This crispy tofu is packed full of flavor and so versatile! It can be eaten on it’s own, in a salad instead of croutons or in fried rice. Really the possibilities are endless.
I always use extra firm tofu for this recipe and I don’t press it but I do give it plenty of time to marinate. It’s best to marinate the tofu for at least an hour. One secret to making tofu crispy is to tear it. The pieces don’t have to all be the same size, it’s actually better to have a variety, but I try to tear the tofu into 1 cm pieces. Then toss them in the marinade and cover.
When you’re ready to cook the tofu just add the nutritional yeast and cornstarch right into the bowl and toss to coat all of the pieces. Spread the tofu out on a parchment lined pan and bake for 30 minutes, flipping it half way through.
A note on some of the ingredients
Extra firm tofu: Extra firm tofu does not have as much water content as other types of tofu. This will help it to crisp up nicely. The tofu does not have to be pressed. For best results tear the tofu into 1 cm pieces instead of slicing it. The ragged edges will give the tofu more texture.
Light tamari sauce: I almost always buy light tamari sauce because the taste is a little mellower than regular tamari. It is also lower in sodium than regular tamari. If substituting regular tamari or gluten-free soy sauce and reduce the salt in the recipe.
Smoked paprika: I prefer to use smoked paprika in this recipe as it adds a hint of smokiness to the tofu. Substitute sweet paprika in a pinch.
Cornstarch: The cornstarch is the key ingredient for helping the tofu crisp up. Substitutions can be potato or tapioca starch however I have not tested the recipe using these ingredients.