Korean Braised Tofu (Dubu Jorim)
February 24, 2023
Korean Recipes Sides
Korean Braised Tofu, or Dubu Jorim, is an extremely simple dish consisting of braised tofu in a delicious spicy, soy-based sauce. It comes together in just a few minutes and only requires one pan for a quick and flavorful side dish!
It’s an excellent side dish to go with rice or noodles, and is great served hot or cold! Despite it being a vegetarian dish, the tofu is quite meaty and filling and pairs wonderfully with the spicy, soy-based sauce.
The best part about this Korean Braised Tofu is that you can make it ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days. The tofu will further soak up the delicious sauce and it’ll taste even better!
Watch the Korean Braised Tofu Recipe Video Below!
Ingredients You’ll Need For Korean Braised Tofu
To make Korean Braised Tofu (Dubu Jorim), you’ll only need a few ingredients:
- Firm Tofu
- Light Soy Sauce
- Water
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flake)
- Sugar
- Sesame Oil
- Sesame Seeds
- Garlic
- Scallion
- Netural Oil
The recipe calls for 1 tbsp of gochugaru per 1 14-oz package of firm tofu. For me, this was about a 6 out of 10 on the spice scale, so you can adjust the amount of chili pepper flakes according to your taste.
My Key Ingredient Tips For Korean Braised Tofu
INGREDIENTS TIPS
GOCHUGARU
Gochugaru is Korean red chili pepper flakes (or powder, depending on which version you purchase). It’s vibrant in color and smoky in flavor, and while the heat level varies, it’s definitely on the spicy side. I love using this ingredient because of the layers of flavor it adds! I recommend you adjust the amount based on your spice tolerance level.
LIGHT vs. DARK SOY SAUCE
I get this question all the time and yes, they’re different! Dark soy sauce is thicker, darker, and sweeter (as well as has a higher sodium content) than regular (light) soy sauce. Ensure you are using light soy sauce for this recipe!
NEUTRAL OIL
My favorite neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil here as well! These oils are neutral in flavor (unlike olive oil) and have a high smoke point.
Prepare Your Tofu
Cut your tofu into 1/2″ to 1″ thick rectangles and pat dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. I prefer my pieces a little on the thicker side so I can get more color on them when searing them in the pan!
Mix the Braising Sauce
Next, you’ll want to mix together your braising sauce, which consists of soy sauce, water gochugaru, sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, chopped garlic and scallions. Mix this together in a small both and put this next to your pan along with your prepared tofu.
Preheat 2 tbsp of oil over medium high heat in a non-stick pan and you’re ready to cook!
Once the oil has preheated over medium high heat, gently add your tofu to the pan. Pan fry the tofu for 2 minutes per side until they are golden brown all over. If you want to be extra thorough, you can also pan fry the shorter sides as well!
After the tofu is golden brown on all sides, reduce the heat to medium and add the braising sauce. Braise the tofu for 5-6 minutes over medium heat, spooning the sauce over the tofu as it continues cooking. You’ll see that the sauce will start to thicken up and reduce, which will create a beautiful pan sauce to spoon over your tofu!
My Top Recipe Tips for Korean Braised Tofu
RECIPE TIPS
FIRM TOFU
I highly recommend you use firm tofu for this recipe! Since the tofu is pan fried and then braised, you’ll want to use firm tofu so the pieces hold up their shape by the end.
After the tofu is golden brown on all sides, reduce the heat to medium and add the braising sauce. Braise the tofu for 5-6 minutes over medium heat, spooning the sauce over the tofu as it continues cooking. You’ll see that the sauce will start to thicken up and reduce, which will create a beautiful pan sauce to spoon over your tofu! Serve this hot or cold with a freshly steamed bowl of rice!
If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to check out my other Korean recipes below!
- Korean Cucumber Salad
- Korean Bean Sprout Side Dish
- Korean Broccoli Salad
- Korean Spinach Salad
- Korean Braised Potatoes
Korean Braised Tofu (Dubu Jorim)
Ingredients
- 1 package of firm tofu package size is 14oz
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp gochugaru
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 scallion finely chopped
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
Instructions
- Cut tofu lengthwise into 1/2" thick pieces.
- In a bowl, mix soy sauce, water, gochugaru, sugar, sesame oil, sesame seed, garlic, and scallions.
- In a medium pan, heat 2 tbsp of neutral oil over medium high heat. Pan fry tofu 2 minutes per side until golden brown on each side.
- Add sauce and braise the tofu for 5-6 minutes over medium heat until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Serve with steamed rice and enjoy!
This was the first recipe of yours that I tried, and I loved it. Been using it for a year and my husband likes it too. Goes well with rice.
I’m literally addicted to this recipe! Such great flavors and yet so simple to make.
Goooodddd and easy, very enjoyable nice and easy to make, but complex flavors!
Just made this tonight and it’s divine! Such a good balance of flavors and so freaking easy. This is my new go to tofu recipe now.
This was delicious! Bravo! Best tofu recipe I’ve found. I’ve been trying to incorporate more tofu in my diet but remained disappointed with the flavor until today when I tried your Korean braised tofu. I’ll be making this often. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you Brenda! 🙂
The recipe was so easy to follow and was delicious! Will be trying more of your recipes
Thanks, Noor! Please let me know how you like any others you try 🙂
Hi CJ! Found you on tiktok. Love your content. We made this today. Easy delicious and nutritious. Turned out perfect.
Thanks Don! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipes and hope you try out some others as well!
Delicious!
C J absolutely wonderful. Im not fond of Tofu but this
Did not taste like mushy Tofu. All the flavors meshed well i will make again and again..