The Mapo Tofu With Chicken My Dad's Made 100,000 Times
Why this recipe
Most mapo tofu with chicken recipes online are tested only a handful of times. My dad used to make this dish multiple times a day, every day, for 60+ years and can make this in his sleep.
I know you'll love it as much as our community does! This recipe has over 820.6K views, 19.3K likes on YouTube.
Mapo Tofu is a staple of Chinese cuisine, a perfect exemplar of the rich, bold, and spicy flavors of Sichuan.
Unlike other dishes, we can actually pinpoint when and where Mapo Tofu was first created.
The Story of Mapo Tofu
In 1862, the owners of the Chen Xingsheng Eating House 陳興盛飯舖, a small mom-and-pop shop, started experimenting with their mouth-watering tofu and pork dish.
Little did the Chen family know, that they would soon make a name for themselves and quickly become one of Chengdu's most popular restaurants.
The "mapo" in Mapo Tofu refers to Mrs. Chen, an elderly woman with bumpy, cratered skin.
- màh 麻 - rough, bumpy, pockmarked
- pòh 婆 - elderly woman, grandma
Although an unfortunate nickname, Mrs. Chen became a local legend, known as Chen Mapo.
She and her family eventually embraced the name. Decades later, they officially rebranded their restaurant as Chen Mapo Tofu Restaurant 陳麻婆豆腐.
In 2011, UNESCO declared Chengdu a "city of gastronomy", to be celebrated for its sophisticated culinary greatness.
Among the many incredible flavors and dishes you might find in Sichuan, Mapo Tofu stands among the best.
Mrs. Chen's legacy is undeniable, inspiring generations upon generations of chefs to build upon her recipe.
If you ever find yourself in Chengdu, the Chen Mapo Tofu Restaurant is still open for business, over 150 years later.
In the meantime, you can make your own delicious mapo tofu for yourself at home!
Ingredients
Instructions
Mince chicken
Cut the chicken (3 oz) by slicing diagonally. Then, gather the clumps of chicken together, and mince the pieces into even smaller pieces. Gather, flip the clump of chicken, and repeat.
Marinate chicken
Place your freshly minced chicken in a bowl, and add cornstarch (1 tbsp), oyster sauce (1 tbsp), and water (2 tbsp).
Using your hands and a bit of strength, mix and massage the chicken around until the marinade is fully absorbed.
Let the marinade sit for about 5 minutes.
Cut tofu
Using your tofu (1 lb) of choice (my dad is using soft tofu for this recipe), drain the water from packaging, and chop it into cubes.
Chop garlic, chilies, and green onion
Mince your garlic (2 clove), chili peppers, and green onion (1 stalk).
On the grand scale of spiciness, my dad's recipe rates more on the mild side. Feel free to use more chili here if you crave the heat.
Alternatively, you can use chili sauce instead of fresh chilies.
Make cornstarch mix
In a bowl, mix together cornstarch (1 tbsp) and water (2 tbsp) until you have an even consistency. We'll be using this mix as a thickening agent for the final steps.
Cook garlic, chilies, and chicken
Set your stove to its highest setting, and wait a few minutes for your pan or wok to heat up.
Once it's hot enough, add oil (1 tbsp), garlic, and chilies. Stir the garlic and chilies around for 20 to 30 seconds until you can start to smell the aromas.
Next, add the chicken to the wok. Let it sit for about 20-30 seconds, moving (but not flipping) the chicken around.
Add flavors
Add bean sauce (1 tbsp) to the wok, stirring it around with the chicken for about 1 minute.
Then, add water (1 cup), sugar (1 tsp), salt (0.50 tsp), oyster sauce (1 tbsp), and dark soy sauce (0.50 tsp). Stir around for a few seconds.
As I mentioned before, some of these ingredients are hard to find at a normal grocery store. However, you can buy them on Amazon for the same price if you don't live near an Asian grocery store:
Add tofu & bring to boil
Add the tofu (1 lb) to the wok, gently stir it around, and cover the wok with a lid. Let it sit for about 3 minutes, when the wok starts to boil.
Add cornstarch, sesame oil
According to my dad, this step is the most important.
Slowly pour the cornstarch mix you made earlier into the wok, gently stirring the wok around as you go. Be careful not to break the tofu in the process.
Tofu inherently has no taste, and the cornstarch acts like a glue to help the tofu trap the flavors. It also acts as a thickening agent, giving the dish a more creamy texture.
Next, add sesame oil (1 tsp). Gently stir the wok around to mix the sesame oil in.
Plate the dish
We're done! You're almost ready to eat your delicious creation.
If you're plating the dish, the only caveat is to pour the tofu directly into a bowl or plate WITHOUT using a spatula. This helps keep the tofu intact.
Pairs well with
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We started Made With Lau to celebrate Cantonese culture and honor the legacy of our wonderful parents, Jenny and Chung Sun Lau.
Our hope is that these recipes and stories help you spread the joy, love, and nostalgia that I felt growing up.
