Tofu Sisig is a Filipino dish made of fried tofu, chopped chili peppers, and mushrooms! This dish is vegan and a bit on the spicy side with all the delicious flavors you will love!
History of Sisig
Sisig has been a Filipino dish way back 1732 with the name derived from “sisigan” which in Kapampangan means “to make it sour”. During those years, sisig mainly consists of pig ears, snout, belly, and pig cheeks. They cook it three times – boiled, grilled, and finally sautéed with garlic, onion, and lastly drizzled with calamansi juice just before serving. The dish was frequently given to those suffering from a hangover or from a night of alcoholic overindulgence. It was believed that it prevents vomiting because of its salty and sour flavor, all in one amazing dish.

Tips and Tricks for Making This Tofu Sisig Recipe:
- Most of the Tofu Sisig eaters love to drizzle it with calamansi juice before serving. It adds life to the all-time favorite sisig dish!
- If you love a more deep taste in your tofu, you can marinate it with soy sauce and calamansi for at least an hour before frying. Remember to drain it before placing the tofu in the oil.
- To make your tofu crust extra crispy, you can coat it with cornstarch before frying.
- Frying tofu is a bit challenging when you have not taken out the excess water from it. To do this, you should do the “press” method where you place paper towels on top of each tofu slice. Then, find anything in your kitchen that is heavy enough but not too heavy to break the tofu. Place it above the tofu with paper towels and leave it for a couple of hours or overnight would be best. With this process, you can avoid too much oil splatters and your tofu would give a nicer texture when cooked.
- If you are having a party at home and you want to impress guests of your cooking skills, you can make this into a sizzling sisig. Simply use a sizzling plate and serve.
How to Make this Tofu Sisig Recipe:
Here is the quick look of the ingredients for Tofu Sisig:
- coconut oil or vegetable oil
- refined coconut cooking oil or vegetable oil
- vegan mayonnaise
- mushrooms
- extra-firm tofu
- salt
- white onion
- garlic
- red or green chili peppers
- shallots
- lime juice or calamansi juice
- muscovado raw sugar or brown sugar
- pepper
- spring onions or leeks.
Once the ingredients are all ready, let’s begin!
Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat, add 1/2 cup of vegetable oil until it heats up, fry your tofu until all its sides turn golden brown:
Set aside the tofu cubes:
On the same pan, lower heat. Sauté shallots and garlic until fragrant or when onions turn translucent:
On medium heat, sauté mushrooms, and add soy sauce. Allow to cook for another 5 to 10 minutes until the mushrooms become tender:
After the mushrooms have tenderized, you can now add in the fried tofu. Mix well:
Add chili pepper, sauté for a minute. (Can add additional chili pepper if you want it to be spicier):
Season with salt and pepper:
Add mayonnaise and sauté for a minute or two:
Add brown sugar to taste:
Now it’s time to make it look more sumptuous! Garnish it with lime juice and chopped spring onions or leeks:
Serve hot. This Tofu sisig is best enjoyed with steamed white rice or brown rice. You can even eat this together with quinoa and other healthy grains.
Here are some great desserts that pair well with this recipe:
Happy Cooking!
Frequently Asked Questions for the Tofu Sisig Recipe:
Q: Do you have a gravy recipe for Tofu sisig?
A: Tofu sisig usually doesn’t have gravy with it. The vegan mayonnaise makes it creamy already.
Q: I see two different kinds of tofu in groceries. One is extra firm and the other kind is softer. Which one should I use for this recipe?
A: You can actually use both but it is best to use the extra firm variation since it gives a nicer texture when you bite into them. Also, the softer tofu or the more watery kind is hard to fry because of the frequent oil splatters.
Q: Can I use canned mushrooms which are found in grocery stores?
A: Yes, sure you can. Any mushroom will do.
Q: I can’t find calamansi, what can I use instead?
A: Fresh lemon juice works, which you can at any grocery store.
Tofu Sisig

Try this delicious Filipino Tofu Sisig that will please all types of eaters!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup refined coconut cooking oil or vegetable oil
- 1 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1 cup mushrooms, diced into small pieces (I used a variety with shitake and oyster mushrooms)
- 2 tablespoons
- 1 block extra-firm tofu, pressed, drained, and cut into small cubes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup white onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1–2 pieces red or green chili peppers, chopped (depending on how spicy you want it)
- 2 Tbsp of shallots
- 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice or calamansi juice
- 1 tsp mascuvado raw sugar or brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tablespoon green onions or leeks.
Instructions
- Heat a pan over medium heat and add 1/2 cup oil and wait about 5-8 minutes for the oil to be hot. Slowly add the tofu and fry until all sides turn brown and set aside.
- In the same pan, lower the heat and sauté shallots and garlic until fragrant or when the shallots turn translucent. Add mushrooms, soy sauce, and allow it to cook for about 5 to 10 minutes or until the mushrooms become tender.
- Add the fried tofu, chili pepper and sauté for a minute, feel free to add additional chili pepper for more spice.
- Season with salt and pepper, then add mayonnaise and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Garnished with lime juice and chopped green onions or leeks and serve hot
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If you’ve tried this or any other of my recipes, don’t forget to rate the recipe and to leave me a comment. I love hearing from you!
Hey this recipe is not clear.. You did not mention soy sauce in the ingredients and you don’t mention when and how to use the mayonnaise in the instructions.
Hey Jay, thanks for letting me know. Soy sauce is 2 tablespoons and mayonnaise is on step 4. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Loved it. I made it as is but used calamansi juice instead of lime. I’m also going to increase the chilies next time because I love the heat. Thanks for the great recipe!
★★★★★
Hey Ry! You’re welcome. I’m glad you love this recipe. Please tag me on FB or IG if you have some photos of your Tofu sisig version. I would love to see them. 🙂
This looks amazing! I love sisig but am trying to eat more plant based so I was so excited to find your recipe. I’m going to make it this weekend! Your recipe calls for 1 cup of vegan mayo, is it a full 1 cup? Ok if it is, I love vegan mayo😂 . I wish I could find calamansi, haven’t been able to find it since living in HI. Thank you so much for your recipe!!
Hi Brett,
Thank you for visiting my blog. It’s my pleasure to share this recipe. It’s good to know that you’re more into plant based diet now. For this recipe, you may use fresh lemon juice instead of calamansi and yes, it’s 1 full cup of mayo. It will make your sisig creamy. Please share a photo of your Tofu Sisig version if you have. Enjoy! 🙂