This recipe for Sesame Crusted Crispy Tofu is guaranteed to help you do more with your tofu. It will add a touch of Asian cuisine to your everyday meals. When you bite into the tofu’s outer crispy sesame crust, the umami flavor of sesame stands out immediately.
For those with sesame allergies, a great alternative can be toasted rice cereal. You’ll enjoy the contrast of its crunchy exterior and delicate center. The tofu’s marinade has a flavorful medley of savory, sweet, and acidic ingredients, guaranteed to leave you wanting more.
Our crispy tofu is the perfect dish to make when you just can’t be bothered to cook because the air fryer does all the work for you. Your air fryer may just become your new best friend! Plus, you can easily turn the leftovers into fried rice the next day. Just toss it in a pan with some rice and add some extra veggies!
Tofu is a great way to get protein, especially for vegans and those following a plant-based diet. It is made up of soy, which is rich in compounds called isoflavones. Research shows that consuming at least one weekly serving of tofu helps lower the risk of developing heart disease compared to those who don’t eat tofu. Consumption of soy products also shows evidence of improving unhealthy cholesterol levels, inflammation, and insulin resistance.
Adding tofu to your diet can help you achieve the USDA recommended amount of protein intake. This is why it is a popular meat substitute. One of the main ingredients in veggie meats includes tofu. The Sesame Crusted Crispy Tofu is such a versatile ingredient and recipe that you can even put in salads, wraps, end even sandwiches. You can get creative with it.
Sesame Crusted Crispy Tofu
Ingredients
- 300 g extra-firm tofu pressed and cut into slices ½ inch thick
- 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 2 clove garlic minced
- 1 tsp ginger grated
- 1 egg
- 1/8 cup sesame seeds
- ¼ cup toasted rice cereal crushed or ground (alternative to sesame seeds)
Instructions
- Press tofu in a paper towel/cloth for at least 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the marinade: soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger.
- Pour and coat over the tofu and marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. If an air fryer is not available, preheat a regular oven to 350°F.
- Beat an egg in a shallow bowl. Place sesame seed on a plate. Coat the marinated tofu with a beaten egg and immediately roll onto the sesame seeds.
- Place tofu in the air fryer basket in one layer. Air fry the tofu until crispy, around 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. If using a regular oven, bake for around 30 minutes in a single layer, also flip halfway through.
Notes
- For Low Histamine Meal Plan, modify: replace soy sauce with coconut aminos and rice wine vinegar with apple cider vinegar
- You can make a batch of marinated tofu, freeze it and cook when ready to eat.
