How to Cook Tofu

How to cook tofu- showing you five ways to cook tofu, how to give it the best texture and flavor, and how to store it for meal prep!

This year I've been on a mission to add more vegetarian meals into our rotation. Tofu is a great vegetarian source of proteins, and with the right tricks, it can taste amazing, too!

Tofu is affordable, keeps well in the fridge (and is perfect if you forget to thaw something out), and has lots of protein while being light on calories.

But. Tofu has a bad rap, and I myself avoided it for quite awhile, because when you don't do tofu right, it is bland, spongey, and unappetizing.

Today, we're avoiding all those issues! I'm sharing how to cook tofu, and lots of tips to help you get it just right.

How to Press Tofu

For any recipe where you want the tofu to retain it's shape and get a 'crispy' texture, you are going to need to press the moisture out.

You can purchase a tofu press, or you can make do with what you have on hand: two plates, some paper towels, and a heavy (28 oz) can.

Here's how to press tofu:

1. sandwich your extra firm tofu between two plates layered with paper towels
2. place a heavy can or object on top
3. press for 30 minutes or more

Do I always need to press tofu? No!

• For any recipe with tofu crumbles (like a Tofu Scramble or Tofu Taco Meat), you don't need to do this step.
• For soups or curries or 'wet' dishes like this Tofu Tikka Masala, you can also skip this step.
• Do not press silken or soft tofu, stick with firm or extra firm tofu only.

Pan Fried Tofu

Pan-fried tofu gets a nice, crispy texture and goes great with a sauce. Through trial and error, I've found that we enjoy the small cubes (around ½ inch cubes) best for taste & texture, and they cook more quickly as well.

Here's how to make tofu in a pan:

1. press extra firm tofu (see above)
2. cut into ½ inch cubes
3. heat olive or avocado oil in a in a skillet (I prefer cast iron enamel as it really helps the tofu get crispy)
4. add tofu, season with salt & pepper and sautee for 15 or so minutes, until golden and slightly cripsy on each side
5. toss in a sauce if you'd like

Baked Tofu

If you have a little bit more time, I'd recommend baking your tofu! It gets such a great, crispy texture, and these little cubes are gobbled up by everyone.

Here's how to bake tofu:

1. press extra firm tofu
2. cut into ½ inch cubes
3. toss in olive oil, then cornstarch, then a spice blend
4. bake at 350°F for 30-45 minutes

Grilled Tofu

Grilled tofu is quick to cook and is perfect slathered with barbecue sauce! I prefer cutting the tofu into sticks for grilling because slabs taste too much like 'tofu' for me. The sticks have good coverage with barbecue sauce and get a nice char on each side.

Here's how to make tofu on the grill:

1. press extra firm tofu
2. heat grill to 400°F
3. cut tofu into sticks (or whatever shape you'd prefer)
4. grease the grill
5. grill tofu sticks for 3-4 minutes per side, brushing with barbecue sauce as you flip

Air Fried Tofu

The air fryer might just be my favorite way to cook tofu because it's so dang fast and it gets so dang crispy!

This is the air fryer I own, it easily fits a whole block of tofu and would probably fit even more.

Here's how to make tofu in the air fryer:

1. press extra firm tofu
2. cut into ½ inch cubes
3. toss in avocado oil, then cornstarch, then a spice blend
4. cook at 390°F/200°C for 13 ish minutes

Crumbled Tofu

The best part about crumbled tofu is you do not need to press it! Depending on what your end goal is for your crumbled tofu, the cooking method will differ.

• for soft 'scrambled eggs' texture, you will pan fry. See full directions in this Tofu Scramble.
• for chewier 'ground meat' texture, you will broil. See full directions in this Tofu Tacos recipe.

Meal Prep + Storage

There are a number of ways you can meal prep tofu, but you need to know that crispy tofu will not stay crispy after sitting in the fridge.

1. press your tofu ahead- sometimes I press it out a few days ahead (I haven't done this more than 2 days ahead, but it may work)
2. marinate your tofu- I like to let it sit overnight-2 days in one of these 7 chicken marinades
3. cook it ahead and portion out for lunch- it won't stay crispy but it does maintain a 'chewy' texture. Also works great for tofu scramble and tofu taco meat.

Recipe card

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How to Cook Tofu

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

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How to cook tofu- showing you five ways to cook tofu, how to give it the best texture and flavor, and how to store it for meal prep!

4

Ingredients

• ▢ 12 oz block extra firm tofu (350 g)
• ▢ other ingredients as needed for each recipe

Instructions 

Pan Fried Tofu

• Prepare the tofu: remove from package, drain all water, and sandwich between two paper towels and two plates. Place a heavy item like a can on the top plate. Press for at least 30 minutes.
• Cut the pressed tofu horizontally into three slabs, then cut into ½ inch cubes.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add the tofu cubes and cook, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides. This takes around 15 minutes.
• Toss in a stir fry sauce like this Peanut Ginger Sauce

Oven Baked Tofu

• Press tofu: sandwich between paper towels and two plates. Place a heavy object (like a 28 oz can) on the top plate. Press for 30 minutes or more.
• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Cut tofu into ½ inch or ¾ inch cubes.
• Toss tofu in olive oil, then in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Toss tofu in a spice blend for extra flavor, then arrange on a large baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour, until cooked to your liking.
• Find a great spice blend in this Easy Baked Tofu recipe.

Grilled Tofu

• Press tofu: sandwich between paper towels and two plates. Place a heavy object (like a 28 oz can) on the top plate. Press for 30 minutes or more.
• When the time is up, discard the paper towels and cut the tofu into ¾ x 3 inch sticks.
• Before grilling the tofu, be sure to grease the grill with a bit of oil (you can brush it on or carefully spray some oil on from a distance- flames will flare up)
• Grill the tofu sticks for 3-4 minutes per side, brushing with barbecue sauce several times while cooking.
• Crumbled tofu

Air Fryer Tofu

• Press tofu: sandwich between paper towels and two plates. Place a heavy object (like a 28 oz can) on the top plate. Press for 30 minutes or more.
• Heat air fryer to 200°C/ 390°F.
• Cut tofu into ½ inch or ¾ inch cubes.
• Toss tofu in avocado oil, then in 2 teaspoons cornstarch.
• Toss tofu in a spice blend for extra flavor (we like this spice blend!), then place in the air fryer basket.
• Cook for 13 minutes, shaking every 5 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
• Tofu is ready when it is firm on the outside. It should still be soft on the inside, as it hardens as it cools.
• Enjoy immediately!

Crumbled Tofu

• Mash tofu in a bowl with a potato masher or fork.
• Sautee with ½ cup water for a creamy soft scramble. Find a tasty spice mixture that makes your tofu taste similar to scrambled eggs in this Tofu Scramble recipe!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/4 of block, Calories: 46kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 53mg, Potassium: 130mg, Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 0g, Calcium: 26mg, Iron: 1mg

Author: Denise Bustard

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Japanese

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