How to Cook Tofu (Perfect Every Time!)

If you’ve ever ended up with a soggy, spongy mess when cooking tofu, you’re not alone. And to be honest, I agree – bad tofu can be really bad. But good, well-cooked tofu is a completely different story. It’s firm, it’s golden, it’s crispy on the outside, with a satisfying chew – it’s absolutely delicious, and it’s easier to achieve than you might think.

I’ve been cooking tofu for years, and I have definitely had my share of rubbish tofu – but over the years I’ve found a method that gives firm, crispy tofu every time, using whatever sauce you like the sound of. Here’s what actually works!

👩🏻‍🍳 How to Cook Tofu Perfectly

This is the only real tip you need:

Fry your tofu until it looks too dry and crispy.

I mean it. It should look almost like croutons – way too dry to actually eat. That might feel wrong, but when you add your chosen sauce, it will bring the tofu back to life!

Adding a sauce to soft tofu ➡️ you get tofu that’s soggy and sad.
Adding a sauce to super crispy tofu ➡️ you get tofu that’s firm, flavourful, and anything but squidgy.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Cut your firm or extra-firm tofu into small cubes — smaller pieces get crispier than larger ones. Sometimes I even tear the tofu into chunks rather than cutting it, which gives even more crispy nooks and crannies.
2. Heat a little oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Any neutral oil works well.
3. Add the tofu and leave it alone. Resist the urge to stir it constantly! Let it sit until it’s golden brown underneath, then flip each piece with tongs.
4. Keep cooking until the tofu looks genuinely too crispy – drier than you think it needs to be.
5. Add your sauce, toss to coat, and watch it come back to life.

That’s it! No complicated prep, no specialist ingredients, just properly crispy tofu every time.

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• Recipe 1
• Recipe 2
• Recipe 3

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❓ Do You Need to Press, Freeze, or Marinate Your Tofu?

There’s a lot of advice out there about how to prepare tofu before cooking, and it can feel a bit overwhelming. Press it! Freeze it! Coat it in cornstarch! I’ve tried all of these methods, and here are my thoughts:

Do you need to press tofu?

Pressing tofu before cooking it squeezes out any excess liquid, and this can help to give a firmer, chewier result. I tested pressed vs. unpressed tofu side by side, and the difference was fairly small – the pressed tofu was slightly firmer, but nothing dramatic:

If you have the time and inclination, go for it — but if you’re in a hurry, don’t stress about it. It’s not going to make or break your dinner. If you do decide to press your tofu, either a dedicated tofu press (like this one on Amazon*) or the tea-towel-and-heavy-pan method works fine.

Do you need to freeze tofu before cooking?

Some people swear by freezing tofu before use, as the ice crystals supposedly create a chewier texture. In my testing, I didn’t notice much difference, so unless you want to preserve your tofu for longer, I wouldn’t personally bother with this step.

Do you need to marinate tofu?

Only if you’re serving it fairly plain – for example, on skewers with a dipping sauce, or if you’re making tofu bacon. However, if you’re adding a flavourful sauce to your tofu in the pan anyway, skip the marinade entirely. It’s just extra work for no real gain.

Do you need to coat tofu in cornstarch?

Nah. I tried it, and while it did add a few extra crispy edges, once the sauce went in you couldn’t really tell the difference. If you’re serving your tofu without a sauce, it might be worth it, but only if you can be bothered

Ultimately, my verdict is that these techniques can make minor differences to the end result, but not enough to bother with. I’m all for not over-complicating things! All you really need to do is to cut or tear your tofu into small pieces (around 1cm), and just fry it. That’s really all there is to it.

🍛 What Kind of Tofu Should I Use?

This method works specifically with firm or extra-firm tofu. Silken tofu is a completely different ingredient, which is much softer and better suited to creamy sauces, dips, and desserts (I love using it to make a creamy vegan soup or a dairy-free pasta sauce!). Don’t try to fry silken tofu, as it won’t work.

Extra-firm tofu can really end up looking like croutons once it’s well-cooked – far too dry to eat on its own!

But this is where the magic happens – adding the sauce, and bringing those dry little nuggets back to life.

🥫 What Sauces Could I Use on Tofu?

Once you’ve cooked your tofu until it’s a little too crispy, it’s time to rehydrate it using your favourite sauce. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Teriyaki sauce (a simple teriyaki tofu is one of my all-time favourites)
• Peanut sauce – for a super simple version, try peanut butter tofu!
• Sweet chilli sauce
• Tomato pasta sauce – tofu works surprisingly well in place of meat in a simple tomato sauce. If you add cheese and extra veggies, you can even make pizza tofu!
• Any curry sauce – tofu curry makes a wonderful change from chickpeas or lentils.

And there you have it – my super simple method for cooking perfectly chewy, crispy, saucy tofu every time!