Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe (2024)

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Are you wanting to try Panda Express eggplant tofu, but can't find a restaurant that carries it on their menu? The wait is over.Our copycat recipe is everything you hoped it would be: sweet, spicy, savory, and finger licking good.

Looking for Chinese sides to serve with this? You'll love our Panda Express chow mein or Panda Express super greens. Don't miss our collection of 9 Panda Express stir fry recipes, too!

Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe (1)
Jump to:
  • Why This Recipe Works
  • Ingredients
  • Variations
  • How to Make
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Serve
  • Store
  • Expert Tips
  • More Panda Express Recipes You'll Love
  • Recipe
  • Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe
  • Comments

Why This Recipe Works

  • Our copycat Panda Express eggplant tofu sauce has just the right combination of sweet, spicy and savory.
  • We cook the tofu, eggplant, and red pepper in batches in oil using a wok so the ingredients can brown; otherwise it will be over crowded and steam.
  • The aromatics are cooked for only 30 seconds so they're golden brown.
  • After the sauce has thickened in the wok, everything is added back and gently stirred to coat each piece.

Ingredients

Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe (2)

The ingredients for our copycat Panda Express Eggplant tofu are easy to find at your local grocery store and keep well in your pantry or fridge. None of them are expensive, so feel free to stock up so you can make this delicious recipe whenever the mood strikes.

  • Fat: We used olive oil, but you can use any other high smoke point oil.
  • Vegetables: We used eggplant, red bell peppers, and green onion.
  • Aromatics: We used garlic and ginger.
  • Liquids: We used vegetable broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sambal oelek (fresh ground chili paste).
  • Thickener: We used cornstarch, but you can also use arrowroot.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

  • Gluten Free: Use gluten free vegetable broth, liquid aminos, and arrowroot.
  • Spicy: Increase the red pepper flakes in the aromatics and the chili paste.
  • Extra Protein: Add shiitake mushrooms, chicken, shrimp, beef, or pork.
  • Garnish Options: Add white and black sesame seeds.
  • Lower Fat:You can bake or air fry the eggplant to reduce the oil, but this will change the texture.

How to Make

Gather all the ingredients. Make sure the tofu is drained and pressed before cutting into cubes.

Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe (3)
  1. To make the sauce, whisk all the ingredients together in a 2 cup measuring cup or a bowl then set aside. It will make one cup of sauce.
  2. Heat up 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok over medium high heat, then add the cubed tofu and fry until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe (4)
  1. Add more oil to the wok and stir fry the eggplant until soft. You'll need to add more oil while stir frying, as it will soak up the oil quickly. Drain it on a separate paper towel lined plate.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and stir fry the red bell peppers until soft, roughly 2 minutes, then drain on top of the eggplant.
Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe (5)
  1. Add ½ tablespoon of oil to the wok and stir fry the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes for 30 seconds, then remove.
  2. Whisk the sauce and pour it into the wok to let it thicken, roughly 1 minute.
Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe (6)
  1. Add the tofu, vegetables, and garlic mixture back to the wok, then gently stir until well coated.
  2. Serve our copycat Panda Express eggplant tofu warm with a garnish of green onion.

Recipe FAQs

Does Panda Express still have eggplant tofu?

Yes, but it is a regional dish, and is only available at select restaurants where the demand for it is high. Generally speaking, it's only available at restaurants in California and Hawaii.

Is eggplant tofu good for you?

On the Panda Express website they state their eggplant tofu is a "mixture of browned tofu, eggplant, red bell pepper all in a proprietary sweet and spicy sauce." Unfortunately, it is high in fat due to the oil used in frying the eggplant.

What foods are vegan at Panda Express?

As of 2023, there are six vegan items on their menu: eggplant tofu (available at select locations), super greens, chow mein, and steamed brown or white rice. The only vegan appetizer is their vegetable spring roll.

Serve

Since Panda Express markets this recipe as a side dish, you'll want to serve it with another side or appetizer like steamed white rice, or our copycat Panda Express fried rice, or cream cheese rangoons.

Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe (7)

Store

  • Make Ahead: You can prep all the ingredients ahead of time, but it's best to make this right before you want to eat it.
  • Leftovers: You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • Freeze: We don't recommend freezing leftovers as the texture will change when thawed and reheated.

Expert Tips

  • To make this go smoothly, have everything ready before cooking.
  • Drain the tofu and vegetables on paper towel-lined plates to absorb the extra oil.
  • This recipe calls for a lot of oil because the eggplant absorbs a lot of it during the cooking process.
  • Reduce the amount of oil needed by salting the eggplant and letting it drain in a colander for 20 minutes, or try baking or air frying the eggplant. This other cooking methods will change the texture.

More Panda Express Recipes You'll Love

  • Panda Express Broccoli Beef Copycat
  • Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken
  • Panda Express String Bean Chicken Breast Copycat
  • 9 Panda Express Copycat Recipes

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Recipe

Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe (12)

Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe

This copycat recipe for Panda Express eggplant tofu has a homemade sweet and spicy sauce that is totally amazing. Plus, the crispy tofu and flavorful eggplant will make you a lifetime fan. It's perfect for vegans, and is gluten free friendly.

4.7 from 18 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Diet: Vegan

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 429kcal

Author:

Ingredients

For the Sauce

  • ½ cup vegetable broth
  • ¼ cup soy sauce or liquid aminos
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot
  • 2 tablespoons water

For the Stir Fry

  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 pound eggplant, cut in chunks
  • 1 pound extra firm tofu, cubed
  • 2 red bell peppers, cut in chunks
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 3 tablespoons green onion, chopped (optional)

Equipment

Instructions

  • Whisk all the sauce ingredients in a bowl or a measuring cup.

  • Drain the tofu. We used super firm, which doesn't need to be pressed. If you're using extra firm, press the tofu for 30 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.

  • Cut the tofu into cubes. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a wok over medium high heat, then add the tofu. Fry in oil until golden, then drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

  • Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok, then add the eggplant and stir fry until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir constantly, adding more oil when needed, as it soaks up the oil quickly. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil, stir fry the red bell peppers for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Drain on a plate.

  • Heat ½ tablespoon of oil, then add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and stir fry for 30 seconds. Set aside.

  • Whisk the sauce again, then pour it into the empty wok and cook until it thickens, about a minute.

  • Add the garlic mixture and mix it with the sauce, then add the vegetables and tofu. Gently stir untileverything is coated with the sauce.

  • Serve warm, and garnish with green onion and sesame seeds.

Video

Notes

  • To make this go smoothly, have everything ready before cooking.
  • Drain the tofu and vegetables on paper towel-lined plates to absorb the extra oil.
  • This recipe calls for a lot of oil because the eggplant absorbs a lot of it during the cooking process.
  • Reduce the amount of oil needed by salting the eggplant and letting it drain in a colander for 20 minutes, or try baking or air frying the eggplant. This other cooking methods will change the texture.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.75cupsCalories: 429kcal (21%)Carbohydrates: 24g (8%)Protein: 12g (24%)Fat: 33g (51%)Saturated Fat: 5g (31%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 22gSodium: 1009mg (44%)Potassium: 637mg (18%)Fiber: 5g (21%)Sugar: 15g (17%)Vitamin A: 2043IU (41%)Vitamin C: 81mg (98%)Calcium: 62mg (6%)Iron: 3mg (17%)

Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Oregon miss

    Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe (13)
    Delicious! I cooked the tofu and the eggplant in my air fryer, and did the rest in a stovetop wok. I did cut back on the sambal oelek, since I don't like hot food. this recipe is a keeper for sure.

    Reply

    • Emma Fajcz

      We're so happy that you enjoyed it! Eggplant tofu is one of our family favorites.

      Reply

  2. Kristen

    Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe (14)
    Great recipe! I did air fry the tofu and eggplant to save on oil. I added garlic chives instead of green onion. I used allulose instead of sugar to keep this lower carb and save calories. Wonderful recipe, thank you!

    Reply

    • Emma

      We're so glad you enjoyed it, Kristen! Thanks for making our recipe!

