Perfectly salted, crispy on the outside, soft and eggy on the inside, this Salty Crispy Tofu is going to change the way you think of tofu. Shallow-fried with minimal oil, you’ll want to eat these crunchy, bite-sized treats right out of the pan. Whether you devour them all by yourself, or share them with friends or family, Salty Crispy Tofu makes a fun appetizer or afternoon snack. Or make it part of a meal with these fabulously flexible Buddha Bowls

TLDR

Graphic showing 4 steps for making Salty Crispy Tofu - Step 1 is soak the tofu in boiling salt water. Step 2 is coat in cornstarch. Step 3 is shallow-fry in oil. Step 4 is drain on absorbent cloth.

What's different about this tofu recipe?

This tofu recipe may be quite different than many others you’ve seen. The key differences are:

  • instead of the frequently-recommended extra firm tofu, this recipe uses medium or medium-firm tofu
  • instead of pressing the tofu to release the water, you soak the tofu in boiling salted water
  • instead of pan-frying the tofu, you shallow fry it in a high-sided pot using minimal oil
Close-up, top-down shot of cubes of salty crispy tofu

Ingredients

This recipe uses just four ingredients:

  • medium tofu: This tofu has a crispy outer shell and a soft and buttery inside, reminiscent of scrambled eggs. You can’t achieve this with extra-firm tofu — it’s just too dense to start with. Medium tofu does the trick, perfectly. You could also use medium-firm, but don’t choose anything firmer than that. In case you’re wondering if soft tofu might be even better than medium, we did test it. While it does taste good, it’s too difficult to handle. It breaks easily and it’s hard to shallow-fry safely.
  • salt: Pressing tofu is a common way to remove excess moisture. Since we’re using medium tofu for this recipe, pressing it is too destructive. Instead, we're doing something counterintuitive that has the same effect — soaking it in boiling, salted water — a method that’s advocated by  Cook’s Illustrated and Serious Eats. We tested various kinds of salt, including table salt, fine sea salt, and Redmond's mineral salt. All of these worked well, but we ultimately opted for table salt as it's the cheapest and the level of saltiness was right for our palate. Use whatever type of salt you prefer. 
  • cornstarch: The cornstarch is important in this recipe as it's what makes the tofu so perfectly crispy on the outside. 
  • cooking oil: You can use any neutral-flavoured oil that can handle high heat (such as sunflower, canola, or other vegetable oil). You can also use coconut oil, which may impart a mild coconut flavour. The precise amount of oil you'll need will depend on the size of the pan you're using for shallow-frying. You need just enough to thinly cover the bottom of the pan. We used a 9-inch diameter pan and about 3 tablespoons of oil. After we fried the tofu we measured the remaining oil — there was about 1.5 tablespoons left in the pan, meaning that only about 1.5 tablespoons of oil is absorbed for the entire recipe. 
Ingredients for Salty Crispy Tofu, salt, medium tofu, cornstarch, cooking oil ( just a few tablespoons)
Medium tofu is firm enough to handle but soft enough that when shallow-fried it has a crispy outer shell and a soft, almost eggy inside.

The Steps in Detail 

This recipe is easy to make once you're familiar with the steps. 

Cut Tofu Into Cubes

Now that you’ve got your medium firm tofu in hand, the first step is to drain it and then cut it into relatively even-sized cubes. We cut them in roughly one-inch cubes, which is a good size for working with and also a perfect size for snacking on. Don’t worry if you can’t get them perfectly even. While testing, we ended up with some non uniform pieces and it wasn’t an issue.

Top-down view of medium tofu cut into about one inch cubes.

Soak the Tofu in Salt Water

For this recipe, you dissolve 2 tablespoons of salt in 2 cups of boiling water. Put the tofu in a shallow bowl and pour the boiling, salted water on it. Don’t worry if it doesn’t completely cover the tofu. In our bowl, the water comes just to the top of the tofu, but doesn’t cover it.

Top-down view of cubed tofu in a shallow white plate, topped with boiling salt water

Your tofu needs to soak for about 15 minutes. Put your timer on and go put your feet up.

This salt water soak may seem counterintuitive but it actually helps draw the moisture out of the tofu.

After the tofu’s done soaking, drain off the salt water and pat the tofu dry with a tea towel. 

Choosing Salt

We tested various kinds of salt:

  • table salt 
  • fine sea salt 
  • Redmond’s mineral salt

They all worked well, but we opted for the table salt in the end, as it’s the cheapest and the level of saltiness was right for our palate. Use whatever salt you prefer. 

Coat the Tofu in Cornstarch

Now, we’re ready to coat the tofu in cornstarch. This, along with the salt-water soak, helps give the tofu its beautiful crisp outer layer. Sprinkle the cornstarch on a flat surface, then gently roll the tofu around in it until each side is coated.

Top-down view of tofu cube being rolled in cornstarch

Now the tofu is ready for frying. You can leave this sitting for half-hour or so if you aren’t ready to eat yet. The tofu tastes best when it's freshly made. 

