Recipe Instructions:
Ingredients
425 g firm tofu OR extra-firm
60 ml sunflower oil or another neutral cooking oil
1.5 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari/coconut aminos (GF) 0.7oz/19 g
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast 0.2 oz/7g
Optional:
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
60 ml tomato paste
1 tsp chili powder to make it spicier if wanted; omit if preferred
Check the Recipe Notes below for more optional add-ins!
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Tofu
Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC.
Drain the tofu, gently patting it dry with a paper towel.
There’s no need to press the tofu if you plan to bake it, as the excess liquid will bake out. If you plan to pan-fry the ground tofu, lightly pressing the tofu can help to decrease the cooking time.
Use either a fork, potato ricer, masher, or even by hand to crumble the tofu into minced meat-sized pieces (make them as large/small as preferred) into a large bowl. I like to make mine an assortment of smaller and larger pieces, like regular minced meat.
Step 2: Prepare the Seasoning
Combine the oil, soy sauce, and spices in a small bowl and whisk well. Then pour it over the crumbled tofu and toss gently to coat.
If you want to infuse the tofu ground beef with more flavor, you can now allow this to marinate for 15-20 minutes.
Step 3: Bake the Tofu Ground Beef
Transfer the tofu crumbs to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spread it evenly across the tray, and bake at 400ºF/200ºC for between 20-30 minutes, tossing/stirring at 10 minutes (and again another 7-8 minutes later if preferred).