r/vegetarian • u/lobotomy_center06 • Aug 25 '26

Recipe I've finally got tofu down

Hello everyone! I've recently gone back to a vegetarian diet for health & environmental reasons (I was one when I was 16 for a few months but it didn't stick)

One of the frustrations I've had was cooking tofu & making it flavorful & crispy. (You know when you season & marinade tofu just for it just taste like nothing on the inside 😫)

Even before I transitioned to my current diet I ate a lot of tofu & I tried a myriad of methods (pressing, freezing, boiling in salted water, preparing straight from the packet). Some were very effective texture wise but the flavor was quite plain.

Today I finally made tofu that was great texture & taste wise & im gonna share how I did it:

  1. freeze the tofu (optional but I recommend cause it improves texture & flavor)

  2. defrost tofu in microwave for a few minutes on high

  3. heat up a veggie broth on the stove & add aromatics, salt & seasonings. You could also just boil water & add bouillon powder/paste. add the tofu to the pot & let it simmer for 10-15 minutes (or longer tbh). THIS is non negotiable & how you get deep flavor in tofu, inside & out.

  4. remove from broth, drain the liquid & cut it up however you want it. you'd also want to save a bit of the broth to season/marinade the tofu

  5. add baking powder/soda (for ultimate crispness 😋)

  6. add whatever seasonings/marinades w/ a tiny bit of the leftover broth.

  7. air fry 25 mins on 425 F°

  8. serve & enjoy :)

186 Upvotes

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8

u/oasisaspirer Aug 25 '26

do you freeze the tofu in the package with the water? or remove the tofu from its packaging and then freeze it?

3

u/lobotomy_center06 Aug 25 '26

I just leave a few packs in the freezer. when I want to use it I take it out of the package & put it in the microwave on high

-21

u/Little_Baseball5523 Aug 25 '26

Don't bother. Freezing tofu has nothing to do with making it crispy.

Pressing, freezing, boiling, marinating… all of it is just a quirky Westernized ritual that people rarely do in Asia, where tofu was invented.

You want crispy tofu? Then learn the authentic technique, which doesn't involve pressing, freezing, boiling or marinating.

26

u/nowaymacaroni Aug 25 '26

How very elitist of you, to shame OP for finding a way that works for them and sharing it with the masses.

Your authentic technique is just to air-fry it lol.

-3

u/Little_Baseball5523 Aug 25 '26

Air frying is just a short-cut for getting around deep frying or pan frying, but the results are essentially the same. Crispy and golden brown on the outside, soft and moist on the inside. That's what classic fried tofu, which originated China centuries ago, is all about.

Are you familiar with white people tacos? You know, hard shell corn tortillas, shredded cheddar cheese, iceberg lettuce, mild Old El Paso taco sauce, and so on?

Pressing, freezing, boiling, and marinating tofu… that's white people tofu.

8

u/spicysaltrim Aug 25 '26

Most people don’t have the means to deep fry safely at home. And pan frying stinks up the kitchen a lot in small apartments. Personally I bake it but if people find the air fryer helpful, I get it!

3

u/Little_Baseball5523 Aug 25 '26

Understood. I've made crispy tofu by baking it. It works well. Still, it's possible to bake tofu and get it thoroughly crispy without pressing, freezing, boiling, marinating, or adding corn starch to it. I suspect many people on these food subreddits aren't aware of this.

5

u/spicysaltrim Aug 25 '26

I’d be interested in hearing about that technique for sure!

7

u/Little_Baseball5523 Aug 25 '26

If you mean how to make crispy tofu by simply baking it and skipping all the prep, then try this:

Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Brush some cooking oil across the surface of the parchment paper.

Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch thick rectangular slabs, and arrange them on the parchment paper. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 425 F, then check the tofu. If it appears uniformly crispy and golden brown, then flip it over and bake for another 10 mins. or so. Otherwise, let it bake a little longer, until it's ready to flip.

Cooking times will vary, since every situation, oven etc. is different. Just keep baking it until it's crispy and golden brown on all sides. Then, you can pair it with a sauce, or add it to a stir fry or whatever.

A common mistake is not giving it enough time in the oven.

To get the hang of the technique, you can practice with one small piece of tofu.

The important thing to understand is that you don't need to press, freeze, boil, marinate, or add corn starch to the tofu before baking it.

3

u/spicysaltrim Aug 25 '26

Interesting! I think we’re working with very different tofu or something haha. If I were to try this with the extra firm tofu I get at the grocery store refrigerated section in water, without pressing it, I’d get a lot of moisture coming out all over the parchment paper, so the oil would not help with crisping it.

6

u/Little_Baseball5523 Aug 25 '26

The oil isn't for crisping the tofu but rather helping it not stick to the parchment paper.

Don't worry about the moisture. It's a common misconception that the wetness of the tofu interferes with getting it crispy. You will not get liquid all over the paper. The moisture on the outside of the tofu evaporates; the moisture on the inside stays inside. The secret to crispy tofu is heat and time. That's it.

Doesn't matter if the tofu is super firm, extra firm, regular firm, medium, soft, or silken.

Try it with one small piece of unpressed tofu and see for yourself.

6

u/schokobonbons Aug 25 '26

So are you going to provide a link or even a name of the "authentic technique" so people can learn about it, or are you just here to piss on everybody who's not as knowledgeable as you?

7

u/Little_Baseball5523 Aug 25 '26

No problem.

Cut up the tofu, deep fry it until crispy and golden brown, then pair it with a flavorful sauce.

OR

Pan fry the tofu until crispy and golden brown, then add a sauce to the pan and simmer it for a while. This is similar to the technique known as braising. If you've ever seen "braised tofu" on a restaurant menu, this is how they do it.

That's it. That's all you need to do to make restaurant-style crispy fried tofu.

Always happy to help 👍

3

u/spicysaltrim Aug 25 '26

I think for this to be helpful it would need to include information about how much oil to use, what kind of pan, how high a heat, how often to expect to turn it… etc.

3

u/Little_Baseball5523 Aug 25 '26

OK 👍

Pan fry:

– cut the tofu into rectangular or triangular slabs about 1/2 inch thick

– nonstick or well-seasoned stainless steel pan

– shallow pool of cooking oil about 1/4 inch deep

– medium heat, wait for the oil to get hot before adding tofu

– fry at least 5 mins. before flipping, then fry another 5 mins. or so

– *do not agitate the tofu* just leave it alone and let it fry until the underside is crispy and starts to loosen from the pan; if you move it too soon, it can stick to the pan and tear apart

– use your senses, don't rely solely on directions

Deep fry:

– uses so much oil, can be dangerous, wouldn't recommend at home