How to Reheat Tofu

Tofu is a form of vegan cheese whose flavor is as rich as its ancient history. It is prepared from soy milk and coagulants. Tofu comes readymade, but the dishes that you can make with tofu can be complex. Therefore, people often prepare tofu delicacies in large batches. However, if you fail at reheating tofu properly, it can become soggy and rubbery. This article explains the secrets of how to reheat tofu while retaining its texture and taste.

What Is Tofu?

What is Tofu
Tofu

For those of you who are new to tofu, it is best to know a little about it. Tofu is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk, and then the curds are pressed to form a solid. Cheese-like blocks. Tofu is also known as bean curd because it is prepared from soybeans. 

Originally, tofu is an ancient dish that finds its origin in Anhui, China. However, it became widely adopted in the recent few decades. With the rising number of animal lovers, vegan people don’t like to consume dairy bi-products. Moreover, tofu is a cheese substitute for people who are lactose intolerant. Therefore, people came up with a vegan substitute to feed the cheese cravings of both these people.

There are many dishes that you can make with tofu. Moreover, you can also consume fried tofu as a crispy, creamy snack. In any case, everyone loves tofu because of its yummy taste. If you still don’t know what tofu tastes like? I highly recommend eating tofu at least once.


Can you Reheat Tofu?

Tofu is widely used in various forms. Some dishes use crispy fried tofu, while others use chewy, soft tofu as a meat substitute. If you have some tofu in your fridge, I have good news; there is a way of reheating tofu without making it dry or soggy. 


How to Reheat Tofu in a Pan on the Stove Top?

The good thing about reheating tofu on a stovetop is that it retains the crispiness and the taste in the tofu. If you are wondering how to reheat fried tofu, the stovetop method is best for you. Furthermore, not everyone has access to a conventional oven in their kitchen. Yet there is a stove in every kitchen, without which it won’t be called a kitchen. Therefore, the stovetop method of reheating tofu is most economical and easy for everyone. 

  • Take out tofu from the fridge 10 minutes before reheating. This allows the tofu to become warm at room temperature.
  • Moreover, you can use this method for reheating tofu in every form, i.e., fried tofu snack or crisp tofu in a dish.
  • Take a frying pan and put 2 tsp oil in it.
  • Preheat the frying pan till you notice some bubbles in the oil.
  • Preheating the pan allows the tofu to become crispy and prevents it from sticking to the pan.
  • Carefully place tofu in the preheated pan and gently stir with a spoon.
  • Keep it stirring at 15 seconds intervals to avoid burning it from one side.
  • Reheating tofu in a pan on the stovetop requires about 5-8 minutes of cooking. So, remain patient and let it reheat properly.

Take out the tofu and let it sit for 2 minutes before serving. This way, your tofu can be served ready to eat.


The Most Effective Way to Reheat Soft Tofu: An Oven

The Most Effective Way to Reheat Soft Tofu
The Most Effective Way to Reheat Soft Tofu

Tofu is widely used in both crispy and soft forms. The method of reheating both these forms is different. Fried tofu requires slow cooking and a constant temperature; this is exactly what the oven does to your tofu. Moreover, the toaster oven reheats tofu even more conveniently because it uses fans to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the oven. 

  • Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Take out tofu from the fridge while the oven is being preheated.
  • Once you hear the preheat complete bell, let the oven sit for another 2 minutes to allow the heat to spread equally throughout.
  • Take a pan and cover its bottom with an aluminum sheet. This prevents the tofu from sticking to the bottom of the container.
  • If you are reheating crispy tofu, splash few drops of olive oil on tofu. In the case of soft tofu and breaded tofu, you don’t need to add any oil.
  • Place the tofu on the aluminum foil-covered pan and wrap it with some more aluminum sheet or the pan’s lid.
  • Put the pan in the oven and let it cook for at least 10 minutes before taking it out.
  • This allows the tofu to reheat equally both inside and out without overcooking.

Tip: If you want to reheat tofu even more quickly, you can use a toaster oven at 320 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes.


Using the Microwave to Reheat Tofu:

Many people ask can you microwave tofu? The answer is definitely! But at the right temperature. As a matter of fact, expert chefs recommend reheating soft tofu in the microwave to make it chewy and moist. However, the only problem is that tofu in the microwave can become soggy very quickly.

Therefore, when drying tofu in a microwave, you need to use it at low settings and only for a recommended duration. Moreover, it is not wise to reheat fried, crispy tofu in the microwave because it will lose all its texture and become soft and rubbery.

  • Place the tofu in the microwave dish. Be careful! Not to use aluminum foil to wrap tofu or even cover the dish.
  • Splash a few drops of water on the tofu to add external moisture and keeping it from becoming rubbery.
  • Place the dish in the microwave and heat on low power for 1 minute.
  • When the timer hits 30 seconds, pause it and stir the tofu a little and then continue for the remaining 30 seconds.
  • Moreover, it is wise to remain close to the microwave and turn it off as soon as you hear sizzling.
  • It is very common to overcook tofu, so follow these instructions very carefully.

Once the tofu is reheated, take it out and serve immediately. Don’t let it get cold, or else it will become very hard and chewy. Lastly, it is not wise to reheat the tofu twice.


How to Reheat Tofu By Steaming?

How to Reheat Tofu By Steaming?
How to Reheat Tofu By Steaming?

According to experts, the most suitable way to reheat soft tofu is to use a steamer. Steaming tofu helps it retain the soft texture without drying out. Moreover, steamed tofu retains the same yummy taste and makes it even easier to chew. However, this method is only suitable for plain tofu and not for tofu in a dish. Other than that, if you own a steamer, the best way to reheat soft tofu is to steam it.

  • Fill the pot of the apparatus quarterly with water. Heat the water on the stovetop or the steaming machine till it starts boiling.
  • Place tofu in a basket and hang it on the side of the steamer in such a way that it doesn’t touch the surface of the water.
  • Cook for 8 to 10 minutes without removing the lid, or else it will lose all the steam.
  • Take out the reheated tofu and let it sit for 2-4 minutes before serving or putting in the sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How to reheat tofu in the microwave?

The microwave method to reheat tofu is suitable for soft tofu. You should splash some water on tofu and cook in the microwave for 1 minute at low settings.

How to reheat marinated tofu steak?

You can use either a stovetop or conventional oven to reheat tofu steak. However, make sure to add few drops of oil before heating.

How long do you reheat tofu soup?

To reheat tofu soup, the timing depends on the medium you use for reheating. For instance, stovetop requires 10-12 minutes, oven requires 8 minutes, and microwave requires 1 minute.

How to reheat takeout crispy tofu?

The best way to reheat crispy tofu is to refry it in 2 tsp oil in a pan on the stovetop for 5 minutes. Moreover, you need to keep stirring at short intervals.

How do you reheat soft tofu to make it less mushy?

Soft tofu needs to be reheated either in a steamer or in the microwave to make it less mushy.


Conclusion:

Tofu is consumed in various forms all over the world. It is a vegan substitute for cheese and meat. People often have leftover tofu in their fridge with no idea of how to reheat tofu. I hope this article has helped you understand the reheating requirements of tofu.

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