Vegan Crispy Shredded Tofu
This crispy shredded tofu recipe is so easy to make. It’s incredibly versatile, uses only 5-ingredients and is ready in just 20 minutes!
If you want to add more protein to your meals, this is the perfect way to do so. We’ve fallen head over heels for this recipe, and I’m so excited to share it with you all as I haven’t seen anything like it online!
We use organic firm tofu often in our household as we try to eat higher protein meals.
One day I experimented with tofu and how it can be done in different ways and decided to peel it instead of crump, slice, or cube it. It was a genius idea!
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Not only does it marinate and cook faster, but it adds such a great texture to your dishes. It has the perfect balance of crispness and natural softness that thin pieces of tofu bring.
What type of tofu should I use for this recipe?
I use firm tofu. I find that it holds the shape I want it to best while breaking up if needed.
You can try it with extra-firm tofu, but I haven’t used it myself, so I can’t tell you how it will turn out from personal experience.
Side note: Please use organic, GM-free tofu if you have access to it.
Tips for making this crispy shredded tofu
Even though this recipe couldn’t be more straightforward, here are some tips and tricks to get the best crispy shredded tofu.
- Only use firm tofu as mentioned above as others won’t give you the same results.
- Adjust the seasoning (tamari or soy sauce) to your liking, but I found that 3-4 tablespoons is the perfect amount to satisfy most palates.
- If you want deeper flavours, marinate it over a few hours or even overnight in the fridge.
- Using a peeler is crucial in this recipe to get the right texture of the tofu. Please don’t try and swap it for anything else. The only other method that may work is if you slice it VERY thinly by hand or use a mandoline, but even then, you won’t get those nice odd-shaped thin strips of tofu.
- Using an airtight container is the best way to “toss” the tofu to distribute the marinade evenly.
- This is a great base recipe for you to add your own flavour combinations, too—depending on what you’d like to use it for. I like it simple 🙂
- I’m based in Australia, so my measuring spoons are, unfortunately, slightly different from the ones you get in the US. Please keep that in mind when making my recipes. My tablespoon measurements are 15ml instead of 20ml.
How can this tofu be used with meals?
This recipe is SO versatile, and there are plenty of ways that you can use it. Here are a few suggestions!
- Part of Buddha bowls
- Part of noodle bowls
- In a stir fry
- In a wrap (think kebab wraps or pitas)
- Tossed through fried rice
- In place of pulled pork, chicken, or beef
- In a burger or sandwich
- Added to salad
- In place of jackfruit in some recipes
This recipe is:
- Sugar-free
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
- Gluten-free
- Versatile
- Flavourful
- Great source of protein
- Healthy
Now that I have your mouth watering, let me share how simple it is to make this delicious, succulent, quick, and easy crispy shredded tofu recipe!
Other delicious recipes you’ll love:
- Vegan Buddha Bowls Three Ways
- Easy 5-Minute Vegan Peanut Sauce
- Vegan Noodle Bowl (Gluten-Free)
- Lemongrass Tofu
- Vegan Falafel Wraps
- Mushroom Fajitas
- Turkish-Style Shredded Tofu Wraps
If you try this recipe, let me know! We’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below. If you want to go that extra mile, tag us on Instagram or share your photo of the recipe on Pinterest.
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Vegan Crispy Shredded Tofu
- Prep Time: 7 minutes
- Marinating Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 serves
Description
Quick & easy marinated crispy shredded tofu that will enhance any meal using only 5-ingredients. It’s a great versatile recipe to add to your repertoire!
Ingredients
- 300g / 10.58 ounces firm tofu
- 3–4 tablespoons tamari*
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil
Instructions
- Using a peeler, peel strips of tofu into a food container. I peel strips of all different sizes to keep the texture of the tofu interesting.
- Add the tamari, garlic powder, sweet paprika and 1 tablespoon of oil.
- Place the lid on the container and give it a really good shake in all different directions for around 30 seconds until all the tofu is covered in the marinade ingredients.
- Let it sit for at least 5 minutes.
- Place a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Once the pan has warmed up, add the other 2 tablespoons of oil.
