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Kelli Foster
Kelli FosterSenior Contributing Food Editor
Kelli is a Senior Contributing Food Editor for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, The Probiotic Kitchen, Buddha Bowls, and Everyday Freekeh Meals. She lives in New Jersey.
updated Sep 17, 2020
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Tofu has a mild-mannered demeanor with a very neutral taste, which is precisely what makes it one of the most wonderful plant-based proteins. Tofu’s blank-canvas vibe makes it a great candidate for pairing with almost anything in the pantry, and gives it the chameleon-like ability to pick up the flavors of whatever other ingredients it’s partnered with.
Firm and extra-firm tofu give you the most flexibility when it comes to cooking, since they’re the best choices for baking, pan-frying, stir-frying, and grilling, while creamy silken tofu is a great pick for whipping up a dip or blitzing into a smoothie.
Regardless of which type of tofu you have in your fridge right now, we’ve got 25 recipes to help you enjoy it to its full potential.
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Baked Tofu Recipes
Baked tofu is magical. When hot from the oven, it’s crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle. And after it cools, it becomes wonderfully firm and chewy.
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Basic Baked Tofu
Gets the basics of baking tofu down, and you've got a go-to filling for sandwiches and a topper for salads, grain bowls, and noodles.
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Sheet Pan BBQ Tofu
Sheet pan BBQ tofu cooks up with crispy, jagged edges, and a crunchy coating with bold, smoky flavors, before it's tossed with a sticky blanket of sauce.
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Sheet Pan Honey-Sesame Tofu and Green Beans
Perhaps the most time-intensive element of this recipe is waiting for the tofu to dry out. That’s when you do the rest of the prep — making the sauce and cutting the veggies.
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Tofu Teriyaki with Broccoli and Sweet Potato
This sheet pan tofu teriyaki with broccoli and sweet potatoes is like your favorite stir-fry reimagined.
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BBQ Tofu Salad Bowls
On the nights I'm craving salad for dinner but also want a meal that's warm & comforting, these BBQ tofu & roasted vegetable bowls hit the spot.
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Falafel-Spiced Tofu with Whipped Tahini
Tofu is tossed in a homemade falafel seasoning, baked until crispy, then served atop a spicy whipped tahini.
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Tofu-Miso Stew
It tastes and feels like a chicken pot pie, but instead it's a pile of veggies doused in a rich miso gravy.
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Brown Rice Bowl with Lemongrass, Tofu and Cashews
Consider this flavor-packed tofu bowl one of the best reasons to make extra rice.
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Crispy Tofu Recipes
Good news: Deep-fying is not the only way to get golden, ultra-crispy tofu. Easier method likes stir-frying, pan-frying, and grilling all delivery crave-worthy crispy tofu. Just be sure to start with firm or extra-firm tofu and press out the excess moisture before cooking.
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Sesame Soba Noodle Bowl with Crispy Tofu
Pan-fried crunchy tofu squares are the perfect topping for warm soba noodles that have been tossed in a creamy sesame-ginger sauce.
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BBQ Tofu Salad with Grilled Vegetables
Crispy grilled tofu and veggies are tossed in a smoky BBQ dressing for a crunchy summer salad everyone will love.
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Smoky Tofu, Zucchini, and Zesty Ranch Club Sandwiches
Smoky tofu gets grilled until charred and crispy, then layered onto toasted wheat bread, stacked with fresh lettuce and tomatoes, and finished with a zesty ranch dressing you'll want to put on everything.
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Black Pepper Tofu
If you like heat, this fiery tofu from Ottolenghi's "Plenty" cookbook will be right up your alley.
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Basic Stir-Fried Tofu
This simple method makes for cubes of tofu with crisp, golden edges and a bouncy, soft center.
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General Tso's Tofu
This easy, at-home version of the restaurant favorite treats you to crisp tofu and veggies with a sticky sauce.
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Vegan Stir-Fried Garlic Tofu and Eggplant
A nonstick pan is the secret to getting extra-crispy tofu for this weeknight stir-fry.
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Simple Tofu Recipes
Soups, scrambles, and fried rice are all easy ways to turn tofu into dinner. Marinating cubed tofu is also a low-effort way to pack it with extra flavor.
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Better-than-Chipotle Tofu Sofritas
From burritos to taco salad to quesadillas to nachos, and so much more, there's no shortage of ways to turn sofritas into dinner.
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Slow Cooker Vegetarian Mapo Tofu
Typically made with ground pork, this plant-based version swaps in shiitake mushrooms for a lighter dinner option with just as much umami flavor. And better yet, the slow cooker does most of the heavy lifting.
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Gingery Tofu Slow Cooker Soup
Let the broth simmer in the slow cooker all day, then all that's left to do before serving is to stir in silky cubes of tofu, chopped bok choy, and nutty soba noodles.
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Scrambled Tofu
Scrambled tofu has a similar texture to scrambled eggs, is just as versatile, and is infinitely customizable.
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Remember that jar of green curry paste in the back of the fridge? It's time to pull it out for this easy 30-minute meal.
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Lemony Tofu "Egg" Salad
This tofu “egg” salad is light and lemony. It’s fabulous tucked into a pita, in between two slices of baguette, or even atop barely dressed lettuce.
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Sesame Ginger Tofu Poke Bowl
This vegan twist on a poke bowl features cubes of marinated tofu and a colorful array of toppings.
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Heidi Swanson's Summer Squash Soup
If there's just one take away from this fragrant soup, it's that you should be adding tofu croutons to all bowls of soup from now on.
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Southwestern Tofu Scramble
This smoky scramble is great piled into a bowl or stuffed into a warm tortilla.
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Creamy Tofu and Green Pea Dip
Silken tofu is the best choice for this bright and zesty dip.
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Fried Rice with Thai Basil and Tofu
This fragrant fried rice is a fast and easy solution to turn just a little bit of leftover tofu into a meal.
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