How to Bake Crispy Tofu

We are big fans of tofu here on HNL. It's an easily found, affordable plant-based protein that's endlessly adaptable. And, when prepared correctly, it's delicious!

We love making Tofu Scramble for breakfast, crispy, seasoned Air Fryer Tofu for tossing into salads, or Sticky Tofu for a quick and easy dinner. Whether you're a tofu lover or a tofu skeptic, you need to get Crispy Baked Tofu into your life.

It's everything a tofu recipe should be. Once you know how to bake tofu, it's easy as can be, with no fussy prep work or pressing of tofu to worry about. The cubes of tofu come out so crisp and delicious, it's practically irresistible to pluck sizzling bits straight off the pan and into your mouth.

But baked tofu is also the perfect vehicle for your favourite sauce - and those crispy baked edges soak up flavours like nobody's business.

Are you ready to do this thing?! Let's make this baked tofu recipe!

How to Cook Baked Tofu

You'll find detailed instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, but let's walk through it together here!

First things first, slice your tofu into pencil-thick slabs, and then cut those slabs into cubes or triangles. Remember that thinner pieces will result in crisper, chewier tofu than thicker cubes would.

Using a couple of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel, gently pat the tofu cubes dry.

Place the dried tofu cubes into a bowl, and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to combine, then season with salt and pepper.

Now sprinkle the cornstarch over top, tossing so that all of the cubes are coated as evenly as possible.

Spread the tofu cubes evenly on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, and bake your tofu until golden brown and crispy on all sides. I like to turn the cubes half way to ensure even browning.

Why Bake Your Tofu?

Baked tofu is the BEST way to prepare tofu. Most people tend to pan-fry their tofu, which generally works out ok, but it requires a lot more oil and you'll often find that the tofu sticks to the pan unless you're using a non-stick pan.

When you bake your tofu you're baking it on a parchment-lined baking sheet, which means no sticking, less oil, and perfect results every time.

Also, baked tofu is perfect for meal prep or batch cooking because you can easily double or triple this recipe with great results.

Tips For Crispy Tofu

If you want to ensure you make the crispiest baked tofu, there are a few tried and true tricks you can use.

Know Your Tofu

First things first, make sure you're using the right kind of tofu for this recipe. Firm or extra-firm tofu will always yield the best results for crispy baked tofu. Medium, soft, and silken tofu all contain way too much moisture, so your tofu will never get truly crisp in the oven.

Remove as much moisture from the cubes as possible

While I am firmly against pressing blocks of tofu (it's a waste of time, I tell ya!) I do think when you're making a recipe like this crispy baked tofu that your cubes need to be dry.

I like using paper towels to do a quick press of the cubes, which will remove way more moisture from the surface of the cubes than pressing an entire block of tofu would. Then you're ready to add the oil, toss with cornstarch, and bake to crispy perfection.

Cover your tofu cubes

For the crispiest baked tofu, it's important to make sure that the entire cube is covered with oil, and that you've tossed the cornstarch to coat the cubes evenly. Unevenly covered cubes will result in unevenly crispy tofu.

Change up the marinade

This recipe has as many possible variations as types of sauce you can think of. I love tossing baked tofu in our Vegan Teriyaki Sauce or in a spicy and sticky sesame sauce as pictured above. You could grab a jar of your favourite BBQ sauce, or keep it simple with sesame oil and salt and pepper. The options are endless!