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!

Tofu frying in a pan for korean braised 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.

If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to check out my other Korean recipes below!