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
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.
This looks wonderful. I can’t wait to try! Dumb question – is arrowroot starch the same as arrowroot powder?
Not a dumb question! They are the same. :)
Yes! I love tofu, although it does require some serious pressing, and indeed flavoring it afterwards works best for me, too. I’m considering buying a tofu press since people say it’s superior to the improvising with towels and heavy things, but I feel like it’s a sort of an unnecessary luxury, since towels and heavy skillets work good, too. Do you have any experience with tofu presses?
I use a tofu press and I love it! So much less wasteful than throwing out a ton of soggy paper towels.
True! I always feel guilty when wrapping it in paper. But then I wonder if producing a plastic contraption like a tofu press doesn’t give more industrial waste than a bunch of paper towels… Although, maybe I shouldn’t overthink it and just buy the thing, seeing all the enthusiastic reactions… thank you for commenting!
I always press it with my shabbier kitchen or bath towels and toss them in the wash after. no waste there!
I bought a tofu press a couple of months ago and I LOVE it. You can determine just how dry you want your tofu and the gadget is a snap to clean. Just rinse it off! I hated all the paper towels I needed to use and also felt drying with kitchen towels wasn’t much lighter on the planet given need to wash, dry etc.after. The tofu press is a one time investment even though it is plastic and could easily be thought of as just a gadget if you hadn’t tried it! :-)
I felt the same way about using paper towels. I started using cheese cloth and it is perfect, reusable and works great for drying off vegetables after washing, too!
I don’t, so I can say, sorry! The towel in the photo worked great, though. I hate to go through all those paper towels, too. If you can buy tofu at Traer Joe’s, there is hardly much moisture to expel, which is nice. If you cook tofu all the time, a press might be worth it!
No Trader Joe’s in my corner of the world (i.e. Europe) :( Which makes me sad though, as I read envious on my favourite food blogs about all the fresh produce and bulk foods they sell. And yeah, people are so enthusiastic, maybe I should buy one. Yesterday I sort of bought a huge, bad-ass food processor on a whim (there was this ‘one day deal’ thing with a pretty big price reduction and little time left before the day was over and well, yeah…), so what’s 20 dollars for a tofu press…
Trader Joes is just an Aldi really!! Owned by either Aldi North or Aldi South, can’t remember which!
I think the tofu press is totally worth it! I wondered myself if it was silly to spend $20 on another kitchen gadget, but it makes tofu prep SO much easier. We eat tofu probably once a week, so for us, it was good purchase.
Thanks for replying! I feel a bit like that too with the silliness, but I also think the paper towel way is quite a lot of work, especially the waiting (as when I come home, it’s late and I’m hungry and tired and not really in the mood to wait patiently for my tofu to dry in one of my clean towels). And all the washing of linen towels feels like a waste too. Okay, I think I just convinced myself to go and splurge on a tofu press :)
Do it – you won’t be sorry! :)
Did you do it?! Has it changed your life?!
Thank you for instructions on how to do this. I’m not a vegetarian but when I cook for them I want to be able to do good tofu. Plus on occasion, if I find a recipe I really like, this will make it easier to get my husband to eat it… :-)
You’re welcome! I hope you both love it. Honestly, I had to stop myself from eating the whole batch.
Oh yum! I love tofu, but I don’t eat it that often, but when I do I want it crispy! My method is the same as yours, apart from baking it in the oven. Thus far I’ve always used a non stick pan, but I will now definitely try making it in the oven too.
Crispy tofu + some veggies make the best lunch!
Thanks, Alice! I hope you love my version.
I have cooked, many times, your thai curry. Fabulous! I am going to try the crispy tofu.
Yay! Glad you’re enjoying the curry. Hope you love the tofu!
How did you know I was draining tofu right this minute? And in comes your post– perfect timing!
