How To Achieve Perfectly Crispy Tofu Every Time

Tofu is a delicious and super versatile ingredient. From traditional Sichuan dishes like mapo tofu with crispy Chinese sausage to an eggless tofu scramble, the vegan brunch of champions, there are seemingly endless ways to use this humble ingredient to achieve maximum deliciousness. But rarely is tofu better than when it's perfectly crispy, tossed in a delicious sauce. But how can you best achieve that delicious crispiness? 

To find out, Food Republic asked Simpson Wong, the executive chef of Kancil, a Malaysian restaurant in New York. At Kancil, crispy tofu heads up the small plates. So what's the secret for a perfectly crunchy crust on your tofu, every time? Wong said it's not pressing it, or breading it — rather, he coats the outside in a thin layer of rice powder (just like Japanese-style double-fried karaage chicken).

"Coat the tofu well and shake off the excess," Wong told us. The rice powder will provide a layer of starch on the outside of the tofu that'll go super crispy when fried. Rice powder will make for even crispier tofu than other starches, as it naturally absorbs less oil as it fries. This is also key to its lasting crunch: rice powder, or rice flour, will stay crispier longer than wheat.

As you fry, the inside will go beautifully tender — keep cooking it if you like super soft tofu. "If you prefer the inside of the tofu to be liquid, you can fry them longer," Wong noted. If you're worried about burning your tofu while that happens, just use thinner pieces, which will take less time to cook through, but won't affect the crust forming.

The best way to ensure a crispy crust on your tofu is to cook it at a high temperature, and quickly — because tofu is technically already cooked, you don't need to worry about over or undercooking it, per se — but you don't want to risk drying out the interior while the outside develops that crunch you're looking for. Deep frying can be done safely at home, and it's your best choice as the intense heat will brown the rice powder on your tofu quickly, resulting in the crispiest crust possible. 

Another great method is to pan-fry your tofu, according to Simpson Wong. Though this can be a good way to achieve a beautiful crust, there is a trick to it. "You can shallow fry the tofu, but make sure the oil is very hot; you don't want the tofu to touch the bottom of the pan initially [because] it will stick to it; hold the tofu and allow a light crust to form first," chef Wong told us. Use long cooking chopsticks or tongs when doing so, so you don't get a burn.

When it comes to choosing what oil to use, he recommended something light, and neutral that can withstand high heat. "Canola oil is the best — very neutral, light, and high smoke point. For comparison, avocado oil has a higher smoke point, but it's too thick, so it's not ideal for frying high water content food." To fry with avocado oil, you'd need a refined product — and it will still have a subtle flavor that canola oil doesn't.

Though tofu is delicious no matter how you slice it (or fry it), you can always kick things up a notch with a delicious sauce or dip. We asked chef Wong what his go-to is when whipping up something quick and tasty to pair with his tofu, and he suggested adding a Korean flare: "I like gojuchang glaze ... and it's super easy to make too."

He's not wrong — you'll likely have most of what you need in your store cupboard already! You'll mix gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. That's it! If you don't have sesame oil, Wong told us to use tahini instead. It's got a similarly nutty flavor profile that'll complement your sauce.

If you're making your sauce for dipping, you might want to stick with sesame oil though, as "sesame oil makes it smoother and easier to dip," according to chef Wong. If you're really in a pinch and have to reach for that tahini, though, you can use water to thin it out. Just whisk some into the tahini, a couple of tablespoons at a time, until you reach that perfectly smooth dipping consistency.

To make the sauce, you're going to want to "[g]ently heat this up and sprinkle some sesame seeds and minced scallions on top." In no time at all you've got a fantastic, easy sauce to pair with your perfectly crispy tofu.