How to Make Crispy Baked Tofu
Learn the tricks to making amazing crispy tofu, without a ton of oil! This tofu is a fantastic addition to Asian dishes and recipes that need extra protein.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
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Let’s talk about tofu! Even as a vegetarian, I don’t eat a ton of it. When I do, however, I want it crispy, and crispy tofu is an elusive beast. I’ve shared this method here and here, but I’ve gotten such fantastic feedback that I wanted to highlight it.
Even tofu skeptics love this tofu. Try it, and you will see!
Tips for Irresistibly Crispy Tofu
1) Choose the right kind of tofu.
Extra-firm tofu is the only way to go, and I’ve found that the Trader Joe’s brand is the most firm of them all (plus, it’s only two dollars). It’s organic, too, which is important when you’re buying tofu because soy is conventionally treated with fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides. Look for tofu in the refrigerated section by the produce.
2) Squeeze out as much moisture as possible.
Water-logged tofu never gets super crispy. The key here is to slice the tofu into pieces before pressing it. Have you ever tried pressing a whole block, or even two halves? They just sit in soggy puddles. Slice them into smaller pieces to maximize the surface area. Press those, and you’ll extract more moisture—faster, too.
3) Toss your tofu in oil, soy sauce and starch.
Now, you just need to toss your tofu in a little oil (just 1 tablespoon for the full batch), tamari or soy sauce (for some flavor) and cornstarch or arrowroot starch. The starch makes the edges extra crispy and irresistible (I got this idea from The Kitchn).
Cornstarch vs. arrowroot: You might be wondering which starch is better. Cornstarch is a more processed ingredient, but it yields the crispiest results. Arrowroot is less processed and works well, but the outer covering can turn a little slippery and strange if you’re adding the tofu to a dish containing a lot of moisture (like curry).
4) Bake it.
Spread your prepared tofu in an even layer across a sheet pan. Don’t worry if your tofu fell apart a bit as you tossed it. Bake until golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Boom! Perfect tofu.
Why Bake Your Tofu?
Some people swear by cooking their tofu in a skillet, but it never turns out well in my cast iron skillets. It sticks, and the crispy bits end up sticking to the pan, which is a tofu tragedy. Plus, it requires more oil, and you don’t need to use a lot of oil to get crispy tofu.
When you bake your tofu, you give it time to develop crispy edges and warm, pillowy insides. It’s simply the best.
Uses for Crispy Baked Tofu
If you want to infuse your tofu with more flavor, I recommend adding sauce after it’s baked, rather than marinating it. Why? Water-logged tofu isn’t actually very good at absorbing flavor (something that I always suspected, which was confirmed by Deborah Madison, via Serious Eats).
So, bake your tofu in the oven to crispy perfection, then cook it in sauce, or drizzle sauce on top. This tofu is perfect for tossing into any recipe with Asian flavors, or any recipe that could benefit from some hearty vegetarian protein. It would be great in my Thai red curry or green curry.
You could replace the eggs in my kale and coconut fried rice and Thai pineapple fried rice with this tofu. It is amazing with peanut sauce drizzled on top, in any form. (Fun fact: my crispy tofu and peanut sauce collide in my cookbook!)
Please let me know how your tofu turns out in the comments! I want to hear how you put it to use.
Watch How to Make Crispy Baked Tofu
How to Make Crispy Baked Tofu
Here is how to make super crispy tofu in the oven. Recipe yields 4 servings of tofu, as a complement to a larger meal.
Ingredients
- 1 block (12 to 15 ounces) organic extra-firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tamari* or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot starch
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my roasted Brussels sprouts and crispy baked tofu with honey-sesame glaze.
*Make it gluten free: This dish is gluten free as long as you use gluten-free tamari, which is a variety of soy sauce that is usually (but not always, check the label) gluten free. I always use tamari instead of soy sauce because I prefer the flavor of it! Look for tamari next to the soy sauce in the Asian aisle of the grocery store.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Quick , easy way to make tofu with a good consistency. Definitely liked it better than the consistency I get when I sauté the tofu. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Terry! Thank you for your review.
Made this recipe and so amazing for texture and flavor! Would like to make it as a finger food for my infant but infants can’t have salt – is the recipe still good without the soy sauce?
You can try something else to help marinate it! I do think it needs some flavor. Let me know what you try.
