OK, I get it. Many people don’t like tofu. Many vegetarians don’t even like tofu. Many people don’t know how to cook or even what to do with it. I feel like people are confused by it.
I totally get it. A few years ago, I wasn’t eating tofu., I had no desire because I used to be forced to eat it as a child. But then when I decided to drop meat, I felt like I had to try it out. And after trial and error, I finally know how to cook tofu to make it super crispy and well-seasoned.
Before we get into the recipe, I want to talk a bit more about tofu. On its own, tofu is pretty bland. It’s spongey and tastes like nothing. But that’s the beauty of it. You can bake it, grill it, fry it and scramble it and make a really delicious vegan protein.
But cooking tofu requires a bit of knowledge. You can’t just season it and throw it in the oven unless you want bland, wet tofu. So let’s talk it through.
First things first – you should be buying extra firm tofu., It’s the best version for mimicking meat in a meal. Secondly, you need to press the tofu. Pressing it essentially means taking all the moisture out of it. Tofu comes usually in a container with water, so you need to get rid of all the water to incorporate flavour.
The easiest way is with a tofu press, but I typically wrap mine in paper towel and throw something heavy AF on top of the tofu for 30 minutes. This usually dries it out nicely to be able to add great flavour.
Next, you need to season the tofu. I typically with do a mix of spices and a good bit of sea salt. You can also do soy sauce or tamari if you want. Next you want to add cornstarch and olive oil to make sure it gets nice and crispy when you cook it.
Some people swear by frying tofu to get it crispy, but I’ve had great success baking it at a high temperature and flipping it half way through. I’ve also cooked it in my air fryer and had great results.
When the tofu is cooked, you can toss it in a sauce to amp up the flavours or eat it on its own in a salad, a bowl or by itself with a dipping sauce. The possibilities are endless!
So with all of that said, are you ready to make some crispy tofu! This recipe is easy, and you can use whatever spices you like. Let’s do this!
Crispy Tofu
An easy recipe for delicious and crispy tofu.
- 1 bloack extra firm tofu
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 3 tsp spices of your choice: cumin, harissa, curry powder, garlic powder, etc
- Preheat the oven to 425. Wrap the block of tofu in a tea towel or four to five pieces of paper towel and put something heavy on top of it such as a cast iron skillet. This will press all the liquid out of the tofu. Let it press for 30 minutes. Once the tofu is pressed, turn it on its side and cut it in half. Then place the two squares on top of each other and dice.
- Add the tofu to a bowl along with the salt, pepper, seasonings and cornstarch. Toss until the tofu is completely coated in the spice mixture. Drizzle the oil on the tofu and toss to completely coat the tofu.
- Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray and add the tofu in an even layer. Put in the oven and flip over after 15 minutes. The tofu should be crispy and golden brown. Enjoy immediately.