Only 4 ingredients, perfect for so many dishes, crispy *actually crispy* and can be made in the oven or the air fryer. It's the basic staple recipe you've been needing in your life! Try it in my Red Thai Curry Noodles with Crispy Tofu.
The Perfect Crispy Tofu (Oil Free)
✔ 45 Minutes ✔ Weight Loss Friendly ✔ Gluten Free ✔ Oil Free ✔ Makes 32 bite sized pieces
INGREDIENTS
• 15 ounce block extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce OR tamari OR coconut aminos
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch
In the Oven:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If using an air fryer, see Air Fryer Instructions below. Drain and press the tofu block as much as possible with a clean, dry, lint free towel.
2. Cut the block of drained and pressed tofu in half lengthwise, press with a clean, dry, lint free dish towel. Then cut each rectangle into 4 long slices, and then cut across each rectangle 4 more times to make roughly 32 bite sized cubes. Press the 2 rectangles again with a clean, dry, lint free dish towel to remove excess moisture.
3. In a large mixing bowl add the soy sauce, garlic powder, and salt. Whisk together. Add the cubes and gently toss with a silicone spatula until coated being careful not to crumble your cubes.
4. Place 2 tablespoons of the arrowroot powder or cornstarch on a large plate, then add a few handfuls of the tofu cubes coating all sides of the cubes lightly. Place the lightly coated cubes onto your parchment paper lined baking sheet as you go. Add more of the arrowroot powder or cornstarch as needed to coat all of the tofu cubes lightly and then transfer all cubes to the baking sheet.
5. Bake 20 minutes, then flip each cube over and bake 20 minutes more until the tofu is crispy and golden brown on the outside. Serve alone as desired, or add it to my delicious Red Thai Curry Noodles here.
Air Fryer Instructions:
Follow steps 1 through 3. If using an air fryer, do the same arrowroot/cornstarch dance from step 4 and place on the air fryer tray instead of a baking sheet. Air fry at 400 F for 10 to 15 minutes flipping the cubes halfway through until the tofu is crispy and golden brown on the outside. Exact time will vary depend on your air fryer.
NOTE: This is a basic Crispy Tofu recipe, but feel free to add other seasoning to suit your tastes in addition to what I’ve shared here. This could be different spices, nutritional yeast, hot sauce, or even liquid smoke.
Watch the video version here:
🌱 For more delicious, weight loss friendly WFPB recipes check out my cookbooks.
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