Crispy Pan-Fried Tofu
Just 4 simple ingredients is all it takes to make super crispy pan-fried tofu! It's the perfect high-protein addition to stir fries, salads, wraps, and more — or enjoy it as a snack with your favorite dipping sauce.
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Servings: 5
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Equipment
- Tofu press or clean kitchen towel
- skillet 10" or larger recommended
- splatter screen optional but helpful
- tongs or spatula for flipping tofu pieces
Ingredients
- 1 (14 or 16 oz) block firm or extra-firm tofu
- heaping 1/3 cup cornstarch you can sub potato starch or arrowroot starch, but see notes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- black pepper to preference
- 2-4 tablespoons high smoke point oil such as peanut or light olive oil; see notes
Instructions
Press Tofu
- I highly recommend pressing your tofu for at least 10-15 minutes. Too much extra moisture will cause the oil to splatter. I always use a tofu press, but you can also wrap the block of tofu in a clean, lint-free kitchen towel and carefully weigh it down with something moderately heavy such as a cutting board.
Coat Tofu with Starch
- Once you've pressed your tofu, cut it into cubes or tear it into bite-sized pieces.
- Add cornstarch (or starch of choice) to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Mix together. Add in the tofu pieces and toss to coat. Let the tofu sit in the bowl with the cornstarch while you heat the oil.
Pan-Fry Tofu
- Heat oil: Add oil to a medium to large skillet. (I use a 10" skillet and I can fry the whole block of tofu in one batch.) Use as much oil as needed to cover the entire bottom of the pan; don't skimp if you want it to be as crispy as possible! Heat over medium.
- Add tofu: When the oil shimmers, carefully add one piece of tofu to the pan. The tofu should sizzle immediately — if not, the pan needs to preheat more. Add in the tofu pieces, doing your best to leave space between them so they don't stick together. (Careful of splattering oil. I highly recommend wearing an apron to protect your clothing, or using a splatter screen.)
- Fry on one side: Let the tofu pieces fry on one side without touching for about 2-4 minutes, or until browned and crispy, then give them a flip. Resist the urge to flip them too early. The cornstarch needs time to form a crust, otherwise it may stick to the pan. When it's ready to flip, the tofu should release cleanly from the pan — if it won't, wait another minute or two.
- A note on temperature: Different stoves and cookware materials all work a little differently. Adjust temperature as needed! Medium heat on my stove is typically perfect for pan-frying in a stainless or nonstick skillet, but yours may differ. Reduce heat slightly if at any point the oil starts smoking.
- Flip and fry till crispy: Flip the tofu and fry again on the second side for a few minutes until crispy. At this point, go ahead and pull apart any pieces that are sticking together. Keep frying, tossing the tofu every so often, until it's evenly crispy and golden brown.
- Remove from pan: If there's excess oil in your pan, you can transfer the crispy tofu pieces to a wire rack over a cookie sheet, or to a paper towel-lined plate to let any excess drip off. (Optional.) When it comes off the heat, I like to sprinkle with a little bit of extra salt while it's still hot.
- Enjoy: Pan-fried tofu can be served with sauces for dipping, or tossed with veggies and sauce for stir fries. There are many other ways to enjoy too! See the recipe notes for some of my personal favorites.
Notes
- Super-firm tofu: You can also prepare this recipe with a block of super-firm (high-protein) tofu. You won't need to press this variety of tofu. It will have an extra chewy texture.
- Oil: My favorite oils to fry with are peanut oil and light olive oil (I love the Frizzle oil from Graza). Regular vegetable or canola oil will also work, as will sunflower or rice bran oil, to name a few.
- Starch: Cornstarch is my preferred starch for pan frying. Other types of starch (potato, arrowroot, tapioca) can work, but they have more of a tendency to stick together. Potato and tapioca starch can create a gloopy mess unless you are very careful to keep the tofu pieces from touching one another. These starches work better for deep frying (in my experience).
Ways to Enjoy Pan-Fried Tofu
- Buffalo tofu: Toss with buffalo sauce and enjoy as a snack, or serve with vegan mac 'n' cheese.
- Sweet chili tofu: One of my favorite low-effort meals. Set the crispy tofu aside and in the same pan, stir-fry onions and red bell peppers. Add the tofu back in, drizzle with store-bought sweet chili sauce, and eat with rice.
- Protein booster: Add it to nourish bowls/grain bowls, wraps, salads, pasta and more to boost the protein content.
- Takeout: Swap out the baked/air fryer tofu for this pan fried tofu in any of my homemade takeout recipes like Orange Tofu, Sticky Sesame Tofu, Gochujang Tofu, etc.
Why is my tofu sticking to the pan/not getting crispy?
Here are a few potential causes:- Not enough oil: For the starch to crisp up and release from the pan, you need a thin but even layer of oil covering the entire bottom of the pan.
- Oil not hot enough: Make sure the pan preheats long enough. The tofu should sizzle immediately when added to the pan.
- Pan is overcrowded: This can cause the tofu pieces to steam, which will make the starch gloopy rather than crispy.
Other Ways to Make Crispy Tofu:
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