This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy.
This is the BEST tofu recipe out there, if you want crispy, golden tofu that’s full of flavor and easy to make. This crispy baked tofu creates a golden crust around quick marinated tofu cubes, and it’s perfect for dipping or including in any recipe that uses tofu. Delicious.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- This method gives your tofu an incredible golden crust with just the right amount of crunch.
- It’s unbelievably easy to make! A quick marinade, a toss in cornstarch, then 30 minutes in the oven gives you deliciously crispy tofu with a little sweet-and-savory flavor. Literally anyone could do this!
- Crispy baked tofu is a great snack or main dish all on its own, but you can use this method for any recipe that calls for tofu! Crispy baked tofu and broccoli with a side of rice? SIGN ME UP.
- It’s even great as leftovers or make-ahead meals! It’s best when it’s freshly cooked, but the baked tofu will stay good up to 5 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can freeze it, too, but it’ll lose some of its crispiness and will be a little tough once it’s reheated.
Chef’s Tips
- You can customize the marinade based on your preferences or mood! Feel free to add any seasonings you like, swap out the maple syrup for a little more sesame oil, use teriyaki sauce, or try BBQ sauce for a smoky, tangy tofu.
- To get truly crispy baked tofu, you need to drain out as much moisture as possible! Drain and press the tofu before adding it to your marinade. After marinating, drain as much of the excess marinade from the tofu as you can.
- Since tofu absorbs, work quickly to cover every side of each cube in marinade before you let them rest in the marinade. Every side should be covered so that the cornstarch can stick well!
- Can you cook crispy baked tofu in the air fryer? SURE! I recommend trying it at 380°F for 10 minutes, then flipping and cooking another 5-10 minutes. You can adjust the cook time depending on how crispy you want your tofu.
Recipe Variations
- Make it Paleo: Substitute arrowroot powder or tapioca starch for cornstarch.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Crispy Baked Tofu
If you want crispy, golden tofu that's full of flavor and easy to make, this is your recipe!
servings
Equipment
- Oven
- Large bowl
- food-safe sealable bag gallon-sized
- baking sheet
- neutral-flavored cooking spray or parchment paper
Ingredients
- 16 ounces extra-firm tofu pressed, cubed
- 2 tablespoons lite tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch plus more as needed, see Notes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
- Add 16 ounces extra-firm tofu cubes, 2 tablespoons lite tamari, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon sesame oil to large bowl. Mix until well combined. Let rest in bowl at least 5 minutes.
- Spray baking sheet with plenty of cooking spray, or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Drain tofu. Transfer ⅓ of tofu cubes to zippered freezer bag and add 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Toss to until tofu cubes are evenly coated in cornstarch. Add 1 additional tablespoon cornstarch if needed.
- Once tofu cubes are evenly coated with cornstarch, remove tofu cubes from bag. Shake any excess cornstarch back into bag, then arrange tofu cubes on prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat with remaining tofu and cornstarch, adding cornstarch in 1-tablespoon increments as needed.
- When all tofu cubes have been tossed in cornstarch and placed on baking sheet, place baking sheet in preheated oven.
- Bake tofu cubes 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, carefully remove baking sheet from oven.
- Flip each tofu cube over, then return baking sheet to oven. Bake tofu cubes 15 minutes more, or until just golden brown.
- Carefully remove baking sheet from oven. Transfer baked tofu to serving plates and serve hot.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Serving Size: 1 servingCalories: 121calProtein: 9gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0.5gSodium: 575mgPotassium: 205mgTotal Carbs: 13gFiber: 0.3gSugar: 4gNet Carbs: 13gCalcium: 43mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tag @40aprons on Instagram and be sure to leave a review on the blog post!
More Meatless Recipes You’ll Love
Never Miss A Meal!
New Recipes Straight To Your Inbox
A curated selection of our most recent recipes, delivered straight to your inbox once a week.
Leave A Review
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Fantastic! This recipe made the best “fried” tofu, without all the oil and frying. I didn’t have cornstarch so used chickpea flour. Turned out nice and crispy. I dipped them in bbq sauce. This was the closest replica to chicken nuggets I’ve made. And the bonus was that the leftovers reheated perfectly the next day.
Ooh, yum! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Linda!
Would this recipe work with firm vs extra firm tofu? Thanks!
Yes, that should be fine! 😊
Turned out very well. Like some others, I also had a slight problem with too much cornstarch sticking to the ‘fu. I didn’t know it was “too much” until I turned the pieces over. I solved it by adding a small amount of oil to the parchment paper. The cornstarch absorbed the oil and I continued with the baking. They came out fine. I felt my marinade didn’t add enough flavor to the ‘fu, so I could see adding flavoring to the cornstarch, e.g., Chinese Five Spice, Taco Seasoning, Curry Powder, etc. Will definitely make these again!
That sounds delicious! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
This recipe was terrible! Followed exactly except 5 min short of baking time, came out like white rocks. Yuck!
We’re so sorry it wasn’t a hit!
When do you add the tofu to the Tamari maple syrup sauce? It does not say.
Hi, Susan! Those are all combined in step 2. The tofu is added to the bowl with the tamari, maple syrup, and sesame oil.