Best Pan Fried Tofu Recipes

THE BEST PAN-FRIED TOFU

Steps:

• Take your block of tofu and wrap it in several layers of paper towels.
• Gently press the tofu with your hands or against the counter top to release the liquid. This will take about a minute.
• Slice the tofu into pieces about 1/2 an inch thick.
• Set tofu aside.
• If you are using a non-stick pan heat it slightly on medium-high heat (about 30 seconds) before adding oil.
• If you are using a cast iron pan, please heat for about 1 minute to 1 1/2 minutes on medium-high heat. Cast iron is very thick and you want the pan to be heated evenly before adding the tofu.
• Add oil to heated pan.
• Gently spread oil over the entire surface of the pan.
• Set the tofu pieces in the pan, leaving ample room between them. They should sizzle when placed in the oil. Sprinkle the tops with salt and a little cayenne pepper.
• Now, the MOST IMPORTANT step is -- LEAVE THEM ALONE for about 6 or 7 minutes. Just gently shake them to make sure they don't stick to the pan. Do NOT turn them or agitate them in any other way. When you see a golden crust beginning to creep its way up the sides of the slices, turn them and spice the other side. Add more oil if the pan seems too dry.
• The second side will only take about 4 minutes to cook.
• When they are evenly browned take them out of the pan and place them on paper towels to drain.
• These are very simply seasoned and basic and can now be used any way you like. I like these with steamed broccoli and peanut sauce -- or in a sandwich with grilled peppers and mushrooms and aioli -- or just eaten with ketchup:-).

PAN-FRIED TOFU WITH SPICY PEANUT SAUCE

Steps:

• Drain tofu (i pressed gently between paper towels).
• Cut into bite-sized cubes.
• Toss with cornstarch, coating the cubes.
• Sprinkle a little salt and pepper.
• Heat some oil (about 3-4 tablespoon, just ensure pan is coated).
• Fry the tofu cubes in batches, making sure all sides are lightly browned.
• Drain on paper towels, then sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.
• Sauce: Heat the milk in small saucepan (you can make sauce in microwave too).
• Add peanut butter, stirring well.
• Add other seasonings, according to personal taste (I love spicy food, so i added LOTS of chilli flakes!). If you use coconut milk, add 1/2 - 1 tsp of lime juice too - it will be great!
• Serve hot, as a snack or appetizer. Sometimes i serve them with a sweet Chinese dessert: Green Bean Soup.

SIMPLE PAN-FRIED TOFU

Steps:

• Place tofu onto a plate and place another plate on top. Set a 3 to 5 pound weight on top. Press tofu for 20 to 30 minutes; drain and discard the accumulated liquid.
• Cut tofu into 2x4-inch strips about 1/4-inch thick.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook tofu strips in the oil until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Stack tofu strips horizontally in a dish with sloping sides, like a teacup saucer.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same skillet. Add green onions; cook and stir until fragrant, 10 to 20 seconds. Spoon green onions over tofu while they are still sizzling. Coat with soy sauce. Let sit until tofu soaks up flavors, 3 to 5 minutes.

GRILLED OR PAN-FRIED MARINATED TOFU

Steps:

• Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a 2-quart bowl. Whisk together well.
• Drain the tofu and pat dry with paper towels. Slice into 1/2-inch thick slabs, and blot each slab with paper towels. Add to the bowl with the marinade, and gently toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes to an hour, or for up to a day.
• To pan-fry the tofu, heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. When the oil is hot, add the tofu in one layer (you may have to do this in batches). Cook on one side for one to two minutes, until lightly colored. Using tongs, turn the tofu over and cook for another one to two minutes, or until lightly colored on the other side. Remove from the pan, and serve with additional marinade or soy sauce. To grill the tofu, prepare a medium-hot grill. Brush the grill with oil, and grill until grill marks appear, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from the heat, and serve with additional marinade or soy sauce.

