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Crispy brown tofu cubes on 4 different plates of white and black.
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Crispy Tofu (4 Ways Tested!)

One of the most popular styles of cooking tofu is getting it crispy. But contrary to what many may think, frying is not the only way to achieve a crunchy, golden brown crust with a tender interior. In this guide, we tested four different ways to make crispy tofu. We sure know our favorite ow. How about you?
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Soy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword baked tofu, crispy tofu, fried tofu
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 80kcal
Author Nandor Barta

Equipment

  • Non-stick frying pan (10.5 inch / 26 cm)
  • our Cast-iron Skillet by UnoCasa
  • TofuBud (pressing tofu in 15 minutes)
  • Simple tofu press

Ingredients

  • 10 oz Firm tofu
  • 2 Tbsp Soy sauce
  • 3 Tbsp Vegetable oil
  • 2 Tbsp Corn starch

Instructions

  • Use a firm tofu and press it. 
  • Cut the tofu into ½-inch (cca 1 cm) cubes.
  • Pour soy sauce on tofu cubes. Stir gently not to break the tofu. Let them rest for a couple of minutes. Drain any excess soy sauce.
  • Add cornstarch and mix it evenly; again, try not to break the tofu.

Pan-frying

  • In a pan heat up 3 Tbsp vegetable oil. Once it is hot, add tofu pieces. Fry each side for 2-3 minutes. Once ready take them out to a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Baking

  • Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
  • Spread the coated pieces on a baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving enough space between each piece. Spray some oil on the tofu. Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning them at the halfway point.

Air-frying

  • Add the tofu pieces to the air-fryer basket in a single layer. Spray oil on the tofu and air-fry for eight minutes at 400F (200C). At the halfway point, shake the tray.

Deep-frying

  • Pour sunflower oil into a pot over medium-high heat. Drop in a bit of coating or tofu piece to test whether it is hot enough. If it sizzles, the oil is ready to use.
  • Gently and carefully drop the coated tofu pieces in the oil, making sure the oil does not splash. Fry for 3-4 minutes until the coating gets crispy, then transfer them to a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

Video

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Notes

We tested all 4 cooking methods and showed you the similarities and differences between each result above the recipe card. You can see plenty of photos of the texture and our commentary on the results.