I too bake my tofu and flavor it with Asian flavors, but I’ll take your advice and try cutting it up prior to pressing and will also try adding the sauce later as opposed to as a marinade (my usual method). As for cornstarch, I’ll have to give it a try. I’ve found that baking without any sort of coating still gives me crispy outside/soft inside little cubes of deliciousness (maybe smaller pieces crisp up better?), but I’m wondering if your suggestion would add a little something more. Regardless, I find myself snacking on those little morsels almost like candy! Who knew… tofu?! Crazy but true!
Perfect! :) I think the cornstarch gives it more texture and crispy bits. I was eating this batch like candy, for sure! Almost reminds me of all those chicken nuggets I ate as a kid.
You’ve done it again! This tofu looks AH-MAZING! I’m betting my husband would eat it without complaints!
Thanks, Lisa! I hope so—I’ve heard from many readers that this technique changed their husbands’ minds about tofu!
Thanks so much for your helpful tofu tutorial, much appreciated!
Thanks Jerilyn! Hope it works great for you.
I made this tonight, and it was great! Used cornstarch, and then sesame oil instead of EVOO. Served it with stirfried cauliflower, broccoli, kale, peppers and cashews. So good. Added a touch of fish sauce cause it was in the fridge, otherwise, it would have been vegan. Next time!
Thanks for teaching us how to make good baked tofu!
Hooray! Thank you for letting me know, Laura, and for the inspiration. Your dish sounds awesome!
I LOVE crispy tofu. It is seriously one of my favorite FAVORITE ways to have it!
Crispy is the only way to go! :)
I never would have thought to bake tofu. I usually use a skillet on incredibly high heat but you’re completely right, it requires more oil to stop the crispy bits sticking to the pan. Love the healthier and gorgeously crisp baked option! Trying this soon. Thanks Kate!
Thank you, sweet Laura! Hope you’re well.
Hi!
I love baked tofu! Being doing it for a while without the starch with good results, but I’ll try this trick to see the diference :)
Thanks, M! Please let me know how it turns out for you.
Yum! This crispy tofu looks amazing!
Thanks for the tip of using cornstarch – makes sense! Have you tried freezing your tofu first? I throw my tofu in the freezer as soon as I buy it and then defrost the day before I cut it and squeeze it. I find it gives a much “meatier” texture. Takes a little more forethought though, so I can’t just decide I’m cooking tofu.
Hope you like it that way! I have tried freezing tofu, and it does give it a meatier texture—I just never have the foresight to defrost.
I was wondering the same thing! I never have the foresight either, but microwaving it on the defrost setting works well for me! I’ve been pan frying my tofu in a non-stick pan for years, I’ll be trying this baking method next!
I made this tonight and it turned out great! It was very crispy, which is something I’ve never been able to achieve with tofu and so I rarely make it at home. It usually is just a soggy mess. Now that I know the secret, I’ll be making this tofu more often. You were right about the need for sauce after cooking, and since I was making stir fry I used Miyoko Schinner’s teriyaki recipe from the Homemade Vegan Pantry, and altogether it was delicious. This was a very easy and straightforward recipe, thank you! Your recipes are truly high quality.
Thank you very much, Michelle!
I saw this and made it last night for dinner – worked like a charm. Solved all my sticking-to-the-pan problems! This will become a new favourite, for sure. I served it with black rice, sweet potato and greens – delish. Thanks, all the way from Australia!
Hooray! Thank you, Anthea. Your dinner sounds amazing.
This sounds so, so yummy! I definitely need to give it a go. x
I finally tried it! I used your recipe and method and it turned out great. The only mishap was they all stuck stubbornly to the pan. Next time I’ll oil the pan too. But they were delicious with the peanut sauce. Thanks Kate !
Thanks, Eileen! Another option would be to use parchment paper or a Silpat.
This is so perfect! Easy to follow and can be used again and again. I picked up some tofu just so I could try out this technique :)
Thanks, Jessie! Hope it works great for you.
So simple and so delicious! I didn’t have starch, but it turned out great nonetheless.
