How to Cook Tofu that Tastes Good

Learn how to cook tofu (that everyone will love!) with this tofu guide for beginners. Want to try tofu, but have heard rumors that it's bland and rubbery? Don't worry, I'm sharing all the basics for how to make the most flavorful, and dare I say irresistibly delicious, tofu every time!

I'm not going to lie, I was slow to the tofu game. I'd been eating a vegetarian and then vegan diet for a long time before I tried tofu. I believed the hype - "tofu is bland, rubbery, and weird"; so I was reluctant to try it. But I'm here to tell you, my friends, those things are not true - tofu is a magically delicious ingredient and it's super versatile too.

Once I learned how to prepare and cook tofu properly, the whole family was hooked. I think you'll love it too! In this Ultimate Tofu Guide for Beginners, I get into the details of what tofu is, how to select, prepare, press, and season it as well as the best ways to cook tofu. This Tofu 101 Guide includes everything you need to know to master cooking tofu that tastes good and has epic texture too!

What is tofu, anyway?

Tofu is simply soybeans that are soaked then blended with water to make soy milk. The milk is then boiled, curdled, and finally the bean curd is separated from the whey and pressed into a solid block of tofu. The more water pressed out, the firmer the texture is. It's easy and fun to make tofu from scratch at home!

Tofu is a good source of plant-based protein that's a fiber rich, low carb, healthy alternative to meat. Plus it's a super affordable and versatile staple in vegan and vegetarian diets (but meat eaters love it too!). Find vegan tofu in the refrigerated section at the grocery store (near produce or the deli).

I know a lot of people want to know, "Is tofu good for you?". Read more about the health benefits and nutritional value of tofu (a centuries old plant protein), in this article by leading health expert, Dr. Michael Greger, 'Soy' at Nutrition Facts dot org.

My family and I are huge fans of tofu and eat it A LOT! There's a ton of scrumptious tofu recipes on the blog. They're all quick and easy, super flavorful vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free recipes - lots of oil free tofu recipes too!

Different Types of Tofu

Tofu is available in a wide variety of textures from smooth and creamy to firm and meaty. Here are some tips for selecting the right texture for each tofu dish. Keep in mind that tofu densities can (and do) differ between brands.

Selecting the Right Tofu Texture

Here's my recommendations for the best kind of tofu to buy and how to cook it:

• Silken tofu has the highest water content. The texture is ultra creamy, soft, and jiggly. It's typically used for creamy blended recipes like vegan desserts, mousse, and cheesecakes as well as dairy-free creamy sauces like vegan mayonnaise and smoothies. Silken tofu is not curdled and not pressed during processing.
• Medium or medium firm tofu (block tofu) has more structure than silken tofu, but it's still delicate and creamy. It's the perfect choice for fluffy tofu scrambled eggs, vegan ramen, and miso soup.
• Firm or extra firm tofu (block tofu) are definitely the most popular and versatile textures of tofu for meatless main dishes. Extra firm tofu has the lowest water content, holds its shape well, and has the best meaty texture. Both firm and extra firm tofu can be frozen, fried, crumbled, and baked with great success. Use extra firm tofu in recipes like crispy fried or deep fried tofu, tofu stir fry, vegan lasagnas, Buddha bowls, vegan tacos, and tofu meat crumbles.

How do you press tofu?

Tofu is typically packaged in water to keep it fresh and hydrated. Draining and pressing tofu removes the excess moisture so it's easier and quicker to crisp up in the air fryer or oven plus makes some room to soak up marinade.

All tofu contains water, but the firmer the tofu , the lower the water content and the denser the tofu texture is. However, the texture of tofu definitely varies between brands. For example, both blocks of tofu above are labeled 'extra firm'.

1. The tofu block on the left (Rooster) comes in a package submerged in a tub of water and feels quite soft and custardy/delicate when drained. Drain and press this water-packed tofu to remove a lot of excess water before making crispy tofu dishes.
2. The block on the right (Sunrise) is vacuum packed with very little water. It comes out of the package with the perfect dense, firm feeling texture. With this vacuum packed tofu, wrap the block in a few paper towels then just gently squeeze it with your hands. Pat it dry before seasoning and cooking.

