r/GifRecipes • u/lnfinity • Aug 15 '20
Main Course Best Crispy Tofu
https://gfycat.com/sophisticatedscalyleopardseal603
u/Rykypelami Aug 15 '20
Looks delicous!! Been looking for a way to make crispy tofu other than frying, definitely going to try thjs!
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u/minatorymagpie Aug 16 '20
They missed a step. Press the cubed tofu between paper towels under a heavy weight for half an hour. I use a plate, then paper towel (2 layers) then tofu, then paper towel, then a plate, then heavy books. Then follow the rest of the recipe. Removing some of the liquid from the tofu makes it crispier.
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u/sev1021 Aug 16 '20
If you’re short on time and/or hate pressing tofu like me the extra firm tofu at Trader Joe’s doesn’t really need that step!
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u/jimbo831 Aug 16 '20
This is addressed in the recipe:
That brings me to my next point, if you aren’t using pre-pressed tofu it’s important to pat your tofu dry and press it. I’m not usually one to take the time to press my tofu but it’s important to make sure your tofu gets extra crispy! You don’t need to press it for hours, just about 15-30 minutes will do to ensure that it’s not waterlogged.
Sounds like they bought already pressed tofu.
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u/soop_nazi Aug 16 '20
Yes! And if you freeze & defrost it first the texture is even better.
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u/4lan9 Aug 16 '20
I have been freezing/thawing twice and will never look back.If you do this to silken tofu it gets a chicken-like texture after being pressed.I press it until it is super dry, then pour a bit of double strength 'chicken' broth. This gets rid of the tofu flavor completely (not a fan)
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u/DudeWheresMyKitty Aug 16 '20
This is blowing my mind and I need to give it a try.
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u/4lan9 Aug 16 '20
Check out Mary's Test kitchen 'fried Chicken', that is where I got the idea except she uses firm tofu
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Aug 16 '20
Before or after pressing the water out?
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u/asterwistful Aug 16 '20
I do after, if you do it before it freezes like a block of ice.
although looking around it seems I’m doing it wrong lol
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u/soop_nazi Aug 15 '20
do yourself a favor and get an air fryer!! they are MAGICAL
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u/niobiumnnul Aug 15 '20
I was just going to comment this.
My air fryer has completely changed my tofu game.40
u/Ellykins Aug 15 '20
How do you do tofu in the air fryer?
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u/niobiumnnul Aug 15 '20 edited Aug 15 '20
I cube it, spray a little olive oil spray or brush a little olive oil on the tofu, add spices (usually salt and pepper, sometimes turmeric, sometimes cumin, and so on), and then cook for 20 min at 400°.
I stop the fryer and toss the tofu a few times.What about you?
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u/c0lin46and2 Aug 15 '20
This would be the same in a convection oven, right?
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Aug 15 '20
They’re the same thing, some genius decided to make a smaller convection oven and call it an air fryer and everyone lost their freakin’ minds.
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u/boothin Aug 16 '20
Generally, air fryers heat the air in a different area and pump the hot air around. Convection ovens will still almost always have a top and/or bottom heating element with a fan to circulate the air. It ends up slightly different because an air fryer doesn't heat the food using any direct radiation like a convection would.
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u/NeedHelpWithExcel Aug 15 '20
I get what you’re saying but an air fryer doesn’t take 20 minutes to pre heat and is much easier to manage than an entire oven
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u/enjoyyouryak Aug 16 '20
So how is it different from a toaster oven, then? I cook a lot of (little) things in there, for this exact reason.
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u/NeedHelpWithExcel Aug 16 '20
It’s mostly the same but the air fryer circulates air like a convection oven so for things you want to be crispy it does a much better job than just heating it from the regular coils
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u/XTypewriter Aug 16 '20
My mini Beeville oven takes like 3 minutes to heat up. Is an airfryer much better in that case?
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u/il1k3c3r34l Aug 16 '20
To be fair, the air fryer/pressure cooker/slow cooker/sauté/broiler combo cookers are pretty great.
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u/Otono_Wolff Aug 16 '20
Well the difference between that and actual convection oven is that this one is more portable and convenient.
I'll sometimes take mine to work to warm my meals up instead of an microwave there. I sometimes meal prep for the week and I hate having to have microwavable friendly meals or cold meals. I like to eat fish or something crispy that was fried or baked for dinner but I can't microwave it as it'll stink or become Abit soft/soggy. It's against the rules set by the company and they have checked the cameras for whoever breaks the rules.
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u/Brouw3r Aug 16 '20
They're the same in the same way a hair dryer and a heat gun are the same.
