These gluten-free Crispy Sesame Seared Tofu Strips will make you do your food happy dance. The tofu is so full of flavor from the easy, sweet and spicy sauce. Even you tofu-deniers will love this one, pinky swear!

Sesame seared tofu strips on a bed of spinach topped with sesame seeds and seaweed strips presented on a long gray serving plate with black chopsticks on the side.

I'm obsessed with TOFU! Seriously! So I wanted to come up with something new to add to my recipe repertoire! There's only so much stir-fry tofu you can eat, am I right? Get ready kids ---> tofu recipe is a winner! Gorgeous, golden-brown and crispy tofu strips are just begging to be eaten!

Extra firm tofu cut into thick slices on a wooden cutting board with a chef's knife on the side.

How to prep the tofu:

Make sure to use extra firm tofu for this recipe so the tofu doesn't fall apart. They will crisp up nicely with the cornstarch coating (low fat too!).
You can purchase extra firm tofu at just about any grocery store. I get mine at Trader Joe's because I like the consistency of their tofu. And it's always in stock! For this recipe, cut the tofu into even strips as shown above.
Dry the tofu with a kitchen towel or paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible. You may need to let it sit in the towel for 30 minutes to absorb the liquid.
Cut the tofu into thick strips, about ¾ inches thick.

Tofu strips dredged in cornstarch in a ceramic dish on top of a marble surface.

5. Dredge the extra firm tofu in plain cornstarch. No need to add salt and pepper to the dredge because the flavoring will be in the sauce.

Crispy golden-brown tofu strips searing up in cast iron skillet with an oven mitt on the side!

6. Fry up the tofu in a heavy cast iron or heavy skillet using just two tablespoons of canola oil. Cook on all sides to get a beautiful golden brown crust. Remove the tofu from the pan and place on paper towels to soak up the extra oil.

Asian sauce ingredients, gluten-free soy sauce, sesame oil, sambal oelek, rice vinegar, honey, and fresh ginger and garlic on a marble surface.

How to make the perfect sauce:

So what about the sauce? That's the flavor bomb here, sweet and spicy and so memorable! You can use gluten-free soy sauce (or low-sodium soy if you're not gluten-free), rice vinegar, sesame oil, sambal oelek (for the kick), honey (to mellow it out), lime zest, garlic, and ginger. BAM! Thicken the sauce with a little cornstarch/water combo.
Don't get freaked out by all of these ingredients. Once you have them in your pantry you can use these in so many recipes! (See this link for Asian cooking essentials.) These are the staples for most good Asian sauces and dips. This sweet & spicy sauce for the tofu is the flavor bomb in this recipe!
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, lime zest, sambal oelek, honey, ginger, and garlic. In a small prep bowl, whisk together the 1 tablespoon cornstarch and warm water until thoroughly combined with no lumps.

Golden-brown sesame seared tofu strips searing up in a cast iron skillet.

Searing the tofu strips

Take a look at that gorgeous color with the sauce! Perfection every time. This sweet and spicy sauce will truly rock your world!

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat with the canola oil, brush or tilt the pan to coat evenly. Add the tofu strips to the pan and fry for about 3 minutes on each side, or until tofu is nicely golden brown and crispy. Remove the tofu from the pan and place on paper towels to blot the oil.
Keeping the pan on low to medium heat, add the sauce and cornstarch mixture to the pan. Stir until the sauce begins to bubble and thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the tofu strips back into the pan and thoroughly coat with the sauce mixture. Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds, tossing briefly.

Golden-brown sesame seared tofu strips searing up in a cast iron skillet with a wooden spatula and oven mitt on the side.

TIP: Using a heavy cast iron skillet for this recipe is ideal. It helps with the browning and heat distribution (unless you have a stove top with uneven heat). I like to use my cast iron as much as possible!

I wanted to make it super pretty for the presentation, so I nestled the tofu on a bed of fresh spinach leaves and garnished it with more toasted sesame seeds, green onions, and organic nori strips (very thin strips of seaweed). This dish is perfect as a starter, or make it a main course. Either way, you'll want to keep this recipe in your collection for years to come!

TIP & TRICKS

You really don't need to use a lot of oil in the pan to fry these up. As long as you have thoroughly dried the tofu, the strips should brown up nicely with the corn starch coating!
I used fresh spinach to place the tofu on top of, but you can use rice, fresh kale, bok choy, or whatever floats your boat!

WANT MORE?

If you like this recipe, you're going to love my Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu recipe! These are one of my most popular recipes on the blog and are a perfect appetizer for a dinner party!

Update Notes: This post was originally published on May 21, 2018, but was republished with slight text changes and additions, like step by step instructions and tips in April 2019.