Spicy Crispy Chipotle Tofu
This has quickly become one of my favorite ways to make tofu! This spicy crispy chipotle tofu is perfect for wraps, tacos, on top of salads – you name it! The possibilities are endless. The technique is taken from Veganomicon and the seasoning is our own. We were gifted a copy of the book for christmas and it’s great! Lots of delicious recipes in there, highly recommend if you’re in the market for another cookbook.
The Details
First, start by pressing the tofu. This is the most important part of making tofu! The best way to get the flavors inside of the tofu is to draw the liquid from the packaging out. I feel like most of the time people say they don’t like tofu is because they are missing this important step. I usually wrap the tofu in a clean towel, put a heavy pot on top, and leave it for at least 15 minutes.
Broiling Liquid
You can adjust the broiling liquid to your taste and needs but for this recipe we used: 1/4 cup of water, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tablespoon of chipotle chili powder, 1 teaspoon of thai sweet chili sauce, and salt and pepper to taste, mixed in a bowl. If you don’t have thai sweet chili sauce, I haven’t tried it but I think a little brown sugar would work really well to balance the flavor.
Into the Oven
Turn the oven onto broil while you prepare the tofu. We used a cast iron flat top but you can use any oven safe tray that you have. I have to say, I do really love this flat top! Ivannoe bought it when we first moved in together a few years ago and it’s so versatile. The flat side is perfect for pancakes and sauteeing things and the other side has ridges and is great for grilling!
Coat the pan in a little oil or add a little non stick spray so that they tofu doesn’t stick to the pan. Dredge, aka flip the tofu a few times, through the broiling liquid and place on the pan. There should be some left over liquid which you will be using to baste the tofu.
Place the pan in the oven and broil for 10 minutes. Carefully pull the pan out (it will be VERY hot) and spoon a little liquid over each piece of tofu and push the pan back in the oven. Wait 3 minutes and repeat. After a total of 16 minutes, pull the tofu out of the oven and it will be ready to go!
Spicy Crispy Chipotle Tofu
Course Main Course
Cuisine Latino Vegan
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes
Total Time 31 minutes
Servings 4
Ingredients
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp thai sweet chili sauce
2 cloves garlic minced
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 14 oz block of tofu
a little olive oil or non-stick spray to grease pan
Instructions
Press tofu (wrapped in clean towels, underneath something heavy) for at least 15 minutes prior to cooking. While you press the tofu, prepare the liquid in a bowl and set oven to broil.
When the tofu is ready, unwrap it and slice it how you prefer. We decided to go with about 1/4" thick rectangles for this recipe. Grease the pan you are using (we went with a cast iron pan but you can use anything oven safe) with either a non-stick spray or olive oil so that the tofu doesn't stick to the pan. Dip each individual piece of tofu in the liquid and flip it through a few times to make sure it's completely coated. Place the pieces of tofu on the pan.
Place the pan in the oven and broil for 10 minutes. Carefully pull the pan out, spoon some of the left over liquid on top and broil for 3 minutes. Repeat for a grand total of 16 minutes cooking. Pull the tofu out of the oven and serve!
Recipe Notes
*I haven't tried it but if you don't have sweet thai chili, I imagine you can sub brown sugar and it will balance the spicy.
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