This Crispy Tofu recipe is all about textural contrast: the crispy outer coating vs. the soft, tender interior of the soft tofu itself. I serve it drizzled with a quick sauce, reduced down until thick and syrupy, and fresh scallions. The best part? No deep-frying necessary!
How to Make Crispy Tofu
The secret to making crispy tofu without deep-frying is simply to pan-fry in a good nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron pan. You’ll use a fraction of the oil, but still end up with a crispy result.
I dredge the tofu in a simple mixture of cornstarch and a little salt. It’s important to dredge the tofu quickly, and to put it directly into the pan of hot oil as you dredge it.
Otherwise, the moisture in the soft tofu (soft tofu is quite wet) will cause the cornstarch to cake up and flake off. Or the cornstarch layer could get overly lumpy or too thick!
We have already published my dad’s Crispy Skin Stuffed Tofu here on the blog, but this recipe is simpler (and if you use vegetarian oyster sauce, also completely vegetarian/vegan).
You could also potentially use this pan-frying method instead of deep-frying in our Ultimate Braised Tofu recipe.
Can I Use Firm Tofu For This Recipe?
I figured many of you would ask this question, as firm tofu is definitely easier to find and more widely available in regular grocery stores.
However, while you can substitute firm tofu in this recipe, I highly recommend using soft tofu.
It’s more delicate, but the soft, custardy texture of the tofu contrasts so well with the crispy coating. In my opinion, it would be a shame to make that substitution!
That textural contrast is the reason why in most “crispy skin” tofu dishes, Chinese chefs use soft tofu.
Recipe Instructions
Slice the block of tofu in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/2 inch thick rectangles.
Make the sauce by combining the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce (or vegetarian oyster sauce), sugar, and water. Set aside.
Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat, and add the oil. In a shallow dish, mix 1/4 cup cornstarch with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Quickly coat the tofu slices with this dry mixture.
Add them directly to the pan as you dredge them, and pan-fry until crisp and golden on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side.
Remove the crispy tofu from the pan and arrange on a serving plate.
Pour the sauce mixture into the same pan you cooked the tofu in, and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the sauce has reduced to a syrupy consistency and drizzle over the tofu.
Garnish with scallions, and serve with rice.
Crispy Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 pound soft tofu
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (or vegetarian oyster sauce)
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 scallion (chopped)
Instructions
- Slice the block of tofu in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/2 inch thick rectangles.
- Make the sauce by combining the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce (or vegetarian oyster sauce), sugar, and water. Set aside.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat, and add the oil. In a shallow dish, mix 1/4 cup cornstarch with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Quickly coat the tofu slices with this dry mixture. Add them directly to the pan as you dredge them, and pan-fry until crisp and golden on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side.
- Remove the crispy tofu from the pan and arrange on a serving plate.
- Pour the sauce mixture into the same pan you cooked the tofu in, and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the sauce has reduced to a syrupy consistency and drizzle over the tofu. Garnish with chopped scallion.
This recipe is absolutely amazing. I made it for the first time today and I was in heaven. So light, crispy on the outside, and soft on the outside. The flavor was outstanding, and I will be making this again (in regular rotation). Thank you for yet another stunning meal, I am so grateful as always.
You’re very welcome, Megan! Thank you so much for your kind comment!
Simple and delicious! Make sure to let the pan cool before putting in the sauce! Otherwise it will boil away and burn.
Glad you enjoyed it Molly! Thanks for the review!
Hi
I just tried this recipe and it was amazing. It was the first recipe I’ve tried form your website which I found totally randomly and I will definitely try more. I have a question though. I used proportions you’ve given here and to me it seems that for this amount of tofu (450 grams) there’s a VERY little sauce. I actually used 200 grams of tofu only and the amount of sauce was okay but still not a lot. I’m not sure why, I don’t think I did anything wrong because I followed all the instructions. Could you please advise? Is that normal? The other thing is that I was not sure about the simmer. The sauce should be put on the pan which is not very hot right? I guess I put it on the pan when it was too hot because it almost exploded and bubbles were huge. I think I burned the sauce a little bit because it had bitter taste a bit. But even though I made a few “mistakes” I really
Loved it. I want to improve these few things to make it even better :) thanks for the reply in advance!
Hi Maja, thanks for sharing your experience and glad you enjoyed the dish! It sounds like the heat was too high when you made the sauce, causing a lot of the liquid to evaporate, which is why you had so little. Turn the heat down and bring it up to a simmer gradually, so you can control how fast it reduces! :)
Amazing! A new favorite of ours. We like to add some chili oil into the sauce for a nice kick.
Thanks Stephanie!
Excellent recipe. We like to make extra sauce.
Thanks Chris!