How To Turn Tofu Into The Perfect Faux-Ground Beef

It's no hyperbole to say that many people have underestimated and misunderstood how to cook with tofu. While there are lesser-utilized methods like using tofu to thicken your soup, arguably the most popular use of tofu in the West is as a direct substitute for meat. However, to mold tofu into an adequate replacement for something like ground beef, you need to choose the right type of tofu and prepare it properly.

We discussed these two vital aspects of making faux-ground beef using tofu with Nisha Vora, a vegan recipe developer and author of the New York Times Bestseller "Big Vegan Flavor," who explained the ideal conditions for the ingredient. "To make tofu taste and feel like ground beef, you really want two things: a crumbly texture and lots of savory, umami-rich seasoning," Vora explained. 

She noted that texture is highly dependent on the type of tofu you use. Similarly to how frying tofu is much easier with extra-firm tofu, emulating ground beef is easiest with firmer tofu as well as it contains less water. "Start with extra-firm tofu, crumble it by hand into small pieces, and cook it in a hot skillet with oil until it dries out and starts to brown," Vora added. "Softer tofu like silken has way too much moisture and a custardy texture, so it won't crumble or brown properly." For this reason, super-firm tofu (which is a bit drier than the extra-firm variety) can also be used for ideal results.

Once your tofu has the correct texture, the next step is all about seasoning. As Nisha Vora implied, utilizing ingredients that provide umami (rather than just salty) flavors is key to making the ingredient taste more like ground beef. With this in mind, Vora also suggested using flavors that complement meat particularly well. "You'll want to season the tofu with something savory like soy sauce, tamari, or Worcestershire sauce," along with "tomato paste with smoked paprika, garlic and onion powder, and nutritional yeast," the recipe developer advised. Additionally, rather than using a neutral oil for browning the tofu, opting for extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil will do a great job of drawing out the rich, savory flavors you're looking for.

After properly seasoning and cooking your tofu, all that's left is putting it to use in the right dishes. Luckily, Vora had a few in mind that are great options for those who might be a bit newer to the wonderful world of tofu. "Tofu 'ground beef' works best in dishes where traditional ground meat is heavily seasoned and mixed into sauces or fillings," Vora explained. "Think tacos, chili, pasta sauce, lasagna, stuffed peppers, or even sloppy joes." Since these dishes rely on other ingredients for flavor rather than ground beef alone, your tofu can blend in more seamlessly and become nearly indistinguishable from the real thing.