How to Make the PERFECT Tofu in 4 Steps

After 4 years of vegetarianism, I have finally mastered the art of making tofu, and I am so excited to share this with everyone!

Say goodbye to mushy, crumbly, soggy tofu bites and welcome crispy, soft, flavorful squares of plant-based protein. In just four steps, you too can craft an excellent tofu dish that will delight omnivores and herbivores alike!

Step 1: Press your tofu

DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! This is an essential part in the process of making your tofu crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. When I start to make a dinner involving tofu, the first thing I do is throw my tofu into a tofu press. I like to use my tofu press, but if you don't have one, don't worry! You can make a tofu press using regular household items.

While I chop veggies and prepare the other parts of my dinner, I let the tofu sit in the press. This usually takes about 20-30 minutes, and by the time I'm ready to cook the tofu, it is the perfect consistency for getting it crispy.

Step 2: Prep your pan

Once my tofu is done pressing, I will pull out my large cast-iron pan and throw about a tablespoon of sesame oil in there to heat up. I have tried making tofu in other types of pans, but I've found that cast-iron is generally the best for this. Make sure your pan is big enough to comfortably fit all of your tofu pieces at once, as it will be more difficult to turn the tofu if the pan is overcrowded. I like to use sesame oil because I really enjoy the flavor and it's great if you are using the tofu for an Asian dish, but you can really use whatever oil you would like.

Step 3: Pop in and cook the tofu

You can cut your tofu into whatever shapes or sizes that you want, but I find that cutting a 14oz block of tofu into 1-inch by 1-inch cubes is the best method. You want your tofu pieces to be uniform and as similar as possible so that they all take the same amount of time to cook.

This next part is crucial: be patient! This is where I have failed while cooking tofu in the past. You need to cook each side of each piece of tofu in order to get crispy pieces. Arrange the tofu pieces in one layer in the pan. After a few minutes, check the bottoms of those pieces to see if they have become golden brown yet. Some parts of your pan may be hotter than others, so each tofu cube might be cooking at a different rate. Because of this, be sure to check a few different pieces.

Once one side has become golden brown, flip each tofu piece and cook the next side until it is golden brown. Repeat this a few times until most of the sides are golden brown. It's okay if not every side gets cooked - you can safely eat tofu raw so it can never be "undercooked." The more sides you cook, the crispier it gets!

Remove from pan once the tofu pieces have achieved your desired level of crispiness and place on a plate with a paper towel to absorb any excess cooking oil.

Step 4: Toss with a sauce and serve!

This part is really up to you! Whatever sauce you would like to toss your tofu in is your choice. You can also eat the tofu without any sauce. Delicious!

Feel free to share your tofu creations with me. I would love to see what you make!