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.
Hi there, just an FYI on this recipe…and many others I see doing the same thing. If your cooking Asian you should use peanut oil it has a much higher burning point which is great for stir frying it is also light and very lite flavor really, so it doesn’t change the taste of a dish. Olive oil is great for Italian dishes is heavy has a low burning point and usually flavorful. The Trader Joe’s tofu is the best and this recipe is great but better with Peanut oil!
Thank you for sharing, Carmen!
I tried this recipe for the first time and it was delicious! I added one Tablespoon Teriyaki sauce in addition to the other ingredients and I loved it. Thanks!
I’m glad you loved it, Debbie! Thanks so much for your review.
Going to give this a shot today.
btw – pan frying tofu works, you just need to use hot pan, add cold oil and be at the right temperature. foods will release without sticking if done correctly.
Using less oil is a good thing so into the oven we go.
Thanks for sharing, Sam!
Our go-to for tofu! These can go on everything and are like little croutons! I can’t stop eating them.
I love that, Alice! Thanks for sharing.
This is life changing tofu! So crispy and carmelized but baked and healthy! Almost ate the whole block in one sitting!
Life changing! I will take it. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve never liked tofu. I had some leftover in my fridge from guests who enjoy it and didn’t want to waste it. I made this recipe with veggies, rice and your peanut sauce. Oh my gosh!! Excellent! I might buy tofu on purpose just to make this again. Thanks!
I’m glad this was a game changer for you, Johnna!
Can you freeze the tofu and you’ve baked it? I’d love to cook a good batch and have it on hand.
I haven’t tried it. I don’t think it would work the best with this. I would recommend searching the comments and see what others may have tried.
No corn starch or arrowroot starch. Will flour work?
Unfortunately, it won’t. The starch it the key to getting it crispy.
What is the recipe for the sauce you are dipping the tofu in (in the video)? It looks delicious!
My peanut sauce! https://capital-fly.pro/2015/peanut-dipping-sauce/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Not great; despite following directions exactly, it never really browned or got very crispy. Overall not really worth the extra hassle.
I’m sorry you didn’t like this recipe and it didn’t work well for you. I’m curious what went wrong. How long did you bake it for?
I baked it for 30 minutes, at which point it wasn’t really brown at all, so I baked it a bit longer. It came out really tough. I suspect it’s because the cornstarch coating was a bit too thick.
I might try again, but it seems like it would be simpler to just fry it and not use the oven at all (which is what some other recipes suggest).
Hi Greg, That’s interesting. Was everything evenly coated? It sounds like it was either too wet still or too much oil/tamari/starch.
Eating this right now! I was starving and this sounded easy and good and it turned out to be both! My measurements were probably wrong because I scaled the peanut sauce back and it ended up being too salty from the soy sauce but now I know for next time! This will be a go to!!!!
Thank. You
You’re welcome! I’m sorry it was a little on the salty side, but glad you still were able to enjoy it!
What a delicious way to make baked tofu. I also like the idea of using evoo rather than peanut oil. I’ve read that peanut oil is chemically processed.
Olive oil is a better oil, in my opinion. Thanks for the review, Jan.
Delicious way to enjoy tofu – which I generally don’t, so this recipe was an eye opener. A question,Kate, I have a file of many of your recipes but can’t find a ‘recipe box’on your page. Do you not have one? Might you have one in the future??
Thanks
I’m glad you liked this one! I don’t have that option, but thank you for your feedback, Aisling!
I am new to cooking tofu and wonder how you evenly coat all the tofu with one tablespoon of cornstarch. I find that one tablespoon is quickly absorbed by several pieces.
Try to sprinkle it evenly on the tofu in your mixing bowl before you toss it. That should help.
I actually use a sifter to sprinkle the starch evenly over the tofu—it works great!
My 6 year old is OBSESSED with this tofu. Thank you Kate!
6 and loves tofu, that’s awesome! Thanks for sharing, Laura.
I have an hard time liking tofu, but a few weeks my boyfriend’s dad made something that in Portugal we call “tofu à brás”, which is originally a recipe with codfish, eggs and potatoes. And I really liked it, so I will definitely will try this way of cooking tofu!
