QUICK & EASY CRISPY TOFU (25 MINUTES!)
If you follow my Instagram stories you likely already know I’ve been tinkering with my How To Make Tofu Taste Good recipe to make the process even faster (20-25 minutes!).
I thought it wasn’t possible to make crispy tofu without baking it for at least 30-40 minutes. But, I was wrong.
QUICK & EASY CRISPY TOFU
The fastest, easiest way to make crispy tofu for any dish. Just 4 ingredients and 20 minutes required! Perfect for adding to stir fries, curries and more!
PREP TIME
10 minutes
COOK TIME
20 minutes
TOTAL TIME
30 minutes
Servings:
2
(entrée servings)
Category: Protein, Side
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 3 Days
Ingredients
16 ounces extra firm tofu (extra firm is important)
1 healthy pinch sea salt
1 tsp desired seasoning (such as curry powder, chili powder, tamari, tandoori spice, etc.)
1 Tbsp coconut, avocado or grape seed oil (if avoiding oil, skip this, but tofu may stick to a bare pan)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and wrap your extra firm tofu in an absorbent towel. Set something heavy on top - like a cast iron skillet - to press out extra moisture for 5 minutes.
Unwrap tofu and cut into small cubes (see photo), then add to a medium mixing bowl and season with a pinch of salt and desired seasoning, which will vary depending on your dish. I was adding mine to a curry, so I added curry powder. If adding to a BBQ dish, try a BBQ seasoning blend. Or if adding to a Thai dish, try a Thai curry powder. If you want it to remain neutral in flavor and just crisp up, simply season with salt and skip the extra seasoning.
Heat a large oven-safe metal or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the oil and the seasoned tofu. Sauté for 5 minutes, shaking/flipping occasionally to cook on all sides, until tofu has a slight crust on each side and has begun to brown.
Transfer skillet to oven to bake for about 15 minutes, or until the tofu is firm to the touch and has begun to dry out and crisp up. The longer it bakes, the firmer it gets. I found the 15-minute mark to be about right.
Now you have crispy tofu to add to virtually any dish you'd like! While the tofu is crispy and slightly seasoned, it does still benefit from a sauce, such as Peanut Sauce, my Almond Butter Glaze, a Curry Sauce, or my Garlic Dill Sauce. Best when fresh, but can be stored in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat in a 375 degree F (190 C) oven until very hot.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with salt and without extra sauce/seasonings.
*Method adapted from my Make Tofu Taste Good recipe.