Easy Pan Fried Crispy Tofu

Tofu can be a pretty intimidating ingredient if you have no experience using it.  This recipe, easy pan fried crispy tofu, is really more about learning a method to cook tofu than it is developing a recipe.

One of my goals with this blog is to help people learn how to cook more meatless meals.  If you are experimenting with meatless eating, or a new vegetarian trying to learn some tricks of the trade, I have so much to share with you about cooking tofu!

Not everyone likes tofu.  I love it, but even the right cooking method may not bring you to be a tofu lover like me.  Tofu is bland, and has a spongy texture, which I understand is not for everyone.

This pan frying method gives it a nice crisp, chewy exterior, but doesn’t add more flavor.  Toss this simple cooked tofu with something flavorful to add protein to any dish.

My favorite dishes to mix in easy pan fried crispy tofu:

1. Chinese cabbage noodle stir fry
2. Burmese pickled ginger and fried garlic salad
3. One pot peanut noodles with snap peas
4. Italian zucchini mushroom subs
5. Moroccan sweet potato millet bowl
6. Barley and kale breakfast bowl
7. Turmeric fried rice
8. Plantain black bean tacos
9. Asparagus artichoke millet bowl

Creating Easy Pan Fried Crispy Tofu:

1. Choose your tofu.  Pick a water-packed tofu (see picture above), not a silken tofu.  Silken tofu will say silken on the package and is usually not refrigerated.  Water packed tofu will be refrigerated, in a plastic box that packages the tofu in water.  Extra firm is the only style I use because it has the best texture.
2. Press your tofu.  The tofu is packaged in water, so the pressing process removes water which tends to make the tofu bland.  After pressing the tofu is like a sponge that will soak up flavors as well!  The recipe has the instructions for how to press your tofu, and there is a picture above for visual reference.
3. Optional marination.  Marinating tofu is called for in some recipes, which helps the tofu to absorb more flavors and be less bland.  This recipe does not call for marinating because it is intended to produce a simple tofu that you could toss into any dish.  The dish you choose to use this tofu in should be very flavorful on it’s own to help support the bland tofu.  See my list above.  Here is an example of a recipe where I marinate tofu, which is a step you could easily add to this recipe.
4. Choose your fry pan.  I find that a cast iron pan is the best choice.  It promotes even heating and the surface is great for searing.  I have also tried non-stick pans, and stainless steel pans.  Non-stick pans did not promote the crispy exterior well, and the stainless steel had problems with sticking.  A cast iron is a great investment that will last forever with proper care, and I can’t recommend it enough for making tofu!
5. Fry in batches.  I always cook my tofu block in two batches, whether it all fits into the pan or not.  If the tofu is too crowded, it will steam and not sear in the pan, leaving you with soggy tofu.
6. Season.  I simply used salt and pepper so that this recipe would be universal.  If you know what kind of dish you want to use it in, feel free to season accordingly.  For example, try curry powder, chili paste, soy sauce, or cajun seasoning.  You can also marinate in advance to season.  See the optional step 3 above.
7. Cover the skillet – optional.  The tofu will sizzle and crackle in the pan, making you think it needs turned when it doesn’t.  If you are someone who might over-tend the skillet, cover the skillet to help you ignore the sizzle, and set a timer so you know when to come back.
8. Leftovers.  Any cooked tofu will keep in the fridge for about a week.  Any uncooked tofu should be covered with water to store, or it will go bad quickly.  Keep in mind that tofu will absorb the flavors it is stored with, so cover any uncooked tofu with filtered water to keep it from absorbing mineral flavors from tap water.

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