PAN-FRIED TOFU

Steps:

• Slice tofu into 1/4-inch slabs.
• Place nutritional yeast on a plate. Mix in garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
• Roll tofu slices in the nutritional yeast mixture until evenly coated.
• Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over low to medium heat. Add tofu slices; cook until golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

VEGAN TANTANMEN WITH PAN-FRIED TOFU

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add noodles and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and run under cold water until the noodles are completely cold. (This stops the noodles from cooking further.) Set aside to drain.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high. When hot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and arrange the tofu slices in a single layer. Generously season the tofu with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and about 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to medium, and cook tofu for 3 to 4 minutes until golden. Flip the tofu, and cook until golden on the other side, about 2 to 3 minutes. (Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to cook your tofu in two batches.) Remove from the pan, set aside on a plate.
• To the same pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Pan-fry until mushrooms are tender and slightly golden, about 6 minutes.
• Prepare the broth: Pour the vegetable stock into a large pot and add the kombu, if using.
• Bring to a gentle simmer and cook over medium heat, about 7 minutes. Remove kombu (keep for another use) and turn off heat. Allow to sit for 2 minutes, then gradually whisk in milk, adding a little at a time, so it doesn't curdle. Once the milk has been added, heat broth over medium until it simmers.
• In a medium bowl, combine the sesame paste, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar and chile oil. Divide mixture across four deep noodle bowls.
• Pour the hot broth over the sesame soup base, dividing it evenly among the bowls. Whisk to combine the base with the broth.
• Divide the noodles across the bowls, and top each bowl with a few slices of tofu, mushrooms, corn, scallions, sesame seeds and an extra drop of chile oil.

PAN FRIED TOFU & SHRIMP SAUTE

Steps:

• Slice tofu into squares, at least 2cm in width. Salt both sides of the tofu squares and set aside for 15 minutes. Salt helps the tofu fry up nice and crispy. Mince the scallions, chili pepper, garlic, ginger, and cilantro - set aside. Season ground chicken or pork with cooking wine, white pepper, soy sauce, sesame seed oil, and cornstarch - thoroughly combine and set aside. Clean shrimp, set aside. Blot tofu squares with a paper towel to get out all the excess moisture - tofu that is wet doesn't crisp up as nicely. Make sure to blot the tofu squares right before frying as they continue to leak water when sitting out. Heat nonstick pan with enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan, place on med-high heat. Lay out the tofu squares and fry, turning every 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Remove tofu from pan and layer on bottom of serving dish. Add garlic, chili pepper, and ginger to the oil, releasing aromas. Toss in minced meat mixture and saute for 3-5 minutes until meat starts to cook. Add shrimp, sauteing for another 3-5 minutes. Now add the broth to taste (I actually used left over pho broth and it was great!). Toss all ingredients gently together. Add bean sprouts and cook for another 2-4 minutes until sprouts wilt. Add remaining cilantro garnish. Pour chicken/shrimp/sauce mixture over tofu and serve with rice or noodles!

DUBU JEON (KOREAN PAN-FRIED TOFU)

Steps:

• Season tofu with salt.
• Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add tofu in a single layer; cook until golden brown and easily released from the bottom of the skillet, about 3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until golden brown on the second side, about 3 minutes more.
• Mix soy sauce, green onions, water, sesame seeds, sesame oil, red pepper powder, and black pepper together in a small bowl. Spread over the cooked tofu. Garnish with red pepper flakes.

PAN FRIED TOFU WITH SPICY GINGER SOUP

Steps:

• To prepare the soup, in a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the vegetable broth, ginger, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, oyster sauce and sambal. Allow to simmer 15 minutes to mingle the flavors.
• To prepare the tofu steaks, cut the tofu block lengthwise, then cut in half to make 4 slabs. Lay several layers of paper towels on a cutting board then place the tofu, side by side, on top. Cover the steaks with more paper towels and press down to drain out some of the water in the curd (making it denser and hold together better when cooked.) Combine the bread crumbs, cayenne, paprika, salt and pepper. Dip each piece of tofu into the beaten eggs then dredge in the seasoned bread crumbs to coat. Heat peanut oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the tofu steaks 4 minutes each side. Remove to a platter lined with fresh paper towels. Add sesame oil to the skillet, stir-fry the ginger and garlic with the chili for 2 minutes to build a base flavor. Add the broccoli and saute 3 minutes until it begins to soften, season with salt and pepper. Divide the udon noodles and spicy broth among 4 bowls. Add the broccoli then lay a piece of tofu on top. Garnish with a sprinkle of green onions, cilantro, and peanuts before serving.

