In my endless quest to make tofu crunchy and extra seasoned, I give you this crispy shredded tofu topping. Similar to my baked tofu bits, it’s great for adding to grain bowls, salads, and stuffing into wraps. All you need is a box grater, firm tofu, cornstarch, and a few more pantry ingredients to get these crackling and satisfying shreds in your life.
I’ve seen this tofu shredding technique pop up a lot on social media over the years. Often the final destination is a softer recipe like a sticky taco filling, stir fry or curry. I’m a fan of these, don’t get me wrong. I almost always want my tofu on the sturdy side though. After shredding up a block one night, I cranked the oven and got to work.
Many tasty trials later, we’re here! A simple coat in oil, spices, and seasoning yielded good results initially. The addition of cornstarch takes it to another level though, making those tofu shreds more brittle and a bit crusty.
A challenge that I have with plant-based food sometimes is the lack of toothsome and crisp bites. It can all read a bit tender after a while! This shredded tofu recipe certainly addresses that need for varying texture.
I did attempt this technique in the air fryer, but the pieces cooked unevenly, burned, got stuck under the basket, and it had to be done in batches (one of my biggest pet peeves in a recipe!). Spreading the tofu out on a half sheet pan in the oven is just easier and more effective! My air fryer tofu recipe is a good one if you’re wanting to use that piece of equipment though ;)
I hope that you give this one a try soon! As always, if you have questions, feel free to pop them in the comments and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
Free Pantry & Kitchen Equipment Guide
Everything you need for flavourful vegan meals that everyone will love, from my kitchen to yours.
Crispy Sheet Pan Shredded Tofu Topping
Ingredients
Spice Blend
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon sumac
Tofu
- 1 block firm or extra firm tofu (mine are 500 grams)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- spice blend (see above)
Equipment
- Box Grater
Notes
- Potato starch is an excellent substitute for cornstarch.
- Use any spices you like/that are appropriate for what you’re serving. I’m just sharing my go-to blend here to give you an idea of how much seasoning to use in general.
- I recommend being quite liberal with the salt and pepper if you can! Tofu loves good seasoning.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the spice blend. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried basil, and sumac. Stir to mix and set aside.
- Remove the tofu from the package. Place a box grater on top of a clean kitchen towel. Grate the tofu with the large holes of the box grater. Spread the shreds out on the towel and gently blot them dry. Transfer tofu shreds to a large bowl.
- To the tofu, add olive oil, salt, pepper, cornstarch, and the spice blend. Toss with a spatula until dry bits of cornstarch are no longer visible.
- Transfer the coated tofu shreds to the baking sheet and spread them out as much as possible. Pop the tofu in the oven and roast for 30-35 minutes, or until well-browned and crisp, flipping and tossing the tofu shreds with a spatula at the halfway point.
- Enjoy the tofu on top of a grain bowl, salad, in a wrap etc!
Do you think arrowroot powder could sub for cornstarch?
I think so! Generally cornstarch tolerates higher temperatures, but because it’s used as a coating here (not a sauce thickener), I think arrowroot should swap in fine.
-L
These look great and I’m definitely going to try them. How do they stand up in terms of leftovers? I often find that the coatings made with cornstarch aren’t great when reheated. I live alone so always have leftovers – any tips?
I was going to ask the very same thing!
Hi Elizabeth and Cathy!
The texture does not translate well with leftovers unfortunately. The tofu is still a bit chewy and tasty, but the crisp edge goes away. If you can source the smaller blocks of tofu (350 grams), I would grab one of those. Then, I would reduce the recipe by half and pop the other half of the tofu block in the freezer (possibly in a marinade) for a future use. Not sure if either of you have enjoyed tofu that’s had the freezer treatment before, but it is delightful! Or if you can easily use the other half of the block within a week, simply store it in a container with water in your fridge.
-L
That’s a great idea about halving the recipe. Thanks for the reply!
Sounds good – thank you!