This ultra crispy double-dredged tofu has the best, most satisfying crunch! This crispy tofu recipe is so good. It holds up well to sauces, like this clingy, spicy and sweet gochujang glaze. This post is brought to you by Chung Jung One, the makers of delicious and vegan gochujang sauces.
What is dredging?
Dredging is a cooking technique that means something is coated in flour or breaded before frying. In this recipe, that thing is tofu, the flours are cornstarch and rice, and the wet ingredient is vegan buttermilk. The tofu is dipped into vegan buttermilk (soymilk and an acid), a seasoned flour mixture, then dunked into the vegan buttermilk, then back again into the flour. Double dredged.
Check out these recipes where this technique is slightly altered and a few steps are added in:
In this Buttermilk-Battered Tofu, the tofu is chilled and coated in seasoned flour. A little bit of a wet mixture (soymilk, VeganEgg, bourbon and hot sauce) is mixed into a seasoned flour mix. The chilled tofu is dunked into the wet mixture, then the moistened flour mixture is packed firmly around it. It’s then chilled, then air fried for a super crunchy, wavy and delicious exterior!
These Buffalo Cauliflower Steaks are also air fried. The same process is followed, but with slabs of blanched cauliflower. The contrast of the crispy outside and soft inside is so good, and worth the extra steps!
What does double dredging do?
It produces a super-thick, super-crispy coating that sauces cling to perfectly. And the inside? It’s super soft and succulent, creating a perfect ratio of crispy to soft. This crispy tofu recipe hits the spot.
Gochujang: a thick spicy, sweet and savory sauce!
I love gochujang. When I want something spicy that also has a sweet and savory quality with the perfect amount of salt and richness, I reach for the tub of it that’s always somewhere in my refrigerator. Gochujang complements almost anything that loves a kick of heat, and you can’t go wrong blending it with another creamy or rich element. I’ve paired it with sweet potato, peanut butter and even vegan queso before, and it’s perfect every time.
Needless to say, this thick, fermented and deeply crimson Korean condiment is one of my favorites. When Chung Jung One offered me a few bottles of their gochujang to try, I was excited to see how their brand stacked up. First off, the bottle: look at it! It’s adorable. The ingredient list isn’t too crazy with sugar and syrups (lots of the other tub brands can contain a ton of corn syrup), and the consistency is smooth and easy to squeeze out of the bottle.
Three vegan gochujang varieties
They offer three varieties: traditional gochujang and spicy gochujang ketchup, which are both vegan and gluten free and a spicy miso, which is vegan. I love them all, but my favorite is the spicy miso: the flavor is rich with an umami tang, the color is deep crimson, the heat level is mild to medium, and it has a perfect salt level that balances everything out.
I loved the spicy miso variety so much that I used it to create a gochujang glaze, and slathered it over a batch of crispy, double-dregded tofu. The interior is super soft and succulent, creating a perfect ratio of crispy to soft. To finish it, I’ve added some crushed peanuts, along with fresh chopped scallions and sesame seeds for a little crunch. I had so much fun testing and perfecting this recipe, and am so excited to share it here with you!
Check out these recipes for more ways to use tofu!
Tofu Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Sambal Tofu with Air-Fried Bok Choy
Super-Versatile Crispy Tofu Cutlets
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Double-Dredged Tofu
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This double-dredged tofu has the best, most satisfying crunch! This crispy tofu recipe is so good! It holds up well to sauces, like this clingy, spicy and sweet gochujang glaze. This easy method works great with tofu, which provides a nice soft contrast against the crispy exterior.
Ingredients
for the tofu (wet)
- 14 ounces package of firm tofu, sliced into 8 pieces
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
- 2 teaspoons coconut vinegar
for the tofu (dry)
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup white rice flour
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon white or black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
for frying
- canola, grapeseed or vegetable oil
for the gochujang glaze
- 1 TB toasted sesame oil
- 1 TB garlic, finely minced
- 1 TB ginger, finely minced
- 4 TB water
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 2/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup Chung Jung One brand Spicy Miso Gochujang Sauce
to finish
- 4 scallions, sliced
- 1/3 cup crushed peanuts
- 1 TB each of black and white sesame seeds
Instructions
to prep the tofu (wet)
- Cut the tofu in half, then those halves into halves to make 4 slabs. Then cut each of those slabs in half to make 8 chunky cubes. Set aside.