Let me know what you think when you try it, Sofia!
Tried this last night. was never a fan of tofu.. but think I might be now.
Hooray! Thanks, Perla.
This is the only way I make tofu! Turns out perfect every time. I usually press the tofu in the three slabs, but definitely girly going to cube it first next time. Thank you for the tip!
Love to hear that, Hannah!
Ab Fab! Love your recipes. Thank you for all you do for us vegetarians looking for better more nutritious recipes.
Than you, Nancy!
I use a tofu press to extract water from tofu. Is there any reason you would not use one? It does make very quick work getting out liquid. I am looking forward to trying out the baked tofu recipe!
I think this technique works well and attainable for most who don’t likely have a tofu press.
Kate, this sounds brilliant! Can’t wait to try it. Do you think it would keep in the fridge for a few days
and remain crispy?
It will keep ok. I recommend reheating in the oven or on the stovetop.
What should the temperature be? I really want to try this tonight! I’ve been wondering how to make crispy tofu. Thanks!
Hi Danielle! See step 1. It should be at 400 degrees.
After trying your delicious marinara with lentils recipe I went ahead and purchased your cookbook because I love to browse through printed pages of recipes. The book is beautiful, and thank you for having gorgeous pictures of every dish! Cookie is adorable and makes me smile every time I see his picture. Anyway, this recipe for baked tofu came out perfectly! I have tried different methods – even the airfryer which works pretty well but can be inconsistent. Your step by step directions were clear and successful. The tofu was nicely browned, crispy on the outside and not rubbery. The recipe I followed first in your cookbook is the one for roasted broccoli, red peppers, baked tofu, and peanut sauce. I love, love, love the peanut sauce! It is just like my favorite peanut sauce at our local Thai restaurant.
Going back to your lentil marinara, eating more beans is a new thing for me too as I try to include more healthy whole plant foods. It has become a weekly staple and is so much more satisfying than a simple bowl of spaghetti and marinara. So thank you for that too!
I can’t wait to try more recipes!
Magic marinara! Thanks for your support. I can’t wait to hear what you make from it!
This ended up tasting really good, even though my tofu never got particularly crisp. (Regardless, it still worked very well in the curry!) I left it in the oven a good ten minutes longer than suggested by the recipe, but it was still kind of soft. Any suggestions for getting it crisper?
This recipe is so perfect and delicious! I ran out out corn starch so I used tapioca. I also used ponzu success instead of regular soy or tamarind (which I’ll try next time!). I love to snack on these, so I just grate a little parmesan cheese to put on top with a tiny bed of spinach.
Thank you for sharing, Clarissa!
just excellent and super easy! thank you soooooo much! Love the crispy tofu! I’ll recommend it!
You’re welcome, Ana!
I have been baking tofu for years, but this recipe made it clear that I was not using a good method! This was crispy on the outside, tender inside and absolutely delicious! I am so glad I found this recipe as it is the only one I will need going forward. Thank you!
I’m happy you found this recipe too, Liz!
Perfect tofu, I put it on top of your red curry and it was delicious!
Great combination, Nicole!
Oh no! I accidentally bought soft tofu. Any recommendations for what do with it??
You could still try this recipe! It might just be more fragile.
This is the best tofu!
Thank you, Aline!
Hi. A warning.
Great recipe. The first time I prepared no issues. Second time for some reason the tofu stuck badly to the tin foil I lined the pan with.
The ONLY way to remove without destroying is to with fingers and I hope strong wrists BEND the tofu TOWARDS you. No other direction. I’d let it cool for 10 minutes too. Then it releases. Strange. Same pan, same foil same everything, the second time it stuck…
Hi Allan, That is very strange! I’m sorry this time didn’t work out perfect for you. Maybe it didn’t quite get coated? Have you tried parchment paper?
This is my new go-to tofu cooking method!
Great to hear, Caitlin! Thanks for your review.
I’ve made this twice in three days. The crispy cubes can be tossed like croutons into a salad, added to a bowl of steamed vegetables, or simply popped into your mouth like popcorn. I have been cooking with tofu since the 1970s and have never been able to get it crisp until now!
