This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Crispy lemon pepper tofu is a restaurant-style dish that’s packed with flavor. 1 pan 30 minute dinner. The vibrant, lemony sauce is slightly sweet and so addictive!
Table of Contents
This is a tangy, sweet, and lemony tofu dish. It is best with freshly-squeezed lemon juice and is amazingly refreshing!
You make both the tofu and the sauce together in one pan, so lemon pepper tofu makes a delicious, easy, 30 minute weeknight dinner!
Why You’ll Love Lemon Pepper Tofu
- crispy tofu in vibrant, lemony sauce
- one-pan dish, perfect for weeknight meals
- naturally nut-free with gluten-free option
More Lemon Recipes
Lemon Pepper Tofu
Ingredients
For the tofu:
- 12 ounces extra firm tofu, pressed for at least 15 minutes and then cubed or sliced as you like
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, or tapioca starch
- 2 teaspoons oil
For the sauce:
- 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce, or use tamari for gluten-free
- 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon or more lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup, or another sweetener of choice
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with 1/2 cup of water
For garnish:
- chopped green onion, sesame seeds
Instructions
- Press and cube the tofu if you haven’t already. Add the cubed tofu to a bowl with salt & pepper and toss well. Sprinkle in the cornstarch and toss well to coat. If the tofu is still somewhat sticky then add a little bit more cornstarch (1-2 teaspoons at a time).
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Once hot, transfer the coated tofu to the skillet and cook for 6-9 minutes until golden on most edges.
- Move the tofu to one side of the skillet. Add the soy sauce, lemon juice, zest, maple syrup, garlic powder, black and white pepper, and salt. Mix well. (For variation , add 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or 1 dried red chili for heat)
- Add the cornstarch slurry and mix well. Once it starts to thicken, mix in the tofu and toss to coat. Taste and adjust salt and flavor. Switch off the heat and serve over cooked rice or quinoa.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- tofu – Make sure to press your tofu for at least 15 minutes before cubing or slicing. You don’t want it too watery!
- salt and pepper – To season the tofu cubes and the sauce.
- cornstarch – Makes the tofu crispy on the outside and to thicken the sauce, so it clings to the crispy tofu. You can use tapioca starch instead, if needed.
- oil – To pan fry the tofu.
- soy sauce – Adds saltiness, umami, and moisture to the lemon pepper sauce. Use tamari for glutenfree
- lemon juice – Freshly squeezed is best in this recipe! Some zest makes it even more lemony
- maple syrup – Makes the sauce sticky-sweet! You can use your favorite sweetener instead, if you prefer.
- garlic powder – To season the sauce. Fresh garlic will work, too.
- black and white peppers – Gives this sauce an amazing, zingy flavor!
Tips
- The tofu shouldn’t be sticky after tossing it with the cornstarch. Sprinkle on a teaspoon or two of extra cornstarch, as needed, to get the tofu fully coated for the crispiest results.
- If you want more heat, add crushed red pepper flakes to the pan or serve it on the side, so everyone can add heat to taste.
How to Make Lemon Tofu
Press and cube the tofu if you haven’t already. Add the cubed tofu to a bowl with salt and pepper and toss well. Sprinkle in the cornstarch and toss well to coat. If the tofu is still somewhat sticky then add a little bit more cornstarch (one to two teaspoons at a time).
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil.
Once the oil is hot, transfer the coated tofu to the skillet and cook for six to nine minutes until golden on most edges.
Move the tofu to one side of the skillet. Add the soy sauce, lemon juice, zest, maple syrup, garlic powder, black and white pepper, and salt. Mix well.
Add the cornstarch slurry and mix well. Once it starts to thicken, mix in the tofu and toss to coat.
Taste and adjust salt and flavor. My husband usually likes a little bit more heat, therefore I add some pepper flakes and black pepper at this point.
Switch off the heat and serve over cooked rice or quinoa.
Frequently Asked Questions
That fresh lemon juice flavor is so crucial in this recipe. I don’t recommend substituting it. You can add it in addition to lemon juice
Lemon pepper tofu contains soy. It is nut-free and is easy to make gluten-free by using tamari in place of soy sauce.
For Soyfree, use my chickpea flour tofu or store bought pumpkin seed tofu or other non soy tofu.
Do you think firm tofu would work or should I only use extra firm?
Firm tofu will work.
Wow! If you like lemon this is for you! Tangy, slightly sweet, peppery. All the good things.
I use super firm pre pressed tofu. It’s 16 ounces so I just double the sauce recipe. And I bought a package of heat and eat jasmine rice. Dinner was quick and so good.
This is 2 servings for me. I think asparagus would be great in this!
I think so too!
the flavors here are just amazing – well worth the time spent to press the tofu. I served it over rice topped with cilantro, green onions and sesame seeds, with a side of broccoli. So simple and so delicious!
Sounds delicious!!
I made this recipe last week. My husband and I ate up every little bit of this delicious recipe! I followed her recipe as written except I added chili flakes, and it came out perfect! Thank you for your content!
awesome! thanks so much for your kind comment!
I made this recipe last week. My husband and I ate up every little bit of this delicious recipe! I followed her recipe completely, and it came out perfect! Thank you for your content!
This was great. I microwaved the tofu until dry to the touch and somewhat porous, as another commenter suggested, rather than pressing it. It fried very easily with the cornstarch, which it hasn’t always done for me in the past. It was a quick and yummy dinner, and now I’ve done it once, I feel that I could use the process and just flavour the sauce with anything I wanted. Next time, sriracha, garlic and soy sauce. Thanks Richa!
Yay!!
This was so delicious! I doubled the recipe for the sauce since my tofu block was extra firm 16 ounces.
The dish was lemony and slightly sweet. The sauce was thick and just clung to the crispy tofu.I will make this often. I served with rice and it just drank up the tangy, delicious sauce. If your a lemon person, you will absolutely love this!
yay! 🙂
Tofu can often times be bland or nondescript. This recipe creates a very nice texture and really has fantastic flavor. This is great as a high protein dish on its own or with steamed or sautéed veggies. Thanks for another “winner”!
thank you, Ruth!
Very tasty sauce. I added 1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes to add a bit more zing, but it would have been just as delicious without the extra chili pepper flakes. It is a tasty as any of the best restaurant dishes out there, and is so much less expensive! I will make this for company. It truly deserves 5 stars.
Yay
I wonder if this recipe would work substituting tempeh for the tofu. The sauce sounds tasty, but if using tempeh I’m wondering maybe skip the cornstarch since it might not benefit as much texture-wise like tofu will? I think I would steam tempeh first and then marinate in the sauce for a while before frying.
I guess I’m just not a fan of tofu. I read a lengthy article many years ago about the truth behind tofu actually being a bi-product of the soy industry.. companies realizing that rather than look for a means of disposing of it, they could package it up and market it as a health food when it really isn’t. While it is high in protein, it’s difficult to digest for many, and there are healthier fermented soy products like tempeh and miso.
But to each their own… many obviously still like tofu in recipes. These are just my thoughts and opinion. 😉
Yes skip the cornstarch. Marinate and then crisp it up and fold in the thick ended sauce.
I can’t digest tempeh:) that’s just my digestion though. Everyone has flavor texture and stomach related preferences