15 Minute Spicy Tofu in Creamy Coconut Lime Sauce

Name: 15 Minute Spicy Tofu in Creamy Coconut Lime Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 16 ounces firm or extra firm tofu; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 1 tsp sea salt; 1 1/2 cups (360 mL) canned coconut milk, divided; 2 tsp cornstarch or flour; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 2 tbsp freshly grated ginger; 1 1/2 tsp gochujang paste; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 1/2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (from 1 lime); 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley, chives, or scallions, to finish

posted by Britt Berlin on Apr 30, 2026 0 comments »

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This spicy tofu recipe is served in a creamy, zesty lime gochujang coconut sauce that you could literally eat with a spoon! I’s ready in just 15 minutes, and there’s never any leftovers in my family. You’re going to LOVE!

Tell me about this creamy & spicy tofu:

If you’re ever in a pinch for dinner, this spicy tofu has been a go-to for my family. You don’t even need to press the tofu.

I repeat: NO pressing of the tofu here! (yes, I know that goes against the advice I normally give in my how to cook tofu guide!).

That’s because we don’t need the tofu here to be super crispy for a delicious meal. It has just the right balance of textures that when paired with other veg sides, it’s super satisfying.

Now, this tofu dish is not based off of nor inspired by any particular cuisine- it’s sort of a mish mash of a lot of inspiration into one (but if you find that this recipe is super similar to a more traditional tofu recipe, please let me know in the comments!)! I use simple ingredients, like tomato paste and canned coconut milk with Korean chili paste (gochujang) and cumin to really punch up the flavor.

In short, it’s ridiculously creamy, just right spicy, and perfectly balanced with a zesty squeeze of lime juice to finish. And it all comes together in less than 15 minutes. Honestly, rivals my teriyaki tofu and Marry Me chickpeas, which often hit the weeknight dinner rotation quite frequently!

Pantry staple ingredients:

Tofu: I use extra firm tofu here, but this can also come down to preference. For a slightly softer texture, firm tofu works just fine. Just don’t use silken, as it won’t hold together! I find super firm to be too firm (and doesn’t absorb enough of the flavor), but others may prefer it!
Coconut milk: Please please please use canned coconut milk here and not the low-calorie refrigerated watered down version! The flavor will be much more pronounced, and you’re going to feel like you made a restaurant quality dish in less time than it takes to sit down and place an order 😉
Sesame oil: Now, you can use another cooking oil, like avocado oil or even olive oil, but the best oil to marry together all of the flavors will be sesame!
Tomato paste: This, to me, makes this feel a bit like a coconut tofu curry, but much quicker, and a lot less chopping!
Gochujang paste: This is just Korean chili paste, and it’s one of my favorites to use in recipes when heat is required! I sometimes make it without, though, and use 1 tsp curry powder and 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika (not the same flavor profile AT ALL) when my husband doesn’t want spicy food (but I still want a quick dinner!).
Fresh ginger: This also adds quite a bit of heat, and is wonderful when it’s fresh but ground ginger will also work here!
Seasonings: This is the garlic powder, onion powder, and ground cumin.
Lime: The best way to achieve crave-worthy flavor is by adding salt, fat, and acid, which is where the lime comes in!

I like to garnish with freshly chopped parsley or scallions (sometimes chives if my grocery store is out!).

Overview: how to make spicy tofu in a coconut sauce:

For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe.

How I serve it:

Usually, I serve this spicy tofu with steamed rice and steamed veggies that I season. But I also really love it served with my roasted red cabbage steaks or even my crispy miso Brussels sprouts!

To tear or cube the tofu?

A big debate in the vegan cooking community is whether tearing or cubing the tofu provides more flavor. Many believe tearing to give the most flavor, as there’s more surface area to absorb and carry sauces and marinades.

But for our purposes here, I really liked the look of the spicy tofu with cubed tofu instead. And I didn’t find too much of a flavor variation to say that I recommended torn tofu over cubed tofu here (because yes, sometimes I do recommend torn tofu, like with my tofu satay!).

So I went with visual preference (because we eat with our eyes too!)- and that was cubed! If you prefer torn tofu, you can absolutely do that. Just go with what you prefer here!

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!