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!
Looking for more tofu dishes? Try my Chicken Afritada (made with tofu of course), Bicol Express, Filipino Tofu in Coconut Milk or my personal favorite Tofu Poke or Vegan Kung Pao Tofu!
Where did Sisig come from?
The region Pampanga in Luzon. 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.
But as times have gone by, more and more versions of the famous Filipino sisig has been made. Vegetarians, like me, also developed a delicious vegetarian counterpart, which is what I am sharing with you now. The main ingredient is tofu, also known as fermented bean curd. This is a healthier version of the classic meat sisig but nonetheless, tastes so good without the cholesterol guilt
Tips & Procedures:
- Vegetable oil is a good alternative to coconut oil because it’s tasteless and has a high heating point.
- To make your tofu crust extra crispy, coat it with cornstarch before frying.
- Frying Tip: Frying tofu is a bit challenging when the excess water isn’t removed. To do this, use the “press” method where you cover the block of tofu with paper towels. Then, find anything in your kitchen that is heavy enough but not too heavy to break the tofu. Place it above the tofu for about 15- 30 minutes. This process will help remove the excess water and the oil splatters when frying the tofu.
- Take the sisig to the next level by drizzling calamansi juice (instead of lemon juice) right before serving.
- Impress guests (or yourself) with your cooking skills, by making 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:
- refined coconut cooking oil or vegetable oil
- vegan mayonnaise
- mushrooms
- soy sauce
- extra-firm tofu
- salt
- white onion
- garlic
- red or green chili peppers
- shallots
- lime juice
- brown sugar
- pepper
- spring onions
Once the ingredients are all ready, let’s begin!
Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat, add ½ 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.
Frequently Asked Questions for the Tofu Sisig Recipe:
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.
Absolutely, any mushroom will do.
Tofu sisig usually doesn’t have gravy with it. The vegan mayonnaise makes it creamy already.
Here are some great desserts that pair well with this recipe:
Happy Cooking!
Best Ever Tofu Sisig
Ingredients
- ½ cup refined coconut cooking oil
- 1 block extra-firm tofu pressed, drained, and cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons shallots
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 cup mushrooms diced into small pieces (I used a variety with shitake and oyster mushrooms)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1-2 pieces red or green chili peppers chopped (depending on how spicy you want it)
- ½ cup white onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon green onions
Instructions
- Heat a pan over medium heat and add and oil for 5-8 minutes. The oil needs to be hot enough to fry the tofu.
- Slowly add the tofu and fry until all sides are golden brown, set aside.
- In the same pan, lower the heat to low 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 minutes or until the mushrooms become tender.
- Add the fried tofu, chili pepper and sauté for a minute and feel free to add additional chili pepper for more spice.
- Add white onions, salt, pepper, then add mayonnaise and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add brown sugar and mix until combined.
- Garnish with lime juice, green onions, and serve with steamed rice.
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! 🙂
This tasted so good! Also, I didn’t have to add 1 cup vegan mayo, I only added about 1/2 cup.
Hi Jane,
Thank you for trying out this recipe! I really appreciate it. Are you also a fan of Filipino dishes?