The easiest and crunchiest baked tofu you’ll ever make.
Good morning sweet people! Last week, before my latest and greatest knee procedure, I experimented with making some crunchy baked tofu and it came out so good – I had to share. I’ve made 2 batches & my husband & I cannot get enough. You can easily prepare in a sauté pan, bake or even air fry. Even the leftovers are insanely good! I add to my salads pretty much daily. And I’ll proclaim the wonders of this specific brand of tofu. If you cannot locate it, you must purchase an extra firm block of tofu. That’s key!
Ingredients:
1 block (if you are making more just double or triple the recipe) of Wildwood extra firm tofu, sliced into 8 or 10 “steaks”
1/3 cup of dijon mustard
1/2 cup of cornmeal
1 tsp of smoked paprika
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp cayenne or chili powder (whichever you prefer)
Method:
Take a baking sheet lined with either a Silpat or parchment and set that aside. If baking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
I remove the tofu from it’s package and set on a paper towel before slicing. You don’t need to press this tofu. Slice and set aside.
Into a larger mixing bowl add your cornmeal, paprika, garlic, salt and cayenne or chili powder. Whisk to combine.
On my cutting board I laid out all of the tofu slices and with a pastry brush – brushed a thin layer of dijon on the one side of the tofu. I carefully placed the coated side down into the cornmeal mixture. While that’s down, brush the dijon on the other side and flip. Place the coated tofu on the baking sheet and repeat until everything is coated. Depending on the thickness of your coating (dijon) you may need more or less. I was pretty thin with it.
I sprayed the upward side with a bit of avocado oil. If baking, bake for about 12-14 minutes then flip. Cook for another 8-10. Remove and serve or store when completely cooled, in an airtight container in the fridge. When I go to reheat I will pop in the air fryer for about 6 minutes at 350 degrees.
I also eat these cold.
If air frying, I would go for 6-7 minutes at 375 degrees and flip. Keep a watchful eye. I feel like every oven and air fryer is so inaccurate with temps.
If you prefer to make this in cubed form, I would suggest slicing the tofu into cubes. Into a large bowl add your dijon and thin out a tiny bit with water. Add your tofu cubes and toss to coat. Then spoon in batched, into your cornmeal mixture. Then spoon onto your baking sheet. Bake for less time, but toss often to ensure even baking.
I apologize for not having pics of the dredging but I was alone and I needed both hands. The next round of making these I’ll recruit Bill to help.
Enjoy!
~ox
— Knead to Cook