Featured Comment:
“Absolutely delicious! I am not a fan of fried tofu so I am always looking for new soft tofu recipes. This one totally rocked. Made exactly as written. What can I say? So yummy! Thank you, Yuto, for sharing this!”
– Jeana
What is Niku Dofu?
Niku Dofu (肉豆腐) is a simple simmered dish made with thinly sliced beef, tofu, and some onion. It has a savory yet sweet taste, very similar to sukiyaki.
The original recipe uses kujo negi (九条ねぎ), a traditional green onion/leek from Kyoto, but in this recipe, I used yellow onion instead.
The dish is a local specialty of Kyoto Prefecture, which has a long history of using beef and tofu. However, it has become a popular national dish in modern Japan and is enjoyed in households throughout the country.
How I Developed This Recipe
While Niku Dofu is a popular dish in Japan, it’s less known internationally.
So, in creating this recipe, I aimed to keep it authentic to the versions commonly enjoyed in Japanese households but also introduced several techniques to enhance its flavor and simplicity.
The result is a very tasty Niku Dofu that’s surprisingly easy to make at home. I encourage you to try making this comforting dish yourself and experience a staple of Japanese home cooking!
Ingredients & Substitution Ideas
- Thinly Sliced Beef: Opt for cuts with some fat for better flavor. I personally used end cuts of short rib.
- Potato Starch: This is used for coating the beef. Alternatives like cornstarch, tapioca starch, or another suitable starch can also be used.
- Tofu: Use firm tofu rather than silken tofu for this dish since it holds its shape better during simmering.
- Onion: I chose yellow onions, but white onions or leeks are fine substitutes.
- Enoki Mushrooms: Feel free to replace them with any local mushrooms you like.
- Snow Peas: These were mostly used for color at the end. Other greens, like chopped green onion, can also be added for variety.
- Broth Ingredients: Combine sake, soy sauce, light brown cane sugar, and water to make the broth. Drinking sake is recommended, but cooking sake can be used with adjusted salt levels. Just remember, cooking sake contains salt. White wine is a good substitute for sake in this recipe.
- Dashi Granules: Added for extra flavor, though the dish can be delicious without them.
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Niku Dofu at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
First off, mix thinly sliced beef with potato starch until it has a light coating.
Coating beef with starch makes the coating absorb moisture and create a soft texture. This makes a significant difference for the final texture!
Heat some oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the coated beef and fry until it’s nicely browned.
Once browned, remove the beef from the pot and set it aside.
Combine sake, soy sauce, cane sugar, water and dashi granules in the same pot. Heat it up until it’s just about to boil.
Add tofu, onion, enoki mushrooms, and the beef you just cooked. When you add these ingredients, the temperature will drop, so wait for it to start bubbling gently and then lower the heat to simmer.
Then, cover the pot with a drop lid.
If you don’t have one, I highly recommend looking up how to make a DIY version on my dedicated post—it’s a simple trick that makes a big difference by ensuring even cooking, flavor absorption and prevent the tofu from breaking.
Let everything simmer together under the drop-lid for 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the pot cool for about 30 minutes to an hour.
This technique is the same one I used in my recipe for nikujaga. Essentially, the idea is that the flavors penetrate deeper as they cool down for simmered dishes. That’s why many find dishes like curry rice or stew tastes even better the day after it’s made.
You can elevate the taste of the dish by adding just one simple step to this straightforward process, so if you have time, please give it a try!
While the pot is cooling, blanch the snow peas for 30 seconds to a minute. We will use them as toppings.
Once the dish has cooled, reheat it gently. Then, dish it up and top it with the blanched snow peas for a contrasting color and wonderful crunchy texture.
How to Repurpose the Leftover Broth
Niku Dofu is a dish usually prepared by simmering it in a fairly large amount of liquid. This often results in leftover broth after the dish has been eaten. It is important to note that the broth is highly seasoned and not meant to be drunk like a soup.
If you wish to repurpose the leftovers, one option is to use the broth to simmer vegetables and mushrooms and then add an egg to create a dish similar to oyakodon. You can even put that over rice to make a donburi!
This broth has a great beef flavor, so be sure to take advantage of it!
More Japanese Beef Recipes
- Beef Udon Noodle Soup (Niku Udon)
- Teriyaki Beef Rice Bowl with Wasabi Twist
- Sukiyaki Don (Sweet and Savory Simmered Beef Rice Bowl)
- Beef Shigureni (Simmered Wagyu with Ginger and Gobo)
Want more inspiration? Explore my Beef Recipe Roundup Post for a carefully selected collection of tasty recipe ideas to spark your next meal!
Niku Dofu (Japanese Simmered Beef and Tofu)
Ingredients
- 200 g thinly sliced beef I used rib end cuts
- 1 tbsp potato starch
- ½ tbsp cooking oil
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 100 ml sake
- 3 tbsp light brown sugar
- 300 ml water
- ½ tsp dashi granules
- 1 yellow onion (medium) thinly sliced
- 300 g firm tofu cubed
- 100 g enoki mushrooms roots removed
- 10 snow peas
Instructions
- Start by mixing 200 g thinly sliced beef with 1 tbsp potato starch until lightly coated.
- Heat a pan on medium and add ½ tbsp cooking oil. Once hot, add the beef and cook until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside for later.
- In the same pan, add 4 tbsp soy sauce, 100 ml sake, 3 tbsp light brown sugar, 300 ml water and ½ tsp dashi granules.
- Mix and bring to almost boiling over medium heat, then add 1 yellow onion, 300 g firm tofu, 100 g enoki mushrooms and cooked beef from before. Bring to almost boiling once more, then lower to a simmer.
- Sit a drop lid on top of the simmering ingredients, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Optional step (recommended): Turn off the heat and leave to cool for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Reheat over medium until it starts to boil, while you wait blanch 10 snow peas in boiling water for 1 minute. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and run under cold water to cool. Slice diagonally.
- Dish up the niku dofu and garnish with the snow peas.
- Enjoy!
I used shiitake mushrooms instead of enoki and added a little of the water used to soak the mushrooms but otherwise followed the recipe. I will try it again with just the enoki when I get some.
Hi David,
Thank you for sharing your experience and picture! Looking great!
Yuto
Absolutely delicious! I am not a fan of fried tofu so I am always looking for new soft tofu recipes. This one totally rocked. Made exactly as written. What can I say? So yummy! Thank you, Yuto, for sharing this!
Jeana
NYC
Hi Jeana,
Thank you so much for your comment and kind words! I’m happy to hear the recipe turned out great! 🙂
Yuto