Shallow-Fry the Tofu

The final step is shallow-frying. This doesn’t require any fancy equipment: the bare essentials are a large deep pan and a slotted spatula. If you own a splatter guard it’ll come in handy as well. You can buy these cheaply at dollar stores. In Canada, the one pictured below was about 3 dollars.

Graphic: 3 Tools for Shallow-Frying: A splatter guard for the pot, a deep-sided pot, a slotted spatula

To shallow fry the tofu, add a thin layer of neutral-flavoured oil to the pot, just barely covering the bottom of the pot. The amount will depend on the size of your pot. With a 9-inch diameter pot, we used 3 tablespoons of oil. Don’t panic, all of this oil does not get absorbed.

Only about half of the oil gets absorbed by the tofu — that’s about one tablespoon and a half of oil for the entire recipe.

Turn the heat to medium high. Once the oil is sizzling, drop the tofu cubes in the pan. If you’ve got a splatter guard put that on top. Let the tofu fry for about 4 minutes, until golden brown on one side. Then flip the tofu over and fry it for another 2 minutes, until golden brown.

Drain the Tofu

The final step is to drain the tofu on something absorbent, such as a tea towel or paper towel. It’s ready to eat, but be careful it’s hot.

This is totally yummy as is, but it’s also delicious dipped into something herbaceous and garlicky, like chimichurri.

Close up of Garlicky Chimichurri with Salty Crispy Tofu

Visual Overview: Making Salty Crispy Tofu

Step 1: Cut the tofu into cubes.

Cut the tofu into approximately 1-inch cubes.

Top-down view of medium tofu cut into about one inch cubes.

Start with about 1 cup of lettuce per bowl.

Step 2: Soak in boiling salt water.

Boil the water and add the salt to it. Put the tofu in a shallow bowl and pour the boiling salted water over top. Let it sit for about 15 minutes. 

Top-down view of cubed tofu in a shallow white plate, topped with boiling salt water

Add 1/2 cup of spiced taco meat.

Step 3: Pat dry.

Gently pat the tofu dry with a tea towel. 

Patting tofu dry with a clean tea towel

Patting tofu dry with a clean tea towel

Step 4: Coat the tofu in cornstarch.

Roll the tofu in cornstarch, coating it well. 

Top-down view of tofu cube being rolled in cornstarch

Next add a couple of handful of shredded cheese - about 1/2 cup.

Enter your text here...

Step 5: Shallow-fry in a high-sided pot.

Put a thin layer of oil in the pan and heat over moderate heat until hot. Add the tofu cubes and allow them to fry for about 4 minutes, then turn over and fry again for 2 more minutes. 

Top-down view into high-sided cooking pot, with salty crispy tofu shallow frying inside.

Next add a couple of handful of shredded cheese - about 1/2 cup.

Step 5: Drain on an absorbent cloth.

Put the tofu on something absorbent, such as a clean, dry tea towel. Taste and add more salt if desired. 

Top-down view of salty crispy tofu draining on a white tea towel

Making Salty Crispy Tofu


Tips: Tofu Basics 

Tofu is made from soy and is a good source of protein and other nutrients.

There are many different kinds of tofu, including: soft, silken, medium, medium-firm, extra firm. The difference is in the water content, with soft tofu having the most water and extra firm the least. 

 Different types of tofu are suitable for different recipes. For example, soft or silken tofu is often used for desserts or to thicken drinks and sauces.

While tofu may look raw, it's actually cooked. The process starts with soybeans, which are "soaked, boiled, and made into soy milk." This soy milk is then cooked and a thickening agent (often calcium sulfate) is added. It may then undergo further processing, such as pressing and pasteurization. The process for making tofu is similar to cheese-making. Watch Cheese and Tofu: Curds in Common for a great explanation of this. 

Tofu can be eaten plain right out of the package (drain it first), but it's more typically eaten cooked and seasoned, as it's relatively bland on its own.

Pin for Salty Crispy Tofu, site favourite

Recipe Card

Salty Crispy Tofu

5 from 10 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Soaking Time 15 minutes
Total Time 11 minutes
Perfectly salted, crispy on the outside and soft and eggy on the inside. This Salty Crispy Tofu would make a fun appetizer or snack. 
Servings 4 appetizer size
Calories 129 kcal
Author Sylvia

Ingredients

  • 250 grams medium tofu
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil {See Recipe Notes. The amount of oil will depend on the size of the pot. Also, about half of the oil is absorbed, the rest remains in the pan.}

Instructions

  • Drain the tofu and slice it into 1 inch cubes. Put the tofu in a shallow bowl, large enough to hold the tofu and 2 cups of water. 
  • Boil the water and dissolve the salt in it. Pour over the tofu and let it sit for 15 minutes, then drain the water off. 
  • Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch on a flat surface. Roll the tofu cubes in the cornstarch. Add more cornstarch as needed. 
  • In a high-sided pot, add enough oil to lightly cover the bottom of the pan. Put the heat on medium high and when it's hot, add the tofu cubes. Fry on one side for 4 minutes, and then flip over and fry on the other for 2 minutes. 
  • Remove the tofu and place it on a cloth or paper towel to absorb the oil. 
  • Enjoy while hot! 

