You’re only thirty minutes away from The Easiest Crispy Tofu Ever! Perfectly seasoned, low oil, gluten-free, and ready in a flash, this crave-able snack is perfect as an appetizer served with yummy dipping sauces, as a filling for wraps, or thrown into a stir-fry!
I’m pretty sure making perfectly crispy tofu without a lot of fuss is like the holy grail of vegan cooking. If you’re new to cooking tofu and feel a little intimidated by the squashy white cube, or if you’re an old hat and just want to try a different way of making your favorite protein, I have a recipe that even the tofu wary in your life will love!
Tips for the Easiest Crispy Tofu
Tofu type matters!
Extra firm tofu is key for the best crispy tofu. As the name suggests, extra firm tofu is the most compact form you can purchase. It holds up well to slicing, and its versatility can not be understated. I like softer tofus for many other dishes, but for crispy tofu, you just can’t beat extra firm.
Press for as long as possible.
For the crispiest tofu, you want as much liquid out of the tofu as possible. If you can, plan to press your tofu for at least 30 minutes. To press the tofu, all you have to do is wrap the block in a clean kitchen cloth or paper towel a few times and set it on the counter with something heavy on top. I use my cast iron skillet for this, which works like a charm.
There’s lots of tofu pressing gadgets, and while they may help, as a person with a tiny kitchen and very little storage, if the gadget doesn’t serve more than one function, I don’t have room for it <3
Spice up the marinade!
Tofu is, for all intents and purposes, a glorified protein sponge. If you make a tasty sauce, some of it will be imparted to the tofu during a marinade session. The marinade can be as fancy or simple as you like! For this basic crispy tofu recipe, I used some of my favorite flavors; soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and ginger, but there are an infinite number of options. Here are a few other delicious marinades that would all work with this recipe.
- Italian – olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt
- Spicy orange – orange juice, olive oil, rice wine vinegar, sugar, garlic powder, soy sauce, chili paste
- Barbeque – barbeque sauce, brown sugar, black pepper, liquid smoke
There’s some disagreement among tofu enthusiasts as to whether the marinade step is beneficial beyond making the cook feel like they’re doing something snazy in the kitchen. For me, there’s no question. The marinade definitely adds a little pizazz to the tofu; plus, when you reserve the marinade, you are halfway to a kick-ass dipping sauce!
The secret ingredient
The secret not so secret to perfectly crisp, easy tofu is starch! Cornstarch kind of adheres to the moisture in the tofu and marinade, creating a very thin crust. Cornstarch works perfectly every time! Take the quickly marinated tofu from the sauce and toss it in about 3 tablespoons of cornstarch.
You can relive your childhood “Shake and Bake” fantasies and add it to a ziplock bag, or just roll it around in a bowl until it’s evenly coated. Be sure to give any over-coated pieces a little shake off before placing them on the parchment-lined bake sheet.
The mid-bake oil toss
About halfway through baking, your tofu will be a little pale. Fear not! This trick will get you golden in no time.
When your tofu is about halfway through the cooking time, carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and add a tablespoon or so of oil directly to the pan.
Grab a spatula, and give those little tofu nuggets a good toss around in the oil until evenly coated. Then just pop it back in the oven and sit back!
In minutes you will have the crispy golden tofu of your dreams!
Bake, Don’t Fry
Unless it’s a really special occasion (or fried green tomatoes), I’m not going to try shallow frying or, heaven forbid, deep frying anything. Why? About a billion reasons, but they all start with – it’s just too much oil and too much mess, damn it.
Please don’t get me wrong; I freaking love fried tofu, spring rolls, and vegan hot dogs. However, I don’t love smoking my house out or dealing with a heavy skillet of hot oil.
Baking tofu that’s been coated in a little cornstarch gives you the crispness of fried, without the mess or the oil! Clean-up is so much easier, and you can save your frying skillet for things that really warrant the extra effort. *Coming Soon End of Season Fried Green Tomatoes*
Ingredients and Substitutions for The Easiest Crispy Tofu Ever
- Extra Firm Tofu – Only extra firm will do! Well pressed and cubed into any size, this tofu is perfect for this recipe! Find it in the refrigerated section of your grocery store.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch is the secret to perfectly crisp tofu. Besides its almost magical crispy properties, cornstarch is perfect for thickening sauces, stews, and more. A substitution for cornstarch is arrowroot. It thickens sauces well, but I would not use it for crispy tofu. The result is a little slippery and can break down in saucier dishes.
- Oil – Almost any oil works for this, so use whichever is most convenient or suitable to the type of meal you are making. For this dish, I used sesame oil in the marinade and canola to toss the tofu in halfway through baking.
- Salt – Like the oil, the type of salt you decide to use can change according to your dish. Since this uses my favorite Asian-inspired flavors, I opted for soy sauce, but Braggs Liquid Aminos, Coconut Aminos, or plain old table salt would all work as a substitute.
Sauce Ideas and Storage for The Easiest Crispy Tofu
Much like the marinades, there’s almost no end to the ways you can sauce this easy crispy tofu. Here are some suggestions:
- Buffalo – Franks Red Hot, vegan butter, garlic powder
- Teriyaki– Homemade or storebought teriyaki, pineapple juice, ginger powder, brown sugar
- Hoisin – Vegan hoisin sauce, soy sauce, garlic powder, ginger powder
This tofu will stay well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. However, the crispy texture will have dissipated a bit.
To crisp it back up, try tossing it in a cast iron skillet with a teeny bit of oil for a few minutes, or toss it in the oven at 350 for 5 to 10 minutes.
Whichever method you choose will not be as good as eating it just out of the oven, so my best advice is to try not to have leftovers (like it’s hard!)
The Easiest Crispy Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon ginger
Instructions
- First, press the tofu. Wrap the extra firm block in a couple of paper towels or a clean kitchen cloth. Place something heavy, like a cast iron skillet, on top of the tofu for at least 30 minutes.
- Set the oven temperature to 425 degrees, convect if you have that option.
- Slice the pressed tofu into cubes by cutting lengthwise into quarters, turning to the short side and slicing down to divide the block into halves, and then slicing again in the opposite (short side) direction four or five times until you have cubes. Place the cubes into a medium-sized bowl. Any shape works for this, but I like the teeny cubes best.
- Mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger together, and then pour over the tofu. Let marinate for a bit while the oven heats up.
- Once the oven is to temperature, place the cornstarch into another bowl or a ziplock bag. Drain the tofu from the marinade and place it into the cornstarch. Shake or stir gently until the tofu is completely covered. Place the coated tofu onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in the preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, remove the pan from the oven. The tofu will look a little powdery and pale. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil directly to the parchment paper. Carefully toss the tofu cubes around in the oil until all pieces are relatively evenly coated.Return to the oven. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until the tofu is golden brown and crispy. Eat!
Notes
I want to thank you so much for reading! If you make this, please let me know! Tag me @vegansfordinner on Instagram.
Thank you!
<3
Sonia
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