TOFU PRESSING TIP: I don't press every drop of liquid out of my tofu. In my experience, it makes the cooked tofu dry and crumbly and the leftovers are super dry. The goal is to preserve the creamy center while preparing the exterior to form a crispy crust. Play around with Brands of tofu until you find the texture you enjoy! Also your taste for tofu will evolve as you eat more of it.

Below are two really simple and efficient ways to press tofu:

• How to press tofu without a tofu press: To press excess water from tofu, wrap it in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and place a heavy cast iron skillet or a couple heavy cookbooks on top for ~15-20 minutes.
  Express version: Speed the process up a bit by cutting the block of tofu in half (width wise) to make 2 thinner slabs before pressing. Then wrap and press as above.

• How to press tofu using a tofu press: A tofu press is designed specifically to extract water from tofu while pressing the tofu block evenly. As you can see in the photo, they are simple to use and clean up with just a rinse. It's certainly not necessary to go out and buy one though. I've been making tofu several times a week for many years, and I don't own a tofu press.

How to Cut Tofu

Tofu cubes are probably the most popular shape. However, you can cut tofu into any shape or size that works for your recipe. Small cubes, large cubes, batons, triangles, rectangles, slabs, and slices to name a few.

How to Season Tofu

Tofu does not have a lot of flavor in its natural raw form (afterall, it's just soybean curds). It starts out quite bland much like chicken - so it can handle A LOT of seasoning! Don't be shy with it.

I recommend seasoning with two (or more) layers of flavor in my tofu recipes:

1. Tofu seasoning rub: Rub the pressed tofu with lots of spices like garlic or onion powder, salt and pepper, nutritional yeast or a spicy taco seasoning, KFC seasoning, Buffalo spice, etc.
2. Tofu marinade: Soak the tofu cubes in your favorite chicken/meat marinade to infuse extra flavor. For a deep dive into tofu marinade, check out my full post on marinading tofu including 6 marinade recipes. Flavor Tip: In some of my tofu recipes (vegan chicken nuggets), I briefly marinade the tofu cubes, then build a thick layer of flavor between the creamy tofu center an the crunchy tofu exterior - so dang delicious!
3. Tofu glaze: Brush the tofu with extra glaze while sautéing or grilling.
4. Dipping sauce: Serve crispy tofu with a finishing or vegan dipping sauce, such as the best spicy peanut sauce, easy teriyaki sauce, vegan ranch, creamy chipotle sauce (vegan) or spicy peanut hoisin sauce to name a few.

How Do You Cook Tofu?

I get asked, 'What's the best way to cook tofu?" all the time. There's no one right answer because each cooking method has different benefits and everyone has different taste (my favorite is oven baked tofu though!).

To help you master tofu cooking at home, below I review 5 EASY tofu cooking methods; and why you might choose one over the other.

1. CRISPY OVEN BAKED TOFU RECIPE: Baked tofu has the most succulent, creamy center and a beautiful golden crust on the outside in under 20 minutes! Baking tofu is also super convenient as there is very little hands-on time, clean up is a breeze, and it's easily oil free.
   Some ways to serve baked tofu include: Epic tofu bowl with spicy peanut sauce, extra crunchy vegan chicken nuggets, and Italian crusted tofu.
2. SIZZLING PAN FRIED TOFU: If you're searching for the crispiest, crunchiest tofu, pan fried tofu is hands down the method to use! It's an easy tofu recipe as well: Just press, cut, season, and fry until crispy ~4-6 minutes. For clean up, I recommend saving the cooled oil in a jar for the next time a crunchy tofu craving hits! This is a quick but indulgent tofu recipe.
   Some ways to eat pan fried tofu include: In an Asian sesame garlic sauce, teriyaki tofu, orange tofu and more!