- Whisk together the soymilk and coconut vinegar in a glass pyrex. Place the tofu cubes into the mixture and turn to coat.
to prep the tofu (dry)
- Combine the next 6 ingredients in another glass pyrex. Set aside.
to make the gochujang glaze
- Next, make your gochujang glaze by warming the sesame oil over medium low heat in a medium-sized saucepan. Add in the garlic and ginger and allow to soften for 5-6 minutes. To keep it from browning but to allow it to soften, add a tablespoon of water every 2 minutes or so.
- Add in the brown sugar and stir until liquefied. Add the vinegar and gochujang and stir. Reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer and reduce for 20 minutes, stirring it as needed to prevent the bottom from burning. Remove from the heat. It will thicken slightly as it cools.
to prep your frying oil
- Return to your tofu. Place several inches of oil into a heavy pot (I use a small cast iron pot) over medium-high heat for several minutes. You are ready to fry when the oil reaches 375 degrees or when a chopstick inserted into the oil forms bubbles around it immediately.
to double-dredge your tofu
- Now you are going to double-dredge your tofu! Place the tofu into the flour mixture, coating well. Then give the tofu a quick but thorough dunk back into the soymilk, then coat it again well with the flour mixture.
- Working in small batches, fry until golden all over, about 3 minutes.*(see note)
- Transfer to paper towels to drain while you fry the rest of your tofu.
to finish
- To finish, gently toss the tofu with the gochujang glaze. Top with the scallions, crushed peanuts and sesame seeds. Serve immediately with the leftover glaze on the side.
Notes
Don’t overcrowd your pot! Adding too many pieces to the oil at once reduces the temperature of the fry oil, resulting in a soggy mess. Overcrowding also results in the pieces sticking together. Working in small batches helps maintain the right temperature, allows the tofu to move around while being fried and prevents sticking.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Dredged, Deep Fried, Sautéed
- Cuisine: Korean, American
Keywords: dredged, double dredged, gochujang tofu, crispy tofu recipe,
Julie Greenspoon says
I made this last night. The tofu came out excellent and the kids actually liked it. I found the sauce delicious but too spicy for my little one. I would love a recipe with a non-spicy sauce. Thanks!
erinwyso says
Hi Julie, glad you liked the recipe, thanks for your feedback! Here’s a sauce recipe that would go well with it, but isn’t spicy: https://olivesfordinner.com/sweet-and-sticky-cashew-tofu/ … hope you and your little one enjoy!
Natasha says
This is a real winner! It really warms the soul. So easy & delicious!
Shu-Chun says
Tried this recipe last week, it was absolutely delicious!
Thanks for your recipe.
★★★★★
erinwyso says
So happy you enjoyed, Shu-Chun! 🙂
Julia Tanenbaum says
This is a great recipe. I added pan fried cauliflower to the tofu and it was excellent.
★★★★★
Keri says
I love Gochujang! This looks so yummy. Saved to try later. Thanks for all your great recipes!
Greg D Rubenstein says
This turned out to be the best Asian food/meal I have ever made.
I’d give it 6 stars if I could. Absolutely brilliant. Delicious. Yum!
★★★★★
erinwyso says
Greg, so happy you enjoyed!! 🙂
Courtney Farmer says
My husband and I absolutely loved this- we added it to our ‘bedt 5 recipes ever’ list, and it is now in the routine. Thank you so much for sharing!!! FABULOUS tofu and DELICIOUS sauce. Sosososogood.
★★★★★
erinwyso says
Thanks Courtney! <3 I loved developing this recipe, so I'm thrilled to hear that it turned out great for you. Thanks for your kind feedback.
Heather Turner says
I absolutely LOVE this recipe. Made it for my boyfriend the other night using chickpea veggie pasta as a side dish, and it really came out delicious.
Ashley Rosen
★★★★★
Mor says
OMG!
looks so good!
We don’t have this sauce around here, what can i use instead? maybe some beet powder, soy sauce, miso, chili and some thickener?
erinwyso says
Not sure, as gochuchang has a very specific taste. If you try your sauce with good results, I’d love to know!
Maria Koutsogiannis says
OMG this looks so good! I’ll need to try out this sauce.
Erin says
This looks SO good!! Do you think it would work in an air fryer?
erinwyso says
Erin, thanks. I did not try this in an air fryer, so I can’t say for sure. If you try it with good results, let me know!
