How To Cook Tofu – Baked, Air-Fried, or Pan-Fried!

I love to bake, pan-fry, or air fry tofu as it adds a good bite and texture to the otherwise soft and mushy tofu. Cooking tofu is a great make-ahead option for meal prepping. My recipe does not require you to squeeze out the water for hours, but instead just for a few minutes which helps retain the inside moisture and softness of tofu, adding a crisp layer on the outside. Tip: Remember to buy Extra Firm Tofu!

How to Prep Tofu

Before we get into how to cook tofu, it’s important to know how to prep it. I like to buy the extra firm tofu as it does not crumble as easily as the softer versions and also has a meaty, satisfying texture. Remember to refrigerate tofu until you are ready to use it!

How to prep tofu?

Step 1: Gently take the tofu out of the packaging, drain out and discard the liquids. Then wrap the block of tofu in paper towels and press gently to squeeze out the liquids from it. To help remove any excess moisture, place a heavy pot on top of the tofu block that is wrapped in paper towels.

Step 2: Next, cut the tofu with a sharp knife into 4 slices. Gently press each piece again with paper towels to remove any additional moisture

Step 3: Cut each slice into 1 inch cubes, big or small depending on your preference

Step 4: Place the cut tofu in a mixing bowl. Add oil, soy sauce, salt, pepper, corn starch and gently toss them to coating evenly

Step 5: Sprinkle more cornstarch and gently coat again. Corn starch helps to add crispy golden textures

Now you are ready to cook the tofu in 3 ways – bake, air fry or panfry!

Bake

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the marinated tofu cubes in a single layer on the baking tray making sure they are not touching each other so that all the sides cook evenly.

Bake for 15 to 20 mins. Note: I always bake them for 15 to 20 mins without flipping them. But for extra crispy, you can flip them after the first 15 to 20 mins and then bake for additional 15 mins.

Air Fry

• Spray the air fryer basket with oil.
• Line the marinated tofu and air fry at 380 degrees for 15 to 20 mins. Again, I do not flip them halfway through but you may if you like

Panfry

• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan
• Line the tofu in a single layer and cook on medium heat undisturbed for 5 mins. Then, carefully turn it over with a silicone spatula and cook the other side for 5 mins. Note: It is important not to stir it, so the tofu browns well and does not break apart.

Variations

1. The ingredients I use to coat and marinate the tofu are more basic, so the tofu can be added to any dish of your choice. I love adding it to Thai curries, fried rice, soups, and noodles.
2. Tofu makes a great vegan substitute for paneer in Indian dishes like palak paneer or vegetable biryani. You can also add a teaspoon of lemon juice, ginger and garlic paste to the marinade. Spices such as turmeric, red chili powder, and garam masala also add a nice flavor to the tofu.
3. To enjoy baked tofu as is, coat it in your favorite store-bought sweet and spicy sauce. To make the sauce at home, whisk together 2 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons of sriracha sauce, and 2 minced garlic cloves. Toss it in the baked tofu and sprinkle over toasted sesame seeds, for a perfect snack by itself or serve with steamed jasmine rice for a quick meal.

Serving

Although you can serve cooked tofu as a side with steamed jasmine rice for a quick meal, I love using cooked tofu in Indian dishes that call for paneer for example my palak paneer, paneer makhani, and Vegetable Biryani.

In addition to the Indian dishes, cooked tofu can be added to the Vegan Thai Green Curry, Pad Thai, Panang Curry or used in Thai red curry to substitute chicken.

Note: Simply stir in baked/air-fried/pan-fried tofu just before you are ready to serve the dish! There is no need to cook it again.