Crispy Baked Tofu

This crispy baked tofu recipe is a total staple in our dinner rotation! We love fried tofu, and this oven-baked version offers all that crispy goodness while being much lighter and easier to prepare. If you’re anything like me, you might find yourself snacking on this delicious tofu straight off the baking tray!

It’s delicious, high in protein, and gluten-free. It’s also budget-friendly, and super quick and easy to prepare with just a few simple ingredients.

Ingredients for Crispy Baked Tofu

• Tofu: Firm or extra-firm tofu are easiest to work with in this crispy baked tofu recipe. Medium and soft varieties can technically be used, but they will crumble much more when mixing the ingredients together so you’ll need to be more gentle with them. You may also need to add extra baking time for the softer varieties since they contain more water.
• Oil: Optional but recommended, as it helps to make the baked tofu crispy. You can use your favorite vegetable oil with a neutral flavor, or olive oil.
• Cornstarch: This is what will form the crispy baked tofu coating in the oven. If you prefer not to cook with cornstarch, you can try a substitute such as potato starch or arrowroot starch.
• Salt and pepper: You can also add additional seasonings like garlic and onion powder, paprika, nutritional yeast, etc. Use this recipe as a guideline and add what you like!

How to Make Crispy Baked Tofu

1. Drain, cut, and press the tofu. Drain the tofu and cut it into cubes. Then wrap the tofu in a clean kitchen towel and weigh it down with something moderately heavy, such as a baking tray or cutting board. Allow it to sit for about 10-20 minutes to press out the excess moisture. This will allow the tofu to crisp up faster.
2. Add oil and seasonings to tofu. In a large bowl, toss the cubed tofu with oil and seasonings to coat. I recommend using a flexible spatula or your hands to avoid breaking up the tofu cubes, especially if you are using a softer variety of tofu that is more likely to crumble.
3. Toss tofu in cornstarch. Sprinkle cornstarch over the tofu and give it another gentle toss to coat.
4. Bake tofu. Arrange the tofu on a lined baking tray and bake for 30-35 minutes in a preheated 425°F oven. Give the tofu a flip around the halfway mark. Exact time will vary depending on how much moisture remains in your tofu after pressing.
5. Enjoy your crispy baked tofu!

How to Serve Crispy Baked Tofu

This crispy tofu recipe is so versatile! Toss it with any of your favorite sauces, store-bought or homemade. Think: orange sauce, sweet & sour, teriyaki, or General Tsao’s. Add in your favorite stir-fried veggies and enjoy over steamed rice.

Crispy tofu can also turn a salad into an extra satisfying meal! Toss the baked tofu in buffalo sauce and add to fresh chopped romaine with crisp sliced celery and vegan Ranch dressing. This is the ultimate protein-packed buffalo tofu salad!

This recipe also makes a great addition to a nourishing bowl with your favorite grain and roasted veggies.

More Tofu Recipes

• Gochujang Tofu
• Baked Tofu with Peanut Sauce
• Crispy Sesame Crusted Tofu
• Grilled Tofu Skewers with Balsamic Marinade
• Sesame Red Pepper Tofu
• Vegan Egg Salad

Crispy Baked Tofu

This crispy baked tofu is one of our staple easy tofu recipes! Pair it with any of your favorite sauces and veggies to make a delicious crispy tofu stir fry. Try it with my sweet and spicy Gochujang Sauce!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 5 servings

Author: Sarah Sullivan

Equipment

• large mixing bowl
• baking tray
• parchment or silicone baking sheet

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 (14-16 oz) block firm or extra-firm tofu
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil or neutral vegetable oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ black pepper to taste

Instructions

Freeze and Defrost the Tofu (optional but recommended)

• A day or two ahead of time, place the tofu in the freezer. (It can be frozen directly in the package.) Once frozen, let it defrost fully (either on the counter or overnight in the fridge.) This step is optional, but will give it a slightly firmer and chewier texture that works well in this recipe.

Press the Tofu

• Drain tofu and cut into roughly 1" cubes. Lay down a clean kitchen towel and arrange tofu cubes on one half of the towel. Fold the other half of the towel over the tofu and place a cutting board on top to help press out the excess water. Let it drain for 15-20 minutes.

Season the Tofu

• Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a baking tray with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
• Transfer the pressed tofu to a large bowl. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle on the onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss until evenly coated. Try to be gentle with the tofu so that the cubes stay intact. I find using a big rubber spatula helps.
• Sprinkle the cornstarch over the seasoned tofu and once again toss until tofu is evenly coated and there’s no dry cornstarch left at the bottom of the bowl.

Bake the Tofu

• Arrange the tofu on your prepared baking sheet so that the pieces aren’t touching.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then give the pieces a flip. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the tofu is golden brown and crispy. The time will vary a little depending on how thoroughly you pressed your tofu.
• Remove from the oven and serve with your favorite sauce.

Video

Notes

Substitutions: If you prefer not to cook with cornstarch, you can substitute in an equal volume of all-purpose flour or potato starch.

Tofu: This recipe can also be made with medium-firm tofu, but you’ll need to be a bit more gentle while pressing and coating it. You may also need to add a few extra minutes to the cook time.

Other seasonings: Feel free to get creative and add your favorite spices. Some ideas are: curry powder, taco seasoning, Cajun seasoning, lemon pepper, or nutritional yeast. You can also drizzle in a tablespoon of soy sauce (in step 3) for extra umami. Reduce the salt by half if you do.

Air Fryer: This recipe is easiest to prepare in the oven, so you can arrange the tofu in one even layer on a baking tray. However, in a pinch you can also prepare it in your air fryer. You’ll want to give the air fryer basket a vigorous shake every 3-5 minutes or so, to ensure that the tofu pieces crisp evenly and don’t stick together.

Did you make this recipe?We’d love for you to leave a review on the website! You can also share a photo on IG and tag @sarahsvegankitchen_ or #sarahsvegankitchen.