There’s something special about dishes that can remind you about some of your favorite dishes, but cost less and get to you before takeout would.
These tofu meatballs are one of those dishes!
It tastes like your favorite Asian takeout with minimal effort and lots of reward!
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Find Ingredients – This recipe is mostly ingredients that people keep on hand all the time or can be swapped for what you do have making it amazing to make all the time
- Customizable – You can use any color peppers, add in more veggies, change up the sauce and more!
- Simple Enough For Weeknight Family, Good Enough For Company – I love the meals that are on rotation at my house, but I also have them in my arsenal for when we have company over. This is one of those meals.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & we'll send it to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Gather your ingredients!
Tofu
I’m using extra-firm tofu for this recipe.
Substitute: You could use pumfu or fava bean tofu if you can’t have soy-based tofu. Alternatively, you could use seitan or a mock-chicken substitute instead.
Vegetables
We’re using red bell peppers and broccoli for this recipe to make the dish stretch farther and got some good textures and nutrients in.
Substitute: Any bell peppers will work. Additionally, you can swap or add in more vegetables like sugar snap peas, carrots, bok choy, Chinese broccoli, baby corn, mushrooms, snow peas, and more. Just be mindful of the cook time.
Aromatics
Green onions, ginger and garlic are pulling their weight in helping build base flavor that is absolutely crucial for meals like this.
Dried Spices
We’re using garlic powder, italian seasoning, onion powder, smoked paprika, chives, red chili flakes, salt, and pepper to layer flavor into our meal.
Pineapple
We’re using canned pineapple chunks and seared them to get some caramelization. The pineapple add some sweetness that goes so well with this dish. We’ll also be using some pineapple juice.
Substitute: You can use fresh or frozen and thawed pineapple as well, but you’ll need to either buy pineapple juice separately or use some very similar like orange juice (will alter the taste).
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Other Asian-Inspired Tofu Dishes to Try:
🥳 Get the Full Recipe
Tofu Meatballs with Red Peppers, Broccoli, and a Pineapple Sweet Chili Sauce
Ingredients
For the Tofu Meatballs
- 28 ounces extra-firm tofu, pressed well (~2 blocks)
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 2 stalks green onions thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup finely diced water chestnuts optional
- Additional pineapple juice encase meatballs mixture is dry, if needed
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil divided
For the Broccoli
- 1 large broccoli, cut into florets (separate stems and use if desired or save for another dish)
- ¼ cup water
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the Sweet Chili Pineapple Sauce
- 1 cup pineapple chunks fresh or canned, drained
- 1 ½ cup pineapple juice
- ⅔ cup sweet chili sauce
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
Cornstarch Slurry
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Additional Ingredients
- 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
For Serving
- Jasmine rice
- Sliced green onions
- Sesame seeds
- Lime wedges
Instructions
Make the Tofu Meatballs
- Crumble the tofu into a large bowl until it resembles ground meat. Add the panko, cornstarch, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, garlic, green onions, black pepper, and water chestnuts if using. Mix until well combined. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes. Form into 18-20 meatballs.
Pan-Sear the Meatballs
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
Cook the Broccoli
- Add the remaining tablespoon oil to the skillet. Add the broccoli and a pinch of salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add ¼ cup water and cover. Steam for 3-4 minutes until crisp-tender. Transfer to a bowl.
Make the Sweet Chili Pineapple Sauce
- To the same skillet, add the pineapple chunks and cook for 1-2 minutes to allow it to get a nice char on it. Once done, add it to the bowl with the broccoli. Aagain in the same skillet, add pineapple juice, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger. Bring to a simmer and cook for 4-5 minutes to slightly reduce. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water, then stir it into the sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes until thick, glossy, and sticky.
Finish the Dish
- Return the meatballs, broccoli, pineapple chunks, and uncooked sliced red bell pepper to the skillet. Carefully and slowly toss until everything is evenly coated in the sauce. Cook for another 2-3 minutes to allow the glaze to cling to everything.*Note: This leaves the red pepper strips slightly crunchy. If you want them softer add right after incorporating the cornstarch slurry.
Serve
- Serve over jasmine rice. Top with green onions, sesame seeds, and a squeeze of fresh lime.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Did you make and love this recipe?
Click the 5 stars in the recipe card above or below in the comment section! This is a great way to support us so we can continue to bring great recipes!
Recipe FAQs:
For the tofu, you can use pumfu or fava bean tofu to swap. Alternatively, just make a bunch of veggies in the sauce instead.
For the breadcrumbs, you can use a gluten free panko breadcrumb.
For the soy sauce, you can use what is safe for your allergens between: tamari, coconut aminos, liquid aminos, or no soy soy sauce.
We don’t recommend freezing this dish in total. You can make just the sauce and fereze it.
Yes, this dish is good for 3-5 days after it’s made. Store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge when not using.
We typically pair this with rice or noodles.
When I was asked to make the family Sunday dinner (again) it is always with the understanding that it will be vegan since I haven’t eaten meat in 10 years. I always love the opportunity to share plant based meals with people and change their preception of “vegan food”. And I knew just the person whose recipe I wanted to use.
This was a 5 out of 5. My meat eating family LOVED IT! I have a soy allergy, so I use pumfu and I was worried it wouldn’t stick together, but it did. I prepped all the veggies and mixed the pumfu the night before and allowed all of the flavors to meld together. It was DELICIOUS!
This is amazing! We’re so happy to hear that the whole family loved the recipe. Letting all those flavors meld overnight must have made them absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try and sharing your experience here with us!