Crispy Fried Tofu

You won’t believe how easy it is to make a Crispy Fried Tofu that is crunchy and delicious in every bite. This pan-fried tofu is great as a side dish or to add to almost any dish you can imagine.

If you are looking for a versatile recipe for tofu that can be used in many dishes, this perfect pan-fried tofu is the way to go. Using just a few simple ingredients and a skillet or air fryer, that white brick of tofu quickly transforms into perfectly crispy and crunchy tofu nuggets.

You Will Love This

• great source of protein for vegetarian, plant-based, and vegan folks.
• affordable and accessible to all grocery stores.
• simple, easy, and tasty tofu recipe.
• If you love meatless recipes, be sure to check out my vegan tofu dumplings, vegan udon noodles stir-fry, vegan japchae, and vegan mushroom soup.

How to make Crispy Pan Fried Tofu

Preparing the tofu. Cut a slit in the tofu package and drain all the liquid out. Slice tofu into cubes. Lay each cube on a chopping board and stack another heavy board or anything that heavy such as a cast iron skillet, on top of the tofu and drain as much excess water. Use a paper towel or clean cloth to wipe the excess liquid. You can leave it until you are ready to do the next step.

Seasoning the tofu. On a plate, combine cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix well until well blended. Coat all the tofu cubes using the cornstarch mixture, making sure all the sides are coated well.

Pan-frying. In a skillet, heat about one inch of cooking oil over medium heat. Make sure the cooking oil is hot enough but not too hot. Frying each side and leaving undisturbed for about 3 minutes to ensure it will not stick to the pan. Fry all sides of tofu until golden brown.

Take them out and transfer them into a cooling wire rack to drain excess oil. Proceed to the next batch of tofu to fry.

Helpful Tips

• Draining as much excess water is one of the keys to making the best crispy tofu. There are 2 ways you can drain it. You can drain it while it is still a block, or you can slice them into cubes first, then lay it on a chopping board and lay a heavy cast iron skillet on top.
• Adding cornstarch will give an extra crunchy texture to the tofu.
• Heat the cooking oil before start frying the tofu to get that nice golden brown and crispy tofu. Also, a hot skillet gives the tofu a better chance to ‘not stick’ when trying to flip it to cook evenly.
• Don’t overcrowd your skillet. Fry the tofu in batches to avoid sticking together and leave it undisturbed to get that crispy coating on.
• When cooking the tofu in a few batches, remove the first batch and transfer it to a wire rack to cool down. Placing it on a plate will steam the side faced down, and you will lose some of the crispiness!