Sweet and Spicy Crispy Tofu

When one of my recipes calls for tofu, this is most likely the way I make it! It’s truly a goes-with-anything recipe to add to your rotation. Add this tofu to any salad, stir fry, or grain bowl for a plant-powered meal. Tofu is a delicious, affordable source of protein, if you’ve never made it before, consider trying this method.

sweet and spicy crispy tofu ingredient notes:

Tofu: I use an extra firm tofu here, but if you are able to find a high-protein extra firm tofu, you can skip the pressing step due to it’s lower moisture levels. Over the years I’ve converted many a friend to be tofu lovers like myself, and the key is crisping up the tofu with the tapioca flour mixture before adding your sauce to give it some texture.

Coconut Aminos: I love how much more accessible coconut aminos (and many other GF ingredients) have become over the years! I always stock up at Trader Joe’s, but you can also use a low-sodium tamari or low-sodium soy sauce if you can’t find coconut aminos in your grocery store.

Tapioca Flour: This is what really helps our tofu crisp up in the oven! Tapioca flour is great for thickening sauces or using here as a marinade to coat our tofu before cooking. If you’re not looking to make this recipe GF, you can also use corn starch here.

Maple Syrup: The sweet in our “sweet and spicy” mixture comes from maple syrup! You could also use a honey, or hot honey here if you want to kick up the spice levels a bit. I often reach for maple syrup in my recipes over other sweeteners due to it’s lower glycemic index.

Ground Ginger: You could also opt for fresh ginger here, although the concentrated dried ginger enhances the flavor better in my opinion, and gives it that spicy, yet earthy kick. If using fresh, you’ll need to use much more, about 4 tablespoons, or 1/4 cup.

Sweet and Spicy Crispy Tofu

Recipe by Jenn Lueke

4.2 from 56 votes

Servings

Adjust servings

+

–

4

servings

Prep time

25

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

When one of my recipes calls for tofu, this is most likely the way I make it! It’s truly a goes-with-anything recipe to add to your rotation. Add this tofu to any salad, stir fry, or grain bowl for a plant-powered meal. Tofu is a delicious, affordable source of protein, if you’ve never made it before, consider trying this method.

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Ingredients

• FOR THE TOFU

• 14 ounces extra firm tofu (see note)

• 2 tablespoons tapioca flour or arrowroot starch (can sub cornstarch)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• FOR THE SWEET AND SPICY SAUCE

• 1/4 cup coconut aminos (can sub reduced-sodium tamari or reduced-sodium soy sauce)

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon sriracha

• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 2 teaspoons tapioca flour or arrowroot starch (can sub cornstarch)

Directions

• Prepare the tofu: Press the tofu block with a tofu press or wrap it in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Place the block on a plate and top with a heavy object, like a cast-iron pan or large can of tomatoes. Let set until the excess liquid has drained, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven the 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• Once pressed, slice the tofu block in half horizontally and cut each half into a 4×4 grid to get 16 cubes (32 total).
• In a large bowl, whisk together the tapioca flour, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. If needed, add an additional tablespoon of oil to thin. Add the tofu and gently toss to coat. Evenly space the coated cubes on the prepared sheet pan to prevent steaming in the oven. Bake until lightly browned and crisp, 22 to 25 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
• While the tofu cooks, make the sauce: In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the coconut aminos, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sriracha, maple syrup, and ginger. Add the tapioca flour and whisk vigorously until dissolved.
• Pour the sauce over the tofu on the sheet pan and toss to coat. Return to the oven until the sauce is bubbling and thickened, another 5 to 7 minutes.
• Serve with steamed rice or quinoa, broccoli, edamame. Top with avocado, cilantro or green onion.

Notes

• Store It: Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days. To freeze, I recommend freezing the tofu without the sauce, then adding the sauce when reheating.
• Reheat It: From the refrigerator, return to a sheet pan and bake in a 425°F oven until re-crisped, about 8 minutes, or microwave until warm, 1 to 2 minutes. From the freezer, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then follow steps 5 through 7.
• Tofu: I use extra-firm tofu in the recipe, but if you can find high-protein extra-firm tofu, that’s even better. High-protein tofu has less moisture so you can skip the pressing! Sometimes it comes in a 16-ounce block, which works just as well.

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