This recipe is sponsored by EZ Tofu Press. All opinions are 100% my own.
Savory Nutritional Yeast Tofu only requires a few ingredients to make and is perfect as a main dish or in grain bowls, salads, or wraps. My family loves this tofu, and I just know that yours will, too!
When I say that this Nutritional Yeast Tofu is addictive, I mean it, y'all. Let me tell you a riveting story about recipe testing.
Part of the food blogging process is recipe testing, which is basically making a dish over and over to tweak it and make sure it's consistently delicious. Sometimes, a recipe needs a LOT of testing, and you might be surprised that this was one of them.
We ate this for several days one week, and the next Wednesday was shooting day. So I made this on Sunday to get in one last test.
And you know what my family requested for dinner on Monday? Nutritional Yeast Tofu! Even after I told them I was going to be shooting it on Wednesday, meaning we'd be eating it again later that week.
See? Addictive!
More Easy Tofu Recipes: Crispy Baked Tofu, Crispy Air Fryer Tofu
Preparing the Tofu
There are two keys to making this dish successfully:
- Press your tofu. Getting the liquid out makes it more firm, so it won't crumble to bits when you're folding it into the nutritional yeast coating.
- Dice it up into small pieces. Small pieces are key, because we aren't marinating. All of the flavor comes from the coating, so you want as much coated surface area as possible.
I press my tofu in the EZ Tofu Press. The EZ Tofu Press gets out an average of ½ cup water in just 10-15 minutes of pressing.
The super firm tofu you get from pressing is perfect for this recipe!
Not only is the EZ Tofu Press quick and efficient, but it's also super easy to clean. It's dishwasher safe, but I rarely stick it in the dishwasher, because it's so easy to wipe down with soap and warm water.
Making the Nutritional Yeast Coating
Now that the tofu is pressed and diced, it's time to make the coating and toss things together.
To make the coating, grab a large bowl and mix together nutritional yeast, garlic powder, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. This combination of ingredients is basically magic. You've got serious salt, fat, acid, and umami flavors happening in this bowl!
When you mix up this coating, it's going to seem like not nearly enough to cover the tofu, but don't worry. You are doing great!
Add the diced tofu to the bowl, and fold it into the mixture until all of the pieces are coated in nutritional yeast goodness.
Cooking Methods - You've got options!
Then, it's time to cook! You can either bake this tofu or air fry it.
To bake the tofu, spread it out in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. I recommend lining with parchment paper, because this will give you the crispiest results.
Bake at 400F for 30 minutes. You don't even need to stir!
Are you planning to air fry? Then just transfer the coated tofu to your air fryer basket. Cook at 400F for 15 minutes, shaking 10 minutes into the cooking.
What to Serve with Nutritional Yeast Tofu
Need some serving ideas? I've got you. I love using this as a main dish or as an addition to grain bowls or salads.
If you're serving as an entree, these are some sides that will work well:
- Sheet Pan Cauliflower and Broccoli
- Maduros and Beans and Rice
- Baked Potato Cakes
- Spring Vegetable Stir Fry
And here are some grain bowl and salad recipes that are begging for toothsome, golden tofu nuggets on top:
- instead of the BBQ tofu in a Mashed Potato Bowl
- on top of a Burrito Bowl
- in a Broccoli Salad
- on a Kale Caesar
- over Basil Curried Couscous Salad
- in a Pesto Grain Bowl
- to top a Buddha Bowl
Really, anything that pairs with savory, slightly cheesy, umami goodness will pair well with Nutritional Yeast Tofu.
How to Store and Reheat It
The cooked tofu will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
You can serve the leftovers hot or cold. I love it cold on top of salads or stuffed into a pita or wrap!
If you do want to reheat refrigerated tofu, preheat the oven to 350F, and arrange the cubes on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until heated through. You can also air fry at 350F for 5 minutes to get it nice and crispy again.
To reheat from frozen, preheat the oven to 400F, and arrange the cubes on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or air fry at 400F for 7-10 minutes.
Nutritional Yeast Tofu
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 1 block extra firm tofu - pressed and cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- In a large bowl, mix together the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. The mixture will be pretty thick, but don't worry. It will coat the tofu like a charm. Add the tofu to the bowl, and fold the tofu pieces into the nutritional yeast mixture.
To Air Fry
- Transfer the coated tofu to your air fryer basket. Air fry at 400F for 15 minutes, shaking gently after 10 minutes.
To Bake
- Transfer the coated tofu to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes, no need to flip.
Equipment
Video
Notes
- When you make the nutritional yeast mixture, it may seem like there isn't enough to coat the tofu. But this mixture goes a long way, baby! Just go with it. Don't worry if the pieces crumble a bit. Those little bits are delicious!
- The cooked tofu will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- To reheat refrigerated tofu, preheat the oven to 350F, and arrange the cubes on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until heated through.
- To reheat from frozen, preheat the oven to 400F, and arrange the cubes on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Mare
Delicious! I've been nibbling these all day :)
Carrie
I have not tried this recipe yet but am excited to try it. I love nutritional yeast! Do you have suggestions on how to prepare this same dish without using oil?
Thank you.
Becky Striepe
I haven't tested an oil-free method, so it's hard to say. Maybe use fat free vinaigrette?