• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
My Plantiful Cooking
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Meesha
  • Newsletter
  • Breakfast
  • Mains
  • Desserts
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Sides

    Crispy Shredded Tofu

    Published: May 29, 2023 by Jim Mee Sha · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    A graphic with 2 images of a plate of shredded tofu with text between the images.
    Graphic with an image of a plate of shredded tofu with a fork beside with text at the bottom.
    A plate of shredded tofu with a fork beside with text overlay.

    If you are looking for a unique way to cook tofu, try this shredded tofu! It is crispy, packed with flavors, and is a great meatless substitute for shredded chicken. This recipe is also incredibly easy to make! 

    A plate of shredded tofu served with a fork with 2 glasses of water beside.

    Since discovering shredded tofu, it has been a staple in our fridge! It is an easy and convenient way to add protein to my meals. I love adding it to salads and stir-fries like my stir-fry rice vermicelli. 

    Jump to:
    • 💚Why you will love this recipe 
    • 🧂What you will need 
    • 📃Ingredient notes and substitutions 
    • 🔪How to make 
    • ✅Helpful tips 
    • ✨Variations and add-ins 
    • 🥗How to serve 
    • ❄️Storing suggestions 
    • ❔Commonly asked questions
    • 🍽️More vegan tofu recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    💚Why you will love this recipe 

    • Shredding tofu helps it absorb the seasonings better and resemble the texture of shredded chicken
    • Incredibly versatile - goes well in salads, stir-fries, soups, sandwiches, and burrito bowls 
    • Great for meal prep! 
    • A good source of plant-based protein

    🧂What you will need 

    Ingredients needed like tofu, stock powder, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, and soy sauce.

    📃Ingredient notes and substitutions 

    • Tofu - Make sure to use extra-firm tofu. You do not need to press it beforehand. 
    • Soy sauce - Can be substituted with tamari or shoyu. Use a gluten-free brand if needed. 
    • Nutritional yeast - an optional ingredient, gives shredded tofu some umami flavor. 

    🔪How to make 

    Shred the tofu - Drain and remove tofu from the package, and gently pat it dry with a kitchen towel. Grate tofu into thin pieces using a cheese grater. 

    Add seasonings - In a large bowl, place in grated tofu, onion, and garlic powder, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Toss until the seasonings are evenly distributed. 

    A plate of shredded tofu on a white checkered teacloth.
    A bowl of seasoned shredded tofu with a fork beside on a white teacloth.

    Cook tofu - Heat a tablespoon of oil in a cast-iron skillet or non-stick pan over medium-high. Add tofu and spread it evenly on the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, untouched, before flipping over and cooking for another 2-3 minutes on the other side. 

    A pan of shredded tofu with 2 teaspoons beside.

    Serve - You can enjoy shredded tofu as it is or use it in other recipes. 

    ✅Helpful tips 

    • Use extra-firm tofu - Other types of tofu, like medium or soft, is not firm enough to be shredded. Firm tofu can be used in a pinch, but it is recommended to press it first with a tofu press or by stacking something heavy on top. 
    • Do not constantly stir it during cooking - Instead, spread it out and let it cook untouched for 2-3 minutes before flipping it over to the other side. This will yield crispy tofu. 
    • Adjust seasoning to your liking - After cooking shredded tofu, give it a taste, adding more salt or pepper if needed. 

    ✨Variations and add-ins 

    Mexican style - Add ½ teaspoon of ground cumin, paprika (smoked or regular), chili powder, and oregano each to the tofu. 

    Chinese-inspired - You can replace parts of the salt with more soy sauce and add a generous drizzle of sesame oil. Feel free to add other Chinese seasonings like hoisin sauce and oyster sauce. 

    BBQ - Stir in a couple tablespoons of your favorite store-bought or homemade BBQ sauce. 

    A plate of shredded tofu with a fork beside.

