This Easy Tofu Freezing Trick Will Lead to Seriously Crispy Results

For those of you who fancy a good tofu-based meal, you know that the options out there are limitless. From a great stir-fry to a crispy afternoon snack, nothing beats a good firm tofu meal. This protein is rather versatile and whether we roast, fry it or choose to use the air fryer, we can get delicious golden and crisp results. Part of the secret to enjoying tofu this way is to remove as much water as you can before getting started. Otherwise, that texture we crave may instead taste rather spongy and soggy. 

While there’s all sorts of methods for this prep — including pressing — another very effective method seems to begin with simply tossing that tofu in the freezer. Not sure how that would work? TikTok user Angiela Eats posted a simple video for making golden crispy air-fried tofu as a quick and easy snack, and the process all begins with the freezer.

You’ll start by flash-freezing firm tofu before throwing it in the fridge overnight to defrost. Then, it is important to remove as much moisture as possible. There’s a ton of liquid that will come out, so the best thing to do is to lay out some paper towels and — as Angela Eats says — “just keep squeezing.”

After you’ve done all the squeezing you can do, slice the tofu in half repeatedly until it is divided into eight pieces. Next, you’ll divided those same eight piece into halves, resulting in 16 blocks of tofu total. Then, you’ll toss those blocks in soy sauce and sesame oil, and air fry on 400°F for 20 minutes. Don’t forget to shake the air fryer basket halfway through so that all the pieces get cooked evenly.

At the end, you’ll be left with super crispy tofu that can then be hit with some sea salt, black pepper, and a bit of sweet chili — though I imagine Sriracha would work really well at this point as well for those who prefer things a bit spicier.

If you ask me, this is just the kind of quick and delicious afternoon snack we need on a busy day. So if you were wondering, yes — I’ll definitely be making this recipe this week.