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Home ยป Entrees ยป Tofu ยป 15-Minute Quick and Easy Tofu

January 14, 2014

15-Minute Quick and Easy Tofu

How to Cook Perfect Tofu in 15 Minutes

I’m fanatically particular about how I press and marinate tofu and, if I’m not following that process, I’m throwing plain, unpressed slabs of it into a searing hot pan using this quick and easy method.

High heat, moisture and steam help to produce tofu that has a french toast-like caramelized appearance on the outside, with a succulent and soft texture on the inside. This prep is perfect for weeknight meals, or when you don’t feel like or have the time to press and marinate tofu. Cooking temps and times may slightly vary from stove to stove, so this is more of a guide that can be adjusted slightly depending on your stove’s behavior.

To make this tofu, first butcher an unpressed firm block of tofu into 4 thick slabs, then cut each slab in half to make 8 squares:

Tofu Butchery
Tofu Butchery
Tofu Butchery
Place a large circular non-stick, flat bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of canola, olive or vegetable oil onto the pan, then fan the tofu around the edges of the pan in a single layer (like the petals on a daisy), leaving the center area open:
How to Cook Perfect Tofu in 15 Minutes

Place a lid over the top:

How to Cook Perfect Tofu in 15 Minutes
How to Cook Perfect Tofu in 15 Minutes

*CAUTION! It will pop and sputter due to the high heat and moisture in the tofu, so be sure to carefully lift the lid up straight to avoid any collected condensation from dripping into the hot pan. The tofu also occasionally pops, so stand back when removing the lid.

After the tofu is nicely browned on one side (it should kind of look like french toast on the outside), carefully flip the tofu (it will pop and sizzle), and cover again.

How to Cook Perfect Tofu in 15 Minutes
How to Cook Perfect Tofu in 15 Minutes
Sauteed Tofu

Once it’s done, this tofu can be slathered with any sauce you want (I love a little cornstarch slurry thrown in at the end to create a glazey sauce out of anything). Some of my favorite sauces to use with tofu prepared this way are:

  • Carrot-Ginger Sauce
  • Everything Sauce
  • Garlic-Ginger Sauce
  • General Tso’s Sauce
  • Sesame-Cinnamon Dressing
  • Sesame Glaze
  • Sriracha and Peanut Butter Sauce
  • Sweet Soy Glaze
  • Sweet and Sticky Sauce
  • Sweet and Sour Sauce
  • Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

You may also like:

Oyster Mushroom Tacos with Chipotle-Lime Sauce
Mock Eel
Vegan Reuben Sandwich
Homemade Vegan Sausage and Cheese Calzones

Filed Under: Entrees, Tofu Tagged With: basics

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Johanna says

    January 14, 2014 at 3:48 pm

    Rockin' the basics as usual. Man, it kills me that people think most tofu is either just that mushy curd often in Chinese food (only one of the reasons that I don't like Chinese from restaurants), or that fried tofu (also in restaurants) often cooked in dining commons that looks like a little golden nugget of delicious vegan protein, but is almost hollow on the inside with a speck of white tofu left.

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      January 14, 2014 at 5:03 pm

      ha! yes, I am familiar with those kinds of tofu.

      Reply
  2. Jeannie says

    January 14, 2014 at 4:50 pm

    So the pan is just barely preheated when you put in the tofu?

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      January 14, 2014 at 5:00 pm

      Yes, you don't want the pan to be super hot when you put unpressed tofu into it — it will sputter.

      Reply
  3. Alex @ delicious-knowledge.com says

    January 14, 2014 at 4:54 pm

    What an easy prep! I love tofu and eat it often but I if I don't have time to press it I usually just fry it and hope for the best ๐Ÿ™‚ your method looks much better and foolproof. Ill be trying this tonight!

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      January 14, 2014 at 5:01 pm

      I hope you enjoy, Alex!

      Reply
  4. Sarah says

    January 16, 2014 at 3:34 pm

    I tried this the other night and it worked out okay, but it didn't taste as yummy as your pics look. What kind of tofu do you recommend using? I did it with an extra firm.

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      January 16, 2014 at 3:41 pm

      Sarah, thanks for trying — I use Nasoya firm tofu.

      Reply
  5. Rachael says

    January 16, 2014 at 4:34 pm

    I made this last night with the Everything Sauce – AMAZING! Seriously, my life is changed. My husband and I both cook, but he never wants to mess with tofu – he prefers working with tempeh. This was so simple and delicious – we will definitely do it again!!

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      January 16, 2014 at 4:45 pm

      I love to hear that — I'm, so happy you enjoyed, Rachael!

      Reply
  6. Shanae says

    January 16, 2014 at 3:21 pm

    I made this last night with the General Tso's Sauce and it was delicious!!

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      January 16, 2014 at 3:43 pm

      So happy you liked Shanae, thanks for letting me know!

      Reply
  7. LittleMonsterx14 says

    January 16, 2014 at 11:17 pm

    wow these looks great! I am always pressing tofu, but i'll have to try this!

    Reply
  8. Unknown says

    January 18, 2014 at 11:35 pm

    Thanks a bunch for the list of sauces! My son is always asking me to put a new sauce on the tofu and now I know where to find the perfect list for new sauce ideas ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  9. lauren atchison says

    January 20, 2014 at 6:06 am

    can you season it with salt & pepper, or other spices while its in the pan? def gonna try this, sometimes i'm just too impatient (read "hungry"!) to wait the 20 minutes, usually wind up eating something else then

    Reply
    • erinwyso says

      January 20, 2014 at 12:58 pm

      yes, but I would brown one side plain first, then add spices to ensure they do not burn. I hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  10. Karen says

    May 13, 2015 at 3:27 pm

    Hi! Thank you for your demonstration with the tofu. I not a lover of tofu, but someone gave me a package of tofu. So this gives me an opportunity to try your method including some of the suggestions in the comment section. Thanks again.

    Reply
  11. Colleen says

    June 27, 2017 at 12:17 pm

    Before cooking, I like to get most of the moisture out of the tofu. I put it in a paper towel lined collandar, set another paper towel over it, and then layer a saucer on top. When all parts of the paper towel are wet with the sweat of the tofu, then I know I’m ready to cook. I “fry” mine (drizzled oil) much the way you do, but I toss it in corn starch until just coated. Then, I carry on with the recipe like you. The cornstarch really crisps up the outer tofu without a heavy breaded coating and leaves the inside light, fluffy, and moist. My family loves it. My meat eaters say it tastes like fried chicken, and my vegans and vegetarians say it’s simply delicious. I can’t wait to try some of your sauces!

    Reply

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