Real Simple - This Is the Secret to Cooking Perfectly Crispy Tofu Every Time
You can nail this method without any special tools or gadgets.
Tofu is the secret 'sauce' in so many delicious dishes, from mapo tofu and tofu fried rice to crispy tofu with cabbage and carrots, tofu noodle soup, tofu "halloumi" with lentils and burst tomatoes, and even this decadent vegan chocolate cream pie. But despite the fact that it's a rich, creamy, and savory source of planet-friendly plant-based protein, we still hear that many struggle to nail the perfect texture when cooking with tofu.
"I've always said that if you don't like tofu, you're making it wrong," says Ashley Hankins, the vegan recipe developer, photographer, and content creator behind Eat Figs Not Pigs and soon-to-be-released book, Make It Vegan: From Quick & Easy to Deep Fried & Delicious. "I get it—I want to be completely clear with the fact that I am the last person in the world that ever thought I would adopt a fully vegan diet. Growing up in a Filipino household, meat and eggs were at the center of every meal. Tofu can help fill that void! Stick with me and I'll show you how to get the juiciest, crispiest, most moist and flavorful tofu there ever was." (I'm in.)
According to Hankins, the secret to nailing crispy tofu is pressing it before you cook.