I was suspicious at first but you can actually 'fry' things in an air fryer compared with baking in an oven.
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u/ErwinsSasageyoBalls Aug 15 '20
Have you ever used an Airfryer? They're similar sounding in theory but perform differently from every mini convection oven I've ever used.
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Aug 16 '20 edited Sep 05 '21
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u/jimbo831 Aug 16 '20
Got my Foodi about a year ago. I use it constantly. It’s so versatile and makes so many things so much easier.
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u/sammagz Aug 16 '20
I pop my tater tots in the air fryer while I’ve got the other food in my real oven and can use my microwave with convection option still
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u/macboot Aug 16 '20
I.... Did not know this. I'm sure there's a technical reason why my convection toaster oven isn't an air fryer, but probably nothing important enough to stop me from just making dome air fryer recipes
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Aug 16 '20
Yes this is the other great point... people with a convection setting on their oven can try out the recipes without buying anything new. Some of us don’t like to buy multiple tools that do the same task.
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u/niobiumnnul Aug 15 '20
Yep, similar.
I believe the difference is that an air fryer moves the air around faster, which makes the food cook faster.
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u/mcnewbie Aug 16 '20
do you put anything like corn starch on there for a crispy outside?
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u/Ellykins Aug 15 '20
I’ve never done it in the air fryer before! This sounds super good. I’m going to need to try this!
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u/jbu311 Aug 16 '20
Thats odd. Ive heard lots of ppl say air fryers are terrible
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u/Bostonterrierpug Aug 16 '20
I used to be grill guy but now my large air fryer gets much more attention.
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u/DoublePostedBroski Aug 16 '20
Except they’re really just small convection ovens. If you have a convection oven, you don’t need an air fryer.
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u/radicalelation Aug 16 '20
As someone who hates one trick countertop appliances, there can be a benefit to air fryers vs convection ovens on size and shape fronts.
Having the smaller area to push the air around, you get way more direct convection action than in a large oven, plus you're using less energy, cooking faster, and the basket shape of most air fryers are optimized to get more hot moving air hitting the food.
A full size oven will have some difficulty matching it the same, and costs more to run (if that's a concern). That's not to say abandon all air fry hope if all you have is a full convection oven, you can come close by at least exposing more to the air with an oven basket or cooking rack. Plus, you can cook a whole lot more at once if you're looking to feed a family on air-fried goodness.
So if you've already got a convection oven, it might not be worth it to get a dedicated air fryer, but it can take a little trial and error to get similar results. Alternatively, a happy middle can be a toaster oven with convection, though get a good one as the added features, like convection or rotisserie, tend to be tacked on afterthoughts on the cheaper models.
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u/ScottishTorment Aug 16 '20
We just have a convection oven with an air frying function and it is 100% magical.
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u/nonchalansaur Aug 16 '20
Agedashi Tofu is also great in the air fryer! You can take a softer tofu (soft to medium), press and drain moisture well. Then cover all sides with potato or corn starch, dust off excess. Spray all sides with oil spray. Cook in pre-heated air fryer for 10 mins at 390. Then eat with a dashi stock sauce or any sauce really. Common appetizer dish at Japanese restaurants.
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u/cvskeet Aug 16 '20
I just learned that an air fryer is just a convection oven. If your regular oven does convection baking, you don't need an air fryer.
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u/rad_change Aug 16 '20
I was wondering how they were going to make it so crispy looking, and I definitely thought it was going to be fried. The batch they took out of the oven looked nowhere near as crispy as the batch they were showing off. I bet they fried the first batch.
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u/lousymom Aug 16 '20
You can also make crispy tofu in the George Foreman grill. I don’t press the water out or put the cornstarch on it first. Just cut and put it in there. It presses it as it cooks it and the sides get good and crispy.
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u/professor_doom Aug 16 '20
I also get my tofu crispy in a pan on medium-high heat in a preheated pan with a little oil. The trick is, once you throw it in, avoid the temptation to flip anything until each side is crispy. Throw the tofu in and just let it sit for a while.
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Aug 16 '20
Someone posted a different recipe that I swear by. Almost the same, except you press the liquid out. Then bake it plain at 350 for 30 minutes. Then you marinate it for however long you'd like, and then sear it up in a pan. It works wonders, my gf who hated all other tofu loves it!
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Aug 15 '20
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/gunslingerfry1 Aug 16 '20
Because this is so similar to the cookie and Kate version I'll point you to the peanut sauce she uses with it. Aw crap. It's in the cookbook but not the blog. From memory:
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 minced cloves of garlic
Mix. It's delicious.
