If you love mapo tofu and creamy udon, this Viral Creamy Mapo Tofu Udon might be your sign. It combines the bold flavours of mapo tofu with a creamy silken tofu sauce and chewy udon noodles. Ready in under 30 minutes, it’s comforting, slurpable and so addictive.
Table of Contents
- What is the Viral Creamy Mapo Tofu Udon?
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make Viral Creamy Mapo Tofu Udon
What is the Viral Creamy Mapo Tofu Udon?
I’ve been seeing this viral Creamy Mapo Tofu Udon all over my feed lately, and as someone who loves mapo tofu and is a HUGE fan of udon noodles (they’re actually my favourite kind of noodles), you know I had to make it!
It’s a fun and delicious twist on the classic Sichuan dish mapo tofu, which I’ve shared a recipe for before. Traditionally, you stir-fry minced pork or beef with mapo tofu seasonings and add tofu cubes. But in this version, the tofu is blended into a creamy sauce that coats the udon noodles instead.
The result is a bowl that’s slightly spicy, savoury and creamy all at once. I love cream-based udon dishes, but they can sometimes feel a bit heavy and always leaves me feeling bloated. Using silken tofu gives the same richness while keeping the dish lighter and more balanced.
It’s quick to make, comes together in under 30 minutes, and uses ingredients you probably already have at home. And if not, everything’s super easy to find at the supermarket.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few key ingredients to note. You’ll find the full ingredient list and quantities in the recipe card below.
Frozen udon noodles
The base of this dish is udon noodles. They’re thick and chewy, and perfect for holding onto the creamy tofu sauce. I highly recommend using frozen udon (usually found in Asian supermarkets) instead of the shelf-stable packaged ones, as the texture is much better and doesn’t taste “plasticky.”
If you don’t have udon, you can use other noodles you like. Just make sure they’re sturdy enough and has a good texture to hold the sauce well. I think ramen noodles or soba noodles work pretty well with this dish!
Minced pork
For the savoury topping, I’m using minced pork with about 20% fat, which is classic for mapo tofu. But you can easily swap it for minced beef, chicken, plant-based meat or even firm tofu if you prefer!
Doubanjiang (Chinese chilli bean paste)
Doubanjiang is a key ingredient of the classic mapo tofu dish. It’s a Chinese fermented chilli bean paste that gives the dish its signature spice, savouriness and umami.
Use doubanjiang to stir-fry the minced pork along with ginger, garlic, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, black vinegar, a pinch of sugar and some Sichuan peppercorn powder, and you’ve created the iconic, bold, slightly numbing mapo tofu flavour.
You can find doubanjiang at most supermarkets, Asian grocery stores or online on Amazon.
Silken tofu
The creamy sauce comes from silken tofu, blended with a little peanut butter for a hint of nuttiness, unsweetened soy milk, and a pinch of salt. Using tofu instead of cream makes the sauce smooth and rich, indulgent without feeling too heavy like regular dairy cream would.
Silken tofu is easy to find at most supermarkets. It usually comes in a box that looks like a drink carton, and any package labelled “silken tofu” will work.
I added a tablespoon of peanut butter for a subtle nutty flavour, but you don’t have to. Just don’t go overboard, or it can take over the sauce.
Also, if you blend only the silken tofu, the sauce will be too thick, so I thin it out with unsweetened soy milk (or water if you prefer).
How to Make Viral Creamy Mapo Tofu Udon
1) Make the creamy tofu sauce
Blend the silken tofu, peanut butter, salt and soy milk until smooth. Set aside.
2) Stir-fry the savoury minced pork topping
Heat neutral oil in a wok or pan over high heat. Add the minced pork and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until cooked and the pork liquid has evaporated.
Add ginger, garlic, doubanjiang, black vinegar, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar and Sichuan peppercorn powder. Stir-fry for another 2–3 minutes until fragrant and well combined.
3) Boil frozen udon noodles
Boil the frozen udon according to package instructions, then drain.
4) Assemble!
Add the udon to a serving bowl, top with the pork mixture, and pour over as much creamy tofu sauce as you like. Garnish with chopped green onions and enjoy!
More Noodle Recipes You’ll Love
Viral Creamy Mapo Tofu Udon
2
servings10
minutes10
minutesViral Creamy Mapo Tofu Udon made with silken tofu sauce, minced pork and chewy udon noodles. Comforting, spicy and ready in under 30 minutes.
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
2 servings frozen udon
2 green onions, chopped (garnish)l
- Stir-fried pork:
200 g minced pork
1 tsp minced ginger
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp Shaoxing cooking wine
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tbsp Sichuan peppercorn powder
- Creamy tofu sauce:
300 g silken tofu
1 tbsp peanut butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
Directions
- Blend the silken tofu, peanut butter, salt and soy milk until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat neutral oil in a wok or pan over high heat. Add the minced pork and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until cooked and the pork liquid has evaporated.
- Add ginger, garlic, doubanjiang, Chinese black vinegar, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar and Sichuan peppercorn powder. Stir-fry for another 2–3 minutes until fragrant and well combined.
- Boil the frozen udon according to package instructions, then drain.
- Add the udon to a serving bowl, top with the pork mixture, and pour over as much creamy tofu sauce as you like. Garnish with chopped green onions and enjoy!
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