Broiled Tofu Will Make Your Crispy, Tender, Chewy Tofu Dreams Come True
We are proud tofu lovers! There’s so much to love about tofu — its versatility is at the top of the list for sure. You can cook it and eat it a million different ways, there are countless types, and it takes on any flavor you give it! While it’s such a versatile and beloved staple food… Preparing it at home can be daunting! Even seasoned vegans struggle with it. Sure, a tofu scramble is easy enough, and you can throw soft cubes into a dish. But what about tofu like your favorite restaurants make?
For us and many others out there, the most sought-after tofu is crispy and chewy on the outside with a soft interior that melts in your mouth... We often see this achieved through frying, baking, and even coating in cornstarch before cooking. All fantastic options, but those methods just weren’t cutting it when it came to our everyday needs. (And David already has too many oil-stained shirts from pan-frying...)
David developed this super easy method while searching for the perfect protein base for a vegan teriyaki-combo-plate... He was on a nostalgia kick, and while we love our local teriyaki restaurants and their vegan options, the cornstarch-fried soft-centered tofu doesn’t satisfy his craving for the (decidedly non-vegan) teriyaki platters he grew up with. Not only did it unlock the key to achieving our vegan teriyaki dreams, but it opened the door for so many other quick and delicious tofu meals!
The answer was a little obvious. It felt like it’d been under our nose (stovetop?) this whole time. Just broil it! Upon mastering this method, it felt like we had unlocked some arcane secret of tofu alchemy, thus making it our duty/curse to pass this knowledge along until every soul is free from the anguish of mediocre, overcomplicated tofu. But seriously… We’re not sure why broiling doesn’t seem to be a more common method for cooking tofu. If your friends have been doing this for ages, please introduce us... Because we want to be their friends!
Broiling tofu is about as quick and easy as it gets... Heck, you could even make this in a toaster oven as long as it has a broiler. It’s somewhere between grilled and fried, crisp and soft, chewy and tender. It can be seasoned for any cuisine or dish. As we hinted at, we tend to use in any recipe one might use grilled meat. Dry-rub it with cajun seasoning and serve it up with braised greens and grits! Add chili powder then dice it up and drizzle with lime juice for tacos! Cut it into wedges and add into a stir-fry! Slice it and drizzle it with teriyaki sauce alongside rice and veggies. Toss it into a Caesar salad! Is anyone else getting hungry? The point is… The tofu limits don’t exist! You’re free to go forth and conquer any dish with this delectable tofu at your side.
Tips & Info
Don’t be afraid to generously salt your tofu. This will help draw out excess moisture and develop flavor while it cooks.
Be careful with spices and liquids in the broiler. Such intense direct heat can cause things to get pretty smoky and turn from browning to burning at a moment’s notice. Just keep an eye and stay close to your oven while the tofu is cooking. Add any liquids, especially sugary ones like citrus juice or sauce, in the last third of or after cooking. Cook with all your senses, and trust your ears and nose during the process!
Speaking of high heat: Make sure you use a high-heat-safe oil for this! If you don’t, you’ll get some pretty nasty smoke pouring out of your oven. Who needs that? Check out the link above for our oil guide! For the record — We usually use high-oleic sunflower or canola oil for this recipe.
Even with a heat-safe oil, excess oil will still smoke. Oil your tofu on a separate dish from the sheet pan you’re broiling on. Keep a paper towel or clean, lint-free cloth handy to pat excess oil. You only want a light coating and no excess on the pan.
How thick you slice your tofu is up to you and depends on preference and application. Most of the time I either slice the whole block into two or three, butterfly-style. The thickness will impact how well-done and firm the center becomes.
Does your tofu get done cooking on the outside before the center is done? If so, move your oven rack to the second position instead of the top position to broil.
Towel it off! In the recipe below you’ll see a step that involves pressing some excess moisture out of the tofu. This is a great opportunity and reminder to use a clean cloth towel instead of disposable paper towels in your kitchen! By stocking up on some flour sack tea towels, you’ll end up saving tons of paper (and money, too!). We have about 10 that we keep folded in a stack on top of our fridge, which is near our stove. You can find these affordably everywhere from Swedish budget furniture warehouses to local sustainable goods stores. Shop around and get what’s right for you!
If you’ve got a tofu-pressing setup you’re stoked to use, you totally can. But since the heat from the broiler is so intense and direct, we’re gonna cook a lot of the moisture out anyway. If you go full-pressing, your tofu might just cook a bit faster.
Broiled Tofu
Power Plant | David Griffin-Luna | April 15th, 2020
Time: 15-20 minutes | Makes: 1 block of tofu
Equipment:
Ingredients:
Preparation:
1) Drain tofu and cut into halves or thirds slices lengthwise (like a hamburger bun or English muffin — Check out the photos above for a visual). Thin slices with a lot of surface area are best for broiling!2) Move an oven rack to the top position and turn the broiler on high.
3) Working on a clean, dry surface: Place your tofu on a clean tea towel or 2 layers of paper towel. With the rest of/another towel, press down lightly and evenly on the top of the tofu. You don’t have to do a full-on tofu pressing, but it helps to get some excess moisture out.
4) On a clean and dry dish or cutting board, brush/rub tofu with a light coating of oil. (Handle with care!) If needed, wipe or pat with a lint-free cloth or paper towel before moving towards the pan, leaving only a light coating of oil on the tofu itself. Do not use your sheet pan — it needs to be oil-free to avoid smoke in the broiler! Once oiled, place tofu, evenly spaced, on your sheet pan. Season the top with salt and pepper to your preference.
5) Broil until tops are beginning to turn from golden brown to dark at the very edges — You’re looking for very slight “leopard-spotting,” like on the crust of a wood-fired pizza. The timing here varies greatly depending on tofu moisture, gas vs. electric broilers, etc. Watch it closely and consider “a few minutes” your guideline, but don’t rush it either. Once the first side is done, remove the pan from broiler and flip your tofu, salting the second side. Return to broiler, cooking the second side until your desired doneness is reached — Another few minutes.
6) Remove from oven and let cool for at least a minute or two before handling. Slice or dice and serve as desired!
