Crunchy Fried Bean Curd Snack 🥢 Recipe
Light, crispy, and packed with soy goodness! Fresh bean curd fried until golden brown, then seasoned with authentic Thai spices. Crispy, crunchy, and packed with flavor—your perfect anytime guilt-free snack.
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Bean curd & coating
Frying & finishing
Thai-style seasoning powder
Method
Bean curd & coating
Prepare bean curd
Remove the block of firm bean curd from packaging and drain any excess liquid. Pat dry gently but thoroughly with paper towels. Cut into bite-sized rectangles or triangles, about 2.5 cm (1 in) thick. Pat the cut pieces again to remove surface moisture — drier pieces crisp up better.
Make the dry coating
In a shallow bowl or plate combine cornstarch, rice flour, crushed rice vermicelli (if using), salt, white pepper, and garlic powder. Mix until uniform.
Form a light batter
In a small bowl whisk together 3 tablespoons water with 1 tablespoon of the dry coating mixture to form a thin, slightly pasty batter (enough to help the dry coating adhere). The batter should be thin — it’s only a glue layer, not a heavy batter.
Coat the pieces
Working in batches, lightly brush or dip each tofu piece in the thin batter, then press into the dry coating mixture to evenly coat all sides. Shake off excess coating and place on a tray lined with parchment. Let coated pieces rest 5–10 minutes to set; this helps the coating adhere and reduces falling crumbs during frying.
Frying & finishing
Heat oil
Pour oil into a deep saucepan or wok to a depth of about 5–7 cm. Heat the oil over medium-high until it reaches 175–180°C (350–360°F). If you don’t have a thermometer, test by dropping a small piece of coating into the oil — it should sizzle and float up within a few seconds without browning immediately.
Fry the bean curd
Fry the coated pieces in small batches (do not overcrowd) for 3–5 minutes per batch, turning occasionally, until they turn golden brown and puff slightly. Maintain oil temperature; lower the heat a little if they brown too quickly. Use a slotted spoon to transfer fried pieces to a wire rack or paper towel-lined tray to drain excess oil.
Double-fry for extra crunch (optional)
For extra crispiness, after the first fry and 2–3 minutes of resting, return the pieces to oil heated to 190°C (375°F) and fry for an additional 45–60 seconds until very crisp. Drain again on a rack.
Make seasoning powder
While frying, combine dried chili flakes, ground roasted peanuts, toasted shredded coconut (if using), sugar, fish sauce or mushroom seasoning, lime zest, and fine sea salt in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust salt, sugar, or heat as desired. If using fish sauce, the powder will be slightly moist; if you want a drier powder, use mushroom seasoning or reduce the amount of liquid seasoning.
Season the fried pieces
While the fried bean curd is still hot and a little oily, transfer a small batch into a large bowl, sprinkle 1–2 teaspoons of the seasoning mixture over them, and toss gently to coat evenly. The residual oil helps the seasoning adhere. Repeat with remaining batches, seasoning to taste. Garnish with cilantro leaves if desired and serve immediately with lime wedges.