- Add the tofu and spread it out evenly. Cook it while occasionally stirring so that the tofu crisps up on the edges. This should take around 8-10 minutes.
- I like mine to have some soft pieces, but you can cook it longer if you want them to be crispier.
- Serve with your favourite dish. I love it in a Buddha bowl, wrap, noodle bowl, or salad.
Notes
Tamari: Use less if using soy sauce as it’s saltier.
Please refer to tips and tricks further up in the post.
Want more Middle-Eastern flavours? Try the shredded tofu in this wrap!
- Diet: Vegan
A hit! I’ve had very little luck with extra firm tofu absorbing the marinades I make for them. The slicing of the tofu is genius, and it made the tofu super flavorful and gave it a great texture. I am looking forward to trying the same method and using liquid smoke for some BBQ tacos/burgers.
I used the HODO brand of tofu should anyone not have luck with other brands. This recipe popped up when I needed something easy and quick after a long day. This is going to be a go-to meal.
I’m so glad you liked it! And thanks for sharing 😊 Would you mind leaving a rating with your review next time? It really helps more people find this recipe. Thank you! x
here you go!
Will shredding with the peeler work with tofu that is frozen and pressed?
I haven’t tried it but I don’t see why not 🙂
I used regular tofu but some strips still held up nicely and didn’t crumble. Paired it with buckwheat and sautéed vegetables. This might be the first time I couldn’t actually taste the tofu, loved it and will make again!
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it, Justina! Thanks for the lovely review x
This was a really great recipe, as a family we are trying to incorporate more plant based protein. The only thing I added was a couple of tablespoons of brown rice flour to coat the pieces right before frying. The pieces came out beautifully crispy!
Glad you enjoyed it! Love the little flour trick, thanks for sharing 🙂
Flavors were great! Unfortunately I had little to no success peeling the tofu. I did use firm tofu and got some strips out of about half but the rest crumbled. By the time I shook it up in the container to marinate the existing peelings also turned into crumbles. Any other tips for getting the strips to hold? Would make again, but would treat it as a scramble…
Hi Erin, sorry you didn’t have much success with peeling the tofu. It’s the firmness of the tofu. I have found that some tofu that’s labelled ‘firm’ is softer than others. So I’d say that was the culprit. Try an extra firm with that same brand or try another brand of tofu. You will get a little bit of crumble, but nowhere near as much as you described. I hope you have better luck next time! Let me know how you go 🙂
Looking forward to try this recipe. Sounds delicious!
I hope you love it!
Its fantastic – much better than cubes or slices for vegan fried rice, and so flavoursome. As there’s tamari (or soy sauce) in the tofu marinade, I omitted the soy sauce ingredient in the fried rice. The family (All non-vegans except me)loved it – as did I!
Glad you enjoyed it, Terry! Sounds like the perfect addition to fried rice 🙂 Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings really help us and readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thank you!
I am trying this. I had extra firm tofu on hand. It does not peel well at all. Tried the veg peeler, and 2 mandolin slicers. Got some slices and lots of crumbles and chunks breaking off. Next time, I will use firm, not extra firm, and I will try draining and pressing ahead. This looks good on paper, but this time it did not work really well. Will keep trying to see if I get good results. BTW, how long can you leave the tofu marinating?
Hi Kathy, I only saw your comment now! Sorry to hear that you didn’t have much success with extra firm tofu. They also vary from brand to brand. But firm tofu sounds like the way to go in the future. You can leave it to marinate for up to 24 hours.
Turned out great! I used my air fryer and skipped the extra 2 tablespoons of oil…seemed to work out fine!
Glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Next time if you could leave a rated review, that would be really helpful for us and other readers. Thanks!
Do you dry/press the tofu before peeling?
I personally don’t, but you can!
This recipe looks AMAZING!! Any thoughts on baking it vs frying if we’re trying to cut down on oil?
Hi Susan, I haven’t tried it myself and I’d worry that baking it would dry it out too much and you wouldn’t get those nice crisp edges without the oil. Please let me know how you go if you try it 🙂
I used my air fryer and skipped the extra 2 tablespoons of oil…seemed to work out fine!