Enjoy these baked crispy tofu bites with salads, soups, or any which way you like. They’re a delicious way to super-charge your recipes.
If you’ve visited my blog or instagram before, you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of tofu. Not only is it a fantastic source of natural, plant-based protein, but it’s also versatile, fun to cook with, and super flavourful once you master your spices and flavour options.
Serving Ideas
The great thing about this tofu recipe is you can use it in so many different ways. In fact, I think you’d be hard pressed to find a savoury recipe that these crispy baked tofu bites don’t compliment. They work fantastically as a topper to jazz up your lunch or dinner. Just some ideas…
- Salads
- Buddha bowls
- Soups
- Grain bowls
- Stuffed sweet potatoes
- Toast toppers
You could even sprinkle a handful on top of your avo-toast if you’re feeling like adding a bit of oomph to your brunch. Get creative guys, there’s no rules!
Tips for getting the perfect bite…
If you’ve ever cooked with tofu before, you’ll know that getting the texture right is the key to success. This rule is especially true when it comes to these crispy baked tofu bites – after all, the key word is crispy, not soggy. There’s loads of tips and tricks all over the internet on how to get your tofu more-ishly crispy but coating in corn flour or tapioca, but I prefer to keep things as simple, natural and starch free as possible. So here’s my top tips…
Keep things simple. No flours or starches are added to this baked tofu recipe, I use just tofu and marinades. If you really want to get the best out of your tofu; flavour and nutrition wise, it’s best to just leave it do its thing without any messing or meddling. There’s a reason why tofu has stayed so popular over two thousand years, and I’m pretty sure it’s not because of any corn-flour coating.
Choose extra firm tofu – The brand of tofu you use makes a difference to the crispiness of your tofu, and cooking times. I love Taifun Fermented Tofu most. It’s the firmest, takes less time in the oven too than other brands i’ve tested so bare this in mind if using this to make your baked tofu crispies. Dragonfly Foods Super Firm is also good.
For a smoked tofu like I used here, The Tofoo Co is great. Taifun, Clearspot and Dragonfly Foods also do a great smoked. Sainsburys organic smoked tofu is also nice.
It’s all in the oven. No, seriously, it really is all in the oven! The best way to get your tofu nice and crisp, without the need for any flours or coatings or frying, is to just bake in a hot oven for 25-30 minutes, depending on brand. It almost dehydrates the tofu a bit making the outside nice and firm. Easy right?!
Size matters. You don’t have to be super technical here, but just try to roughly cut your tofu pieces into similar sizes. This way they’ll cook evenly and you’ll have a consistent crunchy bite. I love bigger chunks too but for a topper, smaller is best.
Achieving the perfect flavour
Plain tofu has a notoriously mild flavour. This definitely has its advantages, and is one of the reasons that tofu is so versatile, but for the sake of this recipe we definitely want to ramp up that flavour. For this recipe, I’m showing you how simple and easy it can be to get the most out of your tofu….
Sweet Enough. Almost every tofu recipe I come across nowadays contains some sort of sweetener, most commonly maple. That’s great for some, but for those of us who don’t tolerate sugars or sweeteners, or are trying to avoid them, it makes things a little difficult. These crispy tofu bites don’t need any sweeteners, sugar or maple – just a simple blend of seasoning, olive oil, and for sweetness if you like I recommend coconut aminos (made from the sap of the coconut tree) to bring out that umami savoury character.
Go for smoked. Smoked tofu comes packed with natural flavour, and it’s way easier to get hold of than you may think. I chose Tofoo smoked for these baked tofu crispies, which is available at most supermarkets. The smokey flavour works perfectly with that coconut aminos and paprika.
Flavour ideas and variations
If you’re wanting a smokey, savoury tofu bite like I did, you can’t go wrong with paprika and coconut aminos. It’s simple, tasty and failsafe. I left out garlic and onion powder to be low fodmap but feel free to add 1/4 tsp of each if you like. But don’t feel confined by these flavours, there’s a multitude of different ways to switch up this recipe. You can mix up the flavours to match all your favourite recipes. You could try:
Lemon Tahini – 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (oven) / 1 tsp Air fryer + good pinch of flaked sea salt. Mix lemon tahini dressing in a small bowl using a hand balloon whisk – 2 tbsp tahini + 1/2 tsp dijon + 1.5 tsp lemon juice + 1 – 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk (depending on thickness of tahini) + salt and pepper and toss through cooked tofu.
Salt + Vinegar – 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (oven) / 1 tsp Air fryer + good pinch of flaked sea salt. Once cooked toss with 1 – 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar.
Mediterranean – mix 1.5 tbsp olive oil (oven) / 1.5 tsp Air fryer + 1 tsp lemon, salt + pepper, good pinch of garlic powder, 1/4 tsp dried oregano + 1/4 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp red wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp dijon. Toss with tofu and cook in the method below.
Sesame, garlic + soy – mix 1.5 tbsp toasted sesame oil (oven) / 1.5 tsp Air fryer + 1 garlic clove minced, 1 tbsp tamari soya sauce + pepper. Option to add 1/2 tsp ginger powder + squeeze of lime too. Toss with tofu and cook in the method below.
Baked Tofu Crispies (no flour, starch or sweeteners)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 block firm smoked tofu, or super firm regular if you prefer (225g)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos or GF tamari soya sauce (option to add a little maple if using soya sauce to sweeten or choose a different marinade above)
- 1 tsp - tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- Optional flaked sea salt
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200C / 180 fan.
- Remove as much of the water as possible from the tofu, either using a tofu press or just press well between a few sheets of strong kitchen paper.
- As you're making cripsies (mini cubes of tofu that can be added to a topper to most meals) chop the tofu into small cubes, about 1cm.
- Place the tofu on a greasproof lined baking tray and toss with spices, olive oil and seasoning. See alternative flavours above if you prefer. NOTE: If using a different brand of Tofu (not The Tofoo Co) that's a larger packet you may need more oil.
- Bake in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes, or until crisp. Cooking times will vary depending on the brand of tofu used and size of tofu cubes.
