How To Make Crispy Baked Tofu Food

THE BEST CRISPY TOFU

Steps:

• Wrap the tofu in a clean dish towel and place on top of a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Place a heavy pan on top of the tofu and let it sit for 5 minutes to release as much moisture as possible. Unwrap the tofu and slice lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick by 1 1/2-inch-wide planks.
• Whisk the soy sauce, lime juice, agave syrup, scallion whites and sriracha together in a small bowl and set aside. Mix the panko, sesame seeds, cornstarch, garlic salt, onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper in a pie dish or shallow bowl. Press the tofu planks into the panko mixture to coat on all sides.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook, undisturbed, until deep golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the tofu with a metal spatula and continue cooking undisturbed until a deep golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a platter.
• Reduce the heat to low and add the soy-sauce mixture to the pan. Cook until bubbling and slightly thicker, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the tofu planks and sprinkle with the scallion greens.

HOW TO MAKE CRISPY BAKED TOFU

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the tofu from sticking.
• To prepare the tofu: Drain the tofu and use your palms to gently squeeze out some of the water. Slice the tofu into thirds lengthwise so you have 3 even slabs. Stack the slabs on top of each other and slice through them lengthwise to make 3 even columns, then slice across to make 5 even rows (see photos).
• Line a cutting board with a lint-free tea towel or paper towels, then arrange the tofu in an even layer on the towel(s). Fold the towel(s) over the cubed tofu, then place something heavy on top (like another cutting board, topped with a cast iron pan or large cans of tomatoes) to help the tofu drain. Let the tofu rest for at least 10 minutes (preferably more like 30 minutes, if you have the time).
• Transfer the pressed tofu to a medium mixing bowl and drizzle with the olive oil and tamari. Toss to combine. Sprinkle the starch over the tofu, and toss the tofu until the starch is evenly coated, so there are no powdery spots remaining.
• Tip the bowl of tofu over onto your prepared baking sheet and arrange the tofu in an even layer. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing the tofu halfway, until the tofu is deeply golden on the edges. Use as desired.

CRISPY BLACKENED TOFU

Steps:

• Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
• Slice the tofu through the center so that you create two separate slabs. Then, cut each of those slabs in half to make 4 steaks. I cut them into triangles, but do as you prefer.
• Place the tofu in a dish with a flat bottom. Then, pour in the soy sauce and let the tofu marinate for at least 15 minutes.
• Add the blackened seasoning spice onto a plate or dish with a flat bottom. Press the tofu into the spices and rotate until all sides are covered fairly well.
• Cook in a hot nonstick skillet for 3-5 minutes per side. I love using cast iron for this recipe.

CRISPY BAKED TOFU

Steps:

• Start by pressing the tofu. Drain the water from the package. Place a paper towel on a plate, then place the towel on top of the paper towel. Put another layer of paper towel on top of the tofu, then place something heavy on top of the tofu. I like to do a few cookbooks or my tea kettle. Let sit for at least 15 minutes, longer if possible.
• Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set it aside.
• Remove the tofu from your press and cut the block into cubes. I usually do about 1" cubes.
• Place the cubes in a bowl. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Transfer the cubes onto the baking sheet. Make sure each cube is laying flat and has space on all four sides.
• Bake on the center rack for 20 minutes. Flip the tofu and bake for another 15 - 20 minutes until the tofu is crispy.*
• Serve immediately with your favorite dish.

CRISPY SWEET AND SOUR BAKED TOFU

Steps:

• Remove tofu from package. Place between paper towels or tea towels and put a moderately heavy book on top for 30 minutes to press out the water.
• Slice into 9 slices, cutting each in half (18 pieces).
• Beat egg with water and set aside.
• Combine wheat germ, flour and breadcrumbs and set aside.
• Dip each piece of tofu into egg mixture and then gently press into crumb mixture, covering well. Place on greased baking sheet and bake at 350' for 30 minutes, turning once.
• While tofu is cooking, mix sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch/water into a small saucepan and whisk over medium heat until sugar and salt are dissolved.
• Add cornstarch mixture and whisk until the sauce thickens. When thick, turn off heat and set aside.
• When tofu is cooked, pour sauce on top and gently toss or use spoon to coat. Sauce should be thick and sticky....
• Top with sesame seeds and serve.

CRISPY BAKED TOFU

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Blot tofu dry. Cut into 3/4-in. cubes. Place on a clean kitchen towel; cover with another towel. Place a cutting board on top; gently place a large cast iron skillet on top. Let stand 10 minutes. , Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, whisk together soy sauce, olive oil, sesame oil, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Place cornstarch in a separate shallow dish. Add tofu to soy mixture; turn to coat. Add tofu, a few pieces at a time, to the cornstarch; toss to coat. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake until cubes are golden brown and crispy, 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through. Garnish with green onions, if desired.

