This recipe has definitely been a staple in our house in the last couple of months and I am so excited to finally be sharing it with you. Behold – 30 minute crispy peanut tofu. Satisfies that takeout itch but is SO MUCH BETTER. In every way. Seriously.
If you’ve never had tofu before and are a little scared to try it, this is the perfect introduction to tofu. Or, if your only tofu experiences were bland, soft, or mushy, give this recipe a try! This is how tofu should be, in my opinion. Crispy, flavorful, and slightly chewy!
Now, although this recipe is super easy, there is one step that takes planning ahead that I don’t recommend skipping!
Why You Should Freeze Your Tofu
I don’t fully understand the magic that happens when you freeze and then completely thaw your tofu, but it changes the texture to be a bit more chewy and allows the tofu to absorb whatever marinade or sauce you’re using so much better! It does take a few days for your tofu to fully thaw after it’s frozen so take that into account when meal planning!
For this recipe, I recommend using either extra firm tofu or firm tofu. This brand is my favorite, but any firm/extra firm tofu should do. Anything softer will fall apart and be difficult to cut into uniform rectangles.
Once you have your tofu cut into uniform rectangles, lightly cut them in corn starch. This is going to help them get crispy!
In a large cast iron skillet, pan fry your tofu (as seen above), about 3 minutes on each side. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to do this in batches.
While your tofu is pan frying, make the sauce!
The Peanut Tofu Sauce
This peanut sauce comes together very easily with many ingredients you likely already have on hand! Win! Whisk them together until fully combined and set aside until your tofu is ready.
Once ready, pour the sauce over the tofu and thoroughly coat the tofu. Careful your pan is not too hot or the peanut butter will ball up and you won’t get an even coat (It will still be delicious, but it just won’t look as pretty).
Doesn’t this look SO GOOD!?!
Sweet, spicy, tangy deliciousness.
I can’t wait for you guys to try this!
Try These Vegan Takeout Inspired Recipes
- 30 Minute Vegan Peanut Noodles
- Sticky Vegan Orange Chicken
- Kung Pao Cauliflower
- Tangy Vegan Cucumber Salad
30 Minute Crispy Peanut Tofu
These recommendations contain affiliate links to products I recommend and love.
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) block extra firm tofu - frozen, then thawed
- 6 tablespoons corn starch - for coating
- ⅓ cup avocado oil - for pan frying
Peanut Sauce
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon peanut butter - (natural only, just peanuts and salt)
- ⅓ cup water
- ⅓ cup low-sodium tamari - substitute soy sauce
- 4 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- 1 tablespoon ginger - freshly grated
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
For Serving
- brown rice
- green onion
- black sesame seeds
- cilantro
- lime wedges
Instructions
- First, whisk together all of the peanut sauce ingredients in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Cut your extra firm tofu block into uniform rectangles.
- Lightly coat each side of tofu bites in corn starch
- Heat ⅓ cup avocado oil in large cast iron skillet for frying. You want this extra hot.
- Pan fry each piece of tofu until crispy (about 3 minutes each side) over medium heat. Put fried tofu on paper towels or napkins to absorb excess oil. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to do this in batches.
- Once your tofu is all pan fried, turn heat down to low and allow the pan to cool slightly (2-3 minutes). If it does not cool down enough your sauce will get too hot and ball up.
- Add all tofu back into your skillet and add the sauce. Completely coat the tofu in the peanut sauce and heat thoroughly.
- Serve immediately over rice with suggested toppings! Enjoy.
Notes
- Frozen tofu takes about 2-3 days to thaw in the refrigerator so plan ahead!
- After all of my tofu pan fried, there was not a lot of oil leftover in the pan (maybe a couple teaspoons). If you find you have excess oil remaining, feel free to remove it before adding the tofu back in to coat the tofu in the peanut sauce.
- My favorite tofu brand! I buy it at Whole Foods.
General note about salt
Please pay attention to the type of salt called for in the recipe (if applicable). Not all salts are made equal and cannot be substituted 1 for 1. If you are substituting table salt for kosher salt, you will need to cut the amount called for in the recipe by at least half.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The Nutritional Information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.
Sooooo good and so easy! Perfect week night meal! You don’t even need to chop any garlic. Even my meat-eater partner likes this dish.
I’ve made this 4-5 times already. I always double the recipe to have leftovers. I’m going try again tomorrow, but in my air fryer for less oil.
Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Yay! I am so glad you love it and using the air fryer is an amazing idea. I bet you could get away with just a couple of tablespoons of oil that way.
Hi! I made this again, but i air fried the tofu and it was still an absolute dream!!! it’s a perfect salad addition for during the week.
That is an amazing idea! Thanks so much for sharing, I’m sure other people will love that method.
We love, love, LOVE this recipe and use the sauce multiple ways. This week I went to make this recipe and I was out of Peanut Butter 😳. Yikes!! I thought oh no we aren’t going to get the dinner we had been looking forward to, but I am happy to report that nuttzo worked in its place and was just as delicious! Yay because I have nuttzo I need to use up.
This recipe is absolutely delicious. I usually hate tofu recipes due to the texture, but this tofu is great! So crispy. Love the peanut sauce too. Will be making this again (along with the Kong POW cauliflower which is my ultimate love)
Thanks!!!
AHH, what a compliment. Thank you very much!! So glad you loved it.
Thats my favorite tofu brand also
I am so glad you agree! I was introduced to it by a friend a few years ago and have loved it ever since!
This recipe is amazingly easy and will please even your non vegan friends. If you know someone who doesn’t think they will like tofu this is a good recipe to start on. It is so flavorful and delicious they will almost certainly be converted. You will be amazed at how delicious this recipe is! 😋
Yay! Agree it is a great intro to tofu! Thank you for the review!
Hello,
Does the freezing and thawing method for tofu eliminate the need to press it? Or do you press the tofu first and then freeze it? Or do you press the tofu after it has completely thawed?
As you can see I am new to preparing/using tofu in recipes. Thank you in advance for your time and patience with me.
Sincerely.
Hi, Faye!
Freezing and thawing the tofu will help the water drain out of the tofu much better. Once thawed, I’ll usually just give it a good squeeze over the sink and that’s good enough to get most of the excess water out! No need to press it before freezing. I usually just freeze it right in the package!
Hope that helps 🙂