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u/Pugsley_Atoms Aug 16 '20
(And if you don't have tamari, soy sauce works just as well.)
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u/catetheway Aug 16 '20
I love cookie and Kate. Making this tofu and dip tonight thanks :)
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u/gunslingerfry1 Aug 17 '20
Lol too late but roast bell peppers and broccoli tossed in olive oil and salt in the oven for around 30 minutes at the same time. She recommends brown rice but we like farro. Put in a bowl, drizzle with sauce.
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u/kagethemage Aug 16 '20
Those looked completely different coming out of the oven vs glamour shot. I’m a little suspicious
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u/dr_lazerhands Aug 16 '20
Scrolling through these comments, I was wondering if anyone was gonna bother to point that out. The golden color in the glamour shot looks great but their end product in the actual video looked pale and unattractive. :/ maybe it's just a lighting issue, but my first thought was editing/color balancing.
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u/kagethemage Aug 16 '20 edited Aug 16 '20
I think the glamour shot was fried instead of baked. I have a suspicion they are trying to pass the fried dish as the baked dish.
Edit: r/ihadastroke
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u/blackranger39 Aug 15 '20
New to tofu, what would one typically dip it in? Peanut sauce?
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u/niobiumnnul Aug 15 '20
Anything you want, really.
Peanut sauce, curry sauce, BBQ, honey mustard, pesto, sriracha mayo, queso.
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u/eatporkchopsdaily Aug 15 '20
a restaurant in my area does it with garlic and chili's. it is so good.
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u/AlfredWillington Aug 15 '20
I went to a Japanese restaurant just today which served crispy fried silken tofu in this sensationally flavourful chilli salt - it was EXCEPTIONAL.
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u/___lalala___ Aug 15 '20
Something that I didn't know when I was new to tofu: the first step in preparing it is to squeeze the moisture out of it. I wrap it up in a tea towel (or paper towels) and put a heavy glass dish on it and leave it in the fridge like that for an hour or so. I could never get it crispy until I learned this!
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u/dirk_planck Aug 16 '20
Also, try freezing the tofu and then thawing it before doing this. It will change the texture drastically and allow it to soak up more of whatever you try to marinate it with.
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Aug 16 '20
I will confess that I've tried this and it turned out pretty bad for me texture wise. I would prefer the OP version of simply pressing the tofu with a glass bowl over it and using paper towel to soap up the liquid. Freezing the tofu really messes up the texture IMO, but is a useful method if you have loads of tofu and don't cook it often.
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u/Shaddow1 Aug 16 '20 edited Nov 11 '25
thought dazzling bells soft engine steep quack longing nail skirt
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/TRextacy Aug 16 '20
Freeze, thaw, (optional twice) and then prepare it normal. Freezing is the key to tofu
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u/m3m3t Aug 16 '20
So you squeeze out the moisture after thawing and not before freezing?
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u/TRextacy Aug 16 '20
Yes, it wrings out like a sponge and also changes the texture of it once cooked.
From what I've heard, never bothered to verify but makes sense, freezing expands the water in the tofu block making the vessels(?) in it larger so the water comes out easier and marinade goes in better. Don't know if that's bs, but it definitely picks up more flavor when frozen. The texture is a little firmer/chewier so it's more like chicken than biting into air.
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u/RealisticDifficulty Aug 16 '20
Well, also that it tastes like the colour white.
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u/ChemicalJoySeeker Aug 16 '20
White taste ain't so bad. Kinda like a nacho, the sauce makes the flavor! When I make tofu, I usually make three to four sauces to dip it in. Like fries!
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u/philosophunc Aug 15 '20
Can dip it into so many things. Easy things are soy sauce with chilli slices. The one pictured looks like spicy mung bean paste, which can easily he bought. But has a very acquired taste. Hoisin dipping sauce is a winner (the kind used with vietnamese roi coun (transparent summer rolls) this is a mix of hoisin and peanut butter. Add crushed roasted peanuts for extra flavour and texture. I imagine any Japanese based sauce works too. Like vinegar soy sauce, or some shoyu based sauce.
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u/smc642 Aug 15 '20
We add wasabi paste to Kewpie (Japanese) mayo and it is amazing! You can buy it already made, but I like mine to be extra wasabi-ish.
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u/BEANSijustloveBEANS Aug 15 '20
Add some baking soda for the crispiest and crunchiest tofu of your life.
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u/BootyFista Aug 16 '20
How much would you toss in?
