How to Make Crispy Baked Tofu with No Oil: the Basic Method

In today’s post, I’m going to share my tips on how to make crispy baked tofu with no oil. This way of baking oil-free tofu can be mastered by anyone regardless of their experience in the kitchen. This is a truly foolproof way to make crispy oven baked tofu that’s oil-free and ready to be used in your favorite vegan recipes.

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Adding tofu to a lot of vegan and plant-based recipes is a great way to boost their protein content. However, if you add it raw straight from the box, it’s most likely going to fall apart because of its delicate texture.

That’s why I prefer to pre-bake my tofu before adding it to things like stir-fries, soups, salads, etc. It has a nice crispy texture and mouthfeel, and it holds together well when used in any recipe.

How to Make Crispy Baked Tofu with No Oil: a Simple Technique

For this recipe I usually use a standard 16-ounce store-bought block of firm or extra firm tofu. This yields four 4-ounce servings. For printable directions see the recipe card below.

1. Press your block of tofu. This will take about 20 minutes. This step is necessary to squeeze out excess liquid from the package, or otherwise the cooked tofu might come out rubbery.

To press your tofu, wrap it in a paper towel, put it between two cutting boards, and apply something heavy on top (like a teapot or a book). Alternatively, you can use a special tofu-pressing device like this gourmet tofu press from Amazon.

2. Preheat the oven to 400° F while the tofu is being pressed. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper, and are ok with using a bit of oil, spray your cookie sheet lightly with cooking spray.

3. Cut your tofu into cubes or squares, making sure not to slice them too thin (they might dry out too much in the oven).

In the picture below, I’ve cut my tofu into 1″ x 1″ x 1/2″ pieces approximately. If you need larger pieces of tofu, cut them larger.

4. Arrange tofu pieces on the baking sheet.

I’m using a greased sheet in the pictures below, but these days I prefer to line my baking sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup.

5. Bake tofu for 10 min at 400° F, then take it out and flip.

If you’re using a greased baking sheet, some of the tofu may stick to it. When baked on parchment, tofu is much easier to flip.

6. Bake for 6-8 min longer, then take the tofu out. At this point, the baking is done! The pieces will be golden in color and springy to the touch.

I often pop a few pieces in my mouth as soon as they’ve cooled off a bit. That’s even better if I have a fun dipping sauce on hand!

7. Use your oil-free baked tofu in any recipe that calls for pre-cooked tofu: add it to stir-fry, marinate it in various sauces, add it to soup, salads, etc. Enjoy!

Basic Facts About Tofu

1. Tofu is made from soy milk in a process called coagulation. Soy protein gets separated from the liquid parts of soy milk, and then is pressed to form a solid block.

2. Tofu comes in various degrees of firmness, from silken (the softest, most tender) to firm and very firm. Silken tofu is ideal for sauces, puddings, pie fillings, etc., while firm varieties are perfect for by baking, grilling, frying, and so on.

3. Tofu absorbs the flavor of whatever you cook it with, especially if you marinate it prior to adding it to the rest of the ingredients. While it is ideal in Asian-style stir-fries, it can also be used in soups, stews, and even sandwiches, especially if you bake it first following the directions in this post.

4. Tofu can absorb not only marinades, but also lots of oil during frying because of its spongy texture. This is why I decided to post my favorite way to bake tofu that involves no oil at all (if you bake the tofu pieces on parchment paper), or very little oil (if you spray the cookie sheet with oil) .

My baked oil-free tofu comes out sturdy and firm, so it doesn’t break when added to various dishes, but it’s still soft enough to absorb flavors. Plus, it’s not drenched in oil!

5. Tofu is in no way a mandatory food to consume if you decide to go vegan/plant-based! There are plenty of vegan people who forgo tofu completely, just as there are vegans who are gluten-free/allergic to other foods. Recipes calling for tofu are usually easy to make without it, like substituting beans for tofu in soups and stir-fries.

Still not interested in eating soy products as a vegan? See my tips on how to go soy-free as a vegan.

Is Tofu Good for You or Bad for You?

