Crispy Tofu with a perfectly seasoned, crunchy cornmeal coating. Oven-baked or air-fried and made with no oil!
Love tofu? Be sure to try my Shredded Tofu, sticky Baked Tofu, and my viral Nutritional Yeast Tofu!
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This, my friends, is my ultra-crunchy cornmeal-crusted tofu, and I am officially obsessed.
I am #teamtofu all the way, in case you haven't already realized with my ever-growing number of vegan tofu recipes, and I've been loving this addition to our menu lately.
We are taking our very basic block of tofu and elevating it to uber-crunchy, crispy status! Cubed tofu is dredged in seasoned cornmeal then baked, and because of cornmeal's natural crunchiness, we can get away with using absolutely no oil and still get a delicious crispy, crunchy texture and delicious flavour.
Yes, you heard me right. Baked crunchy crispy tofu. No oil. Super yum. And it's oven and air fryer-friendly! 🙌
Mel x
🤍 WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS CRISPY TOFU
- Simple to make - This recipe is super easy, and you don't need any fancy ingredients.
- Versatile - There aren't many meals that don't benefit from the addition of some crispy, crunchy tofu! Enjoy as an appetizer with dips, or as part of a meal.
- Customize the flavours - Add any spices you like to the cornmeal crust!
- Meal prep friendly - Make a big batch and enjoy all week. It reheats easily in your oven or air fryer.
- Quick to prep - You don't need to press the tofu, so it's quick to prep and get in the oven/air fryer.
- Oil-free - Cornmeal is naturally crunchy so you don't need to use any oil.
Ingredient Notes
Here is what you need at a glance, along with some important ingredient notes & substitution ideas:
- Tofu - it must be extra-firm or super-firm tofu. No other will do here.
- Aquafaba - The liquid from a can of chickpeas. Sounds crazy? I know. But it works. Trust me. Aquafaba makes a great substitute for whisked eggs for breading, and it also makes a great substitute for oil in oil-free recipes. In this recipe, it serves two purposes. It helps crisp the tofu up, and it sticks the cornmeal to the tofu. I don't recommend using milk instead. Aquafaba is starchier than dairy-free milk, so the cornmeal clings to it better.
- Salt, black pepper & any optional spices - Coarsely ground black pepper is best. You can get creative here and add any additional spices you enjoy. I sometimes add garlic powder and onion powder, or chili powder, paprika or smoked paprika, Chinese 5 spice, cumin, nutritional yeast, ground herbs, etc. Whatever works with the overall flavour vibe of the other components you're serving the tofu with.
- Cornmeal - Not really super fine floury corn flour. It should be a medium-ish grind, so we get the lovely texture without it tasting "floury". I like Bob's Red Mill Medium Grind Cornmeal. It should look something like this:
Let's Make Crispy Cornmeal Crusted Tofu Step By Step!
Can't wait to make it? The full printable recipe is below, but first, let me walk you through the steps to set you up for success in your kitchen.
Mix the cornmeal with the salt and pepper and any optional seasonings.
Cube the tofu, then put it in a bowl with the aquafaba and get them all wet.
Fish them out of the aquafaba and toss in the cornmeal mixture.
Spread the cubes out on a lined baking tray, then bake until golden and crispy. You can cook them in an air fryer if you prefer, but make sure there is some space around each cube.
Serving Suggestions
This Crispy Cornmeal Coated Tofu is perfect for topping rice bowls, noodle bowls like my Peanut Noodles, salads, burritos or tacos, or for making Sweet and Sour Tofu (pictured below).
Sauces that work well with it include:
- Healthy Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Garlic Pineapple Sauce
- Peanut Sauce
- Vegan Hot "Honey"
- Vegan Sriracha Sauce
- Vegan BBQ Sauce
- Ketchup or ranch
Recipe FAQs
I'm including this FAQ because every time I share a recipe that doesn't press the tofu, people get confused and ask about it or press it anyway. So here's my two cents' worth - I personally never bother pressing my tofu for this recipe (or many other baked tofu recipes) because if you use the correct type of tofu (extra firm or super firm), it doesn't contain a huge amount of moisture anyway, and by the time it bakes, most of the moisture that it does contain evaporates naturally. By pressing it in addition to that natural evaporation, you end up making the tofu really rubbery and dry. So to cut a long story short, I think this recipe is better if you don't press it, but if you want to press it, you can, and it won't affect how the recipe technically works.
If your tofu is soggy, you are using the wrong type. It is really important that you buy the correct tofu for the recipe you are making. Tofu comes in many different varieties. These include soft, firm, extra-firm and super-firm, as well as soft silken, firm silken and extra-firm silken. The softer the tofu, the higher the water content. For a recipe like this one, you need extra firm tofu or super firm tofu because it has a low water content and a very firm texture. The low water content helps to keep the coating on the tofu crispy, and the firm texture means it can cope with being pressed, chopped, coated, baked and tossed around, and have a nice chewy bite when you eat it after cooking.
Use them in another recipe, or freeze them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost when you need them another day, or add them to stews and curries, etc while still frozen.
Recipe
Crispy Cornmeal Coated Tofu
Author:Ingredients
- 1 block extra firm or super firm tofu
- ¾ cup(114 grams) medium grind cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- optional 1 to 2 teaspoons any other spices or seasoning blends
- about ½ cup (120 ml) aquafaba, whatever you get from 1 can of chickpeas. A bit more or less is fine.
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a large baking tray with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Put the cornmeal in a medium bowl, then add the salt and pepper and any optional seasonings. Stir well to combine.
- Cut the tofu into cubes. I like them about ¾ inch in diameter.
- Pour the aquafaba into a medium bowl and add the tofu cubes. Toss to coat, then lift them out a few at a time, give them a little shake to remove any drippy excess, then transfer to the seasoned cornmeal. Toss them around to coat well, pressing a bit with your fingers, then gently pick them out and put them on the prepared baking tray, leaving a little space around each cube.
- Place the tray in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Turn the tray about halfway through the cooking time so they bake evenly. At this stage, they should be done, but feel free to add on a few more minutes if you want them even crispier.
To cook in an air fryer
- Prepare and coat the tofu as per the above directions, then place gently in the air fryer basket, leaving a little space around each cube. Cook at about 375°F (190°C) for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and crispy.
NOTES
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marge201 says
This looks soooo good. I don't buy canned beans but I soak beans 24 hours and then add just enough water to cover them in order to get tastier aquafaba since they've expanded all the way and so I think my IP aquafaba will be just as good as the canned. I'll let you know!
Robin says
I was lazy and used a premade fish fry seasoning...a little lemony and a little spice! Turned out really crispy and delicious!
Lyndsay says
Hi Melanie, ate this with salad tonight and loved it, thank you! Considering using plant milk instead of Aquafaba and sugar with the cornmeal instead to make this more of a dessert. What do you think? Could it be made “sweeter”?