Tofu is truly a staple of any plant-based diet. High in protein, low in fat and calories, tofu also easily takes on the flavors of marinades and sauces, making it an excellent healthy protein and meat substitute in your favorite recipes.
Despite all tofu has going for it, a lot of plant-based eaters don’t know how to prepare it, or are under the mistaken impression that it takes too long to bake tofu yourself!
This post is all about debunking these tofu myths, and getting us all in the kitchen, making some delicious tofu!
My Crispy Vegan Tofu Recipe
My tutorial will take you through my favorite method for cubing tofu, with step by step photos.
Then my recipe for my Crispy Vegan Tofu will show you how to bake those tofu cubes perfectly. You can then use them in just about any way imaginable!
And really quickly, even though tofu is rather soft, even in its firmest form, you’ll definitely want a nice, sharp knife for cutting tofu.
I’ve been so incredibly pleased and impressed with my Cuisinart knife set [aff. link]. Function is of course the most important thing with any kitchen tool, but I certainly prefer my kitchen tools to be beautiful as well as functional! That’s what attracted me to this stunning knife set. I just love that it’s white! After almost three years of daily use, my knife set is still going SHARP and strong! You can find it here on Amazon [aff. link].
Ok, now let’s get to it!
Here’s my favorite method for cutting the perfect cubed tofu everytime:
Prepare Your Work Space
Get your tools ready! You’ll need tofu, of course, a good knife, cutting board, and dish for storing the tofu if you don’t plan on baking it right away.
Press Your Tofu
To press your tofu, simply take it out of the package, and over the sink, press the block between your hands. The goal is to get as much water out as possible without breaking the tofu block! Don’t get too perfectionistic about it, just get as much liquid out as you easily can.
Slice the Tofu Vertically
Now put your tofu on the cutting board so it’s perpendicular to the board. About one-third of the way into the tofu block, make a cut all the way through, down to the cutting board.
Now go two-thirds of the way into the block, and do another slice all the way through the tofu down to the cutting board. So you’ve now cut the tofu into three pieces.
Keep the tofu pieces stacked, and flip them over so now they are parallel to the cutting board…
…so it looks like this. You can see the two cuts we just did, making three equal-sized pieces of tofu.
Slice the Tofu Horizontally
Keeping the three tofu pieces stacked, make a horizontal cut right down the middle of the them. (So now you’ve got six pieces of tofu.)
Now make another horizontal cut halfway between that center cut and one end of the tofu block.
…and now make another horizontal cut halfway between that center cut and the other end of the tofu block.
Cut the Tofu Vertically (Again!)
Next do a vertical cut down the center of the tofu block.
Now do a vertical cut through the tofu between that center vertical cut and one end of the tofu block…
…and yep, you guessed it! Do another vertical cut through the tofu, this time between that center vertical cut and the other end of the tofu.
AND YOU’RE DONE!!!!! You’ve got perfectly cubed tofu!
You can definitely eat the tofu cubes as they are (one of the great things about plant-based proteins!).
I always have tofu cubes cut and ready to eat in our refrigerator. They’re a quick and easy protein for my daughter’s lunches, and it’s also nice to have the cutting step already done for when I want to make my Classic Crispy Tofu recipe.
And that’s where I’ll leave you now! Make my delicious Crispy Vegan Tofu recipe, and enjoy tofu as a snack dipped in Bragg’s Aminos or hummus, or make a whole meal around this delicious plant-based protein.
I love this tofu in a quinoa salad, on top of a delicious salad like my Keto Crispy Tofu Salad, or alongside my favorite Classic Pesto Pasta.
The possibilities are truly endless, so enjoy my delicious Crispy Vegan Tofu Recipe with your next meal, and put tofu on your list of easy and tasty proteins! 💗😋💗
Tofu Tutorial & Crispy Vegan Baked Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 14 oz block of firm or extra firm tofu, pressed (press as much water out of the tofu block as you easily can with your hands; don't squeeze so hard that you break the block. See photos above.)
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp olive oil
Instructions
Cube the tofu
- Cube the tofu to about ¾ inch - 1 inch sized cubes. See photos above for my favorite tofu cubing method.
Season the tofu
- Add the cubed tofu, sea salt, and olive oil to a large mixing bowl.
- With your hands, carefully toss the tofu, sea salt, and olive oil until the oil and salt evenly coat the tofu cubes.
- A few cubes will break a bit, and that’s ok. Just do your best to keep the cubes whole.
Bake the tofu
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Spread the tofu out on a standard-sized baking sheet. There should be at least ½ inch of space between each tofu cube. If the tofu cubes are too close together on the baking sheet, they won't get crisp during baking.
- Bake the tofu for 20 minutes.
- Take the tofu out of the oven, and let the cubes cool for a minute or two.
- Now with your hands or a spatula, flip each tofu cube over so that a different side is face down on the baking sheet.
- Note: if you taste a tofu cube and like the texture at this point, don't put the tofu back in the oven. It can be served as is. If you want the crisp texture of the recipe title, proceed with the next instruction.
- Put the tofu cubes back in the oven, and bake for an additional 17 minutes. (If you want the tofu extra crispy, bake it for 20 minutes.)
Serve and Enjoy!
- The tofu is done. Serve this Crispy Vegan Baked Tofu as the main protein in any of your favorite dishes. It will complement and take on the flavor of whatever sauce/dressing you serve it with.
6 Responses
As I believe I’ve noted here before, tofu has never really been on my radar. I’ve never cooked it at home, so this recipe is super helpful! I have friends who are wizards with tofu, and now I know how they do it! 🙂
Thanks David! Tofu definitely has it’s own little tricks, but once you know them, it’s super easy to prepare!
I’ll have to try this!
Awesome!! Thanks so much Jeff!
This is the best and most helpful post for meat eaters like me! I have been literally thinking about making crispy baked tofu for weeks, looking for a good recipe and now I’ve found it. It’s like you’ve read my mind, Shannon, thank you! Off to finally use that firm tofu block in my fridge!!
Oh that is so awesome Katerina, thank you!!!!! Hope you love it! 😋❤️😃