How to Make Crispy Tofu (Easy & Delicious!)

Okay friends: let’s talk tofu. Tofu is the type of food that is surrounded by mystery. If you eat it, you like it, and if you don’t, you have no idea why anyone does eat it LOL. I think for most of us, including myself prior to learning how to cook it, I thought of tofu as a really boring protein that quite frankly tasted like cardboard.

After having a few tofu dishes out at restaurants however and LOVING them, I was absolutely determined to learn how to cook it myself at home. After a lot of trial and error, FINALLY, I have found the very best crispy tofu recipe that today I am sharing with you. 🙂

The pros to tofu dishes are:

-Tofu is such an affordable protein source when compared to meat.

-It’s a super healthy protein. Tofu is literally just soybeans lol. No extra additives, etc!

-It takes on the flavor of whatever you want it to. After learning how versatile tofu is, I became obsessed with it. It works in SO many different dishes, and I’m constantly finding new ways to use it.

Have I convinced you to give it a try yet? Seriously, I think you will be so surprised how much you love it! I have been in the habit of making a few blocks at the beginning of the week, then saving them in a Tupperware in the fridge to throw into weekly dishes! It’s a total time saver and I love having this healthy snack on hand.

How to Make Crispy Tofu (Easy & Delicious!)

Ingredients:

• 1 block of extra firm tofu
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• Seasoning: salt, pepper, garlic, cumin, chili powder
• 2 Tbsp oil

1. Remove the tofu from the packaging and drain the liquid.
2. Next, wrap it in a few paper towels and place something heavy on top (here I used a big cookbook!). Leave for 15-20 minutes. Pressing your tofu allows the liquid to come out, which creates a meatier texture.
3. After the time is up, chop up the tofu into small cubes. I like to cut it in half width-wise first, to make it easier to cube.
4. Once chopped, add to a bowl, and add 2 heaping Tbsps of cornstarch. Toss until evenly coated. The cornstarch is my favorite hidden ingredient – it gives the tofu a super crispy outer layer when cooking.
5. Then, add in your seasonings! I like to use salt, pepper, cumin, chili, and garlic. Toss again until coated.
6. Next, add to a well-oiled skillet (about 1-2 Tbsps of oil), and cook over medium heat.
7. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, until each side is crispy. You have to be a bit gentle when flipping the pieces, but once they’re cooked and crispy you can toss them around easily.
8. Remove from the skillet once crispy, and eat!

I love adding tofu to salads, bowls, or eating alone with some rice and a green! It’s also perfect as a high protein snack or appetizer since it’s small and delicious. Here, I paired it to with a my favorite dip (buffalo sauce + vegan mayo).