If you love Thai food, check out our popular spicy basil tofu stir fry and pad kra pao for a delicious weeknight meal or simple spring rolls with peanut sauce.
About this recipe
Ingredients
Crispy Fried Tofu Bites
Extra Firm Tofu: Extra firm tofu works best for this recipe. Soft tofu or silky tofu will not work. Oil: Prefer neutral oil like vegetable or canola for frying. Salt: Tofu is bland, so it needs some salt. I love to sprinkle it before frying. You can even sprinkle it after you have fried it. Adjust the amount of salt based on your dietary requirement.
Peanut sauce (Spicy and sweet chili sauce)
Roasted Peanuts: You can use salted or unsalted ones. For the heat: Red pepper flakes and Thai Bird Chilies make the dipping sauce spicy. Adjust it to your taste. Sourness: you can use tamarind ball or tamarind juice and white vinegar or rice vinegar to make your sauce sour. Sweetness: Brown sugar is used. You can use palm sugar or combine the two. Additional flavors: To enhance the flavors of the dipping sauce, garlic cloves, salt, and cilantro or basil is used. See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Step-by-step instructions
Making of easy peanut dipping sauce
In a blender, add chilies, garlic cloves, tamarind, vinegar, water, and salt and blend it to a smooth paste. Transfer this to a small pan, add sugar and pepper flakes, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or until the dip turns slightly thick. Taste and adjust any flavor accordingly. (Note: Dip thickens as this cools, but if you like a very thick dip, then simmer it for some more time.) Meanwhile, in a chopper or using a sharp knife, crush the peanuts and keep this aside. When ready to serve, add peanuts and cilantro.
Deep fried tofu
Drain the tofu so that it’s reasonably dry. I gently press them between the kitchen towel. (Note: If the kitchen towel becomes too wet after absorbing the initial moisture, take the fresh second layer of kitchen towels. This is mainly done to prevent the tofu from turning soggy) Cut them into desired shapes (triangle, rectangle, cube) and sprinkle salt on them. Heat oil for frying. See that atleast 40 % of the pan is covered with oil. Once the oil is hot, fry the tofu in medium to medium-high flame till it’s golden brown on both sides. (Note: If the tofu sticks to each other when you drop them in oil, wait until they become firm and light golden in color before separating them, else they will tear apart and become a mess. ) Transfer this to a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Repeat the process for the remaining tofu slices. Serve hot with peanut sauce, and enjoy.
Pro Tips
Do not overcrowd the pan. Depending on the size of the pan, add the tofu slices. If the oil is cold, then tofu will absorb excess oil while frying. If it’s very hot, then the tofu will turn brown soon. It’s best practice to fry, switching the flame between medium and medium-high. To check if the oil is hot, put a small piece of tofu in the oil. If it sizzles, it means the oil is ready for frying. (the approx temp is 375 degrees for frying) This crispy fried tofu is prepared without any cornstarch. Adjust the sweetness and spiciness of the sauce as per your taste. We love deep-fried tofu. It’s ready in a few minutes, and the texture is exactly like what you are served at any Thai restaurant in the United States. If you want a healthier option, you can pan-fry, air-fry,, or oven-bake tofu. Read the post below for instructions. Tofu bites taste the best when served immediately. It will lose its crispiness in 30 minutes.
Crispy pan-fried tofu slices
In a large nonstick pan or skillet, drizzle oil and swirl so it spreads evenly. Now place the tofu slices on a single layer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until it becomes crispy and golden brown in color. Do not disturb to get the crispy coating. Flip and cook on the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes until crispy and golden. Drizzle oil if needed.
Easy air fryer tofu
Add tofu slices, sprinkle salt, and drizzle oil in a bowl. Toss to combine. Arrange them in a single layer on your air fryer basket. Set the air fryer to 400 degrees F. Air fry for 10 to 12 minutes tossing them at the fifth or 6th-minute mark.
Crispy baked tofu
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Once you have pat dried the tofu, add the tofu slices in a bowl, drizzle oil and salt. Toss to combine. Line the baking pan with parchment paper to prevent it from sticking Arrange the tofu cubes on a single layer. Bake them for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing them halfway through or until crispy and golden brown.
Serving suggestions
Crispy fried tofu cubes are best served as an appetizer or starter with peanut sauce (sweet chili sauce). You can toss tofu cubes over salads, grain bowls, stir-fries, curries, and stews. One of the best meat replacements for curries and noodles.
Make ahead and store
Make ahead and leftovers: Fried tofu slices are not the best make-ahead recipe as they will not remain crispy on the outside but will be delicious.If there are any leftovers, store them in an airtight conatiner for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.Reheat: To regain the crispiness, reheat them in a nonstick skillet with a drizzle of oil for 2 to 3 minutes.Freezing: Fried tofu can be frozen for up to three months. Thw in the refrigerator and reheat in a nonstick skillet.
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Recipe card