    🥗How to serve 

    Here are some fun ways to serve your shredded tofu - 

    • To top salads - An easy way to add protein to salads. Any salad will work, but I especially love adding this tofu to my romaine lettuce avocado salad. 
    •  In wraps and sandwiches - This shredded tofu works great as a filling for wraps, quesadillas, and sandwiches! 
    • To make rice bowls and burrito bowls - Serve your tofu with rice, black beans, steamed veg of choice, and a generous serving of salsa or paprika hummus for a simple yet delicious meal. 
    • Add it to stir-fries - like my Japanese vegetable stir-fry or Indonesian fried noodles. 
    • As a topping for soups - Adding shredded tofu to soups gives them extra texture and flavor. 

    ❄️Storing suggestions 

    This shredded tofu can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can either reheat it in the microwave before serving or add it straight from the fridge to your dishes. 

    Hence, I love making a large batch on the weekends as part of my meal prep. This recipe is scalable, so feel free to double or triple the batch! 

    ❔Commonly asked questions

    Can I shred tofu in the food processor?

    You can shred tofu in the food processor, but the texture will resemble minced meat more. Be careful not to overdo the blending, as the tofu might turn into mush.

    What is the difference between firm tofu and extra-firm tofu?

    As its name suggests, extra-firm tofu is denser and has a lower water content when compared to firm tofu. Hence, it will hold up better during cooking. 

    For this recipe, you can use firm tofu in a pinch but do press them using a tofu press or stacking something heavy on top before using.

    🍽️More vegan tofu recipes

    • A bowl of pho served with spoon with chopsticks, green onion, and condiments beside.
      Vegan Pho with Tofu
    • A plate of rice and tomato sauce tofu served with a spoon with 2 cups of tea beside.
      Vietnamese Tofu in Tomato Sauce
    • Vegan Tofu Adobo
    • A plate of dumplings served with soy sauce with a pair of chopsticks and 2 cups of tea beside.
      Vegan Chinese Tofu Dumplings

    If you did make this recipe, do leave a rating and comment down below, we love hearing from you! Subscribe to My Plantiful Cooking to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get the latest updates. 😉

    📖 Recipe

    A plate of shredded tofu with a fork beside with 2 glasses of water beside.

    Crispy Shredded Tofu

    Meesha
    If you are looking for a unique way to cook tofu, try this shredded tofu! It is crispy, packed with flavors, and is a great meatless substitute for shredded chicken. This recipe is also incredibly easy to make! 
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 6 minutes mins
    Total Time 11 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 3 servings
    Calories 129 kcal

    Equipment

    • non-stick pan

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 block extra-firm tofu (around 14oz/400g)*
    • 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari/shoyu (use gluten-free if needed)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast optional
    • ½ teaspoon vegetable stock powder **(optional, see notes)
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil or other neutral-tasting oil
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Drain and remove tofu from the package, and gently pat it dry with a kitchen towel. Grate tofu into thin pieces using a cheese grater.
    • In a large bowl, place in grated tofu along with all of the seasonings. Toss until everything is well-mixed.
    • Heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet or non-stick pan over medium-high. Add tofu and spread it evenly on the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, untouched, before flipping over and cooking for another 2-3 minutes on the other side.
    • You can enjoy shredded tofu as it is or use it in other recipes.

    Notes

    *Extra-firm tofu - Can be substituted with firm tofu, but do press it beforehand, either using a tofu press or by stacking something heavy on top.
     
    **Stock powder - I recommend using a chicken-flavored one, like this Massel chicken-flavored stock powder. Feel free to omit, but you might need to add more salt. 
     
    Helpful tips
    • Do not constantly stir it during cooking - Instead, spread it out and let it cook untouched for 2-3 minutes before flipping it over to the other side. This will yield crispy tofu. 
    • Adjust seasoning to your liking - After cooking shredded tofu, give it a taste, adding more salt or pepper if needed.
    • Storing - Leftover shredded tofu can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 129kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 12gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 390mgPotassium: 276mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 2mg

    Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.

    Did you make this recipe ?Tag @myplantifulcooking on Instagram !