Thanks, Ariana!
This looks amazing and I am going to try this weekend but I had a question…last time I made a recipe with baked tofu I used a recipe very similar to this one (extra-firm, pressed, 400 degrees) and it came out great but by the second day the tofu was rubbery and hard to eat. I’m wondering if I did something wrong or if that’s how baked tofu is supposed to taste in leftovers? I gave some to my Chinese coworker and she said I should have used the prepackaged baked tofu you can buy in Asian supermarkets. Any advice?
That’s a good question. I do recall my leftovers being a little more tough, but I didn’t find them off-putting. I’m not sure what to suggest!
My next day leftovers red thai curry with tofu taste rubbery too. I didn’t like the rubbery taste.
But my boyfriend had the Thai Pineapple fried rice with crispy oven tofu same day and he said it was rubbery as well.
I followed both recipes completely. Is there something I can do to not have it taste rubbery? He loves fried tofu at the Chinese restaurant. So I was looking forward to him loving this healthier alternative.
Hi Kate! I’m really looking forward to trying this technique, but I’m also curious about using frozen tofu. I have a block that’s frozen currently and am wondering if I can thaw it and then proceed with your directions below.
I read about freezing it here: http://food52.com/blog/16714-a-pretty-cool-shortcut-for-firmer-more-flavorful-tofu
Have you ever tried using frozen tofu? Thanks!
Yep, you should be able to use defrosted tofu, no problem. It will be more meaty in texture, which could be a good thing!
I baked some tofu last week for my pad thai and used instant tapioca instead of cornflour plus Dijon mustard and black pepper. It was so good. I’ll try your way to.
Tofu is literally one of my favourite things in the world!
I’m always struggling to get it super crispy though… hope this will help!
I’m making this tonight :) and adding it to your green curry as you suggested, which I’ve made before and loved!!! You can be sure to see it on my snap this evening ;) Yay! Can’t wait!
Oh dang, I might have missed it! Hope it turned out great!!!
delicious as always!! finished the last of it last night ;)
Yay!
Great post. Question: When is your cookbook coming out and can we pre-order it? I’m so looking forward to having a hard copy of these recipes handy in my kitchen!
Thank you so much for asking, Alyssa. :) It comes out next spring, and I think pre-orders will begin late winter, but I don’t know dates yet. Can’t wait to show you what I’ve been working on!
I love the sound of this and other recipes as a gluten free and vegetarian ,I can’t wait to try some of them ,
I may have asked before but not sure where to find answer , but is cornstarch the same as cornflour as we have here in Scotland , thank you
That’s a good question, and I’m not really sure. I’m sorry.
In the US, corn meal is coarse ground maize, corn flour is finely ground maize, and corn starch is a thickener made from refined maize starch. Quick breads are corn meal, flat breads like tortillas are corn flour, and corn starch is used in gravies and pies. So, I guess the answer is no. I hope this helps. You should probably use whatever thickener you use to make gravy :)
I made this last night and it super easy and so delicious. I used cornstarch because it’s what I had on hand, and it worked like a charm. Between two people we finished the whole batch – whoops! Thanks for the great recipe!
Yay, thanks Tess!
I’ve been subscribed to your email newsletter for about a month now, and always loved looking at your new posts. This recipe however was the first one I tried, since when I got the email I conveniently had tofu in the fridge! I’ve already made it twice and absolutely loved it each time- especially taking it as lunch to work. Will definitely be trying out more of your recipes, but thanks for this keeper!
Yum! I’ve really been on a tofu kick lately–this sounds like an awesome recipe to cook up on a weekend and have on hand throughout the week.
Kate,
I am a long-term mostly vegetarian cook and I just made this tofu. I’m not kidding when I say it is by far the best method I’ve tried thus far. Thank you for always having such lovely and delicious recipes!
