Fried Tofu

4.88 from 8 votes

Fried tofu or pan-fried tofu is crisp, tender, flavorful, and ready in just 15 minutes. It's a protein-rich add-in for salads, wraps, stews, and curries, and it's delicous as a snack.

It has a thin outer shell that is slightly crips and packed with flavor. You can think of it as a tasty, healthy, nutritious chicken replacement.

Prep Time8 mins

Cook Time12 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Add-in, Main-protein

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fried tofu, quick dinner, tofu

Servings: people

Calories: 170kcal

Author: Nico

Ingredients

14 - 16 ounces tofu firm or extra firm
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1¼ teaspoon salt or more to taste
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon chili powder or more to taste
1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

USA - Metric

Instructions

To an oven dish, add cornstarch, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Mix until well combined and set aside.
Drain tofu block and cut it into ½ inch or 1 cm dice. Don't pat dry and don't press the tofu.
Toss tofu cubes with seasoning. Shake the dish left and right till the tofu is fully coated.
Tip: you might need to use your hands to fully coat the tofu.
Warm the olive oil on medium heat in a large nonstick pan. Add tofu cubes and fry for about 12 minutes.
Flip tofu with a fork every 2 to 3 minutes.
Your fried tofu is ready when it's crisp and golden-brown on most sides.
Serve as an add-in for salads, soups, curries, wraps, pasta dishes, and much more. See our "serving suggestions" chapter above.

Video

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 portion of fried tofu out of 4 portions.

SUBSTITUTIONS

- Extra virgin olive oil: sub with avocado oil, coconut butter, canola oil, sunflower oil, or regular olive oil.

- Spices: you can use most spices such as curry, turmeric, dried herbs, cumin, coriander, onion powder, and more.

- Cornstarch: we haven't tried replacing the cornstarch but some readers had success with arrowroot powder.

VARIATIONS

- Curry fried tofu: sub 1 teaspoon of curry powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, and ½ ground cumin for paprika and chili powder.

- Italian fried tofu: sub 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon dried rosemary for paprika and chili powder.

- Turmeric-black pepper fried tofu: sub 2 tsps of turmeric and ½ teaspoon black pepper for paprika, garlic, and chili powder.

MAKE AHEAD & STORAGE

- Make ahead: this is not the best recipe to make ahead because the tofu loses its outer crispiness. However, if you'd like to make it in advance, you can certainly do so, and we often do this, especially when we do meal prep for a few days. The tofu is still tasty, just not as crisp. A trick that helps is to reheat it on a non-stick pan with a bit of oil for a couple of minutes.

- Refrigerator: store pan-fried tofu leftovers in a bowl, covered with a plate, or in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Remember that the coating absorbs moisture as it sits in the fridge and will lose its crispness.

- Freezer: we don't recommend freezing fried tofu because the coating won't thaw and reheat well.

- Reheat: you can warm leftovers in the microwave for 2 minutes or on a non-stick skillet or cast iron pan with a tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes.

Nutrition