10 Tofu Recipes: How to Make Classic Tofu Dishes

Tofu, also known as bean curd, is condensed soy milk pressed into white blocks. The absorbent texture of tofu allows it to take on marinade and seasoning flavors easily. You can also purée tofu to make sweet desserts, or bake it as an addition to a savory dish. Tofu is high in protein and iron and often operates as a meat replacement in vegan dishes. It is also gluten-free and has been a popular ingredient in Asian recipes for more than 2,000 years.

The level of softness determines the type of tofu, including silken, soft, regular, firm, extra firm, and super firm. Consider these ways to prepare different types of tofu:

• Silken tofu: Silken tofu is commonly consumed with sugar syrup as a dessert or to make vegan cheesecakes.
• Soft tofu: Soft tofu can be served raw in miso soup. You can also simmer soft tofu in soups and stews.
• Regular tofu: Thanks to its low water content, regular tofu is best for shallow pan-frying, glazing in marinades, in stir-fries as a meat substitute, and tofu scrambles, where its firmer texture is a better stand-in for fluffy eggs.
• Firm, extra firm, and super firm tofu: You can marinate firm, extra firm, and super firm tofu before pan-frying, stir-frying, or baking.

From air frying to scrambling, try these simple tofu dinner recipes for weeknight meals:

1. 1. Air fryer tofu: Pan-frying tofu is a popular way to get golden-brown crispy tofu, but you can air-fry tofu instead for a healthier option. Let the tofu sit in a marinade before frying (soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, or any other flavoring of choice). Alternatively, you can fry unflavored tofu and serve it with a dipping sauce.
2. 2. Agedashi tofu: This popular Japanese appetizer consists of tofu in a light sauce of dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. The recipe calls for pressing tofu against paper towels to dry it, then breading the tofu in potato starch. Next, pan-fry the tofu in oil in a pan and serve it with the sauce.
3. 3. Baked tofu: Baked tofu is an easy way to create golden-brown crispy tofu for sandwiches, salads, and Mexican dishes, such as tacos and burritos. To bake tofu, press the tofu with paper towels to drain the tofu of its water content. Then cut, season, and bake the tofu on a baking sheet.
4. 4. Braised tofu: This tofu dish consists of golden-brown seared tofu simmered in a braising liquid of soy sauce, brown sugar, sake, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and water. Braised tofu is a vegan recipe, and depending on the individual sauce ingredients, it may also be gluten-free. You can serve braised tofu as a side dish or main dish with a side of white rice or brown rice.
5. 5. Grilled tofu: Grilled tofu is a dish consisting of marinated tofu cooked on a hot griddle, grill pan, cast iron, or outdoor grill until crispy and charred on the outside and tender on the inside. You can serve grilled tofu as a side dish or vegan entrée along with grilled veggies to reinforce the smoky char flavor. You can marinate tofu in any sauces you want, such as soy sauce, peanut sauce, teriyaki, or bbq sauce.
6. 6. Mapo tofu: Mapo tofu is a Chinese dish with tofu cubes in a flavorful, meaty sauce. The dish gets its characteristic tingly, umami-rich flavors from Sichuan peppercorns and a spicy fermented bean paste. Serve mapo tofu with white rice or brown rice.
7. 7. Palak tofu: Palak tofu is a variation on the Indian dish of palak paneer that uses tofu instead of paneer. This dish contains spinach purée, tofu, and a blend of spices, including ginger, garlic, and garam masala. Serve the palak tofu with basmati rice or naan.
8. 8. Tofu pad thai: Pad thai is a beloved street food dish in Thailand and a takeout favorite. It's a stir-fried noodle dish made with a sweet-sour-umami sauce of tamarind, fish sauce, and palm sugar, and it usually includes vegetables with a protein like tofu, shrimp, or chicken.
9. 9. Tofu scramble: Tofu scramble uses firm and extra firm tofu, which crumbles similarly to scrambled eggs. Tofu scramble is versatile and you can use any veggies or seasonings you like.
10. 10. Tofu stir-fry: Tofu stir-fry involves sautéing tofu with veggies such as bok choy, green beans, red bell peppers, or shiitake mushrooms. Sauté the tofu and veggies with soy sauce or tamari with green onions, ginger, garlic, sriracha or red pepper flakes, black pepper, honey, water, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. You can also add cornstarch to thicken up the sauce. Serve the tofu stir-fry with rice or noodles, such as soba.

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