    More Sides

    • Holding a bowl of tofu vegetable soup with teacloth and chopped green onion beside.
      Chinese Tofu Vegetable Soup
    • Plate of biryani served with spoon.
      Rice Cooker Vegetable Biryani
    • A plate of sambal goreng with a fork beside with 2 glasses of water and a bowl of biryani beside.
      Indonesian Sambal Goreng
    • Plate of cabbage curry serve with spoon with a bowl of rice beside.
      Cabbage Curry (Indian-style)

    Reader Interactions

    Join the discussion ! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Meesha standing at a port with a cruise in the background.

    Hi, I am Meesha, the human behind My Plantiful Cooking! Expect to find plant-powered recipes that are easy to make and wholesome without compromising on taste.

    More about me →

    🥗Comforting cold weather meals

    • A bowl of Massaman curry served with rice with a bowl of curry and peanuts beside.
      Vegan Tofu Massaman Curry
    • Bowl of rice and curry served on a plate with a fork beside.
      Vegan Japanese Curry with Tofu
    • A bowl of laksa served with a pair of chopsticks and a ceramic spoon beside.
      Creamy Vegan Laksa
    • Vegan Tofu Adobo
    • A bowl of oats served with a spoon with banana slices and blueberries beside.
      Creamy Protein Steel Cut Oats
    • A claypot of kimchi soup on a checkered white teacloth with rice and chopped green onion beside.
      Vegan Kimchi Jjigae (kimchi stew)

    💚Reader's favorites

    • PB2 cookies on a white surface with bowl of sea salt, a spoonful of peanut butter and jar of PB2 beside.
      Healthy PB2 Peanut Butter Powder Cookies
    • Pasta salad in a white bowl with fork. There are cherry tomatoes and black peppercorns in the background.
      High-protein Pasta Salad (low-calorie, vegan)
    • A bowl of tomato chickpeas with spoon and toasted bread beside.
      Chickpeas in Tomato Sauce
    • A pan of soya chunks masala topped with chopped cilantro with bowl of rice and cilantro beside.
      Flavorsome Soya Chunks Dry Masala
    • A pan of stir-fry vegetables with rice, water, green onion, and sesame seeds beside.
      Korean Gochujang Stir-fry Vegetables
    • Crispy Oven Roasted Lentils

    Meesha standing at a port with a cruise in the background.

    Hi, I am Meesha, the human behind My Plantiful Cooking! Expect to find plant-powered recipes that are easy to make and wholesome without compromising on taste.

    More about me →

    🥗Comforting cold weather meals

    • A bowl of Massaman curry served with rice with a bowl of curry and peanuts beside.
      Vegan Tofu Massaman Curry
    • Bowl of rice and curry served on a plate with a fork beside.
      Vegan Japanese Curry with Tofu
    • A bowl of laksa served with a pair of chopsticks and a ceramic spoon beside.
      Creamy Vegan Laksa
    • Vegan Tofu Adobo
    • A bowl of oats served with a spoon with banana slices and blueberries beside.
      Creamy Protein Steel Cut Oats
    • A claypot of kimchi soup on a checkered white teacloth with rice and chopped green onion beside.
      Vegan Kimchi Jjigae (kimchi stew)

    💚Reader's favorites

    • PB2 cookies on a white surface with bowl of sea salt, a spoonful of peanut butter and jar of PB2 beside.
      Healthy PB2 Peanut Butter Powder Cookies
    • Pasta salad in a white bowl with fork. There are cherry tomatoes and black peppercorns in the background.
      High-protein Pasta Salad (low-calorie, vegan)
    • A bowl of tomato chickpeas with spoon and toasted bread beside.
      Chickpeas in Tomato Sauce
    • A pan of soya chunks masala topped with chopped cilantro with bowl of rice and cilantro beside.
      Flavorsome Soya Chunks Dry Masala
    • A pan of stir-fry vegetables with rice, water, green onion, and sesame seeds beside.
      Korean Gochujang Stir-fry Vegetables
    • Crispy Oven Roasted Lentils

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 My Plantiful Cooking