This Fried Tofu with Panko is based on a dish I had at a Chinese restaurant. It's crispy on the outside, and the breading is really savory and salty. It's easy to make for a weeknight meal.
Can't get enough of Tofu? Try my Egg Tofu with Minced Pork next!
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๐ฅกAbout This Recipe
Tofu is one of my favorite foods! I eat it almost every week, and I'm not even joking. I always pick up one or two boxes on my weekly grocery shopping trip. It's cheap and a good alternative to meat.
One of my favorite preparations involves deep-frying it in panko. I first had it like this at one of my favorite Peking Duck restaurants in Vancouver. The tofu was crispy on the outside and incredibly soft on the inside. The breading had a really salty and savory taste that made me not able to stop eating it.
I knew I had to try making it at home!
๐ง Ingredients
- Tofu: Soft or silken tofu is my favorite tofu for this. It has a really soft texture that contrasts well with the crispy crust. You just have to be careful with breading it, as it's quite fragile.
- Breading mixture: The breading mixture consists of cornstarch, panko breadcrumbs, Tomax pepper salt, regular salt, and MSG. Tomax pepper salt is a Taiwanese pepper mix typically used for fried chicken, but it works really well for tofu or anything fried. If you can't find it, you can use white pepper.
- Egg wash: It's just two eggs and a little bit of milk.
- Oil for frying: Any neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point, like canola or vegetable.
๐ช Instructions
STEP 1: Use a sharp knife to release the tofu from the box. Invert it onto a cutting board, pat the box a few times, and slowly lift it off. Slice the tofu into pieces that are ยฝ-inch thick and measure 1 inch by 2 inches.
STEP 2: In a shallow dish, combine panko breadcrumbs, cornstarch, Tomax pepper salt, salt, and MSG.
STEP 3: Whisk eggs and milk in a small bowl.
STEP 4: For the tofu, I like to do two coatings so it's extra thick. If you press less breading, you can do one coating.
Dip each tofu piece in egg wash, shake off excess, and coat in the breadcrumb mixture. Press them gently so the breadcrumbs stick. Transfer coated tofu to a baking sheet and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Optional: Press each tofu into the panko mixture again for a total of two coatings.
STEP 5: Heat 1 inch of oil to 350ยฐF. Use a slotted spoon to gently lower pieces of tofu into the hot oil. Cook 6-10 pieces of tofu at a time for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and serve immediately.
๐ Recipe
The BEST Fried tofu with panko (Chinese-style)
Ingredients
Breading
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ยพ teaspoon MSG
- 1 ยฝ cups panko breadcrumbs
- โ cup cornstarch
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons Tomax pepper salt (or white pepper)
Fried Tofu
- 1 box soft tofu (or silken tofu)
- neutral oil (for trying)
Instructions
Breading
- Pound salt and MSG in a pestle and mortar until they become a fine powder.
- In a shallow dish, combine panko breadcrumbs, cornstarch, Tomax pepper salt, and the salt and MSG powder.
Egg Wash
- Whisk eggs and milk in a small bowl.
Fried Tofu
- Use a sharp knife to release the tofu from the box. Invert it onto a cutting board, pat the box a few times, and slowly lift it off. Slice the tofu into pieces that are ยฝ-inch thick and measure 1 inch by 2 inches.
- Dip each tofu piece in egg wash, shake off excess, then coat in the breadcrumb mixture. Transfer coated tofu to a baking sheet and let it rest for 15 minutes before pressing each piece into the panko mixture again.
- Heat 1 inch of oil to 350ยฐF. Cook 6-10 pieces of tofu at a time for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and serve immediately.
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