These delicious and crispy jalapeño pineapple tofu bites are the new ‘sweet and spicy‘ combo that you are going to crave over and over again! This jalapeño pepper jelly recipe has just enough spice, without overwhelming the dish. And the classic sweet pineapple flavor is able to shine through, making this one of the best sweet and spicy sauces for tofu, chicken or even ham!
What Does Jalapeño Jelly Taste Like?
Jalapeño jelly is such an interesting flavor and texture! When you taste it, you are expecting it to blow the roof off of your home, but instead you are met with a pleasant and tolerable spiciness that is coupled with a moderate sweetness.
In this recipe, we make a jalapeño pineapple glaze by mixing the pepper jelly with pineapple juice and boiling it until it reduces, forming a sweet and spicy syrupy sauce! It’s zesty, yet savory, with the perfect balance of saccharine and fire!
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This jalapeño and pineapple reduction would taste absolutely amazing on my vegan chipotle black bean burger!
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How To Make Jalapeño Pineapple Tofu Bites:
Since we are using a pre-made jar of jalapeño jelly, this recipe is actually super easy to make!
Make sure you scroll down to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and instructions!
- Start by draining your extra firm tofu. I do this by placing paper towels or cheese cloth on both sides of the tofu and placing something heavy, like a water bottle or book, over the top. After about 10 minutes, slice and cube the tofu. Toss the tofu in corn starch and set aside.
- Place the jalapeño jelly and pineapple juice in a small sauce pan, and bring it to a boil, whisking to break up the jelly. Squeeze in a little lemon juice. You can add a few slices of fresh jalapeño for more spice if you like! Continue to slow boil for about 15 minutes, until reduced by half.
- Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet, and toss in your cornstarch coated tofu bites. Allow them to cook on each side until crispy, usually about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Once the sauce has boiled for 15 minutes, you will need to add a tiny bit of corn starch to thicken it up. Carefully spoon a few tbsp of sauce into a small bowl, then mix in 1/2 tsp of corn starch, making sure to break up any clumps. Pour it into the sauce, and it will thicken right up! Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
- When the tofu is done, toss it with the jalapeño jelly sauce, and garnish with sliced jalapeño and pineapple, cilantro or chives! Enjoy!
Other Jalapeño Jelly Uses:
This jalapeño pineapple reduction is not only for tofu! It would be AMAZING on chicken, salmon or even ham! It also makes a wonderful sweet and spicy dipping sauce for appetizers like chicken tenders, egg rolls or spring rolls! I can also see this sauce being an absolutely delicious spicy spread for sandwiches or biscuits! And since it is so easy to make, you can definitely double the recipe and save the leftovers for another day!
Need to purchase some jalapeño pepper jelly? I got mine from amazon, and this is the one I use! House of Webster Green Jalapeno Pepper Jelly 17.5 oz
Frequently Asked Questions:
| Where can I purchase a jar of jalapeño pepper jelly? | I looked in grocery stores for a while to find this ingredient. When I FINALLY found a jar, I actually wasn’t positive that it was jalapeño jelly, because the entire jar was in Spanish! I bought it, but I ended up dropping that jar, and was devastated. So I did what most people do when they need a super specific item…I went to Amazon! There were a ton of options, but the one that I chose was truly delicious and I highly recommend it. I linked it above this section if you are interested in using it. |
| Do I have to add corn starch to thicken the sauce? | I personally prefer a more viscous, syrupy sauce for my tofu. Picture the same consistency as the sweet and sour sauce dips that you get at McDonald’s. If you don’t add the corn starch, the sauce will be much more liquidy, but it will still taste amazing! So this is really up to you. If you want a substitute for corn starch, you can try 1 tsp of all purpose flour or wheat flour, or 1/2 tsp of tapioca. |
| What kind of pineapple juice did you use? | Believe it or not, there are actually a lot of different kinds of pineapple juice out there! I used 100% organic pineapple juice NOT from concentrate. The other stuff tastes too fake for my liking. |
| How can I store the sauce for later? | Store leftover sauce in an air tight container in the refrigerator for about 5 days! If you want leftover sauce, I recommend doubling the recipe. Just not that it make take longer to simmer down the sauce. |
Jalapeño Pineapple Tofu Bites
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz package of extra firm tofu
- 2 tbsp jalapeño pepper jelly
- 6 oz organic 100% pineapple juice
- 1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil, coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup cornstarch, plus 1 tsp to thicken the sauce
- optional fresh sliced jalapeño and pineapple for serving, garnish with chives or cilantro
Instructions
- Drain your extra firm tofu by placing paper towels or cheese cloth on both sides of the tofu and placing something heavy, like a water bottle or book, over the top. After about 10 minutes, slice and cube the tofu.
- Place the tofu in a large bowl and toss with 1/4 cup of corn starch. Set aside.
- Place the jalapeño jelly and pineapple juice in a small sauce pan over high heat, and bring it to a boil, whisking to break up the jelly. Squeeze in about 1 tsp of lemon juice. You can add a few slices of fresh jalapeño for more spice if you like! Continue to slow boil for about 15 minutes, until reduced by half.
- Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, and toss in your cornstarch coated tofu bites. Allow them to cook on each side until crispy, usually about 3-4 minutes per side. When done, remove from heat.
- Once the sauce has boiled for 15 minutes, you will need to add a tiny bit of corn starch to thicken it up. Carefully spoon a few tbsp of jalapeño sauce into small bowl, then mix in 1/2 tsp of corn starch, making sure to break up any clumps. Pour it into the sauce, stir and remove from the heat.
- When the tofu is done, toss it with the jalapeño jelly sauce, and garnish with sliced jalapeño and pineapple, cilantro or chives! Enjoy!
Did you like this jalapeño pineapple tofu bites recipe? If so you should go check out my Jamaican Jerk Shrimp With Creamy Jerk Beans recipe!
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