We Tried TikTok's Famous Tofu Waffles: Here's How to Do It Right

It's all in how you sauce it.

Updated on October 2, 2022

As a (mostly) vegetarian family, we've found lots of creative ways to serve up tofu—whether it's grilled up and served in a tofu banh mi or added to my husband's famous stir fry. So when I first saw the TikTok tofu waffles, I was definitely intrigued to say the least.

To be clear, this isn't about creating a waffle batter with soft tofu and baking it—this is about literally cooking thin strips of firm tofu by pressing them into the waffle iron. The idea is to make it fast and easy to serve up tofu—you can skip the step of pressing tofu under a heavy weight to remove the water, and you get a nice, crispy finish to the tofu when it's done cooking.

If you're game to try the tofu waffles, try a few of these tricks to make it work perfectly.

01 of 04

Keep your slices thin

Thick pieces of tofu won't waffle as well—and you likely won't be able to close the lid of your waffle iron properly. I found that slicing it about a third-inch deep allowed for the right ratio of crispy to soft, and made it look almost like a waffle.

02 of 04

Go a little longer for crispy tofu

Most of the TikTok recipes suggest that you keep it on five to seven minutes, but I found that sticking on the longer end of that (and even going beyond the seven-minute time) produced the best tofu.

03 of 04

Don't be afraid to press the tofu

That sizzle you hear isn't burning—it's the water being released from the tofu, helping you create the perfect crispy texture.

04 of 04

Try it with fun sauces

Most of the Tiktok videos suggest serving it up burger-style slathered in barbecue sauce, and I've even seen options where you melt on cheese and tomato sauce for a pizza-like bite.

I tried it with maple syrup, my favorite taco sauce (Buffalo's Mighty Taco), and an Asian-inspired peanut sauce (mix a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter and soy sauce with a squeeze of lime juice and a dash of sesame oil). None of them were bad with the tofu—but I'd definitely recommend the peanut sauce most, if you're looking for the perfect tofu waffle topping or dip.

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Tell us why!