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    Home » Tofu Recipes

    Crispy Peanut Pan Fried Tofu

    Lindsay Moe

    1864 shares
    pan fried peanut tofu on blue plates with rice and snow peas

    Crispy Peanut Pan Fried Tofu is a vegetarian main dish that is surprisingly easy to make! Extra firm tofu is dredged in a salty peanut and bread crumb coating to create a seriously crunchy tofu dinner!

    a red wood table with two blue plates, each holding pan fried peanut tofu, rice, and snow peas
    Jump to Recipe

    Tell me you’re not head over heels in love with any food that offers a good crunch.

    While my crispy tofu is, you know, CRISPY, I wanted to create a tofu recipe that had some serious crunch. I decided pan fried tofu was the best choice. Baking would also be a great option, but just doesn’t brown the coating as much as cooking on the stove top.

    This recipe is actually very plain as far as flavors go because I wanted to make a tofu dish that would appeal to kids. If you prefer more flavor and spice you can drizzle the finished tofu in sriracha, add sriracha to the egg mixture, or add a sprinkling of crushed red pepper flakes and freshly cracked black pepper to the breadcrumb mixture.

    If you don’t have a food processor you can definitely chop the peanuts by hand, just make sure you get them very finely chopped. No big chunks here! They should be about the same size as your breadcrumbs.

    tofu slices on a wood cutting board

    How do you press tofu?

    You can purchase a tofu press (<— affiliate link) for easy pressing, or follow my tutorial on how to easily press tofu without a tofu press.

    How do you make tofu crispy?

    We’re making super crispy crunchy tofu by pressing all the water out, then dredging slices in flour, egg, and a combination of bread crumbs and finely chopped peanuts. As I mentioned before, I like pan frying for the best color and texture.

    a bowl of tofu

    How do you pan fry tofu?

    Be sure to use enough coconut oil to reach up the sides of the tofu a little bit. Melt the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat, then cook the tofu in batches for two minutes per side. You may need to add a little extra coconut oil to the pan before cooking the second batch.

    pan fried peanut tofu on a blue plate with rice and snow peas

    Tips for customizing crispy peanut pan fried tofu

    • You could experiment with using a flax egg, aquafaba, or other egg replacer to keep this vegan
    • Use gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs to make this gluten-free
    • Add a sprinkling of sesame seeds to the peanut/breadcrumb mix
    • Sprinkle the finished tofu with toasted sesame seeds
    • Drizzle the finished tofu in your favorite Asian sauce such as teriyaki, sweet and sour, or peanut sauce

    If you make this recipe be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!

    blue plate with pan fried peanut tofu, rice, and snow peas
    a bowl of tofu
    peanut pan fried tofu on a plate with rice and veggies

    Crispy Peanut Pan Fried Tofu

    Extra firm tofu dredged in flour, egg, and a peanut bread crumb mixture, then pan fried until crispy.
    4.17 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 8 minutes
    Pressing Tofu: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 23 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 385kcal
    Author: Lindsay Moe

    Ingredients

    • 14 ounces extra firm tofu, sliced into three flat slabs and pressed, then sliced into large triangles
    • ½ cup lightly salted peanuts
    • ½ cup panko bread crumbs
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
    • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 egg
    • 2 tablespoons water
    • 3 tablespoons coconut oil
    • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, optional

    Instructions

    • Place peanuts in the bowl of a food processor. Turn the food processor on and let it run until the peanuts are finely chopped to the point of crumbs.
    • Transfer the chopped peanuts to a shallow bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, and salt. Stir together with a spoon or just mix it up with your fingers.
    • Place the flour in a separate shallow bowl.
    • In a third shallow bowl, whisk together the egg and water.
    • With one hand, coat one piece of tofu with flour, shaking off any excess. Using your other hand, dip it into the egg mixture, allowing any extra to drip off. Using your first hand again, flip the tofu around in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere to all sides.
    • In a large cast iron skillet, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add the tofu, working in batches if necessary so as not to crowd the pan. Allow to cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook 2 minutes more or until the coating is golden brown. Repeat with any remaining tofu, adding more coconut oil to the pan if necessary.
    • Serve the tofu sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds if desired.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 358mg | Potassium: 349mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 3.3mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @theliveinkitchen or tag #theliveinkitchen!

    More Tofu Recipes

    • How to Press Tofu With a Tofu Press
    • Scrambled Tofu
    • Pesto Tofu with Balsamic Vegetables
    • Vegan Ham

    Reader Interactions

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    1. vivian says

      January 01, 2019 at 6:35 pm

      5 stars
      This tofu was really delicious. I served it with stir fried vegetables and veggie spring rolls and really liked it. Thanks for a great recipe!

      Reply
      • Lindsay Moe says

        January 02, 2019 at 9:53 am

        That’s great to hear, thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    2. Stephanie B says

      March 14, 2022 at 10:38 pm

      I made this tonight and it was so so good! Made it per the recipe except I seasoned the flour with a little salt and pepper and hit it with a little coarse smoked salt when it was done frying. Delicious! I might try a sauce with it next time but it really doesn’t need it. Good flavor and perfect crunch.

      Reply
      • Lindsay Moe says

        March 16, 2022 at 5:14 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it! The smoked salt sounds divine!

        Reply
    3. Mimi says

      August 19, 2022 at 11:14 pm

      This sounds awesome and I’ll be making it soon, will report back later. Just wanted to say,
      I think you mean “dredging slices in flour,” not “dreading”! Hopefully you are looking forward to the dish while making it 😀

      Reply
      • Lindsay Moe says

        August 22, 2022 at 10:57 am

        For sure, haha! Thanks for pointing that out. Auto correct is not always my friend! I hope you enjoy the recipe.

        Reply
    4. Mimi says

      August 31, 2022 at 8:22 am

      5 stars
      I’m back and have made this now, using cashews instead of peanuts. It was really good! The nuttiness takes fried tofu to a whole new level. I put it on a kale salad.

      My one caution is that I didn’t need nearly as much flour as called for. Luckily I suspected this in advance because of similar dishes I’d made, so I started with 1/4 cup. I’d recommend starting with 1/4 cup because you can always add more if needed, but you can’t store the remaining flour if you start with too much.

      Anyway, this is a dish I’ll definitely be making again! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Lindsay Moe says

        September 01, 2022 at 8:16 am

        Yes, you will not need all that flour. For me it is easier to have more than too little since my hands will be all eggy from the breading, but it is totally fine to do it the other way! I’m glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply

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    lindsay moe in a kitchen with glasses on shelves behind her

    Hi, I'm Lindsay! I've been creating easily customizable vegetarian recipes since 2011. I love the outdoors, brownies, and brand new books. I live and work in La Crosse, Wisconsin and founded Wild Flour Media to expand on my love for food photography and videography to my community and beyond.

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    1864 shares