Marinated Tofu (2024)

FAQs

How long should you marinate tofu? ›

You should aim to marinate tofu for at least 2 hours in the fridge. To infuse more flavour, you can leave it to marinade for up to 2 days before cooking up. Top tip: Don't ditch the leftover marinade when you come to cook your tofu.

Tofu is a sponge-like, nutrient-dense food that packs in 8 grams of protein in just 3 ounces (with just 70 calories). So when it's marinated and baked until crispy, it becomes a nutritious AND tasty plant protein you can use in almost anything.

Considering that we often cut tofu into bite-size pieces with greater surface area (thus creating more points of entry for marinade), marinating can have a profound impact, seasoning the tofu not only at the surface but also deep inside.

I recommend always pressing tofu before baking it, especially if you're marinating it first — removing excess liquid will make room for all that flavorful marinade.

Once the tofu is marinated, I use a cornstarch coating with some cumin powder in it. Not only does it create a super crispy result, but the seasoning further brings out the flavor of the tofu.

Cold, raw tofu rejects marinades because of its high water content and low porosity. It will eventually suck up a marinade, but mostly on the surface, and only after a long, long time (think a couple of days). Par-cooking it speeds up the process by driving out some of that water, leaving more room for seasonings.

Contains antinutrients

Like most plant foods, tofu contains several antinutrients. These compounds are naturally found in plant foods and lower your body's ability to absorb nutrients from food ( 6 ).

Similarly, the American Cancer Society sees no dangers from eating soy. "For the vast majority of people, it should be reasonable to incorporate tofu in their daily diet without any issues," Sun said.

Can you eat raw tofu? It's not dangerous, as long as you take care to observe good hygiene. As we mention below, just like any other food, if tofu is not stored and prepared correctly, you run the risk of bacterial contamination, and you could get sick.

Press tofu and cube it. Coat it in garlic, black pepper, salt (plus more of your favourite seasonings), liquid aminos and some olive oil. Then mix it into some cornstarch and toss it all together, then bake for about 20 minutes. Cornstarch also helps to draw out excess moisture so it really gets the tofu crispy.

What happens if you don't drain tofu before cooking? ›

Here's the thing: even though tofu might be labeled firm or extra-firm, it contains a lot of water. This excess water can cause the tofu to crumble when you cook it, and it will also have a hard time crisping up. But when you press tofu, you remove the excess moisture.

Crispy and Delicious.

Since air fryer tofu uses very little oil to crisp, it is much healthier than regular deep-fried tofu, which is completely submerged in oil.

I have marinated Tofu for a week and it's been fine. It depends on when you like how much of the moisture you press out of it as well too.

Healthier - For starters, broiling tofu is a healthier method of cooking than frying, and it requires less oil to create crispier cubes. Easy - It's also really easy to make.

Make sure to store the tofu and marinades in clean airtight containers. You can keep the tofu and marinade in the fridge for up to 7 days. Vary your tofu cuts.

Many cooking experts champion a quick soak as a way to give the protein more texture and flavor. “Simmering cubed tofu in salted water for 60 seconds pulls out excess moisture and tightens the proteins on its surface,” Lukas Volger told Bon Appétit in 2021.

If it's opened, refrigerated tofu is generally good for 3 to 5 days, as long as you've stored it properly. Any more than that, and there's a risk it may have started to spoil, especially if the refrigerator door is opened frequently.

Whichever make you have, simply put the tofu between two plates, tighten the press, and place it somewhere that will catch the liquid drained (inside a clean sink or a rimmed baking sheet). Press the tofu for 15 to 20 minutes.

On its own, tofu is bland. Letting it sit in a marinade for as little as 15 minutes makes all the difference in the world. Cornstarch. I tested this air fryer tofu both with and without cornstarch.