Notes

Key Tips 

  • use medium tofu, or medium firm
  • use a neutral-flavoured oil that can withstand high heat
  • use enough oil to just cover the bottom of your pan. I used 3 tablespoons of oil for a 9 inch diameter pan. Only about half of the oil is absorbed.
  • make sure the oil is sizzling before you add the tofu cubes. If the oil is not hot enough, the tofu might absorb more oil than necessary. 

Storage and Reheating

This tofu is best served hot and fresh. You can store any leftovers in the fridge, but the tofu will lose its crunch. 

Nutritional Information

Nutritional information is an estimate only. It's based on half of the amount of oil being absorbed into the tofu. 

Nutrition

Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 3497mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 0.8mg

Courses, Cuisines, and Keywords

Course
Appetizer
|
Snack
Cuisine
American
|
Chinese
Keywords
crispy tofu
|
pan-fried tofu
|
shallow-fried tofu

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked

Recipe Rating




    1. Hi Krysta! I haven’t used an air fryer so I’m really not sure, but it would be worth a try. Perhaps just halve the recipe to test? I did try baking them in a 450F oven, without oil, and they weren’t bad – I had them in for about 10 minutes.

      1. 5 stars
        I didn’t try making this with the air fryer yet but my bf and I loved it baked!! I’ll try it in the air fryer soon and report back.

        1. Hi Krysta! Thanks so much for letting me know! I’m so glad you liked it! And I’d love the update on the air fryer too.

          Thanks again,
          Sylvia

      1. So, I just did the fried version – left out the corn starch – and WE LOVE IT!!! I’m having so much fun trying your recipes. So happy you started this. And your photos are amazing!!!!

        1. Dorit – thanks so much for reporting back! I’m so curious about NO cornstarch – hadn’t even thought of that! Thank you for being so supportive!

  1. 5 stars
    Fantastic! I have always used extra firm tofu, but the medium makes it so crisp on the outside and yummy on the inside! The kids loved it!

    1. Good question! I haven’t tried that but it would be worth experimenting with. After the marinade step though, you would need a way to remove the moisture again before shallow frying it. So you’d have to pat it dry at the very least and I am ot sure how much marinade flavour would be left over. I think I would be tempted to make a sauce instead of a marinade and then just dip the tofu in it if you like. The tofu is delicious all on its own though.

  2. 5 stars
    I’m picky with tofu, but this one is a hit, without fail! It’s so easily tweaked and ALWAYS turns out just right. I never use the cornstarch, and keep using different oils to change the flavours a bit – adding roasted sesame, or toasted pumpkin oil to the coconut oil, and sometimes i add sesame seeds. Figured I try it as dessert – your brown butter and a bit of coconut sugar over top – hallelujah 🙂

  3. 5 stars
    This is an excellent method. We mix cayenne pepper and sichuan pepper into the cornstarch and use the fried tofu in a vegan La Zi chicken dish, it’s awesome!

    1. Thank you, Lynn! So happy you enjoyed it. Would love it if you could choose a star rating, as that really helps other people find the recipe.

  4. 5 stars
    This tofu turned out amazing! I normally don't enjoy tofu but now this has me CRAVING it. One question: can it be baked?

    1. Hi Diana! Thanks so much! I have not thoroughly tested baking it but I did try at 450F for about 10 minutes, no oil, and it was good. It’s been awhile since I did that so I am not sure how crispy it turned out. Definitely worthy a try though. If you are concerned about the oil, I have measured the oil after the tofu is done and the entire recipe absorbs only about 1 tablespoon of oil. I appreciate the review!

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}

Hello!


We're creating a course: Baby Steps to Plant-Based Eating

Yes, seriously. Trying a plant-based diet can be overwhelming and we'd like to help. 

This course is for you if: 

  • you're curious about plant-based eating, but don't know where to start 
  • you have family or friends who eat plant-based and you'd like to be able to cook for them
  • you've dabbled with plant-based cooking, but would like to expand your repertoire

Baby Steps to Plant-Based Eating will: 

  • answer your pressing questions 
  • cultivate your confidence
  • arm you with recipes

Want to learn more?  

Join our email list for updates about the course launch. You'll also get priority access to new recipes, and other subscriber privileges.

Hello!


We're creating a course: Baby Steps to Plant-Based Eating

Yes, seriously. Trying a plant-based diet can be overwhelming and we'd like to help. 

This course is for you if: 

  • you're curious about plant-based eating, but don't know where to start 
  • you have family or friends who eat plant-based and you'd like to be able to cook for them
  • you've dabbled with plant-based cooking, but would like to expand your repertoire 

Baby Steps to Plant-Based Eating will: 

  • answer your pressing questions
  • cultivate your confidence 
  • arm you with recipes

Want to learn more?  

Join our email list for updates about the course launch. You'll also get priority access to new recipes, and other subscriber privileges.