Crispy Teriyaki Tofu (照り焼き豆腐)

Name: Crispy Teriyaki Tofu
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 pieces Firm Tofu ((Can use firm or medium firm)); 1/4 cup Sweet potato starch; 1 stick Green onion; 2 tablespoons Homemade teriyaki sauce; 3 tablespoons Vegetable oil

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Crispy pan fried tofu tastes amazing with Japanese homemade teriyaki sauce! Love tofu? Check out these mapo tofu, kimchi tofu soup, miso soup and tofu pudding. Also, this crispy teriyaki tofu recipe is great for appetizers, party food and side dishes. Wanna know how to make the best crispy tofu in 15 minutes?

Love Japanese? Check out these California roll, chicken udon stir fry, Japanese chicken curry, gyudon beef bowl, teriyaki chicken rice bowl, tonkatsu and Japanese milk bread rolls recipes.

easy crispy teriyaki tofu on a white plate with a blue striped towel

What is crispy teriyaki tofu?

Crispy teriyaki tofu is not only crispy outside, but also soft inside. Also, it tastes amazingly delicious when served with homemade teriyaki sauce. This pan fried teriyaki tofu is great for appetizers, party food, side dishes or even as a main course served with rice. Besides, it’s an excellent vegan dish.

What are the ingredients for crispy pan fry tofu?

The ingredients are tofu, sweet potato starch, green onion, vegetable oil and homemade teriyaki sauce.

What is tofu?

Tofu is also known as bean curd. They are prepared by coagulating soy milk. Then, they are pressed into a small box and shaped into a solid block. It has different softness such as silken, soft, medium and firm bean curd.

2 blocks of bean curds on the circle white plate

Moreover, tofu originated from China over 2000 years ago. Nowadays, it’s very popular in Asia and throughout the world. Nutritionally, tofu is low in calories and higher in protein, iron and calcium. Thus, a lot of vegetarians like to consume tofu and substitute for protein intake.

What does tofu taste like?

On the other hand, bean curd doesn’t have much flavor and it's very plain. Therefore, it can be savory like hot & sour soup, miso soup, ma po tofu, kimchi soup or sweet dessert like tofu pudding. Often, they are seasoned or marinated to suit the dish and flavor. Plus, tofu absorbs flavor very well.

Cooking tips for how to make crispy teriyaki tofu:

Personally, I like to use firm tofu for stir fried, pan fried or deep fried because they don’t break easily. (You can use medium firm or firm tofu.)
If you want to make crispy tofu, the trick is to use sweet potato starch instead of cornstarch or flour. It creates a nice and crispy layer.
I recommend using a non-stick pan, so the tofu will not stick on the pan.

FAQs:

What kind of tofu do you use?

Tofu has a different softness and is used for different kinds of dishes. For example, silken and soft tofu is often just eaten with sauce or used for soup like miso soup.
Personally, I like to use firm tofu for stir fried, pan fried or deep fried because they don’t break easily.

Can I eat tofu raw?

Yes, tofu can be eaten raw. But, some people like to pan fry, stir fry or cook them before consuming it.

Instructions for how to make the best crispy teriyaki tofu:

1. Dry 2 pieces of tofu with a paper towel.

cut bean curd into cubes on the chopping board

2. Dice the tofu into 9 small cubes.

sweet potato starch in a glass round plate

3. In a container, put ¼ cup sweet potato starch (It will have extra, so you can put 2 tablespoons at a time).

bean curd tofu cover with sweet potato starch in a glass plate

4. Then, add the diced tofu and make sure all sides of the tofu are covered with sweet potato starch.

pan fry tofu in a non-stick pan over the stove

5. Pour 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil into a non-stick pan. When the oil is hot enough, put the tofu and pan fry them with medium small fire.

golden brown pan fried crispy tofu in the non-stick pan

6. Pan fry them for about 1-2 minutes each side. Make sure to turn the fire to medium small, so it will not burn them. Until it turns golden brown.

7. Cut a stick of green onion.

8. After that, put the pan fried crispy tofu on a plate and pour 1-2 tablespoons of homemade teriyaki sauce over and top with some green onion.

Enjoy this crispy teriyaki tofu recipe! Also, check out these wonton soup, spicy lemon shrimp, ham fried rice, Vietnamese spring rolls and ma yi shang shu recipes.