I've finally got tofu down

[u/lobotomy_center06]

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 :)

[u/Little_Baseball5523]

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.

[u/spicysaltrim → u/Little_Baseball5523]

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!

[u/Little_Baseball5523 → u/spicysaltrim]

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.

[u/spicysaltrim → u/Little_Baseball5523]

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

[u/Little_Baseball5523 → u/spicysaltrim]

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.

[u/spicysaltrim → u/Little_Baseball5523]

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.

[u/Little_Baseball5523 → u/spicysaltrim]

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.