Kirbie's Cravings

Crispy Baked Tofu

Baked tofu is great as a snack, mixed into salads or as a meat substitute for popular Asian dishes. Plus, it’s easy to make because the tofu is baked in the oven until crispy instead of fried.

photo of Crispy Baked Tofu garnishes with scallions

One of my favorite things to eat is crispy tofu. You’ll often see it as a street food snack, sprinkled with some spicy seasoning or drizzled with a sweetened soy sauce. It’s also a great substitute for meat in many popular Asian dishes.

This is a basic version of crispy baked tofu which makes it a great option to use in all kinds of dishes because it has a great texture and a neutral flavor. You can drizzle it with sauces, use it in place of meat in main dishes, pair it with veggies, or just serve it as is as a snack.

Try using your crispy baked tofu in place of other proteins in dishes like my Baked General Tso’s Chicken or other favorite takeout-inspired dishes.

Whenever I make this crispy tofu recipe, it never lasts more than a few minutes. Next time I need to remember to make a bigger batch!

overhead photo of Crispy Baked Tofu

Ingredients

  • Extra firm tofu
  • Sliced scallions
  • Low sodium soy sauce
  • Light brown sugar
  • Sriracha
  • Garlic powder

Type of Tofu

There are different kinds of tofu and for this recipe, you will want to use extra-firm tofu, which you can find in the refrigerated section at the grocery store.

The key to crispy baked tofu is in prepping the tofu blocks before you bake it. In order to get really crispy tofu, it’s important to remove as much moisture as possible from the tofu before you bake it.

First, because tofu is packed in water, you will want to drain the tofu really well when you remove it from the package and then pat it dry with paper towels.

How to Press Tofu

You will also want to press the tofu after you’ve drained it. You don’t need a fancy tofu press and can press your tofu using things you already have in your kitchen.

  • First, loosely wrap the tofu in a kitchen towel or paper towels.
  • Place a heavy object on top of the wrapped tofu. Place a cutting board on top of the tofu. This will help evenly distribute the weight across the tofu. Then add something heavy on top of the cutting board. You want something heavy enough to press the excess moisture out of the tofu, but not so heavy that it cracks and breaks your block of tofu. I used a 28-ounce can of tomatoes, but you can also use a heavy skillet or pot.
  • Leave the tofu for 30 minutes and then pat the tofu dry and cut it into cubes approximately 1-inch big.

Recipe Instructions

Place the tofu cubes on a large baking sheet.

Bake the tofu at 400°F for approximately 30 minutes.

Flip the tofu cubes over and bake them for another five minutes or until they are crispy and golden brown on all sides.

I made a simple sweet soy sauce to drizzle over my baked tofu, but I also love to serve it with my garlic sauce, too.

Or season it with a sprinkle of spices or just some salt and pepper. A little drizzle of sesame oil is good, too.

Tips

Baked tofu is so easy to make and it’s a healthier alternative to frying. What I love best about this recipe is that you can toss the baked tofu with different sauces. Here are other options you might like:

The crispy tofu is best enjoyed not long after it’s baked. If you have leftovers, you can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. The coating will soften, so the best way to warm it up is in an air fryer.

Crispy Baked Tofu on a serving plate with chopsticks

More Recipes You Might Like

Crispy Baked Tofu

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snacks
Cuisine: Asian
Crispy tofu cubes are baked instead of fried. They are great for a snack, mixed into salad, or as a meat substitute for your favorite Asian dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 12 oz block extra firm tofu
  • 1 green scallion finely sliced

sweet soy sauce

  • 4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
  • 4 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp sriracha
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

  • Drain water from tofu container and dry the surface of the tofu with a paper towel. Loosely wrap the block of tofu with a few paper towels or a tea towel. Place something heavy on top of the tofu in order to press down on the tofu to release more water. I used a large 28 oz can of tomatoes. Whatever you use, you want it to apply pressure evenly across the surface of the tofu. The heavy object should apply enough pressure to squeeze out some of the water but not so heavy that it will crack and break your tofu.
  • Let the tofu be pressed for about 30 minutes. When it is almost ready, preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • After 30 minutes, pat your tofu dry and slice into approximately 1/2 inch x 1 inch rectangles. Place tofu pieces onto baking sheet.
  • Bake tofu for about 30 minutes. Flip tofu pieces over and bake another 5-10 minutes or until tofu is crispy on all sides. Remove tofu from oven and allow to cool.
  • While tofu is cooking, make your sauce. Add all sauce ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, until sauce has slightly thickened and reduced in half. Stir occasionally while allowing the sauce to simmer to keep everything evenly mixed and prevent sugar from clumping. Allow the sauce to cool. As the sauce cools, it will thicken even more, turning almost syrup-like.
  • Drizzle tofu with sauce and garnish with scallions.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25of recipe, Calories: 142kcal, Carbohydrates: 12.8g, Protein: 11.4g, Fat: 5.2g, Saturated Fat: 0.7g, Sodium: 530mg, Fiber: 1.5g, Sugar: 9.4g, NET CARBS: 11

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!
Crispy Baked Tofu

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2 comments on “Crispy Baked Tofu”

  1. This is such a simple, easy dish to fix. Thank you for sharing it. It will be a good one to add to my menu!