July 7, 2022
Bang Bang Tofu Lettuce Wraps
Coated in a sweet and spicy sauce and topped with zesty slaw, these crispy tofu bang bang lettuce wraps are a delicious and refreshing summertime staple!
bang bang tofu lettuce wraps
Quick, refreshing, and delicious are the only things I want to describe any of my summertime meals – and these Bang Bang Tofu Lettuce Wraps are all of those! Tofu is fried to golden perfection then tossed in a zesty bang bang sauce (made popular by Bonefish Grill’s Bang Bang Shrimp), then served on crispy lettuce cups with tangy slaw, fresh cilantro and toasted sesame seeds … need I say more?
Grab a drink and let’s get to making the best Bang Bang Tofu Lettuce Wraps!
what goes in bang bang tofu lettuce wraps
I like to think of these lettuce wraps as three separate components – the slaw, the bang bang tofu, and the garnishes. This meal is super easy because you can prepare the slaw and the tofu a couple days ahead of time and then assemble whenever you’re ready! The slaw takes on more flavor as it sits and the tofu can easily be heated in the oven or air fryer! Here’s what you need to make them:
Slaw:
- Vegan mayonnaise
- Apple cider vinegar: or any vinegar, such as champagne, white wine, or red wine will work!
- Sweet pickle relish: this might seems like a curveball ingredient, but I think the sweetness rounds out the slaw, and I like the crunch from the relish. If you don’t have sweet pickle relish on hand, feel free to use equal portions maple syrup, agave, or coconut sugar!
- Zest & juice of 1 small lime
- Coleslaw mix: buy the premixed bag – saves so much time!
- Red onion
- Jalapeño: if you don’t like heat, simply omit it!
Bang Bang Tofu:
- Cornstarch: you can sub for rice flour, arrowroot powder, tapioca starch, or just plain old flour!
- Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Cayenne pepper, optional
- Tofu: preferably extra firm, but firm works too! Make sure to press it for at least 15 minutes!
- Vegetable oil
- Vegan mayonnaise
- Sweet chili sauce
- Sriracha: Sambal Oelek works great, too!
Lettuce Wraps:
- Lettuce leaves: preferably soft, such as butter leaf or green leaf lettuce.
- Chopped cilantro
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Fresh lime wedges
how to make bang bang tofu lettuce wraps
As I mentioned earlier, if you make each component of these lettuce wraps a couple days ahead, all you need to do is assemble when you’re ready to dig in! Here’s how to make ’em:
1. Slaw:
Whisk together the vegan mayo, apple cider vinegar, sweet pickle relish, lime zest and juice in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Add the coleslaw mix, red onion, jalapeno and toss until coated in the sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Set aside.
2. bang bang tofu:
In a large shallow bowl (preferably one with a lid), whisk together the cornstarch, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic power and cayenne pepper. Cut the tofu into ½” inch squares and place them into the bowl. Toss gently until all the tofu pieces are coated in the cornstarch mixture. Next. heat the oil in a large sauté pan, add the coated tofu and fry, until golden and crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tofu to a paper towel lined plate. Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining ingredients and toss them with the tofu.
To air fry the tofu: spray the tofu with a bit of oil and place in an even layer on the air fryer basket — you may need to do this in batches. Air fry at 400°F until golden and crispy, 6 to 10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
3. lettuce wraps:
To serve, spoon a few pieces of bang bang tofu onto the lettuce leaves, followed by a generous spoonful of the slaw. Garnish with cilantro and toasted sesame seeds and serve with lime wedges, and enjoy!
tools to make bang bang tofu lettuce wraps
more tofu recipe to try
- Black Pepper Tofu
- Pan Seared Tofu with Homemade Chili Oil
- Thai Basil Tofu with Curry Roasted Cashews
- Summer Rolls with Pineapple Glazed Crispy Tofu
- Sticky Baked Korean BBQ Tofu Bites
the perfect summer recipe
I hope ya’ll love these Bang Bang Tofu Lettuce Wraps as much as I do! If you give this recipe a try, I wanna know! Snap a photo, take a video, or make a story and post it to Instagram or TikTok, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigsand #EatFigsNotPigs. I love seeing your recreations of my recipes!
Til next time, friends!
xo!
Bang Bang Tofu Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
Slaw:
- • 2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
- • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- • 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
- • Zest & juice of 1 small lime
- • 3 cups coleslaw mix
- • 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
- • 1 jalapeno deseeded, deveined, and sliced thinly
- • Kosher salt to taste
- • Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Bang Bang Tofu:
- • ½ cup cornstarch
- • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- • ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- • ½ teaspoon onion powder
- • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- • 1 16-ounce block of tofu, drained and pressed
- • 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
- • ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
- • 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- • 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
Lettuce Wraps:
- • 12 large or 16-20 small lettuce leaves preferably soft, such as butter leaf or green leaf lettuce
- • Fresh chopped cilantro
- • Toasted sesame seeds
- • Fresh lime wedges
Instructions
- To prepare the slaw, whisk together the vegan mayo, apple cider vinegar, sweet pickle relish, lime zest and juice in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Add the coleslaw mix, red onion, jalapeno and toss until coated in the sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Set aside.
- In a large shallow bowl (preferably one with a lid), whisk together the cornstarch, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic power and cayenne pepper until thoroughly combined. Cut the tofu into ½” inch squares and place them into the bowl. If the bowl had a lid, cover, and toss gently until all the tofu pieces are coated in the cornstarch mixture. If the bowl doesn’t have a lid, toss gently with a spatula until all the tofu pieces are coated.
- Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot – you’ll know when you place a wooden spoon into the pan and it starts to sizzle – add the coated tofu and fry, tossing occasionally, until golden and crispy, 7 to 10 minutes (see recipe notes for air fryer instructions). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tofu to a paper towel lined plate.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the vegan mayo, sweet chili sauce and sriracha in a large bowl (again, using a bowl or container with a lid is much easier). Add the fried tofu pieces and toss until all the tofu is coated in the bang bang sauce.
- To serve, spoon a few pieces of bang bang tofu onto the lettuce leaves, followed by a generous spoonful of the slaw. Garnish with cilantro and toasted sesame seeds and serve with lime wedges. ENJOY!
Notes
