Crispy Baked Tofu (5 Ingredients)

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This crispy baked tofu is so flavorful, versatile, and a simple way of making tofu taste amazing with just 5 easy-to-get ingredients.

Baked tofu is one of my favorite ways of cooking tofu. It's tasty, crispy, and packed with lots of good-quality protein. This recipe is also delicious, nutritious, and so healthy.

Overview of baked tofu cubes onto a lined baking sheet.

The marinade gives the tofu an amazing flavor. However, you can add, replace, or change the ingredients and customize this basic recipe with your favorite spices, herbs, sauces, or seasonings.

This is the recipe I would like to have on hand when I cooked tofu for the first time. It can be challenging at the beginning, so I've included it in my Veganuary collection for anyone that is not used to cooking it.

Although you can eat this baked tofu just by itself, it can be used to make other recipes, like my General Tso's tofu, sweet and sour tofu, or Kun Pao tofu, but also to incorporate extra protein in salads, soups, or even stews.

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🌟 You’ll love this recipe because it is
🧾 Ingredients
🔪 Instructions
📋 Substitutions & variations
🍽 Equipment
❄️ Storage
💭 Expert tips
❓Recipe FAQs
🌱 More tofu recipes
📖 Recipe

🌟 You’ll love this recipe because it is

Made with only 5 simple ingredients.
Really affordable.
Super crispy, full of flavor, nutritious, and healthy.
Very versatile and totally customizable with your favorite seasonings.
Perfect to eat by itself or to incorporate extra protein in salads, soups, or stews.

🧾 Ingredients

Firm tofu: firm or extra firm tofu work best for this recipe. Soft or silken tofu is not a good choice as it will fall apart easily.
Soy sauce.
Extra virgin olive oil: this is my favorite oil for this recipe, but any other type of oil will do.
Garlic powder: this ingredient is optional, but it will make your tofu taste even better.
Cornstarch.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

🔪 Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400ºF or 200ºC. In the meanwhile, add the tofu cubes, soy sauce, oil, and garlic powder to a large bowl, mix until well combined, and let it rest for at least 5 minutes.

Tofu cubes coated in cornstarch inside a freezer bag.

Step 2: Drain the tofu and transfer ⅓ of the tofu cubes into a freezer or plastic bag with 1 or 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and toss to coat. Repeat this step with the remaining tofu and cornstarch.

Tofu cubes onto a lined baking sheet before baking.

Step 3: Transfer the tofu cubes to a lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Tofu cubes onto a lined baking sheet after baking.

Step 4: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip each of the tofu cubes so they can cook evenly on the other side. Bake for 15 more minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

📋 Substitutions & variations

Make it gluten-free: use tamari instead of soy sauce.
Soy sauce also can be replaced with coconut aminos, or just some salt to taste.
Make it oil-free: just omit the oil, although this baked tofu will be crispier if you use it.
Garlic powder can be replaced with onion powder, or you can use them both as well. Minced fresh garlic should also work, although I've never tried it myself.
Feel free to use any other type of starch instead. You could also omit it, but your tofu will be crispier if you use it.
I prefer to add 6 tablespoons of cornstarch because I like my tofu cubes super crispy, but you can use only 3 tablespoons or even 1 or 2 tablespoons.
Feel free to add any herbs and spices you want, such as onion powder, black pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning, Cajun seasoning, or chili powder.

🍽 Equipment

To make this recipe you'll need:

Measuring tablespoons and measuring cups (or a scale) to weigh your ingredients.
A large bowl and a spoon for mixing the tofu with the soy sauce, oil, and garlic powder.
A freezer or plastic bag to coat the tofu cubes with the cornstarch.
If you don't want to use a freezer or plastic bag, just add the tofu cubes to a shallow dish, then the cornstarch, and toss to coat, but use the bag for the best results.

Several baked tofu cubes onto a lined baking sheet.

❄️ Storage

Refrigerator: although it is best when served immediately, so it can keep its amazing texture, you can also store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Reheat: it can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. Add a little oil, water, or vegetable stock if needed.

💭 Expert tips

Cut the tofu into ¾-inch chunks (about 2 cm). This size makes the ideal bite.
I hardly ever press my tofu, but I know many people think this is a must if you want your tofu to absorb even better the flavors from the marinade or sauce you're using.
If you press it, you'll get extra crispy tofu. Just wrap the tofu in a clean towel and apply a steady weight to squeeze out the moisture. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
If you freeze the tofu and then defrost it, it will become more porous and it'll absorb flavors more easily. I don't do it very often to save some time and effort, but it's a great tip.
The best way of reheating this baked tofu is by adding it to a frying pan with extra sauce (just make some more) and cooking over medium heat until it's warm enough.
It's important to add extra sauce so the tofu doesn't get too dry, but you also can add oil, water, or vegetable stock as I explained above.

❓Recipe FAQs

Can I make my baked tofu in advance?

Yes, you can! Just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days. However, keep in mind it won't be as crispy as freshly made.

What kind of tofu is best to make baked tofu?

Extra-Firm tofu has the least amount of liquid and is a great choice for baking.

However, I find it too dry sometimes, so I prefer to use firm tofu because it has the proper amount of liquid without falling apart like silken or soft tofu, but it's not as dry as extra-firm tofu.

How can I serve my baked tofu?

You can serve it in salads, soups, stews, or bowl meals. Also with rice or noodles and veggies, or with a stir fry.

In addition, you can use it to make delicious Asian-style recipes that call for tofu, or to replace animal-based protein.

Can I freeze it?

I wouldn't suggest you freeze it since the tofu would probably get a soft texture, and this recipe is amazing because of its flavor but also because of its wonderfully crispy texture!

Do you really have to press the tofu?

As I explained above in more detail, I hardly ever press my tofu and I'm so happy with the results.

But for extra crispy tofu and if you want the tofu to absorb even better all the flavors from the marinade or sauce you're using, you can press it.

🌱 More tofu recipes

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