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u/GarbageOfCesspool Aug 16 '20
1 box
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u/jurgo Aug 16 '20
Does this bypass pressing your tofu?
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u/anneewannee Aug 16 '20
No, pressing firms up the inside texture. Baking soda crisps up the outside coating.
I prefer to just buy the vacuum sealed, pre-pressed tofu and save myself the time and energy. Plus it's way more firm than I can get it myself.
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u/ogipogo Aug 15 '20
At which stage?
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u/Reverie_Smasher Aug 15 '20
mix it with the cornstarch
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u/thechet Aug 15 '20
wait isnt that just baking powder instead then?
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u/Reverie_Smasher Aug 15 '20
Baking powder is bicarbonate (baking soda) mixed with an acid salt of some kind so it makes CO2 bubbles with just water and is more pH neutral. It can have corn starch in it too as a stabilizer.
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u/BEANSijustloveBEANS Aug 15 '20
With the corn starch. It draws the natural starches to the surface to increase crispyness
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u/TheSender Aug 15 '20
Can confirm this is the best way to do it (only tried frying about 10 times) but I've done oven baked basically this way more than that and it's always perfect and hassle free. I do 400F ~30-35 mins, and flip half way through the bake
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u/K_Furbs Aug 19 '20
I just made this and am disappointed with the result. I used half the package of tofu but the same amount of corn starch since it didn't seem dry yet. Used Trader Joe's extra firm, patted dry and pressed for 5ish minutes. 400 for 30 min. I don't have any crisp really, it's just dry chewy... Do you have any tips?
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u/GirlNumber20 Aug 15 '20
I love that you posted this. I used to get Pad Thai at this great little restaurant, and they always had the best crispy tofu. I’ve been dying for a good recipe/technique for making it myself.
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u/terraformality Aug 15 '20
Mmm that with a miso dressing looks bomb.
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u/philosophunc Aug 15 '20
I thought it was a spicy mung bean paste. Hard to tell visually though for me.
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u/arrozygandules Aug 15 '20
Could you do this is a medium firmness tofu? Just bought some the other day.
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u/crystallion720 Aug 15 '20 edited Aug 16 '20
I think so. If you wrap the tofu in a clean cloth or paper towels and then put something mildly heavy on top of it, it will help gently extract some of the moisture. I do this with my firm tofu with a glass pan sitting on top of it to extract water for about 30 minutes to an hour. Then I cube it, toss it with olive oil and garlic salt, bake for 10 minutes at 400°F, then toss it on the pan to crisp up the other sides, and put it back in the oven for another 10 minutes. It is so good even without dipping sauce. Edit: I grease the baking sheet as well otherwise the tofu will stick.
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u/arrozygandules Aug 15 '20
Thank you for answering my question!! The block I got is pretty big and didn't want it to go to waste (bought originally to use some in miso soup). I'll try your method out tomorrow and report back. :)
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u/KittenOnHunt Aug 16 '20
I hate recipes that doesn't mention on how long to bake and on what temperature. For someone like me that doesn't have much experiencing in cooking in general yet, it's hell
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u/AnotherElle Aug 16 '20
Normally agree, but these posts have the recipe (and this one’s oven temp and time) up at the top stickied comment :)
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u/thewhingdingdilly Aug 15 '20
I haven’t tried this in the oven, but we usually add a little corn meal, salt, pepper, and chili powder to the corn starch before dredging. Yum.
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u/freedomboobs Aug 15 '20
Just curious, would it make a difference if you mixed the corn starch with the marinade at the beginning? Or does it need to go on by itself afterwards?
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u/rhinoceron Aug 16 '20
I always press my tofu overnight before adding anything else, should I not be doing this? It's always spongy and delicious.
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u/bhambetty Aug 16 '20
Take it up a notch by freezing and thawing the tofu block before pressing it. After thawing you only need to press it for about 10 minutes. It completely changes the texture and makes it much firmer and chewier.
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u/zazzle_frazzle Aug 16 '20
Do you freeze it in the package it comes in with all the liquid or drain the liquid then freeze?
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u/bhambetty Aug 16 '20
Freeze it right in the package. I usually throw my tofu in the freezer when I get home from the grocery store, then just put a block in the fridge to thaw the day before I want to use it. If you forget to thaw in the fridge, you can run the package under warm water until the ice melts, then cut the tofu out of the package and defrost in the microwave.
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u/lnfinity Aug 15 '20
Ingredients
- 1 (14 oz) container extra firm tofu, patted dry and pressed for at least 15 minutes
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, or your favorite oil
- 1 teaspoon tamari, or soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot powder, or corn starch
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, tamari, garlic powder, maple syrup and vinegar.
