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
Print
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!