I love to hear that, Colby! Thanks for sharing.
I have tried this recipe a few times. I am still “perfecting” the cooking time to make sure it is crispy. I did not use extra firm, so it wasn’t quite as crispy as I wanted. I sometimes sprinkle sesame seeds and a little garlic for flavor. I make them into “fingers” so I can just dip into a peanut sauce. Yummy!
Thanks for sharing, David!
first time making tofu and so happy about this recipe! I made it with Kate’s Panang curry recipe. super easy to do and the video was very helpful :)
I’m so happy to hear that, Katie! Thanks for sharing.
Trader Joe’s tofu is a game changer!!! Plus, this recipe is perfect! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Seana!
The recipe is great. I made it once before with roasted brussel sprouts. This time i forgot to add the cornstarch at the end since i was in a hurry. It was not crispy but still had lots of taste. I used a binch of dried seasoning and some Braggs Aminos. Yummy all round.
I’m glad you were still able to enjoy it!
Served these crispy morsels over spicy peanut soba noodles…YUM!
Great to hear, Lisa! Thanks for the review.
Love this! I mean, more people need tofu in their lives, don’t you think? It often gets a bad rep, but really it’s so versatile and delicious – a true food of the Gods if you ask me.
I’m glad you liked this recipe, Pia! Thanks for the comment.
I usually toss in some ginger and sometimes some 5 spice before baking to give the tofu greater flavor. I also freeze the tofu for texture.
Thanks for sharing! I do love ginger. I appreciate the review, Mildred.
Does this freeze well?
I’m not sure, but I don’t think it would freeze the best to retain the crispy factor, unfortunately.
Whoa! This is the best protein ever! I’m not vegan/vegetarian, but would happily pick this over chicken or beef every single time. Blown away. Thank you for the recipe!!
You’re welcome, Eva!
I must have done something wrong. I “let it sit” (drain on towels) for more than a half hour, and it was crispy, but tough. I was looking for crispy on the outside and silky on the inside. I know — science. I will surely try again, but any idea why it wasn’t great? I trust your recipes (methods) and have had great success, which leads me to think that I am missing something here.
Hi Mertha, sorry to hear that you were disappointed! I am not sure I would describe my tofu results as silky on the insides, but my tofu is tender on the inside. “Silky” is something I associate with less firm tofu, though I’m not sure how well those varieties will bake up. If you’re aiming for results like mine, my best suggestion for next time would be to cut your cubes a little bigger.
Hi Kate and Cookie! I made this, or a version of it , and it was perfect! I eat , for the most part, WW, and am a vegetarian so good recipes can be hard to find. The cornstarch resolved the non crispy issues Id had in the past. I added a little brown sugar Truvia and sesame seeds.
Very Good! Thank you :)
You’re welcome, Tara! Thanks so much for the review.
So delicious!!! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Ora!
This is my go-to tofu recipe because it turns out perfect every time and I can even whip it up after my workout in the morning (including the ‘tofu press’ time) and have crispy cubes for my salad at lunch. Or maybe a post-workout snack… :) My cast iron skillet gets more use as a tofu press these days.
I love that, Victoria! Thanks for the review. I love that this is a post workout snack for you.
Finally found a crispy tofu recipe i love!
Great to hear, Carrie!
This was crispy and wonderful. You suggested putting it in Coconut Kale Fried Rice in place of eggs, which I did. The dish was spectacular and my family was blown away. Thank you so much! I’ll be adding this tofu to a lot of things from here forward. –Anne
Thank you, Anne!
Great tips! What temp do you suggest? I didn’t find in the recipe. Ty!
See step 1. :) It’s 400 degrees.
I have made this several times, and love it every time. It works great when we make quick teriyaki bowls. Even my finicky 15 and 11 year old love it.
I’m glad it was a hit with your family! Thank you for the review, Sheri.
This is the BEST tofu. I add it to all types of other dishes when I want a vegetarian protein substitute!
I appreciate the limited ingredients and easy prep!
You’re welcome, Teri!