CRISPY TOFU

Steps:

• Drain the tofu, wrap in 4-5 sheets of kitchen paper, put on a plate and put something heavy over the top, like a wooden chopping board, or a tray with a few tins on it. Leave for 20 mins to drain the excess moisture from the tofu.
• Mix the cornflour, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Unravel the tofu from the paper, cut in half through the centre, then cut into triangles, cubes or strips.
• Toss the tofu pieces in the spiced cornflour to coat all over. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the tofu for 2-4 mins on each side until golden, crunchy and browned at the edges. Smaller cubes will take 2 mins each side, larger triangles will take 4 mins. Cook in batches if you need to, adding a little more oil if the pan gets dry.
• Drain the cooked tofu on kitchen paper and season with a pinch more salt before serving.

BAKED TOFU

Steps:

• Slice your block of tofu into 2 or 3 even slabs (depending on the shape of your tofu block, each slab should be about 3/4 to 1-inch thick). Lay some paper towels or a clean tea towel on a flat surface, and place the slabs side by side on top of the paper towels. Cover with another layer of paper towels. Then place a cutting board on top of the tofu, and stack a bunch of heavy cans or pots or whatever you can safely balance on the cutting board. The idea is to put a lot of pressure/weight on the tofu, which will help the excess water to press out into the paper towels. Let the tofu drain for at least 15-30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat your oven to 400°F.
• Once the tofu has drained, remove the weights and paper towels. And use a knife to cut the tofu into your desired shapes. I typically just make little cubes (about 3/4-inch each), but you can cut any size of triangles, rectangles, or other shapes that you'd like.
• Add your tofu to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and toss until evenly coated. Sprinkle evenly with cornstarch, salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Gently toss until the tofu is evenly coated.
• Turn the tofu out onto a parchment-covered baking sheet, and arrange it so that the tofu is in an even layer (not touching).
• Bake for 15 minutes. Then remove the baking sheet from the oven, and flip each of the tofu bites so that they can cook evenly on the other side. Return to the oven for 15-20 more minutes, or until the tofu reaches your desired level of crispiness. Remove baking sheet from the oven.
• And enjoy!

CRISPY BAKED TOFU

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Drain the tofu and slice into thirds lengthwise so you have 3 even slabs. Lay the slabs on top of each other and slice through them lengthwise to make 3 even columns, then slice across to make 5 even rows (see video).
• Gently move the tofu to the side and line cutting board with a lint-free towel or paper towels. Lay the tofu in an even layer on the towel and then top with another towel ad some heavy things (I like to stack my cast iron skillet on top of a baking sheet but anything heavy will do).
• Let the tofu sit for 15-30 minutes allowing the liquid to be squeezed out.
• In a medium bowl combine tamari, avocado oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add tofu to the bowl and gently toss until all of the tofu is lightly coated with the seasoning.
• Sprinkle corn starch over the top of seasoned tofu and gently toss together.
• Lat tofu out on your prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, flipping the tofu halfway through.
• Once your tofu is done it will be crispy and golden brown on the edges. Serve as desired and enjoy!

BAKED CRISPY PEANUT TOFU

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Start pressing tofu using a tofu press, or wrap in clean, absorbent towel and set something heavy - like a cast iron skillet or books - on top to press out the moisture. Press for about 15-20 minutes.
• In the meantime, prepare peanut sauce by combining peanut butter, tamari, chili garlic sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, and sesame oil in a small mixing bowl and whisking thoroughly to combine. Set aside.
• Cut pressed tofu into 3/4-inch cubes and add to a large plate. Top with tamari or soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, and maple syrup. Gently toss to combine using hands or a spoon. Let marinate 2-3 minutes, stirring/tossing occasionally.
• Use a slotted spoon or your hands to transfer tofu to a quart-size or large freezer bag. Add cornstarch 1 Tbsp at a time and toss to coat. Continue adding more cornstarch and tossing until tofu is coated in a gummy, white layer (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
• Transfer tofu to the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 20-25 minutes, flipping at the 18-minute mark to encourage even baking. It should be firm to the touch, firm on the edges, and slightly browned on the exterior once removed from the oven. Bake slightly longer if needed.
• Heat a large metal or cast iron skillet (12 inch) over medium heat. Once hot, add tofu and the peanut sauce. Toss to coat. Stirring frequently, sauté the tofu for about 2 minutes, or until the tofu is hot and well coated with peanut sauce.
• At this point it's ready to eat! Enjoy as is or with any Asian-inspired dish. We love it with our Mango Curry, Noodle-Free Pad Thai, or these Thai Noodle Bowls!

BAKED CURRY TOFU

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, mix together the ketchup, butter, maple syrup, curry powder, garlic powder and onion powder. Add the tofu and gently toss to combine, taking care not to break up the pieces, and season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange the tofu on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the tofu is nicely browned and crispy and the sauce has caramelized, about 30 minutes. Serve over brown rice with steamed broccoli and fresh cubed mango.