Sick of bland and mushy tofu!? This PERFECT Crispy Baked Tofu is going to change the way that you enjoy tofu AND it comes together with just FOUR simple ingredients. You seriously won’t believe how deliciously crispy this tofu is!

I have a WHOLE post that outlines MANY different ways that you can prepare tofu including grilled, fried and more! Check it out HERE!

I hope you’re ready because we are getting our TOFU ON over the next couple of months. LOTS of amazing tofu recipes are coming your way and I can’t WAIT :D

I did not eat a lot of tofu growing up. In fact, I don’t think that I had ever eaten tofu before I got to college. And even then I didn’t really eat that much of it. It’s only been in the past couple of years, as I started eating a lot more plant based recipes, that I have fallen in love with tofu. Examples of my recent obsession are HERE and HERE.

crispy cubes of tofu lined up on a baking sheet that's lined with parchment paper

Today we’re diving into PERFECT Crispy Baked Tofu. It’s simple. It’s delicious. And it only requires a few simple ingredients!

I made this tofu every night for about a week and never got sick of it. And that’s saying something :D

The recipe is left plain so that you can season it as you see fit. For these photos, I used a little paprika and cumin which is part of what gave it that golden color. BUT you can season yours with whatever spices would work well with what you’re serving the tofu with.

large plate filled with crispy breaded tofu cubes and with a wooden bowl of sauce on the side

What kind of tofu is best for baked tofu:

In my experience, the only tofu that bakes well if you want it to be crispy is EXTRA FIRM tofu. I haven’t had a lot of luck with other types.

The key is squeezing out AS MUCH of the moisture as you can before baking it. We’ll talk about that more in a minute.

top down shot of crispy cubes of tofu lined up on a baking sheet that's lined with parchment paper

How to Make This Perfect Crispy Baked Tofu:

To start, we’ll cut the block of tofu in half. You want to cut down through the sides that are around 1 1/2 inches. I have a FULL video below on how to do this if you’re confused at all. We’re aiming to make thinner pieces so that we can extract more of the liquid from the tofu.

Next, place the 2 tofu blocks on a plate lined with several paper towels or, like I usually do, use a lint free kitchen towel. Wrap the paper towel or kitchen towel around the top of the tofu (again, see video). Now, place a skillet on top of the tofu and then something heavy inside of the skillet. This weighs down the tofu and helps press out as much of the liquid as possible. I usually use some large cans or, as you see in the video, my massive tub of coconut oil.

large plate filled with crispy breaded tofu cubes and with a wooden bowl of sauce on the side

Let the tofu sit for around 30 minutes before cutting it into bite sized pieces.

Those pieces then get tossed with olive oil, cornstarch, and any other spices that you might want. All of the tofu is then lined up on a baking tray and baked for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.

THAT’S IT!

I sometimes bake mine a little longer than 30 minutes if I want it to EXTRA crispy. Because I’m often extra like that. I definitely encourage you to experiment with it to see how you like it best. But, 30 minutes is a good middle ground that gets you a nice gold brown, crispy piece of tofu!

More delicious Tofu recipes:

See how to make the Perfect Crispy Baked Tofu here:

Print
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Perfect Crispy Baked Tofu


  • Author: Brita Britnell
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This PERFECT Crispy Baked Tofu is super easy to make and will make you fall in LOVE with tofu!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 block of EXTRA FIRM tofu (I do not recommend doing this with any other type of tofu)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • extra spices of choice**

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
  2. Take the tofu out of the packaging and discard the liquid. Cut the tofu lengthwise (see video for reference) so that you now have 2 thinner blocks. Place those blocks on a large plate that is lined with either paper towels or a lint free towel. Cover the top of the tofu with more paper towels/ a kitchen towel and place a skillet on top. Then place a few heavy objects inside of the skillet to weigh down the tofu and help squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible. Let sit for at least 15 minutes but preferably 30 minutes.
  3. Remove the skillet and cut the tofu into bite sized pieces. I have tried this with small pieces and rather large chunks and they all work great! So cut them according to your liking.
  4. Place the tofu in a large bowl, drizzle with the olive oil, and sprinkle with the cornstarch, salt & pepper, as well as any other spices that you might be using. GENTLY toss the tofu to coat in the cornstarch and spices. It can break easily so be careful.
  5. Line the tofu on a large baking tray with a small bit of space between each piece. Baking for 15 minutes, flip the tofu over, and bake for an additional 15-25 minutes. It should be done after a total time fo 30 minutes BUT you can leave it in a bit longer if you want it even crispier or if you chunks are extra large.
  6. Let cool slightly and ENJOY! Super easy and SO tasty!

Notes

**I flavor mine based on what I’m eating it with. I put these in tacos after photographing them for this so I seasoned them with paprika and cumin. Pretty much any spices will work nicely though!

  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: vegan
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: american

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 298
  • Sugar: 1.4 g
  • Sodium: 17.1 mg
  • Fat: 21.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 12 g
  • Protein: 18.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: tofu, vegan, healthy, baked