How to Make Easy Baked Tofu
Today I’m sharing how to bake tofu easily and perfectly every time. Crispy and golden on the outisde, and meaty on the inside. The key to perfectly baked tofu is making sure you’ve pressed your tofu to remove any excess moisture (I use a tofu press, but you can also use kitchen towel and some heavy books). This allows it to develop a deliciously crispy skin with a pillowy centre. Baking your tofu is also the simplest and easiest way to get it right every time. Frying can have variables depending on the dish you’re making, or the pan you’re frying in.
What is tofu?
One of the most misunderstood ingredients is tofu. Tofu is a delicious and versatile plant-based protein that, when you know how to cook with it, can be added to so many meals. Tofu is made from soy and comes in many different forms. Today we’re working with my favourite: extra firm tofu. Extra firm tofu is a more compact texture with less moisture, with the highest amount of protein. This makes it perfect for creating the perfectly baked tofu nuggets to enjoy in salads, stir fries, curries, wraps and everything in between.
What you need to make easy baked tofu
- Block of extra firm tofu
- Olive oil
- Cornflour
- Soy sauce
- Salt and pepper
Substitution and Ingredient Notes
Block of extra firm tofu: Make sure to get your hands on extra firm tofu (which is what is sold in the fridge section of most shops), and familiarise yourself with the best brands. I usually go for Cauldron(available in most supermarkets) Dragonfly (via Riverford) or the supermarket’s own brand (except Waitrose as I’ve found this one too crumbly).
Olive oil: You can substitute olive oil for any vegetable oil, but I like using olive oil the most for how golden it gets the tofu.
Cornflour (cornstarch): This is an important piece to the tofu puzzle. It makes the edges extra crispy and soaks up any excess moisture. You can substitute this for flour, potato or arrowroot starch which also has a nice neutral taste, but won’t be quite as crispy.
Soy sauce: I never really cook tofu without using soy sauce. It adds umami salty flavour that makes tofu taste so much better. This recipe can be made gluten-free if you use gluten-free tamari instead of soy sauce.
How to make
To start with preheat the oven to 200C. Now drain and press the water out of the tofu. You can use a tofu press for this, which I would recommend if you’re vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian, and already like cooking with tofu a lot (or intend to cook with it more). I have had my tofu press from Tofuture for over 10 years, and it’s still going strong. If you don’t have a press, drain the water from the package, and then wrap the tofu in a thin tea towel or several kitchen towels, place on a plate, and put a couple of heavy cookbooks on top for 10-15 minutes. If you don’t have a book you can also just use heavy pan or add a few tins of beans on top. This should remove most of the excess liquid from the tofu.
While you’re waiting for the tofu to drain, preheat the oven to 200°C.
Once the tofu has been pressed, you should see and feel the texture change. When you squeeze the tofu, little water should come out.
Now cut the tofu it into approximately 2cm cubes. Make sure they’re the same size so that they cook evenly. They can be slightly smaller (usually more crispy) or larger (more pillowy). Just make sure they’re all the same. I like to cut my tofu in half lengthways, and then in a grid so I get even squares (usually in half, and then in thirds on each half in one direction, and then in half and half again in the other direction). For this block I got 48 cubes of tofu.
Now it’s time to flavour and prepare the tofu! In a large bowl, add the cubed tofu, olive oil, soy sauce and seasoning. Toss to combine. Next, scatter over the cornflour and toss until evenly coated. Don’t overtoss to break up the cubes of tofu, as tofu can sometimes be fragile. I find the best and most gentle way is to gently toss the bowl, or use a spatula to coat.
Once you get the hang of making tofu, you can also add other seasonings at this stage such as chilli oil, lemon, spices and herbs.
Next our tofu can go in the oven! Lay out the tofu mix in a single layer on a baking tray lined with parchment or a reusable silicone mat. Make sure there is plenty of room between each piece so that each piece can cook evenly. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown, flipping the tofu halfway.
When it’s ready it’ll be perfectly golden on all sides, with perfectly crispy pieces! Ready to be enjoy on a bed of rice with steamed veggies, in a curry, with salad in a wrap or on top of a bowl of ramen!
How to use baked tofu
- Create tasty salads with your baked tofu by adding to a bowl with your favourite veggies, greens and dressing. Or add to one of my salad recipes to bulk it up a little Try adding to Roasted Vegetable Quinoa, Broccoli & Apple Salad
- Add your favourite sauce and eat over a bowl of freshly cooked fluffy rice.
- Add to Curried Chickpea Stew, Potato Spinach & Tomato Curry, Vegan Mushroom Korma or Asparagus & Mushroom Tacos to make extra filling.
Fancy more tofu recipes?
Did you make this easy baked tofu recipe? Please rate and review the recipe below, and leave me a comment! I love to hear your feedback, and if you’re enjoying my recipes. Make sure to take a photo, tag me @MadeleineOlivia and tag it #MadeleineOlivia.
Easy Baked Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 block of extra firm tofu (drained and pressed)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 tbsp cornflour ((cornstarch))
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (for gluten-free use tamari)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C.
- To start with drain and press the water out of the tofu using either a tofu press, or by wrapping the tofu in kitchen towel/a thin tea towel, placing on a plate and topping with a couple of heavy books and leaving for 10-15 minutes to remove excess moisture.
- Once the tofu has been pressed, cut it into 2cm cubes. Make sure they're the same size so that they cook evenly. They can be slightly smaller (usually more crispy) or larger (more pillowy). Just make sure they're all the same.
- In a large bowl, add the tofu, olive oil, soy sauce and season. Toss to combine. Scatter over the cornflour and mix until evenly coated. Make sure to be quite gentle at this stage as the tofu can be fragile.
- Lay out the tofu evenly in a single layer on a lined baking tray. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until crispy and golden brown, flipping halfway.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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18 comments
Sally
Love this recipe for easy baked tofu. I’ve used it several times already and love how quick and simple it is, but soooo tasty! Thanks Maddie
Madeleine Olivia
This is great thanks Sally! Leave a star rating please if you enjoyed, it always helps!
Kim
The best tofu recipe! Perfect every time!
Abby
What a great how to!
lucie
The best way to eat tofu, love it now! so nice to have with different dressings
irene
I tried it yesterday and 10/10! I’m not vegan so I don’t normally eat tofu but it was a nice meat substitute!
I paired it with a rice bowl with broccoli, avocado and salsa (inspired by your last video)!
Happy bday btw xx
Kira
Delicious!
Caroline
❤️
Oceane
Best tofu recipe 😍
Maddie
Happy birthday Maddie!
Jana
easy delicious tofu!
Melissa
Best way to eat tofu! Easy and delicious!
Caroline Mason
Delicious recipe
Mel
Yet another great recipe . Thanks
Sophie
Thank you for introducing me to a tofu press I haven’t had one been vegan 4 years lol
Mar
Amazing !
Christina
Excited to try! Do you bake it at 200c?
CharlieAuthor
Yes Christina! I’ve amended the recipe to show the temp. Enjoy! x