The Best Spicy Crispy Tofu Bites Recipes

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.

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.

CRISPY TOFU BITES

Steps:

• Drain tofu, place on a plate, and stack heavy plates on top of it to drain any extra moisture, at least 15 minutes. Slice into 24 bite-size pieces.
• Combine flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag. Toss tofu into bag, seal completely, and shake to coat. Transfer tofu pieces to a plate, shaking off any excess flour.
• Pour vegetable oil into a skillet; heat on medium-high until just smoking. Cook tofu, turning often, until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per side.

SPICY BAKED TOFU

Steps:

• Lay the tofu on a plate lined with a couple sheets of paper towel. Layer more paper towel atop tofu and place another plate atop the stack to press water from the tofu. Let sit at least 5 minutes.
• Cut tofu into 1/2-inch strips and put into a large, sealable plastic bag; add soy sauce, chili sauce, ginger, and hoisin sauce. Squeeze bag to remove excess air and seal. Marinate tofu in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Remove tofu from the marinade, shake to remove excess moisture, and arrange onto the prepared baking sheet. Discard the remaining marinade.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, flip, and continue baking until firm, 15 to 20 minutes more.

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!