QUICK AND LIGHT PAN-FRIED TOFU

Steps:

• Heat butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tofu cubes; pour in soy sauce and mirin. Saute tofu until lightly browned on all sides and warmed through, about 5 minutes.

FRENCH TOAST PAN-FRIED TOFU (GLUTEN FREE)

Steps:

• Slice tofu into 1/8-inch-thick slices, laying pieces on a paper towel as you go. Season each side lightly with salt.
• Place cornmeal in a shallow bowl; add a pinch of salt and cinnamon and stir.
• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Dip each side of the tofu slices in the cornmeal mixture; gently tap off excess. Place tofu in the hot saucepan and cook until golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

PAN-FRIED TOFU WITH SPINACH, PEAR, AND STAR ANISE

Steps:

• Lay several layers of paper towels on a cutting board, then place the tofu squares on top, side by side. Cover the tofu with more paper towels and place a plate on top. Add a can or two to press down and drain out some of the water in the curd. This makes the tofu denser and meatier.
• In a large skillet, heat the peanut and sesame oils just to the smoking point. Fry the tofu on both sides, flipping occasionally with the spatula, until golden, about 8 minutes total. Remove the tofu from the pan and drain it on a plate lined with paper towels.
• Using the same pan, sauté the ginger, garlic, chile, star anise, and peanuts-your kitchen will smell amazing! In a small bowl, mix the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice together. Briefly toss the spinach in the pan, stirring just to wilt, no more than 30 seconds. Remove the spinach to a bowl, scraping the peanut mixture in there also. Put the pan back on the heat and heat the hoisin mixture. Combine the sauce with the spinach and divide between 2 bowls. Lay the pear slices and tofu on top.

PAN FRIED TOFU WITH CARAMELISED SAUCE

Steps:

• Drain the Tofu and either put in a colander and weight down with a plate and tins or wrap in kitchen towel and place a plate over the top. The idea is to remove as much liquid as possible. Do this for 30 minutes.
• Add all the marinade ingredients together and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
• Slice the garlic as thinly as possible and fry in the vegetable oil turning frequently to make sure it does not burn. Do not throw the oil away.
• Unwrap the tofu and slice horizontally into 4 large slabs, then each slab into 4 giving a total of 16 squares.
• Place in a large shallow dish and pour over the marinade, leave to soak for fifteen minutes.
• Drain the tofu and place on kitchen towel, reheat the oil and add one piece of butter. When sizzling add the tofu cooking in one layer wherever possible (I use two pans).
• Cover and cook until the edges are brown and firm (about 5 - 8 mins each side).
• Pour in the marinade cook for 2 minutes or until the spring onions are tender.
• Serve four pieces of tofu per person garnishing with a piece of butter and the thickened sauce.

VEGAN TANTANMEN WITH PAN-FRIED TOFU RECIPE

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add noodles and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and run under cold water until the noodles are completely cold. (This stops the noodles from cooking further.) Set aside to drain.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high. When hot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and arrange the tofu slices in a single layer. Generously season the tofu with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and about 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to medium, and cook tofu for 3 to 4 minutes until golden. Flip the tofu, and cook until golden on the other side, about 2 to 3 minutes. (Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to cook your tofu in two batches.) Remove from the pan, set aside on a plate.
• To the same pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Pan-fry until mushrooms are tender and slightly golden, about 6 minutes.
• Prepare the broth: Pour the vegetable stock into a large pot and add the kombu, if using.
• Bring to a gentle simmer and cook over medium heat, about 7 minutes. Remove kombu (keep for another use) and turn off heat. Allow to sit for 2 minutes, then gradually whisk in milk, adding a little at a time, so it doesn't curdle. Once the milk has been added, heat broth over medium until it simmers.
• In a medium bowl, combine the sesame paste, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar and chile oil. Divide mixture across four deep noodle bowls.
• Pour the hot broth over the sesame soup base, dividing it evenly among the bowls. Whisk to combine the base with the broth.
• Divide the noodles across the bowls, and top each bowl with a few slices of tofu, mushrooms, corn, scallions, sesame seeds and an extra drop of chile oil.