Crispy Baked Tofu (Without Cornstarch)
How to make delicious, flavorful, crispy tofu that is baked in the oven and requires no cornstarch. You will love this simple plant based recipe!
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Crispy Baked Tofu (Without Cornstarch)
Good morning friends! I hope you all have had a lovely start to your Monday. I woke up this morning, brewed my usual cup of coffee, grabbed a quick snack, and headed straight out the door for my run. I’ve gotten into a really nice groove of exercising before work, which I definitely prefer over waiting until the evening.
Now that the beautiful summer weather is finally upon us, I’ve started to increase my mileage a bit, which means I need quick, healthy, and convenient meals/snacks prepped at all times :). The crispy baked tofu recipe that I’m sharing today is the perfect one to prep a big batch of. It packs in a nice source of plant based protein and it tastes delicious. It is also incredibly versatile and can be used in just about any savory dish – burrito bowls, salads, nourish bowls, tacos, and the list goes on.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into some quick things to note for this recipe. Then, we will look at the list of ingredients you will need to make this recipe a smashing success!
What can you use instead of cornstarch to make tofu crispy?
One very common question regarding baking tofu in the oven is how to make it crispy without the use of cornstarch. I get it; a lot of people don’t have cornstarch on hand at all times to cook and bake with, including myself. That’s why I made this recipe without cornstarch. Instead, I chose to use a bit of olive oil to help the tofu crisp up while it bakes. That way, you still end up with tofu that has a nice and soft inside and crispy outside. Plus, the olive oil adds additional flavor to the tofu.
There is also another method that we will use to ensure the tofu turns out super crispy on the outside – baking it at high heat. The combination of the high heat and the oil helps the tofu achieve a crispy texture without the use of cornstarch.
Why Won’t My Tofu Get Crispy?
If you have tried to make tofu before and could never seem to get it to crisp up, there could be a few reasons as to why. First off, you may have not baked your tofu at a high enough temperature. High heat is important for getting your tofu to turn out nice and crispy. Aside from that, I think it’s important to coat the tofu in something to help it crisp up. For this recipe specifically, we will use a combination of olive oil and nutritional yeast seasoning.
Finally, you want to make sure your baking pan is greased or lined with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. This is mostly because you don’t want your tofu to stick to the pan. I find that lining/greasing my baking pan before placing down the tofu cubes helps ensure that none of them stick to the pan once they are done baking.
Now that we have discussed a few important things to note for this recipe, let’s take a look at the quick list of ingredients you will need to make this crispy oven baked tofu recipe.
Crispy Baked Tofu – Ingredients
- Extra Firm Tofu – The extra firm tofu is the first essential ingredient you will need for this recipe. It is one of my favorite sources of plant based protein. To achieve the crispiest texture possible, you will definitely want to use extra firm tofu for this recipe, not firm or silken tofu. Additionally, you will want to press as much liquid out of the tofu as possible before cutting it into cubes. You can use either a towel or tofu press to do so.
- Nutritional Yeast Seasoning – The nutritional yeast seasoning adds a slight nutty/cheesy flavor as well as a source of vitamin B12 to this recipe.
- Olive Oil – The olive oil adds flavor and richness to this tofu recipe. It also helps ensure that the tofu crisps up in the oven.
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Crispy Baked Tofu (Without Cornstarch)
Ingredients
- 1 block extra firm tofu (15.5 oz package)
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast seasoning
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Drain the block of tofu and press as much liquid as possible out of it using a towel or tofu press.
- Cut the tofu into small cubes and place them in a mixing bowl.
- Add in the olive oil and evenly coat the tofu in it.
- Add the nutritional yeast seasoning and mix to evenly coat the tofu.
- Place the tofu cubes on a lined or greased baking sheet, leaving a bit of space between each one.
- Bake the tofu for about 30 – 35 minutes, or until the tofu is crispy on the outside.
- Serve the tofu with whatever you'd like.
Notes
I hope you all enjoy this simple and delicious crispy oven baked tofu recipe. It’s perfect to meal prep in big batches and enjoy throughout the week on top of salads, burrito bowls, etc. Anyway, that’s it for this recipe. As per usual, I will be back with another blog post very soon.
-Alyssa 🙂