I made(or rather attempted) to make this recipe last night. I made the mistake of not lining my baking tray, so the tofu stuck to the metal tray and burnt on. It might be helpful to include a step about lining the baking tray in the recipe directions.
I made this recipe this week and it’s amazing! I will never cook tofu any other way.
Great recipe! My husband and I are trying to cut down on oil, which we use a lot while cooking tofu on the stovetop. After making this, we feel like we never need to cook tofu on the stovetop again. I was amazed at how flavorful it was with just a few ingredients. It will definitely be a favorite in all our veggie bowls.
Well, this recipe was so good that my 3-year-old asked for THIRDS. THIRDS OF TOFU. I was blown away. I actually had a PBJ ready for him, because I thought there was no way he’d eat tofu!! Thanks for giving me a new staple to add in to our family dinner rotation!
I simply MUST know what else you served with it then! My 4-year-old is going through a picky stage (also loves pb and j) and I am about to put some of this tofu recipe in the oven as I type!
Any particular sauces or sides you used?
Thanks!
Fantastic recipe! The flavor was very good. And I want to try some of the other ideas mentioned here like curry or Dijon mustard.
The only problem I ran into was presentation:) I needed to triple the recipe to feed my family I ended up with a lot of the pieces stuck together and to the cookie sheet. A lot of the coating came off of the tofu on to other pieces of tofu or on to the foil lining of the cookie sheet. I read that I should use parchment I will try that next time. Also I began baking at 350 until I re-read the recipe and realized it should have been 400 so I think that was a problem as well.
My question is do you think I need to adjust the ingredient amounts when I use three bricks of tofu or do I just triple them too? I have seen in the past that when a recipe is doubled, doubling the liquid ingredients can be too much. Would love your take on it.
I forgot to add that i did try to squeeze the water out of the tofu.
Hey Kate! I had always failed at tofu before I tried this method, now I can do it! One question… if I cook the whole container and have leftovers, how long will the cooked tofu keep in the fridge?
Made this two days in a row. It is so easy and so good!
Did you ever make tofu jerky? Can you please do a post about how to do it?
This was superb Kate. I used it in a recipe from the Letty’s Kitchen blog for Paprika Kale with Baked Tofu. I may never fry tofu again! Thanks!
Already assuming this will be great and so I want to say I LOVE you. This is going to change my life lol.
Try rinsing the tofu in cold water for 10-15 seconds and give it a few gentle squeezes under the running water. It rinses all of the water that the tofu has been sitting in while in storage out. It also makes it much easier to squeeze the remaining water out. The tofu will be drier and much easier to cook afterwards.
Thanks, Matthew! I’ll have to try that next time.
Incredible recipe! Thank you!
Thanks, Molly!
I’m trying this tonight…..will let you know how it comes out!
Hope it turned out great!
This is seriously the best tofu I have ever cooked. THANK YOU!!!!
Hooray! Thanks, Jen!
Wonderful, easy recipe! Tofu came out crispy and puffy and I used dark sweet soy sauce, which turned out amazing!
Thanks, Cassandra! Your version sounds awesome!
How do you store this if you want to keep it for a few days? If i keep it in the fridge, will it stay crispy?
I also would like to know the answer to this! I will try and report back.
I just made this and it is AMAZING! Ive never seen such a simply recipe to make tofu crispy. No more spending extra money on prepackaged meals or slaving over a deep fryer or oiled pan! Thank you so much, this is going to change my cooking habits!
Best baked tofu ever–we’ve used it again and again! Thank you!
Ever since finding this recipe, we’ve been enthusiastically eating tofu once a week! I can’t thank you enough. It’s so delicious and easy. I press our tofu using tea towels which works well. Also, I throw a few cloves of garlic in a small amount of olive oil and let it sit overnight. Then I use that garlic oil with this recipe and it’s a nice little bonus flavor. We love to eat this with Asian recipes like green curry, red curry, zucchini peanut “noodles”, and sesame peanut noodles.