Quick Veggie Banh Mi Bowl with Tofu — Ready in Under 20 Minutes
Crispy tofu, pickled carrots, sriracha mayo — dinner decided in under 20 minutes.
It's one of those nights where you want something that tastes like effort but requires almost none. This bowl pulls every great thing from a banh mi — the tangy quick-pickled veggies, creamy sriracha mayo, fresh herbs — and skips the bread entirely. Pan-fried tofu gets golden in about 8 minutes, the quick pickle comes together while it cooks, and you're eating over rice before you've had time to second-guess the decision. It's bright, a little spicy, satisfying without being heavy. Expect real flavor, minimal mess, and a legitimately fast dinner.
Ingredients
- 14 oz extra-firm tofu — pressed dry with a towel and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp neutral oil — such as avocado or vegetable oil
- 2 cup cooked white rice — day-old or microwaved from a pouch works great
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 0.5 cup thinly sliced cucumber
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp sriracha — adjust to taste
- 0.25 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 unit green onions — thinly sliced
- 1 tsp sesame seeds — optional, for garnish
Method
- 1 In a small bowl, combine the shredded carrots, rice vinegar, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Toss well and set aside — they'll quick-pickle while you cook everything else.
- 2 In another small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and sriracha until smooth. Taste and add more sriracha if you want more heat. Set aside.
- 3 Pat the tofu cubes as dry as possible with a clean towel — the drier they are, the crispier they'll get.
- 4 Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu in a single layer and let it cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until the bottom is golden and crispy.
- 5 Flip the tofu pieces and cook another 3 minutes until golden on the second side. Drizzle the soy sauce over the tofu, toss to coat, and cook 30 more seconds until it caramelizes slightly. Remove from heat.
- 6 Divide the cooked rice between two bowls. Arrange the crispy tofu, quick-pickled carrots, and sliced cucumber over the rice.
- 7 Drizzle the sriracha mayo generously over each bowl. Top with fresh cilantro, green onions, and sesame seeds if using. Serve immediately.
Variations
- Vegan swap — Replace the mayonnaise with vegan mayo (such as Hellmann's Vegan or Just Mayo) — the sriracha mayo comes out just as creamy and the rest of the recipe is already fully plant-based.
- Even faster (10-minute version) — Skip the rice and use pre-shredded coleslaw mix as the base instead — no cooking required at all, and the crunch actually works beautifully with the pickled carrots and crispy tofu.
- No tofu? Use a fried egg — Fry 2 eggs per bowl in the same skillet with a little oil — runny yolk mixes into the sriracha mayo and makes the whole bowl richer. Ready in under 3 minutes.
Notes
The pickled carrots are the soul of this bowl — don't skip them. Even 5 minutes in the vinegar mixture transforms them. For extra crunch, add a small handful of thinly sliced jalapeño on top. If your tofu isn't pressing dry fast enough, microwave the cubes on a paper-towel-lined plate for 2 minutes first — it pulls out moisture quickly. Leftovers keep okay in the fridge for up to 2 days, but store the sriracha mayo and pickled veggies separately from the rice and tofu.
Equipment that helps
- Large nonstick skillet — Tofu sticks aggressively to stainless or cast iron without a lot of extra oil — nonstick lets you get the crispy crust with just 1 tablespoon of oil.
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