      Reply

  3. Fran

    Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe (15)
    Loved this. Rarely cooked tofu, as husband never cared for it, but he liked this. Couldn’t face frying the eggplant, so tossed the cubes in canola oil, and roasted them on a sheet pan in a 400F degree oven until soft. That left time to prepare the other steps. Forgot to add the slurry to the sauce mixture until almost done, so added it at the end and stirred for a few more minutes. Turned out fine.

    Reply

    • Emma

      We're so glad that you both enjoyed this, Fran! Thanks for making our recipe!

      Reply

  4. Lola Kitten

    Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe (16)
    SO good. Made half the recipe and loved it. I air-fried the eggplant at 400 as someone else said for about 5 minutes and it was amazing. Thanks for such a great copycat recipe.

    Reply

    • Emma

      Lola, We are thrilled that you loved our copycat recipe!

      Reply

  5. Lilly

    Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe (17)
    Air fried the eggplant at 400 F for 10 minutes (turning halfway) to use less oil overall, otherwise followed the recipe exactly and it tasted great! The sauce is spot on.

    Reply

    • Emma

      We're so glad you enjoyed it, Lilly! Thanks for sharing your comment!

      Reply

  6. Marji Morrow

    Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe (18)
    This eggplant tofu recipe is absolutely delicious, thank you. My only complaint is that the instructions section doesn't "scale". I only wanted to make half the recipe and when I selected 0.5x the ingredient quantities seem so be halved correctly. But when I followed the instructions there were mentions of how much oil to use in the various steps...and they were the original amount. I figured it out after the tofu step when I clearly had too much oil and then I scaled it back.

    Reply

    • Emma

      We're glad that you enjoyed it so much, Marji! Unfortunately, our recipe cards don't have the ability to scale ingredients mentioned in the instructions section. When changing the yield, always go by what the ingredient section says. 🙂

      Reply

  7. Anna

    Loved this so much. The sauce is spot on. I cubed and microwaved the eggplant in single layer for 4-5 min and that helped soften it before the stir fry. I like my eggplant very soft so that worked out. Just moved to Oregon and was very sad that the Panda Express’ here do not have this dish! But now I can just make it at home! 😊

    Reply

    • Emma

      After consulting the map of Panda Express locations, it seems that most of the Panda Expresses that carry eggplant tofu are located in California. I'm so glad we can help you recreate this dish at home!

      Reply

  8. Janice

    Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe (19)
    delicious!!! a fair bit of work involved with the separate frying of ingredients but totally worth it!

    Reply

    • Emma

      This is one of our family's favorite meals--so we're glad that you enjoyed it so much, Janice!

      Reply

  9. Lynn

    Excellent and easy!

    Reply

    • Emma

      So glad you enjoyed it, Lynn!

      Reply

  10. QB

    Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe (20)
    The empty plates at my dinner table tell me that this recipe was a success! Thank you for figuring out the sauce. I added onion, used Asian eggplant, and used canola oil instead of olive oil so I could fry things at a higher heat. I also used about half of the sauce to steam fry the eggplant, so that less oil was used in general. This was very good and will be made again.

    Reply

    • Emma

      We're so glad that you and your family enjoyed the eggplant so much! Thanks for making our recipe.

      Reply

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Panda Express Eggplant Tofu Copycat Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is eggplant tofu good at Panda Express? ›

If you've never tried the eggplant tofu at Panda Express, it's very, very good, and in my opinion was one of their best menu items. It's discontinued, unfortunately, but it's easy to make at home! It's a sizzling hot, sweet & sour creamy crispy eggplant tofu dish with bell peppers that's easy to make at home.

What is eggplant tofu made of? ›

Eggplant – if you're able to find this, I used a Chinese eggplant instead of an American eggplant. The Chinese eggplant has less seeds so it's less bitter. Tofu – you're going to want to use firm or extra firm so it holds up in the dish. Rice vinegar – this is what gives the sauce the tangy flavor.

How many calories are in Panda Express eggplant tofu? ›

Panda Express Vegetables Eggplant Tofu (1 serving) contains 23g total carbs, 20g net carbs, 24g fat, 7g protein, and 340 calories.

