Crispy Garlic Black Pepper Tofu

A big bowl of crispy baked tofu cubes sprinkled with green onion.

4.72 from 7 votes

This crispy oven baked tofu is quick and easy to make and perfect for adding protein to soups, salads, noodles, stir fries and more!

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings: servings

Author: Deryn Macey

Ingredients

16 oz. package extra firm tofu
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder optional
1 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

Remove the extra firm tofu from the package and drain the water. Place tofu in a tofu press. If you do not have a tofu press, wrap the tofu in a clean tea towel (or kitchen towel) and place on a cutting board. Place a heavy book or skillet on top. Press the tofu for at least 15 minutes and then pat dry.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the tofu into small cubes about ¾-in size then add to a medium-sized bowl. Add the soy sauce, oil, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to the tofu. Gently stir with a spatula to fully coat the tofu.
Sprinkle the cornstarch over the tofu and continue mixing gently until all the cubes are coated.
Evenly distribute the tofu cubes out on the prepared baking sheet, avoiding them touching one another. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes, flipping the tofu over and baking for another 10-15 minutes.
Serve with a dipping sauce or over rice, or add to a stir fry, noodles, curry or anywhere else you'd use tofu.

Notes

You can omit the oil for an oil-free recipe. It gets a little crispier when you use oil but still works well without it. You can also make it without cornstarch. The cornstarch adds somewhat of a breading, or crisp layer around the cubes but the recipe will still work without it.

You can increase the garlic powder and black pepper up to 1 tsp if you like. If you're not using onion powder, add an extra 1/2 tsp of garlic powder.

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