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.
Oh my goodness, this was so delicious that my family asked me to make it again on the SAME evening. I had firm and soft tofu, so the second batch broke up a bit. But that didn’t detract from the tasty sauce. I’m keeping this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, twice in one night! That is a compliment! Thanks for the review, Dawn!
Thank you so much for trying this recipe, Dawn, this recipe is a classic, so good :-)
I found that dredging the tofu pieces has a tendency to fling the light-as-air particles of cornstarch up out of the vessel that’s containing the starch.
Next time, I’m going to place the cornstarch in a high-sided bowl to contain any of this flinging as I lay the tofu pieces down.
Otherwise, this technique makes some seriously crispy tofu. I cooked mine a little too hot and too long and over-darkened the exterior a bit which made some of the pieces bitter-tasting.
I also did exactly what you were supposed to NOT due and substituted extra-firm tofu in place of the soft tofu (this was the only tofu type I had in the fridge at the time.) Sure enough, the competed pieces were a bit bleh and lacked that oh-so-yummy contrast of crisp outer to creamy inner.
I am excited to revisit this exact technique and make my necessary tweaks!
That’s a good idea, Anders. You’re right that the cornstarch can puff everywhere!
Good luck, Anders, tweaks are encouraged :-)
Made this with the beef and egg stir-fry ricebowl so I didn’t make the tofu sauce, but instead used the beef sauce. It was so easy and so yummy. Definitely use the soft tofu! I was worried it might fall apart too easily, but it was totally fine and delicious.
Thank you for sharing, Kayla!
This sounds much like the fried tofu we had at a restaurant for my Chinese friend’s birthday! It was great. I’m going to try it and let you know how it came out for us.
Hope you enjoyed it, Marge!
This is crazy delicious! The crisp “shell” created by the corn starch is addictive. And the sauce is fabulous too. We’ve added it to our regular rotation. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Lisa!
So delicious! We added Bonito flakes and it really enhanced the flavor even more.
nice!!
This was great. Followed the recipe exactly and loved the little crispy, squishy inside pillows of tofu. The sauce was also perfect – i used fried onion bits instead of scallion since that was what I had. Such a great quick lunch/dinner or even fun snack to have with a cold beer. Mmmm
Very nice! So happy you enjoyed this recipe, Rachel!
Do you ever press tofu for your recipes ?
Hi Chantal, we rarely press tofu!
Hello! I was wondering why you rarely press the tofu? What do you think is better with non pressed tofu! I would love to know your thoughts on this. Also amazing recipe. I have had it many times over. Thank you to you and your family for sharing these recipes!!!
Hi Leslie, we basically buy tofu that has the moisture level we’re looking for. So we can buy pressed tofu from the store (doufugan/豆腐干 in Chinese) if that’s what we’re after, or we buy firm, or silken, if that’s what we need.
Hi there. I make a similar recipe, but I decided to try yours. Against my better judgement, I added 1/4 c of cornstarch as the recipe states. Disaster!! It became a lumpy mess. I re-read the recipe. There is only ~3TB of liquid which is way too little liquid for 1/4 c. of cornstarch. It seems the metric measures are about the same. Could you double check that measure? My other recipe uses 2 tsp of cornstarch in almost 2 C of liquid.
Hi Beth, this recipe is correct! I’m sorry that you had issues with the recipe, but many other readers have made it with success. The crispiness comes from a dry dredge, rather than a batter-like coating, which is what your recipe sounds like.
Duh! My mistake. This is what I get for not Reading the recipe first. I tried to mix the cornstarch in the liquid. I am not sure what I was thinking.
Very yummy and easy to make.
Thanks Marsha!