Crispy Tofu Bites Recipes

CRISPY TOFU BITES

Steps:

• Drain the tofu on a wire rack for at least one hour.
• Set the tofu on a few layers of paper towels and cut it into 9 cubes. Sprinkle them evenly on all sides with the salt.
• Grate the ginger into a pan and then gather up the pulp and squeeze out as much juice as you can into the pan. Discard the pulp.
• Add the grated garlic, mirin, soy sauce, and black pepper to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue boiling until the sauce just starts to thicken and it no longer smells like alcohol (about a minute after it comes to a full boil). Transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside.
• To fry the tofu, heat 2-inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot until it reaches 360 degrees F (180 C). Be sure to use a deep pot and don't fill it more than 1/2 way as the the moisture in the tofu will make the oil bubble a lot.
• Pat the tofu dry on all sides with fresh paper towels and carefully lower the tofu into the hot oil using tongs.
• Fry the tofu undisturbed for about 5-6 minutes or until you're able to pull the tofu away from the bottom of the pot without breaking it. Flip the tofu over and let it continue frying for another 5-6 minutes or until it's golden brown on all sides.
• Transfer the hot tofu straight into the bowl with the sauce and sprinkle on the sesame seeds. Toss to coat the tofu with glaze and then transfer the tofu to a serving plate.
• Garnish with more sesame seeds, black pepper, and chopped scallion greens.

THE BEST SPICY & CRISPY TOFU BITES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk the ½ cup tamari or soy sauce, ¼ cup water, 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce (see note), and 2 tsp maple syrup together until fully combined.
• Place the tofu in a tofu press, or on a plate between paper towels with something heavy on top, and press for at least 15 minutes to remove the excess water. The less water in the tofu the better the texture.
• Slice the tofu into cubes. See the photos in the content above.
• In a large bowl, toss the cubed tofu with the 1 cup of tapioca starch until all sides are coated in the starch.
• In a wok or a cast-iron skillet, heat the ¼ cup of vegetable oil on high heat. When the oil is hot (add a bit of extra starch from the bowl to the pan, if it sizzles, it's ready), add the tofu evenly in the pan. Use a metal spatula to turn the tofu often. You want all sided to get crispy and brown. Add a tablespoon of extra oil if needed.
• After about 10 minutes, the tofu should have a lightly browned and crispy crust. Now add half of the chili garlic sauce and use the spatula to gently toss the tofu to coat all sides in the sauce. If you're not stir-frying vegetables, use all of the sauce for the tofu, otherwise, use half of the sauce for the vegetables.
• If you're going to stir fry vegetables, remove the tofu from the pan and add another tablespoon of oil and cook the veggies. When they're done, coat them in the other half of the sauce and add the tofu back to the pan to heat it.
• Preheat the oven to 425˚F (218˚C)
• In a large bowl, toss the cubed tofu with the 1 cup of tapioca starch until coated on all sides.
• Spread the tofu on a parchment lined baking sheet and spray a light layer of oil on top.
• Bake for 10 minutes and turn the tofu. Bake for another 10 minutes and evenly drizzle half of the chili sauce on the tofu and carefully toss to coat all sides. Bake for another 10 minutes, or until the tofu is crispy.
• Use the other half of the sauce to coat stir-fried vegetables or for dipping the tofu bites.
• ENJOY!

CRISPY BAKED TOFU

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Drain the tofu and slice into thirds lengthwise so you have 3 even slabs. Lay the slabs on top of each other and slice through them lengthwise to make 3 even columns, then slice across to make 5 even rows (see video).
• Gently move the tofu to the side and line cutting board with a lint-free towel or paper towels. Lay the tofu in an even layer on the towel and then top with another towel ad some heavy things (I like to stack my cast iron skillet on top of a baking sheet but anything heavy will do).
• Let the tofu sit for 15-30 minutes allowing the liquid to be squeezed out.
• In a medium bowl combine tamari, avocado oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add tofu to the bowl and gently toss until all of the tofu is lightly coated with the seasoning.
• Sprinkle corn starch over the top of seasoned tofu and gently toss together.
• Lat tofu out on your prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, flipping the tofu halfway through.
• Once your tofu is done it will be crispy and golden brown on the edges. Serve as desired and enjoy!