Do they make tofu at Panda Express? ›

Vegan options at Panda Express are solid. Bring on the eggplant tofu! With over 2,500 locations worldwide, Panda Express has achieved global success. But before Panda Express, there was Panda Inn.

What is the unhealthiest thing at Panda Express? ›

The #1 worst Panda Express order is…the Chow Mein and Orange Chicken. The combination of Orange Chicken, a dish inspired by a Chinese dish called chen pi niu rou, and classic chow mein stir-fried noodles is nothing short of delicious. Unfortunately, if it's a nutritious meal you're on the hunt for, this one isn't it.

What is Panda Chinese best seller? ›

Their best selling dishes are Smart Combo, Vegetable Egg Fried Rice, Steamed White Rice and Sweet n' Sour Chicken, although they have a variety of dishes and meals to choose from like Chinese, Asian, Noodles.

What is the best tofu for egg replacement? ›

The ability of silken tofu to quickly liquify makes it an ideal substitute for eggs and cream when baking cakes, cookies, brownies and muffins.

What makes tofu crispy? ›

Olive oil: Helps to coat the tofu and promote crispiness during baking or air frying. Any neutral oil can be used as a substitute. Garlic powder: Adds a subtle garlic flavor without overpowering the tofu. Cornstarch: The key to achieving a crispy exterior.

Why does my tofu taste like egg? ›

The scramble seasoning is what will make the tofu taste like eggs. There are a couple of secret ingredients at play here. The key players are nutritional yeast and Indian sulfur salt (kala namak) as well as garlic and onion powder.

Is Panda Express tofu healthy? ›

According to Panda Express's nutritional information, one 6-ounce plate of eggplant tofu will cost you 340 calories. That might not sound too bad on its own, but the dish has a surprising amount of fat: a whopping 24 grams. Seriously! It also has 520 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of sugar, and just 7 grams of protein.

Is Panda Express good for dieting? ›

Although many of Panda Express' dishes are high in sodium and sugar, you can still find nutritious choices on their menu. If you are looking for a healthier lunch or dinner, plan ahead by researching lower-sodium, lower-sugar items—or consider the chain's line of lower-calorie Wok Smart entrees.

Is tofu less fattening than chicken? ›

Skinless, boneless chicken breast provides around 165 calories per 100 grams, making it a relatively lean option. Darker cuts may have a slightly higher calorie content. Tofu generally boasts a lower calorie content compared to many cuts of meat. Firm tofu, a common type, provides around 144 calories per 100 grams.

Does Panda Express still sell eggplant tofu? ›

In 2022 vegan menu items in Panda Express are super greens mixed veggies, eggplant tofu, chow mein, vegetable spring roll, steamed white and brown rice as well as 7 types of sauces. However, eggplant tofu is a regional dish and it is only available in 8% of US restaurants.

Who makes Panda Express soy sauce? ›

Lee Kum Kee PANDA BRAND Premium Soy Sauce is made from premium soybeans and wheat flour. It is naturally brewed according to traditional methods to give it a rich soy flavor and aroma that will delicately enhance the taste of any dish.

Does Panda Express use soy oil? ›

Panda Express entrees and sides contain zero grams of trans fat per serving and adds no MSG in their food. Panda Express uses only 100% pure soybean oil in the preparation of recipes.

What is the best tofu to eat? ›

In general, I find that firm and extra-firm tofu are the most useful because they're versatile. They hit the tofu texture sweet spot—soft enough to absorb flavor but hardy enough to be cooked without risk of falling apart. Do note that some firm tofu, like House Foods', skews soft, more like medium-firm.

Are Panda Express veggie rolls healthy? ›

Despite their healthy-sounding name, the vegetable spring rolls are the least nutritious appetizer at Panda Express.

What is the best tofu for frozen tofu? ›

What Types of Tofu Can You Freeze? You can freeze any kind of tofu; anything from silken all the way to extra firm, depending on the texture you want at the end. The soft tofu will remain soft, and the firm tofu will remain firm, but everything will be a little firmer and less fragile than it originally was.

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