Crispy salt and pepper tofu – an easy & delicious ‘fakeaway’

Salt and pepper tofu is easy to make & totally delicious! Tofu cubes are fried in a spicy, savoury coating till crisp & crunchy. Dip in soy sauce & enjoy!

Tofu is a regular feature in my family’s diet. I describe our eating habits as ‘flexitarian’ – mostly vegan and vegetarian, fish about once a week, and meat or chicken infrequently. I think this way of eating is healthier, certainly more economical, and generally more environmentally sustainable.

Made from soy beans, tofu is a rich source of plant-based protein and pops up on our menu two or three times a month. It’s pretty boring to eat plain, but it’s great at absorbing other flavours and is also extremely versatile in the ways you can cook it.

Family favourite recipe – salt & pepper tofu

Of all the ways I prepare it, this crispy salt and pepper tofu is my family’s favourite tofu dish.

Each little cube of tofu is surrounded by a crunchy, crispy coating, infused with delicious savoury, spicy flavours. We usually eat our salt and pepper tofu with stir-fried vegetables and noodles or rice. However I think my daughter Kipper would polish off a whole dish of crispy salt and pepper tofu without any accompaniment – or any help!

Ingredients in crispy salt and pepper tofu

One of the reasons I love making this is that the ingredients are nice and straightforward. Apart from the tofu, they’re all store cupboard standbys! So you can make this without much advance notice. Perfect!

To make a batch of crispy and delicious salt and pepper tofu for your family, you will need:

• Tofu – of course! We like smoked tofu for an extra layer of flavour, but you can use plain just as easily.
• Salt
• Black peppercorns
• Sichuan peppercorns – these are a little spicier than regular pepper, but you can use more black pepper if you don’t have them.
• Chinese five spice powder – optional.
• Cornflour – also sometimes called ‘cornstarch’. (NB this is not the same as polenta or corn meal.)
• Oil for frying – I use sunflower oil but you can use whatever neutral frying oil you prefer.
• Spring onions (scallions) to garnish – optional.

Easy salt and pepper tofu recipe

The recipe is also nice and easy – just how I like them! There’s no batter or multiple ‘dips’ in different bowls. Simply mix the cornflour with the salt, pepper and spices, and then toss the tofu cubes until they’re well coated. Fry in hot oil until they’re golden and crispy all over, and tuck in!

What kind of pepper?

I like to use a combination of regular black pepper and Chinese sichuan pepper. However I’ve made this salt and pepper tofu using only black pepper before and it’s still great. You can also leave out the Chinese five spice if you don’t have it – it does add a little something, but these are still yummy even without it.

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📖 Recipe

Crispy salt and pepper tofu

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Salt and pepper tofu is easy to make & totally delicious! Tofu cubes are fried in a spicy, savoury coating till crisp & crunchy. Dip in soy sauce & enjoy!

5 from 8 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 4

Calories 143 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 225 g firm tofu (use plain or smoked)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
• ½ teaspoon sichuan peppercorns (or use more black peppercorns)
• ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice (optional)
• 4 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
• 2-4 tablespoon vegetable oil for frying
• 1-2 spring onions to garnish (optional) (scallions)

Instructions

 

• 225 g (8 oz) firm tofu (use plain or smoked)
  Drain the tofu and squeeze dry in paper towels. Cut into 12-15mm (approx. ½ inch) cubes and set aside.
• 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black peppercorns, ½ tsp sichuan peppercorns (or use more black peppercorns), ½ tsp Chinese five spice (optional)
  Grind the salt, black peppercorns, sichuan peppercorns and five spice in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder to give a coarse powder.
• 4 tbsp cornflour
  Place the spices and cornflour into a plastic box or zip-lock bag and add the tofu cubes. Seal the box or bag and shake thoroughly to coat all the cubes in the cornflour mixture.
• 2-4 tbsp vegetable oil for frying
  Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat. Fry the tofu cubes in batches, moving them around the wok to prevent them sticking together. Each batch should only take 2-3 minutes. The cubes are done when they have turned golden brown all over.
• Drain the crispy tofu cubes on absorbent paper. Transfer to a serving plate.
• 1-2 spring onions to garnish (optional)
  Thinly slice the spring onions (scallions) and sprinkle over. Serve hot.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Crispy salt and pepper tofu

Amount per Serving

Calories

143

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

10

g

15

%

Saturated Fat

 

6

g

38

%

Sodium

 

585

mg

25

%

Potassium

 

30

mg

1

%

Carbohydrates

 

10

g

3

%

Fiber

 

1

g

4

%

Sugar

 

1

g

1

%

Protein

 

5

g

10

%

Vitamin A

 

37

IU

1

%

Vitamin C

 

1

mg

1

%

Calcium

 

81

mg

8

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword tofu

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More delicious tofu recipes

Other delicious recipes using tofu include this spicy and sweet tofu and vegetable stir fry, or these yummy vegan savoury muffins with smoked tofu and caramelised onions.

Or if you’re just in the mood for a ‘fakeaway’ then how about vegan (cauliflower) crispy duck pancakes from Veggie Desserts, pineapple fried rice from Recipes From A Pantry, or egg fried rice or chow mein noodles from Feast Glorious Feast.