THIS Crispy Tofu is going to be your new favorite weeknight meal! Tossed with cornstarch and simple spices, this meal is packed full of flavor with a honey soy glaze!
A lot of people hate on tofu. And, I get it. Many tofu dishes can come out bland, flavorless, and mushy. Tofu comes in all different textures and levels of soft or firm. By itself, tofu is absolutely flavorless. But that's what I love about it!
Tofu can take on ANY flavor you put on it, and it will just absorb like a sponge. If treated properly, tofu can come out crispy, delicious, and full of flavor. This recipe shows you all the right things to do to make sure that your tofu is a flavorful crispy bite, and not a bland square of mush.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Crispy - The use of cornstarch in this recipe instead of flour, make it super crunchy and crispy when fried.
- Flavorful - With sweet honey and salty soy sauce, this recipe is so flavorful.
- Simple - Glazed tofu might seem like a lot of work, but its a very simple recipe that is sure to impress!
What you need for this recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Extra Firm Tofu - Do not substitute anything for Extra Firm Tofu. Softer tofu will not work as well.
- Cornstarch - If you don't have cornstarch, arrowroot, potato starch, or another starch alternative is fine.
- Canola Oil - or another neutral oil with a high smoking point. I do not recommend olive oil in this recipe.
- Soy Sauce or Tamari - I used low-sodium soy sauce, but tamari or coconut aminos will work just as well for a gluten-free option!
- Honey or Agave - For a fully vegan option, replace the honey (which is not vegan) with agave!
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Press the Tofu
When you open your tofu, you'll notice there is quite a lot of liquid. Drain out what you can before pressing the remaining liquid out.
Slice the block in half so you have two thinner pieces of tofu.
Using a kitchen towel, wrap the pieces of tofu tightly, then place a heavy item on top and let them sit for 30 minutes to an hour.
When the excess water has been pressed out of the tofu, cut the blocks into roughly 16 1-inch pieces.
Step 2: Fry the Tofu
Take the tofu cubes and sprinkle the tablespoon of cornstarch over all of the sides of the tofu. I find this easiest to do with a sifter, but sprinkling works just fine.
Also sprinkle with the onion and garlic powder
I highly recommend using a stainless steel pan for the frying process, however, a non stick will still work. The result might be a little bit less crispy.
Allow the stainless pan to heat up, then add 2 tablespoons of oil to the hot pain. On medium to high heat, place each cube of tofu in the pan and allow it to sizzle and crisp on each side. Roughly 5 minutes per side.
Once each side of each tofu cube is crispy and golden, remove each cube and place on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
Step 3: Create the Honey Soy Glaze!
Turn the pan heat down to low (with oil still remaining in the bottom). Add the minced shallot and sauté lightly before adding the minced garlic. Let these cook and get fully translucent and slightly crispy.
In a separate measuring cup, add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and mix that with 1 tablespoon of water to create a slurry, ensuring no clumps.
Add soy sauce to the pan to deglaze, and mix in the cornstarch slurry. Keep the sauce on medium heat until the sauce becomes thick.
Add your tofu to a plate or serving dish and pour the sauce over the top. Garnish with green onions or chopped chives.
Drizzle with honey at the very end!
Expert Tips
- Always, always, always press the tofu. Do not skip this step. Not pressing your tofu will make it so that it can't crisp up and you'll end up with soggy tofu.
- I highly recommend using a stainless steel pan because it will retain heat the best and give you a great crisp. If you don't have one, cast iron is the next best option. If you don't have either, any pan will work it just may take a little bit longer to crisp.
- If you don't want to use honey as it is technically an animal product, agave is a great alternative. Maple syrup might work as well, but be sure to start with a small amount and taste along the way.
Recipe FAQs
Tofu is a great source of low-fat plant-based protein. Tofu contains all 9 essential amino acids and it is a good source of calcium and iron.
Contrary to most meat products, tofu can be consumed raw or cooked. Raw tofu is often used raw in soups or blended into sauces and dips.
Honey is produced from the labor of bee's, therefore making it an animal product, which vegans do not consume. Some vegans don't consider honey to be excluded from their diet, but others do.
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📖 Recipe
The Best Crispy Tofu With Honey Soy Glaze
Equipment
- Stainless Steel Pan (optional, but highly recommended)
Ingredients
- 16 ounce block Extra Firm Tofu
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch + 1 teaspoon
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Onion Powder
- 2 tablespoon Canola Oil
- ⅓ cup Minced Shallot
- 1 tablespoon Minced Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Water
- ¼ cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- Honey drizzle
- Chopped Chives or Sliced Green Onions for garnish
Instructions
- Start by draining the block of tofu
- Slice tofu in half, so that you have two thinner slices of tofu
- Wrap tofu slices in a kitchen towel and press with a heavy object for 30 minutes - 1 hour
- Once pressed, slice into roughly 16 1-inch cubes
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cornstarch over the cubes, making sure to coat each side of the tofu cubes
- Season the cubes with onion powder and garlic powder
- Heat the stainless steel pan
- Once the pan is hot, heat 2 tablespoon canola oil
- Place each cube in the oil. Let each side crisp for 3-5 minutes on each side.
- Remove cubes once crispy and place on a paper towel to drain them
- In the same pan, add your minced shallots and garlic.
- Sautee the shallot and garlic until translucent and just slightly crispy
- In a separate bowl or measuring cup, mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and mix until there are no clumps remaining
- Add ¼ cup of soy sauce to the pan
- Add the cornstarch slurry and mix. Once this reaches a boiling point, it will become thick.
- Once the sauce is thick, add your tofu to your serving dish and pour the sauce over the top.
- Drizzle honey over the top or include it in the sauce. Use as much or as little as you like.
- Garnish with sliced green onions, chopped chives, or cilantro.
Notes
- Always, always, always press the tofu. Do not skip this step. Not pressing your tofu will make it so that it can't crisp up and you'll end up with soggy tofu.
- I highly recommend using a stainless steel pan because it will retain heat the best and give you a great crisp. If you don't have one, cast iron is the next best option. If you don't have either, any pan will work it just may take a little bit longer to crisp.
- If you don't want to use honey as it is technically an animal product, agave is a great alternative. Maple syrup might work as well, but be sure to start with a small amount and taste along the way.
- Nutrition Information is for 1 serving, which is ½ of this recipe.
Iris says
Sooo good! Definitely making again— I added a tablespoon of honey directly into the sauce and it tasted even better. I definitely recommend this recipe!
Anonymous says
You don’t say where to use the honey
Emily says
hi! Thanks for letting me know! The honey is meant to just be drizzled on top at the end, and the recipe has been updated to include that!
Hannah Perry says
The best tofu I’ve ever made ! 🙂 my go-to tofu recipe now.
Amy says
When do you add the honey?
Emily says
Hi Amy! In this recipe, the honey is just drizzled over the top after the tofu is done cooking! However, you could add it into the soy glaze if you wanted to!
Gail says
Do you have the caloric count etc.
Emily says
Hi, Gail! I just updated the post to include some more information. Nutrition information is listed at the bottom of the recipe card!
Laura K Eggers says
I made this for dinner last night. It was so good. The flavor of the tofu and the crispy finish were delicious. We paired it with some sautéed vegetables and rice...yummy!
Lizzie says
I tried this recipe for dinner tonight and it turned out wonderfully! I would say I am a very elementary cook and this recipe was easy to follow and delicious.