3. AIR FRYER TOFU: The easiest, least messy way to cook crispy tofu is in the air fryer (oil free friendly too). Use the same quick method above to prepare the tofu then pop the seasoned tofu cubes into the air fryer until golden - under 10 minutes! There's no sticking, no oil splashing, no pots and pans, and practically zero hands on time. This is a healthy tofu recipe for beginners and everyone else!
   Some ways to serve air fried tofu include: In Buddha bowls, vegan tacos or bump up the plant protein in a big Thai crunch salad.
4. TOFU SCRAMBLE: This vegan scrambled eggs recipe uses medium (or medium firm) tofu. It's quick and easy to make - no pressing needed. It's so simple, just break up the tofu and then fry it in a skillet with the eggy seasoning until fluffy. It takes under 15 minutes and trust me, it tastes amazing! This is a super simple tofu recipe anyone can make.
   Some ways to serve vegan scrambled eggs include: In a vegan breakfast burrito or alongside sourdough toast and hash browns. Pro Tip: Leftover tofu scramble makes THE BEST vegan egg salad sandwich ever!!!

5. TOFU CRUMBLES: A quick and fuss free vegan meat replacement for ground beef. The texture holds up very well to double cooking like in lasagna. It's a perfect plant based meat alternative for vegan tacos too. Simply crumble the tofu into a skillet with hot oil and your favorite seasonings. Stir the tofu crumbles periodically to prevent sticking, and they are ready to enjoy in under 15 minutes. Another great tofu recipe for beginners and taco lovers!
   Some ways to eat tofu crumbles include: In vegan tacos, vegan lasagna, tofu taco bowls or any recipe that calls for ground beef.

MILLION DOLLAR TOFU TIP: Don't overcook your tofu! Overcooked tofu is rubbery and dry (not great). In my experience, newbies to eating tofu prefer a firmer tofu texture (well done) at first. To achieve that, cook the tofu for a few extra minutes or cut it into smaller tofu cubes which creates a firmer, meaty texture. When you first start cooking tofu recipes, I recommend tasting it periodically as you're cooking until you find the perfect combination of time, temperature, and tofu texture to suit your taste (rare, medium or well done).

Some Extra Tofu Tips - FAQ

• Why do people put cornstarch in tofu?: Cornstarch removes moisture from the surface of the tofu and creates a thin crust that becomes light and crispy when cooked in the hot oil.
• What role does oil play in cooking crispy tofu?: Oil heats to a very high temperature which sears the outside edges of tofu turning it ultra crispy.
• Storing tofu: Tofu has a long expiry date, but if you find yourself with a block or two ready to expire, you can always cook them right away. It will last another 5 days in the refrigerator (once cooked). Or freeze the uncooked block of tofu right in its package.
• Make ahead tofu tip: Often I press a few blocks of tofu at a time. Once pressed for ~20 minutes (depending on the tofu density), wrap it in fresh paper towels. Store it in a plastic bag or container in the refrigerator for up to several days. It's a great time saver for busy weeknight dinners.

Tofu FAQ

Popular Tofu Recipes

If you're vegan, vegetarian or a meat eater who'd like to add some plant protein to your plate, here's some easy tofu recipes:

• Spicy Peanut Tofu Bowl: This tofu recipe is for people who love tofu and for people who don't! It's ultra flavorful and has amazing texture.
• Crispy Orange Tofu: These juicy pan-fried tofu morsels are super crispy and drenched in a copycat Panda Express spicy-sweet and tangy orange sauce.
• Italian Crusted Tofu Pasta: My favorite baked tofu recipe! It's succulent and juicy on the inside with a crispy Italian seasoned crust on the outside.
• Crunchy Vegan Chicken Nuggets: If you love chicken nuggets, you're going to love these tofu nuggets. They're creamy and meaty on the inside and so shatteringly crispy on the outside, you won’t believe they’re not fried! 

Did you make any of these easy tofu recipes? I'd love to see it!
Please let me know in the comments. Thank you so much for sharing!
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