In the meantime, this recipe is kind of similar, and works great in the air fryer:
https://olivesfordinner.com/2017/02/buttermilk-battered-air-fried-tofu.html
Good luck!
Erin says
Thanks! That tofu recipe is also on my need to make list!
Michael Blight says
I had a problem finding gochujang that wasn’t laced with corn syrup and other additives, and the Chung Jung One bottle that I found wasn’t gochujang. I did, however, eventually find gochujang paste–not sauce–with much less corn syrup, so I replaced it with the sauce. I suspect that the paste has more spice than the sauce. The recipe was hotter than my family and I wanted (though we eat a lot of Indian food), but this recipe was still very good. “It’s a keeper,” as we would say.
Also, the portions here says, “yields 2.” I would disagree. We doubled it for our six people, and we still had some leftovers–probably because the kids didn’t eat quite as much due to the spiciness. Next time we’ll tone down the spice a bit. Another thing: Since this is double-dredged, the coating became lumpy, so we made a second, smaller batch for the remaining tofu. Otherwise, the recipe is excellent.
★★★★
erinwyso says
Michael,
Thanks for your feedback, and happy you still liked the recipe despite some issues. Yes, paste is more concentrated and therefore hotter than sauce, and can be cut back to half to get the same level of spiciness. It unfortunately is quite difficult to find gochujang that’s not corn or rice-syrup heavy (an ingredient that I assume is a cost-effective measure for producing on a large scale, in a quicker amount of time).
Caitlyn says
I made this for dinner and my fiancé who is a chef said “this is so good” probably 25 times and then said , “new favorite dinner recipe”. So thank you 🙂
erinwyso says
Caitlyn, I love to hear that! So happy he enjoyed, and thanks for letting me know!! 🙂
Johanna Woodbury says
A good, no corn syrup gochujang is where to find around where I live. Asian markets are few and far between, even with a 38 miles is it to work. This recipe looks wonderful!
erinwyso says
Johanna, this brand is corn syrup-free and you can order it online at amazon!
Benita Gibbs says
This recipe looks and sounds amazing! Can’t wait to cook up something special with gochujang!
Jordan says
I haven’t actually used this before, but the flavor profile sounds right up my alley! I’d love to try it!
Casey says
This tofu looks amazing! I have never used this product, but would be so excited too!
Allison says
I’d probably use it on everything! From tacos to sandwiches to pizza? And definitely on anything with rice involved!
Jennifer says
Followed on instagram (onerawbite) and I am excited for this gochujang. There is so much “stuff” in the gochujang tubs, so I am always looking for something simpler. I would totally use it to make a sizzling rice bowl.
Lydia Claire says
I’ve never used it before but I really want to try it!
Jordyn says
I use gochujang to make a spicy tahini salad dressing. I love the stuff, though I’ve never tried this brand.
Prachi Garg says
This dish looks amazing !! I am a tofu lover and always keep looking for sauces to marinate tofu and cook with it . Usually i stick to the typical soy sauce but i so love the idea of using the Gochujang miso sauce.. WOuld love to win so that i can try it out soon and make this dish of urs !! YUM !
Jeffrey says
I’ll be honest, never heard of Gochujang Sauce. After looking it up I really want to give it a try, the Spicy Ketchup Sauce sounds awesome too! I’d like to add the Gochujang to my burritos, chicken wings and sandwiches. Ever since I hit my 40s my craving for spicy food has really increased. I don’t like spitting fire, just a tingle to wake up the tastebuds!
Hannah says
Love this stuff! I’ll often use it as a lazy shortcut in making soon dubu.
Liz Ardell says
My husband makes wonderful gochujang seitan tacos with kimchi and a Sriracha mayo.
Amelia says
This looks amazing! I would try it on cauliflower. Mmm…
(growloveorganiceats)
Jen says
Good idea!! I’m trying it on roasted cauliflower AND chickpeas!!?
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
I’ve never tried this sauce. Your recipe looks delicious!
Laurel says
I didn’t know they had a miso flavor! That sounds super tasty. My favorite is to make gochujang chickpeas and eat them with a baked potato or rice.
Shannon says
I’ve actually been dying to try gochujang but never have! The only one available at my store has a not-so-desirable ingredients list for me, so this would be a great opportunity to try a good one.
Ellen Snyder says
This recipe looks amazing and I will definitely be making the gochujang tofu