This breaded tofu is a game-changer for quick and simple weeknight meals! It comes out crispy on the skin and seasoned on the within, and it comes collectively in a flash. This one is a big hit in our home as a vegan dinner, or as a plant primarily based protein to prime salads and bowl meals.
Why we love this recipe
If there’s one winner dinner in our home, it’s tofu! That’s proper. In just some years, we went from tofu cautious to having it as a daily a part of our weekly dinner rotation. Even our youngsters like it (like critically chow it down)!
This breaded tofu is so critically straightforward, it’s turn into our prime technique for weeknight dinners. It comes collectively in 15 to twenty minutes, and it’s so tasty—crispy on the skin and daring and seasoned on the within. We will’t get sufficient of it! We love including it to salads and energy bowls, like a Caesar salad, rooster Caesar wraps, a tofu sandwich, and extra.
Ingredient notes for breaded tofu
All you want are a handful of substances for breaded tofu. What we love is that it provides a pleasant crispy exterior to the tofu, making the feel really feel one thing like breaded rooster or fish. One of the best half? You don’t even want wait to press the tofu. Right here’s what you’ll want:
- Additional agency tofu: This recipe is finest with further agency tofu, although you may also use agency tofu as nicely. Keep away from smooth or silken tofu, which gained’t maintain collectively within the pan.
- Soy sauce or tamari: You’ll dip the tofu items into soy sauce or tamari earlier than cooking, which seasons it.
- Plain panko: This Japanese-style breadcrumb is what creates the crispy exterior. For gluten-free, use gluten-free tofu.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch additionally helps to create the crispy exterior and shouldn’t be omitted. Use arrowroot powder instead in the event you like.
- Onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin: These seasonings spherical out the spices checklist to make a meaty, savory taste.
Different to cornstarch
Want a cornstarch substitute on this baked tofu recipe? Strive arrowroot starch, the starch extracted from the arrowroot plant. It’s typically utilized in gluten-free baking to deliver a light-weight texture to baked items, in addition to to make crispy breading and to thicken sauces. Substitute arrowroot starch 1 for 1 with cornstarch.
You don’t must press the tofu?
If you happen to’ve cooked with tofu earlier than, you will have seen some recipes name so that you can “press” the tofu by setting a heavy object on prime of it for half-hour. This helps to take away among the water from the tofu.
In our pursuit of quick recipes, we’ve experimented fairly a bit with whether or not tofu requires urgent. Seems, it doesn’t! You possibly can go proper into the cooking on this recipe and it nonetheless comes out completely crispy.
Methods to serve breaded tofu
This breaded tofu is a superb vegan dinner recipe that comes collectively rapidly! We love that with the feel, it really works as a very good substitute for rooster. Typically after we’re serving our household or a crowd, we serve each protein choices! Listed here are just a few concepts for the best way to serve it:
Extra tofu recipes
Love tofu? Strive a few of our favourite tofu recipes like baked tofu, pan fried tofu, tofu fried rice, tofu broccoli stir fry or crispy tofu.
Dietary notes
This breaded tofu recipe is vegetarian, plant-based, dairy-free, and vegan. For gluten-free, use gluten-free panko.
Steadily requested questions
Sure, you possibly can bake breaded tofu, but it surely doesn’t get fairly as crispy. Preheat your oven to 400°F and bake the tofu on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 20-25 minutes, flipping midway by way of, till golden brown and crispy.
Breaded tofu could be served with a wide range of sides, comparable to rice, noodles, greens, or salads. It additionally makes an important addition to sandwiches, wraps, and bowls.
Retailer leftover breaded tofu in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days. You possibly can reheat it gently in a pan on the stovetop till warmed by way of and crispy.
Description
This breaded tofu is a game-changer for quick and simple weeknight meals! It comes out crispy on the skin and seasoned on the within, and it comes collectively in a flash. This one is a big hit in our home as a vegan dinner, or as a plant primarily based protein to prime salads and bowl meals.
- 14 ounces further agency tofu
- Soy sauce or tamari, for dipping
- 1 cup plain panko (gluten-free panko, if desired)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Slice the tofu into 3 skinny slabs lengthwise, then in 3 the opposite route for 9 rectangles whole. Pat them dry with a clear towel.
- Place the tofu slabs in a shallow bowl with ¼ cup soy sauce, dipping both sides in, then permitting to soak for five seconds. Take away them to a plate and discard the remaining soy sauce.
- In the meantime, make the breading station: in a small bowl, combine the panko, cornstarch, onion powder, garlic powder, ginger, and salt, then pour it onto a plate in a single layer.
- Dip the tofu slabs into the breading combine, urgent it in along with your fingers to assist it adhere to every facet.
- Warmth 2 tablespoons olive oil in a nonstick skillet and add half the tofu slabs (or as many as match within the backside of the pan with out overlapping). Cook dinner on medium excessive warmth for two to three minutes per facet till browned and crispy. Repeat with the second batch of tofu. Serve instantly. Leftovers retailer as much as 3 days refrigerated; reheat gently on the stovetop till warmed by way of.
- Class: Major dish
- Technique: Stovetop
- Delicacies: Vegan
- Weight-reduction plan: Vegan
