Glue & Glitter

Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu

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You don’t have to go out to get delicious, restaurant-style, Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu. Make it at home in less than half an hour.

You don't have to go out to get delicious, restaurant-style, Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu. Make it at home in less than half an hour.

Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu is another recipe for my sponsors at EZ Tofu Press.

I definitely recommend pressing your tofu for this recipe. Salt & Pepper Tofu is so much better when the tofu is toothsome and chewy.  With a lot of recipes, you’re getting the water out to get the marinade in, but with this recipe it’s 100% about texture.

You don't have to go out to get delicious, crispy, restaurant-style Salt and Pepper Tofu. Make it at home in less than half an hour.

Check out the video demo showing how much water this sucker presses out of a typical block of tofu.

You don't have to go out to get delicious, crispy, restaurant-style salt and pepper tofu. Make it at home in less than half an hour.

But let’s talk about the EZ Tofu Press more in a minute. First, let’s talk about how to serve your Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu. You have soooo many options!

  • Over rice with a green veg of your choice. I kept it simple with steamed broccoli and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and green onion, but it’s also really good with my Ginger Sesame Kale.
  • Add it to your next Sushi Bowl.
  • Instead of rice, serve with quinoa, millet, amaranth, kamut, or any other grain you choose. It’s even lovely alongside mashed potatoes.

You don't have to go out to get delicious, crispy, restaurant-style Salt and Pepper Tofu. Make it at home in less than half an hour.

And now…let’s cook some tofu!

You don't have to go out to get delicious, crispy, restaurant-style Salt and Pepper Tofu. Make it at home in less than half an hour.

Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu

You don’t have to go out to get delicious, restaurant-style, Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu. Make it at home in less than half an hour.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Vegan
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 470kcal
Author: Becky Striepe

Ingredients

  • 1 block extra firm tofu - pressed and cut into 8 cutlets
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch - or potato starch
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons high heat oil - like peanut or sunflower
  • soy sauce - to taste

Instructions

  • Pour the cornstarch into a shallow bowl. In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. 
  • Dredge each piece of tofu in the corn starch and then into the flour mixture. 
  • Heat the sesame and olive oils in a large skillet on medium high heat, making sure that the pan is hot before adding the tofu. To check, wet your fingers under the tap, and flick a few drops of water into the oil. If it sizzles off immediately, the pan is ready. Add the tofu to the pan, making sure that the pieces don’t overlap. 
  • Cook the tofu for 6-7 minutes, until you can see that the bottoms have turned golden brown. Use a spatula to flip them, and cook for another 6-7 minutes, so they’re browned on the other side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels or a clean cloth napkin to drain for a few minutes, then serve immediately. 
  • Serve topped with a little bit of soy sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 470kcal
Tried this recipe? Share your photo!Mention @GlueAndGlitter or tag #ggveg on Instagram!

About Becky Striepe

(rhymes with “sleepy”) is a vegan food writer and cookbook author. She been vegan since 2006 and developing simple vegan recipes since 2008.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lisa

    May 23, 2017 at 5:40 pm

    This was so yummy! I’ve never quite been able to get a nice crisp like this on tofu, but this recipe is so easy and gives a perfect light crunch!

    Reply

  3. Jenny

    October 30, 2016 at 8:40 am

    Hmm I think my favourite tofu recipe is thinly sliced and lightly fried with salt, pepper and black salt for a sort-of eggy sandwich. Salt & pepper tofu comes a very close second, though!

    Reply

  5. Eve B.

    October 28, 2016 at 2:19 pm

    I enjoy tofu almost everyday for dinner with garlic, powdered ginger, paprika, cayenne, tamari and sesame oil. I have yet to use a tofu press, and look forward to the possibilities….thanks!

    Reply

    • Becky Striepe

      October 26, 2016 at 12:14 pm

      Whoops! That should say black pepper. A holdover from an earlier experiment with the batter. Thank you for pointing that out – I updated the instructions!

      Reply

  15. Janet Colonna

    October 26, 2016 at 9:31 am

    My favorite tofu recipe is a fried tofu with an orange ginger sauce. It’s what’s for lunch today. I think I’ll try your recipe next. Thanks!

    Reply

  19. Terri Cole

    October 25, 2016 at 4:06 pm

    Barbecue tofu is my favorite. My current tofu press is “Passionate Vegetarian” by Crescent Dragonwagon. (The heaviest book on my shelf!)

    Reply

  20. Jenn

    October 25, 2016 at 1:54 pm

    I have thought about getting a press many times. I use a plate weighted down with bags of dried beans. Not exactly the most stable thing, but it works. LOL! I am in love with tofu…I will never understand the tofu haters…they just don’t know how to cook it (which isn’t hard!). Love this simple version…it would go with everything!

    Reply

  21. Mel | avirtualvegan.com

    October 25, 2016 at 1:24 pm

    That tofu press looks amazing! I currently use a pile of cook books but have many dangerous toppling incidents so perhaps I should invest in a press! My favourite tofu recipe is my Sticky Chili Ginger Tofu. I could eat it everyday!
    Your salt and pepper tofu looks pretty darn delicious too though!

    Reply

    • Becky Striepe

      October 25, 2016 at 1:40 pm

      Oh yeah- I’ve definitely had some near disasters with homemade pressing solutions. That chili ginger tofu sounds ah-mazing!

      Reply

  23. Cadry

    October 24, 2016 at 10:07 pm

    This sounds like a perfect weeknight meal – especially with some steamed broccoli on the side. It just goes to show you can get a lot of flavor without too much fuss!

    Reply

  24. Linda Weinberger

    October 24, 2016 at 9:29 am

    I definitely have to get this easy tofu press
    Pressing between 2 plates was my method but usually my tofu crumbled into pieces.

    Reply

  26. M.C.

    October 24, 2016 at 9:01 am

    Chewy tofu is my favorite! I love chopping it up over a salad or slicing lengthwise for a taco or wrap with my favorite sauce (buffalo!).

    I second the need to press the tofu for texture – this is the key to cooking tofu that many people I know skip. I’m going to have to check out one of these EZ Tofu Presses. Much better than the leaning tower of cookbooks method I usually use.

    Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

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