Crispy Tofu Crumbles
A versatile, easy and addictive tofu recipe that's especially good in tacos & burritos.
I never thought I’d describe tofu as addictive, but this tofu has so much flavor it’s hard to make a batch without eating half of the tofu before it gets to the dinner table.
I keep sneaking one little morsel of tofu out of the pan, then another and another. The little bits of tofu and onion are crispy and salty with just a hint of sweet and smoky flavor.
If you haven’t previously loved tofu, I’m willing to bet that this recipe will change your mind.
Crumbling tofu into tiny bits makes it taste more flavorful because you avoid the typical tofu situation of flavor on the outside and a spongy, flavorless middle.
This tofu is flavored all the way through.
The little bits of tofu crisp up nicely in a pan and look surprisingly like ground meat. Tofu tacos or burritos have become one of my family’s favorite vegetarian meals. Pile the tofu crumbles in a tortilla, then add shredded cabbage, lime, sour cream, hot sauce…I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!
You can also serve tofu crumbles over nachos, rice, noodles, salad, and probably a half-dozen other ways I haven’t thought of yet.
I first started making tofu crumbles when I saw a similar recipe in Jenny Rosenstrach’s newsletter. Over many batches of crumbled tofu, I kept tweaking the recipe slightly. Finally, I arrived at this recipe which has been given the official thumbs-up by my kids (which means I’m never changing it again).
There is a printable pdf version of this recipe at the bottom of the post.
Ingredients
1 14-ounce package firm or extra-firm tofu
¼ cup sunflower/canola oil
1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 small onion, or half a larger onion)*
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon maple syrup
*the amount of onion is flexible, you can add as much, or as little, onion as you want
Instructions
First, press the tofu: Pressing down on tofu with a heavy weight squeezes out some of the moisture. Less moisture means the tofu will get crispier when you cook it in a skillet. If you eat a lot of tofu, a tofu press might be a good investment. If you don’t like having extra gadgets in your kitchen, then you can press tofu this way:
Wrap a block of tofu in a lint-free dish towel. Set it on a plate.
Set another plate on top of the tofu.
Weigh down the tofu by setting 2 cans of food (like beans) on top of the plate.
Press the tofu for at least 10 minutes, but ideally 30 minutes.
After pressing the tofu, hold the block of tofu in your hands and crumble it into a colander. As you crumble, squeeze gently to remove a little bit more of the moisture. If you’ve pressed the tofu long enough, there might not be any moisture left to press out. The look and size of the crumbled tofu should be similar to cooked ground meat.
Now, it’s time to cook the tofu.
Heat a wide non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and onion. Cook the onion until it is soft and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. I usually end up lowering the heat to medium-low at some point so the onion doesn’t get too brown or burn.
Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the crumbled tofu. Mix well to coat the tofu in oil.
Season the tofu with salt and smoked paprika. If you want to add any other types of seasoning, this is the time (curry powder, chili powder, etc…)
Spread the tofu out evenly in the skillet and let it cook undisturbed for 3 minutes. Don’t stir the tofu at all, just give it a chance to get browned and crispy.
After 3 minutes, stir the tofu, then set the timer for 5 more minutes. This time, mix the tofu several times as it continues to get light brown and crispy. Use your spatula or wooden spoon to break the tofu up into smaller pieces, so it closely resembles ground meat.
In a small bowl, combine the tomato paste, water, soy sauce and maple syrup. Whisk until smooth.
When the 5 minute timer goes off, turn the heat down to medium. Use a spatula to scrape to tomato paste mixture out of the bowl and over the tofu. Mix really well to coat the tofu, while cooking for another 2 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Add salt to taste. (I usually add a small pinch)
Notes
I buy tomato paste in a tube, so I can squeeze out small amounts for recipes without having to open a whole can.
The tofu will keep well in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. The texture will get softer after being stored in the fridge.
Thank you for subscribing to Kitchen Skip!
