When I see recipes that aim to make tofu crispy, I’m often surprised by the various ingredients and effort applied—and even more surprised when I find they don’t achieve the desired effect. As I explain this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, the process of making tofu crispy is simple. It requires just two ingredients, tofu and oil. It can be broken into just four key steps: remove excess moisture, use a hot pan and splatter shield, leave space around each piece, and wait to flip the tofu until it releases easily.

When I make tofu in this way, it comes out perfectly crisp every time, whether I’ve cut the tofu into cubes for a stir-fry, thick rectangles for a satay, or flat slabs for a sandwich. I typically reach for my largest cast-iron skillet, but any well-seasoned or nonstick pan that can be safely set over medium-high heat does the job. I prefer a mesh splatter shield to a silicone one; the latter tends to collect condensation that then drips back into the hot oil.

Learn more about cooking tofu and get the complete recipe for Crispy Pan-Fried Tofu in my column.

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Twice as Tasty

Once you get tofu nicely crispy, then you can think about how best to flavor it. This runs counter to recipes that marinate or glaze tofu before cooking it. A marinade certainly gives tofu flavor, like the one I leave tofu in for up to a day when making Roasted Vegetables with Tofu and Buckwheat. But that tofu then roasts in the oven, so it stays soft rather than developing a crisp exterior. If you instead brush on a glaze before you place tofu on the grill, like with this Grilled Tofu and Veggies recipe from The ‘Ohana Grill Cookbook, the places where the glazed surface rests on the grill can crisp and mark the tofu, but you won’t get same even crispness you do from simply pan-frying the tofu in oil.

To get the ideal combination of flavor and texture, cook the tofu on both sides until crisp, add a glaze to the hot pan, toss the tofu until coated, and then briefly cook, stirring, until the glaze reduces to a syrupy coating. That glaze can be as simple as a few tablespoons of tamari, balsamic vinegar, or Worcestershire sauce. Thin store-bought hoisin or oyster sauce with a little rice wine or sake. Drizzle a homemade sauce like Vegan Memphis-Style Barbecue Sauce from the jar into the hot pan.

Even if you’ll be putting the tofu in another dish, like a stir-fry, you can choose alternate flavors for the glaze. A blend of lime juice, soy sauce, and molasses becomes thick and caramelized as it coats the tofu. For a sweeter coating, combine equal parts orange juice and vegetable stock with a little brown sugar and some spices. Or prepare a small batch of the sauce in one of these recipes and add it to the pan.

• Wasabi-Dusted Grilled Shrimp
• Veggie Shish Kebabs with Garlicy Marinade
• Chipotle Grilled Shrimp
• Maple-Glazed Carrots

Next week, I’ll share my basic recipe for Mixed Vegetable Stir-Fry; the sauce I create for it from pantry staples can glaze tofu too. You can find more ideas for tofu glazes in the recipe index.

Want more Twice as Tasty recipes? Get my books! Click here to order a personally signed, packaged, and shipped copy of The Complete Guide to Pickling directly from me. I also share tasty ways to use pickles in The Pickled Picnic; it’s only available here.