The Best Crispy Tofu Recipes

HOW TO MAKE CRISPY BAKED TOFU

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the tofu from sticking.
• To prepare the tofu: Drain the tofu and use your palms to gently squeeze out some of the water. Slice the tofu into thirds lengthwise so you have 3 even slabs. Stack 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 photos).
• Line a cutting board with a lint-free tea towel or paper towels, then arrange the tofu in an even layer on the towel(s). Fold the towel(s) over the cubed tofu, then place something heavy on top (like another cutting board, topped with a cast iron pan or large cans of tomatoes) to help the tofu drain. Let the tofu rest for at least 10 minutes (preferably more like 30 minutes, if you have the time).
• Transfer the pressed tofu to a medium mixing bowl and drizzle with the olive oil and tamari. Toss to combine. Sprinkle the starch over the tofu, and toss the tofu until the starch is evenly coated, so there are no powdery spots remaining.
• Tip the bowl of tofu over onto your prepared baking sheet and arrange the tofu in an even layer. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing the tofu halfway, until the tofu is deeply golden on the edges. Use as desired.

5 CRISPY BAKED TOFU RECIPES {LOW CALORIE}

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400° and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a clean kitchen towel atop a plate.
• Slice the tofu into 1 inch cubes and add to the paper towel lined plate.
• Cover the tofu with the towel, and place a heavy plate or pan atop the tofu. This will help drain out some of the moisture. Let sit for 10 minutes or all day in the fridge.
• Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients (less the toppings and the cornstarch) to a large bowl and mix well.
• Once the tofu is done draining, move from the towel and into the bowl. Toss to combine.
• Sprinkle the cornstarch over the tofu, and toss the tofu until the starch is evenly coated.
• Add the tofu over to the prepared baking sheet and arrange in an even layer.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing the tofu halfway, until browned and crispy on the edges.
• Add any toppings and serve. Will hold in the fridge for 3 days, toss in a dry hot pan to reheat and re-crisp the tofu.

CRISPY BAKED TOFU

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Blot tofu dry. Cut into 3/4-in. cubes. Place on a clean kitchen towel; cover with another towel. Place a cutting board on top; gently place a large cast iron skillet on top. Let stand 10 minutes. , Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, whisk together soy sauce, olive oil, sesame oil, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Place cornstarch in a separate shallow dish. Add tofu to soy mixture; turn to coat. Add tofu, a few pieces at a time, to the cornstarch; toss to coat. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake until cubes are golden brown and crispy, 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through. Garnish with green onions, if desired.

VEGAN ORANGE TOFU

Steps:

• Wrap the tofu block with absorbent paper and place it between two chopping boards, adding a few books on top of the top board to add pressure. Set aside 30 minutes to release all the tofu moisture.
• Cut the tofu block into cubes of (about 0.4 inches/1cm) or roughly pull apart the tofu to create irregular pieces of tofu - this mimics chicken texture the best!
• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients: olive oil, cornstarch, garlic powder, orange zest, and salt.
• Add the tofu chunks into the marinade and combine with a spoon.
• Lay the tofu pieces onto the prepared baking sheet into a single layer, make sure the tofu pieces don't touch each other or overlap.
• Bake on the center rack for 20-30 minutes, flipping them halfway. Meanwhile, prepare the curry sauce.
• Heat a large skillet or medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Over medium heat, melt coconut oil, then stir in garlic, ginger, and cook over low heat to prevent the garlic from burning. Cook until fragrant for about 1 minute.
• Add orange juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Bring to a light simmer, occasionally stirring, until the sugar dissolves - about 2-3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk water and cornstarch in a small mixing bowl. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry into the hot orange sauce and keep simmering, occasionally stirring, until the sauce thickens - about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Toss the crispy hot tofu in the sauce until coated.
• Serve over cooked jasmine rice and garnish with scallions pieces or chili flakes to add a spicy touch.
• Store in the fridge in a sealed container for 3-4 days or freeze up to 3 months.

