Give Your Tofu A Crispy Overhaul With A Waffle Iron

All it takes to fall in love with tofu again (or for the first time) is a little creative presentation— and with that in mind, it's time to bust out the waffle iron. Tofu waffles are the 100% vegan shortcut to achieving crispy fried tofu for easy, healthy, everyday meals, and a playful way to keep tofu interesting (or sneak it past picky eaters). Plus, tofu waffles don't require any additional ingredients beyond a brick of tofu.

To make them, drain and slice the tofu into slabs that are roughly as thick as your desired waffle will be, yet thin enough that you can properly close the lid of the iron. Then, season the strips as you please, and pop them in the waffle iron to cook. You can iron the strips individually for crispy tofu waffle sticks, or place multiple strips side-by-side to compress into a single larger waffle.

The key here is heat, and the name of the game for creating a mouth-watering tofu waffle is "extra crispy." Firm or extra-firm tofu works best for creating waffles with enough structural integrity to hold their shape and retain a toothy chew. Be sure to adequately drain the tofu to achieve mouth-watering golden crispy edges on your strips in the waffle maker. For an extra crispy finish, you could also dredge your tofu strips in cornstarch before ironing them. From there, simply load 'em up with any toppings of your choice and enjoy.

This tip is about frying strips of firm or extra firm tofu in a waffle iron, but that doesn't mean you can't also whip up a protein-packed waffle batter of your own using soft tofu. Try mixing soft tofu into a batter with egg or egg replacer, scallions, and shredded potatoes to make a hearty scallion pancake.

Serve this as a dish on its own topped with any flavorful seasonings or spices you might like to add. You could also garnish with diagonally sliced green onions, or black and white sesame seeds. From gochujang to sriracha, peanut butter and soy sauce, taco seasoning, shredded cheese, maple syrup, curry sauce, sesame oil, chimichurri, smashed avocado, pickled red onion, cabbage slaw, and spicy chili oil, options are only limited by your imagination.

These savory waffles are highly versatile, with the ability to fit into a variety of different recipes. Serve them for Sunday brunch alongside a spinach scramble and some roasted tomatoes. You could slice these crispy tofu waffles into bite-sized pieces and mix them into a bowl of pickled vegetables or a skillet stir-fry. For lunch, use these tofu waffles as the "bread" for a variety of different sandwiches or as the crispy base for mini personal pizzas. Tofu waffles would also make for a savory umami take on fried chicken and waffles with a sticky Asian sesame glaze to finish.