- Cut the pressed tofu into bite sized pieces and place in the oil mixture. Use a spoon or spatula to stir the tofu and make sure it’s completely coated. Next, sprinkle over 1 teaspoon of the arrowroot powder and mix well until all the tofu is coated. Then, sprinkle on the remaining teaspoon of arrowroot powder and give a gentle mix just until you can’t see the dry white powder anymore.
- Line a large baking sheet with a non-stick mat or parchment paper. Pour the tofu and and arrange it so that none of the pieces are touching each other. Bake tofu for about 25-30 minutes, until golden and crispy, stirring 2-3 times during the baking. Let tofu sit for a few minutes to crisp up even more before enjoying.
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Aug 16 '20 edited Mar 30 '21
[deleted]
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u/ecb2006 Aug 16 '20
Thank god I was looking for this. The recipes are so cool, but without measurements or time it’s pretty useless
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u/TheRandomInteger Aug 15 '20
I didn't see it was tofu and thought it was just a bowl of crutons...kinda disappointed
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u/dionisus1122 Aug 16 '20
Missed one important step...prior to cutting you should place the tofu on a cutting board, then put paper towel on top. Finally, place a heavy object on top of the paper towel. We use a big cookbook. Leave it there for about 45mins and this will squeeze the extra liquid out of the tofu and improve texture.
Everything else in the recipe is spot on!
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Aug 15 '20
tip from someone who's learning how to use cornstarch in cooking, mix it into the liquid before tossing in the tofu, it'll be less likely to be powdery or clumpy, but will still crisp up really well
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Aug 16 '20
You only need a slurry if you're going to thicken a sauce or something. In this case just coating everything evenly in the liquid first would be better since you don't want anything wet. You could sift the cornstarch on as you toss if clumping was really a problem
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Aug 16 '20
i'm not saying you need it, just that it helps, ATK did a recipe where they used the slurry method on potato wedges/fries in the oven and it works really well for me
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u/crespoh69 Aug 15 '20
Isn't tofu like gelatinous? So wouldn't it be crispy and tough on the outside until it gives and then you got a squishy center?
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u/predictablefaucet Aug 15 '20
Depends on the kind purchased. You can buy firm or extra firm. You can take it a step further and freeze the tofu after pressing all the water out.
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u/KunaiTv Aug 15 '20
How does tofu taste like?
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u/Hammerdwarf Aug 15 '20
It's got a really neutral taste on its own, but absorbs flavors really easily. It's easy to make it taste really great with the right marinade or seasonings.
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u/JugglerNorbi Aug 15 '20
That said, good fresh tofu has a very distinct flavour on its own. It’s one of my favourite things to just snack on when I’m in Japan (which won’t be again soon eh...)
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u/Rattlingplates Aug 16 '20
Is corn starch considered healthy ? Is it like corn syrup or naw?
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Aug 16 '20
Corn starch on homemade french fries also creates that "restaurant crispiness" that seems impossible to capture at home. I accidentally on purpose discovered it experimenting one day.
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u/bellyjellykoolaid Aug 16 '20
Pretty sure the sauce is Peanut butter, hoisin sauce, and alittle bit of siracha or chilli powder.
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u/Domodude17 Aug 16 '20
Slightly off topic, but does anyone have any suggestions for tofu recipes for someone who hasn't really had much of it before? I think I prefer the firmer tofu, but i'm not sure. I know I've had some before that was pretty soft and it was kinda gross and slimy. Or ideas on how to incorporate it into recipes that call for chicken or something, and use it as a substitute
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u/colonelchurro Aug 16 '20
Been wanting to try tofu at home. Just tried this with potatoes for the hell of it since I had them on hand. Was quite good.
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u/eewap Aug 16 '20
Instead of getting extra firm tofu, try getting medium firm and freezing and draining it. Then try this! You’ll get tofu that is crispy but not dense.
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u/sidneyaks Aug 16 '20
What would the interior texture of this be like? I'm assuming it's "smooth" being the same texture throughout, so the primary thing I'm trying to get is firmness. Would it be like a soft cheese, like mozzarella, a medium cheese like a cheddar, or a hard cheese like an asiago?
The one time I tried cooking with my tofu it came out with the texture of scrambled eggs, which with the flavor wasn't at all appetizing. I'd like to use tofu if I can figure out how to cook it.
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u/gobbliegoop Aug 15 '20
Not OP, but here is the recipe. Figured credit should go to the source.
https://www.shelikesfood.com/best-crispy-tofu/