, broth, and coconut aminos make up the rest of a small total.
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