I would try garlic, cumin, and ginger. Or (I know this is odd) the Trader Joe’s everything but the elote seasoning. That one has a tiny bit of sodium (70 mg).
Hi Kate! Love your recipes. I am confused though, all the tofu got so stuck to the baking sheet that I lost half of it when I flipped it halfway through baking! What did I miss?
Hi Jill, I’m sorry to hear that. Did you use parchment paper?
Easy and yummy! Thank you for another great recipe!
Great mixed cornstarch tamari and oil in bowl first then tossed tofu and it coated well , cooked in air fryer and of course pressed first
Pretty perfect
This was really delicious and worked perfectly! It was great because I could focus on the stir-fry on the stovetop while these cooked away quietly in the oven. Even my husband liked it and he’s not exactly the world’s biggest tofu fan. So thanks, I will definitely be using this method going forward.
Thank you for sharing!
Fantastic, simple recipe. Works well in the Air Fryer too!
Great to hear, Ash! I appreciate your review.
Can you put the oven temp somewhere? I couldn’t find it.
Hi Thomas! See step 1.
…Of course I missed Part One of Step One….!
Thank you for all the great recipes I’ve read over the years. I am typically hard-pressed to follow recipes verbatim (please see above), but I find yours to be great guidelines, with terrific additions I may not have thought of.
Because I had marinated the cubes of tofu for internal flavor, they were inevitably a little wetter. So I finally found a use for the bottom-of-bag (unsweetened) shredded wheat crumbs, by tossing a handful of them in with the corn-starched tofu before spreading them out on the sheet. It worked very well. They looked like hairy little beings.
I’ve always been intimidated to make crispy tofu and this recipe is TERRIFIC. A game changer for me!
Thanks, it’s a great recipe. How I can stored the leftover? I don’t want it soggy.
It is best right away. It will loose some of it’s crispy texture leftover. The flavor will still be delicious.
The tofu came out so crispy and is perfect with a good sauce! The only thing I did differently was cutting the tofu into smaller pieces.
sounds great, i will bake my tofu. usually i fry it, but i love to eat it. i’m not eating chicken and really have pulled away from meat and fish. after years of going partial vegetarian i’m almost a vegan now. i feel better and i’m leaner and have energy. TU
Trader joe’s here i come
Just re-discovered Tofu. Your recipe worked great. I did add some baking powder, garlic powder and dried parsley to the corn starch. Sorry, I like to improvise. Served it with veggies and a drizzle of lemon flavored olive oil. Next time I think I will add Romano cheese to the mix. Thanks Like you recipe’s
Your crispy tofu is PERFECT!
It can substitute for nuts in a stir fry if the cubes are small, for meat if you prepare larger cubes or rectangular slabs.
The tofu itself has no taste so before roasting be careful of seasonings You do not want to get the cubes soggy again. I went with salt, when drying the cubes, and sesame oil instead of olive.
Rely on a sauce to amp up flavor when serving.
You are a GODSEND!! I’ve been trying for weeks to get my tofu crispy in my cast iron but it never worked! This came out PERFECT!! Thank you so much :)
You’re welcome, Ashley! I appreciate your review.
I made this with (thawed) frozen tofu cubes and used potato starch, since that was what I had on hand. The results were AWESOME. I was thrilled. Every recipe of yours has been an unqualified success! Thank you, Kathryne!
You’re welcome, Jennie!
Kate,
Have byou ever used a tofu press to extract the liquid from tofu?
I haven’t. I hope you try this method!
I love this recipe. I have been cooking tofu for 40 years but have never tried baking it. Years back, I won a recipe contest for my scrambled tofu. I suggest draining the tofu for an hour or more and then putting it back in the original container. Lightly wet a paper towel and put it on top of the tofu, then leave it in the fridge for a few days or more. After this, it is at a perfect moisture to bake. Then, just cut it into cubes.
This the best method for cooking tofu. It is so delicious, crispy and super easy to make. So far, this has been the best recipe I have used for making crispy tofu. Thank you Kate.
You’re welcome, Lisa!
I’m a long time tofu eater and this way to make it crispy blew my mind. Thank you for the tip! Mmmmmmm mmm mmm !
So good! Thank you! I have tried this in oven and air fryer and both methods came out perfect.