Tofu is one of the ingredients common to vegan/plant-based cooking that often gets a lot of bad rap. While some people declare it terrible for our health to the extent of causing cancer, others say that they can’t stand its taste or texture.

I’ve heard people say that they could never go vegan because they didn’t want to “eat all that tofu”!

Tofu (like all soy foods) contains substances called isoflavones. “Isoflavones are classified as phytoestrogens… which means that they can have very mild estrogen-enhancing effects under some conditions and anti-estrogenic effects under others, as they block the body’s hormonally active compounds.” (Quoted from  My Beef with Meat: The Healthiest Argument for Eating a Plant-Strong Diet by Rip Esselstyn.)

Because certain cancers (some types of breast cancer in particular) thrive off of estrogen, a lot of health-conscious people choose to stay away from eating soy in the hopes to lower their cancer risk.

However, phytoestrogen is quite a bit weaker than estrogen that naturally occurs in our bodies, as well as in meat and dairy. When phytosetrogen gets attached to cancer receptors that are looking for real estrogen, its growth happens at a slower rate.

So if you’re trying to cut down on estrogen consumption, you’re much better off avoiding meat and especially dairy than soy!

(Note that I’m not a doctor or a medical professional, so please do some additional research and ask your healthcare provider about soy in your diet.)

The exact ways of how (and if) tofu and soy products affect our health are continued to be studied, but evidence suggests that there’s no need for us to be afraid of consuming tofu made from organic soybeans once or twice a week.

Recipes with Tofu on the Blog

Easy Vegan Tofu Banh Mi Sandwich

Easy Baked BBQ Tofu Sandwich

Vegan Szechuan Tofu with Peppers and Onions

Vegan Tofu and Veggie Lasagna

Also, I have a whole board on Pinterest devoted to tofu.

Continue to Content

Yield: 4 servings

Crispy Baked Tofu with No Oil

Print

This crispy baked tofu is cooked in the oven with no oil added. This is a basic recipe that can be used to make tofu for use in various recipes - stir-fry, soups, salads, curry, etc.

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Time to Press Tofu: 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 standard block of firm or extra firm tofu (about 16 oz)

Instructions

1. Press the tofu to remove liquid. This is easy to do using a tofu press. If you don't have a tofu press, wrap the drained tofu block in a paper towel, put it between two cutting boards, and apply something heavy on top (like a teapot or a book). Press the tofu for about 20 min and up to an hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 400° F (200° C) while the tofu is being pressed. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, you can lightly spray the baking sheet with cooking spray (see note*) - this won't add a lot of oil to the finished tofu.
3. Drain the pressed tofu and pat it dry. Cut it crosswise into 1/2" thick rectangles, then cut each rectangle in half lengthwise. Cut the resulting tofu strips into 4 equal-sized pieces.
4. Arrange the tofu pieces in rows on the prepared baking sheet, making sure that the pieces don't touch. Bake for 10 minutes, then take out and flip. Return to the oven for 6-8 minutes, or until the tofu pieces are slightly golden in color and springy to the touch. Use in any recipe of your choice, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a week.

Notes

* Keep in mind that parchment-free method can cause your tofu to stick to the baking sheet even if it's greased.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you make a purchase through affiliate links on my blog, I receive a very small commission that helps me run this blog, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

• 
  Yarkor Bamboo Tofu Press, Built in Tofu Strainer and Drip Tray
• 
  AirBake Insulated Cookie Sheets, 2 Pc Set, 16 x 14 in
• 
  Parchment Paper Baking Sheets | Precut Non-Stick Unbleached Non-Toxic 12" x 16" | Pack of 120

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

4 oz
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 94Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 5mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 11g

Please note that the provided nutritional information data is approximate.

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Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats

Alina Zavatsky is a vegan of 11+ years, a passionate blogger, a YouTuber, and a mom. She helps new vegans and their families navigate a vegan diet and lifestyle in a sustainable and enjoyable way. This fall, she will be releasing a new vegan meal planning app designed to make following a vegan diet a breeze for everyone.

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