When I need recipe inspiration, I just look through my cupboards to see what I already have on hand. I did just that and discovered I hard a rather large bag of sesame seeds. Sesame seeds are not only great for garnishing dishes, but their crispness makes them perfect for crusting. So I introduce to you my Crispy Sesame Crusted Tofu! Crispy crunchy, umami-packed, bursting with sesame flavour, you better believe I won't have sesame seeds hanging around for long!
This is a great dish to serve as an appetizer with your favourite dipping sauce, a sweet & sour sauce, or spicy chili sauce would be nice. Or you can serve this as the main adding a few side dishes, I'm thinking sautéd broccoli or kale and rice or rice noodles would be lovely!
Crispy sesame crusted tofu would even be great served alongside my Sweet Korean Eggplant, Vegan Wonton Soup, or as an addition to my Rainbow Bowl recipe. So many options!
This recipe is easy to make but does take a bit of time for tofu pressing and marinating. So this is a great recipe to prep ahead of time. This recipe can also be made gluten-free or oil-free so it's a flexible dish for any diet!
To make Crispy Sesame Crusted Tofu:
First, prep the tofu: Prepare the tofu by draining it, and then pressing it for 30 minutes to 1 hour. I love using my Tofuture tofu press, but you can also follow these instructions for a DIY tofu pressing method. Pressing the tofu squeezes excess water out so that the tofu can suck up more of the marinade and become more flavourful.
Once pressed, remove the tofu and pat dry, then cut into triangles (about 16).
Next, marinate: mix together all of the sesame marinade ingredients in a sealable bag or container, then add the tofu. Let the tofu marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes or as long as overnight in the fridge, flipping the tofu every now and then to ensure all sides get marinated.
Crust the tofu: Grab three big bowls. In the first bowl, add the flour. In the second bowl, add the flax and water and pour in any leftover unabsorbed marinade, and mix together, the flax will thicken the mixture in 5 - 10 minutes. For the third bowl, mix the sesame seeds and panko.
Add the tofu to the flour bowl and toss to coat. Next, coat one tofu triangle at a time in the flax mixture and then roll it in the sesame panko coating. Place the crusted tofu on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining tofu. Spread the tofu out on the baking sheet so that they aren't touching (this will ensure the tofu gets crispy all the way around).
Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and crusty.
Serve hot as a main with sides of choice, or serve as an appetizer with your favourite dipping sauce.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
Crispy Sesame Crusted Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 block (350g) extra-firm tofu, (see step 1 for prep)
For the sesame marinade:
- ¼ cup soy sauce (gluten-free if preferred)
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil (omit for oil-free)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Bowl 1:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (gluten-free if preffered)
Bowl 2:
- ½ cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons ground flax or ground chia
Bowl 3:
- ½ cup sesame seeds (white, black, or a mix)
- ½ cup panko or crushed corn flakes (gluten-free if preferred)
Instructions
- To prep the tofu: Prepare the tofu by draining it, and then pressing it for 30 minutes to 1 hour. I love using my Tofuture tofu press, but you can also follow these instructions for a DIY tofu pressing method. Pressing the tofu squeezes excess water out so that the tofu can suck up more of the marinade and become more flavourful. Once pressed, remove the tofu and pat dry, then cut into triangles (about 16).
- Marinate: mix together all of the sesame marinade ingredients in a sealable bag or container, then add the tofu. Let the tofu marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes or as long as overnight in the fridge, flipping the tofu every now and then to ensure all sides get marinated.
- OVEN: When ready to finish the tofu, preheat your oven to 400F (200C). Lightly grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.AIR FRYER: When ready to finish the tofu, preheat your oven to 370F (190C).
- Crust the tofu: Grab three big bowls. In the first bowl, add the flour. In the second bowl, add the flax and water and pour in any leftover unabsorbed marinade, and mix together, the flax will thicken the mixture in 5 - 10 minutes. For the third bowl, mix the sesame seeds and panko.
- Add the tofu to the flour bowl and toss to coat. Next, coat one tofu triangle at a time in the flax mixture and then roll it in the sesame panko coating. Place the crusted tofu on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining tofu.
- OVEN: Spread the tofu out on the baking sheet so that they aren't touching, this will ensure the tofu gets crispy all the way around. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and crusty.AIR FRYER: Place the tofu in a single layer in the air fryer. You may need to work in batches. Fry 16 - 20 minutes, until golden and crusty.Serve hot as a main with sides of choice, or serve as an appetizer with your favourite dipping sauce.
Jackie says
Could I use tempeh instead?
Mark says
Wonderful recipe Sam.
I only had 1/4 cup of sesame seeds so I added 1/4 cup of black chia seeds. I love spicy, so added a 1/2 tbsp of sriracha to the marinade as well. Turned out awesome!
Madison says
Very easy and delicious! I’ve never used flax “egg” to coat, and I was skeptical, but it turned out perfect!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it!
Alle says
Easy to make. Came out perfectly!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful!
Brendan says
I made this, just for me, tonight (the other two don't deserve food like this!) and it was fantastic. I had no breadcrumbs or cornflakes so used poppy seeds instead. Still crunchy, though. I had it with some chilli fried rice. A top meal all round. Thanks for this, Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing! So happy you enjoyed 🙂
Colleen says
We have put these into our regular rotation and they turn out perfectly every time! Even the junior chefs in our household produce superior results. These sesame encrusted tofu bites are delicious on their own and they are also the perfect accompaniment to vegan sushi. We serve them with a simple asian-inspired dipping sauce. Thank you so much.
Sam Turnbull says
Oh I love the idea of pairing them with vegan sushi! So happy you love them!!
Lou says
We’ve made them a few times now and they always turn out perfectly.
Thank you.
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome! 🙂
Molly says
I am so making this! Love black sesame seeds (just used them on a stir fry last night). Also love the option to use corn flakes instead of Panko. When I didn’t have panko bread crumbs I’ve used crushed flake cereal as breading and it worked great. And they are baked not fried. Love it!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you love the recipe, Molly!