Shuai Wang's Mapo Tofu

Spicewalla Team 3/3/2026

This beloved Mapo Tofu comes straight from the kitchen at Jackrabbit Filly (@jackrabbitfilly) Shuai and Corrie Wang's heritage-driven New Chinese American restaurant in North Charleston. It's the dish that shows you exactly how Shuai cooks: rooted in Chinese tradition, built with whatever makes it taste better, and never precious about it.

According to Shuai, this Mapo Tofu has "been off and on Jackrabbit Filly’s menu since we opened because it’s the dish Corrie and I ate on our first date. It was winter in NYC. We were both sick and drippy, but time off was rare. Plus, who wanted to wait to date Corrie? So, here comes this cauldron of boiling mapo tofu to the table. I scooped up a big bite... it was so spicy and so scorchingly hot…I immediately spit it out. We’ve been together through thick and thin ever since."

Serve it over rice. Share it with the people you love. And wait for the symphonies of "mmmmmm!!!"

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 oz ground pork
2 Tbsp Spicewalla x Shuai Wang's Chilli Crunch Dry Mix
1 Tbsp Spicewalla x Shuai Wang's Sichuan Hot Chicken Spice
1 Tbsp spicy bean sauce
1 Tbsp gochujang
2 Tbsp ginger, minced
3 Tbsp garlic, minced
2/3 C low-sodium chicken stock (homemade salt-free stock is preferred)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup water
2 tsp cornstarch
1 block silken tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 scallion, thinly sliced, green and white parts
1 1/2 cups finely chopped cilantro, stem and leaf
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Preparation
In a wok or large saute pan, on medium heat, add in your vegetable oil, heat until lightly smoky.
Add in your ground pork and cook through, keep stirring and smashing it a little to break it all up so there are no large chunks
Once the pork is slightly brown, add in your dry chilli crunch and Sichuan hot chicken spice and turn up the heat to high.
Stir fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Add in your spice bean sauce, gochujang, ginger and garlic. Cook while stirring for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant
Add in your chicken stock, sesame oil and brown sugar. Bring to a light simmer and reduce the heat to medium.
In a small mixing bowl, mix together the water and cornstarch until evenly mixed. Slowly drizzle it into your mapo base and stir. It should thicken.
If it's a little thicker than you like, add in a tablespoon of water at a time until the desired consistency. It should look like a slightly thickened soup, not chilli.
Add in your tofu gently in individual pieces and let it simmer for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
Scoop your mapo tofu into a serving dish, garnish with scallion and cilantro.