CRISPY TOFU

Steps:

• Drain the tofu, wrap in 4-5 sheets of kitchen paper, put on a plate and put something heavy over the top, like a wooden chopping board, or a tray with a few tins on it. Leave for 20 mins to drain the excess moisture from the tofu.
• Mix the cornflour, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Unravel the tofu from the paper, cut in half through the centre, then cut into triangles, cubes or strips.
• Toss the tofu pieces in the spiced cornflour to coat all over. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the tofu for 2-4 mins on each side until golden, crunchy and browned at the edges. Smaller cubes will take 2 mins each side, larger triangles will take 4 mins. Cook in batches if you need to, adding a little more oil if the pan gets dry.
• Drain the cooked tofu on kitchen paper and season with a pinch more salt before serving.

OUR BEST TOFU RECIPES (+QUICK TOFU CRUMBLES)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Drain water from tofu.
• Mix together the ingredients.
• Crumble tofu into the ingredients and mix well.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes.

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!

THE BEST CRISPY TOFU WITH HONEY SOY GLAZE

Steps:

• Start by draining the block of tofu
• Slice tofu in half, so that you have two thinner slices of tofu
• Wrap tofu slices in a kitchen towel and press with a heavy object for 30 minutes - 1 hour
• Once pressed, slice into roughly 16 1-inch cubes
• Sprinkle 1 tbsp of cornstarch over the cubes, making sure to coat each side of the tofu cubes
• Season the cubes with onion powder and garlic powder
• Heat the stainless steel pan
• Once the pan is hot, heat 2 tbsp canola oil
• Place each cube in the oil. Let each side crisp for 3-5 minutes on each side.
• Remove cubes once crispy and place on a paper towel to drain them
• In the same pan, add your minced shallots and garlic.
• Sautee the shallot and garlic until translucent and just slightly crispy
• In a separate bowl or measuring cup, mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and mix until there are no clumps remaining
• Add 1/4 cup of soy sauce to the pan
• Add the cornstarch slurry and mix. Once this reaches a boiling point, it will become thick.
• Once the sauce is thick, add your tofu to your serving dish and pour the sauce over the top.
• Garnish with sliced green onions, chopped chives, or cilantro.

CRISPY TOFU WITH BALSAMIC TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Arrange tofu slices on a clean kitchen towel or on paper towels. Cover with another kitchen towel (or paper towels) and place a flat cutting board or baking pan on top. If your cutting board or pan is lightweight, stack a few cans or a skillet on top to weigh it down. Let tofu drain for at least 15 minutes, and up to 45 minutes.
• Transfer tofu to a cutting board and cut slabs into 1-inch cubes. Pat them dry with paper towels and season both sides of the tofu with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon oil, cornstarch, garlic powder (if using) and 1/2 teaspoon of the oregano. Add tofu to cornstarch mixture and gently toss until tofu is evenly coated. Dump tofu onto one side of the prepared sheet pan.
• In a large bowl, toss together tomatoes, onion, garlic, balsamic vinegar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle in the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil, tossing to combine.
• Arrange vegetables on other side of the prepared sheet pan. Bake until tofu is crisp and golden brown, and tomatoes are condensed, 25 to 35 minutes. Halfway through baking, flip tofu and toss vegetables while keeping the tofu and veggies separate.
• To serve, sprinkle cilantro on top and drizzle with balsamic and oil, if you'd like.

THE BEST CRISPY TOFU

Steps:

• Wrap the tofu in a clean dish towel and place on top of a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Place a heavy pan on top of the tofu and let it sit for 5 minutes to release as much moisture as possible. Unwrap the tofu and slice lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick by 1 1/2-inch-wide planks.
• Whisk the soy sauce, lime juice, agave syrup, scallion whites and sriracha together in a small bowl and set aside. Mix the panko, sesame seeds, cornstarch, garlic salt, onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper in a pie dish or shallow bowl. Press the tofu planks into the panko mixture to coat on all sides.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook, undisturbed, until deep golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the tofu with a metal spatula and continue cooking undisturbed until a deep golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a platter.
• Reduce the heat to low and add the soy-sauce mixture to the pan. Cook until bubbling and slightly thicker, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the tofu planks and sprinkle with the scallion greens.