Tofu (Extra Firm)

Buy extra-firm or super-firm for anything crispy. Silken and soft are for soups and blending, and they'll fall apart in a pan no matter what you do. Super-firm (vacuum-packed, not floating in water) skips pressing entirely and is worth the extra dollar on a weeknight; it's the one I'd grab by default. Leftover raw tofu keeps 3–4 days in the fridge submerged in fresh water you change daily. And freezing isn't a mistake, it's a technique: thaw it, squeeze it, and it turns chewy and sponge-like and soaks up marinade far better than fresh.

Tofu has a bad reputation it doesn't deserve. Almost every soggy, bland block comes down to one thing: nobody removed the water. Press extra-firm tofu for 30 minutes, toss it in cornstarch, and it crisps up in the oven, air fryer, or a hot pan like something from a restaurant wok. Oh, and one pro tip: skip the knife. Tearing the block into rough chunks beats neat cubes every time. More craggy edges, more crunch. Every method below is built around getting it dry first.

Tofu is pasteurized during production, so unlike meat there's no internal temperature to hit. It's safe straight from the package and eating it cold out of the container is a legitimate move, not a weird one. That's why there's no temp on this page; you're cooking tofu for texture and flavor, not safety. The real concern is storage: refrigerate it, use an opened package within 3-4 days, and keep leftovers submerged in fresh water you change daily. Sour smell or cloudy, slimy water means toss it.