Five Spice Tofu with crispy seasoned tofu tossed in a sticky sauce is an explosion of flavours. It's the perfect combination of sweet, savoury, spicy and tangy and it's really quick and easy to make.
Press the tofu for at least 30 minutes. Either use a tofu press or wrap the block of tofu in a clean dish towel and stack some heavy things (like cookbooks and canned foods)on top of it. While it's pressing make the sauce.
For the sauce
Add the cornstarch to a small pan and slowly add the vinegar, stirring as you go to work out any lumps.
Now add all of the other sauce ingredients and stir well.
Place over medium-low heat and keep stirring until it becomes thick and silky. Don't stop stirring as it will get lumpy. It will take about 10 minutes. Once thick turn down to the lowest setting possible and keep warm while you make the tofu. Or turn it off completely and reheat again when you are ready.
For the tofu
Cut the pressed tofu into ½ inch cubes.
In a large bowl, mix the Chinese five-spice and salt into the cornstarch.
Add the tofu cubes to the flour mixture and toss to coat every cube. I find fingers the best option for doing this as you are less likely to break the tofu pieces.
Heat a non-stick frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. (to oven-bake or air fry the tofu with no oil see recipe notes)
Once it is very hot, add the tofu. Cook until golden brown and crispy on all sides, tossing frequently. It will take 5 to 10 minutes.
Add enough sauce to the pan to coat the tofu, allowing it to cook for a couple of minutes until sticky, then serve immediately with the remaining sauce.
Video
Notes
To oven bake the tofu Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat the tofu as per the recipe. Spread out evenly on a lined baking tray and bake for 15 minutes. Toss then bake for about another 15 minutes or to your liking. Toss the tofu cubes in the hot sauce and serve. To air fry the tofuCoat the tofu as per the recipe then cook at 370° F for 20 minutes, giving it a good shake after 10 minutes. All air fryers are different though, so be sure to keep an eye on it and adjust the cooking time if necessary. Toss the tofu cubes in the hot sauce and serve. Success tips
Use extra-firm tofu. Don't try using a different type as you won't get the best results.
For a really great tofu texture press the tofu. For anything to get crispy it needs to be dry, so by removing as much water from your tofu as possible, you set yourself up for success. A tofu press makes the job easy but is not necessary. Just wrap it in a clean dishtowel then use something heavy like a stack of cookbooks or a cast iron skillet with some cans in it to weigh it down.
Do notswap the cornstarch for arrowroot when dredging your tofu cubes. It does not work in the same way as cornstarch and you'll end up with a sticky, gluey mess in your skillet when you try to fry it.
Although I include details in the notes for how to bake the tofu oil-free, I highly recommend pan-frying it if you can for optimum crispy edges and texture.
If you don't have a non-stick pan it would probably be better to bake the tofu rather than try pan-frying it.
Prepping aheadI don't recommend making the crispy tofu ahead because it tastes way better when fresh, but the sauce can be made in advance and stored in the fridge or freezer. It keeps well for up to 1 week in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. If frozen, defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently in a pan on the stove.LeftoversIt's best eaten fresh, but leftovers can be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 3 days and warmed through gently in a skillet before serving.