My husband’s family has had a favorite “get together” restaurant in his old town for a few years now (granted, we haven’t been in awhile due to a certain pandemic). We’re a tough bunch because we have a handful of Celiac’s in the family, another with a pretty complicated set of allergies, and another group of vegan/plant-based eaters (along with quite a few who aren’t). This restaurant has enough options to make everyone happy, but it also has the subject of today’s recipe – a delicious crispy tofu dish that we have been craving this last year. The dish from the restaurant, though, is deep fried in oil, so obviously I wanted to come up with a recipe of my own that could be made oil free, at home.
Figuring out what should go in it was easy enough – it’s a pretty basic Asian-flavored-inspired dish and having already tasted the deep fried version quite a few times, I knew what I was going for in terms of flavor.
Having not yet made a tofu recipe for the flavor (aside from my yellow curry recipe which just uses tofu straight out of the carton) the piece I needed to figure out, though, was ensuring I got both the base tofu texture right, and then the oil-free baked and/or aired fried cooking.
I tested various pressing times (15 and 30 minutes) and even tried freezing the tofu to make sure I was getting exactly what I wanted from this recipe. And here’s what I learned:
- Always use firm tofu
- While pressing your tofu for 15 minutes will suffice, you won’t be extracting as much moisture so your tofu cubes will be more delicate when they’re baking/frying, making them more likely to break apart
- 30 minutes is the sweet spot, referencing the issues in the note above
- While freezing tofu has it’s place, it’s not right for this recipe.
On that last note, if you’ve never considered freezing your tofu, it’s worth giving it a try. Pressing it first (for 30 minutes), freezing it completely and then thawing it out before baking completely alters the texture of the tofu, making it more meaty and chewy than unboxed or pressed tofu. I could see it being a great option for marinated-tofu dishes where you’re really craving a mock meat without wanting to actually use a mock meat.
For this recipe though, because you’re using some pretty basic flavors before you crisp it up and you’re not marinating it, and having a chewier, meatier texture inside a crispy exterior actually leaves something to be desired. Simple pressed tofu for that 30 minutes sweet spot, though, has the inside remain softer and less chewy, creating a great balance for the end-dish.
While I’ve already described it some, this recipe is:
- Crispy
- Crunchy on the outside yet soft on the inside
- Chewy
- Flavorful
- Golden-brown and caramelized on the outside and very tasty
This crispy tofu can be served as a simple side with some sriracha and fresh sliced green onion, or as a topping over Fried Rice or another starchy main. You can also spice it up with some green chiles if you like a little kick in your food (this is how it’s served at the inspirational restaurant so look our for that in the recipe directions). I’ve enjoyed it all of these ways throughout the testing process and highly recommend any one of them!
If you try out this recipe, please share it with me by commenting here or on my YouTube channel, or even tagging me in a photo on Instagram @plantsnotplastic. I read every comment and love hearing from you. Enjoy!
Crispy Tofu
Equipment
- Tofu press (or heavy pot/pan)
- Air fryer (or oven & silicone baking mat or other baking tray liner)
- Medium mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 16 ounce block extra firm tofu cubed, but see directions before cutting
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds raw or toasted
- 1 tbsp cornstarch sub arrowroot powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt optional, but highly recommended
- 1 tbsp soy sauce sub tamari for gluten free
Optional Garnish
- fresh green onion white part, thinly sliced
- green Thai chilies finely diced
- sriracha
Instructions
- Press tofu for 30 minutes using either a tofu press or by setting a heavy pan on top of it [note #1].
- Drain all the liquid, then cut into bite-sized cubes and transfer for a medium mixing bowl [note #2]
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, if you're using it. Prepare a non-stick, lined, or silicone baking sheet on a baking tray.
- Add all ingredients and mix well until all the tofu is evenly coated.
- Bake per below directions (Oven or Air Fryer), throwing in the thai green chiles, if using, in the last 6-10 minutes to soften.
- Serve with additional salt or raw sliced green onion [note #3] or serve as a topping with my Fried Rice!
- Enjoy! [note #4]
Oven
- Pour your tofu onto your baking sheet into a single layer and baking for 25-30 minutes, tossing halfway through, until tofu is a deep brown on the edges.
Air Fryer
- Pour tofu into air fryer basket and cook at 390 for 15-20 minutes, stirring after the first 10 minutes and then every 5 minutes or so to cook evenly.
Video
Notes
- If you're short on time, you can press the tofu for just 15 minutes, but it will be softer in texture overall, and be more likely to break apart in the oven or air fryer when you're turning it over or tossing it.
- To make cubes, I cut my tofu 1) lengthwise down the center (almost as if you're slicing a personal baguette to make a sandwich - think Subway). Then, with the two large, flat rectangles you're left with I 2) make three even cuts lengthwise and 3) four even cuts widthwise to get 40 even cubes from the one block of tofu.
- If you don't like raw green onion, throw them in with the tofu in the last minute or two to soften.
- This recipe is about 50% fat, so while tofu and sesame seeds are not foods that are bad for you, if you are adhering to a high carb, low fat diet you'll want to use this is a topping or a side rather than a whole meal.
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