Delicious Japanese Tofu Pizza uses crispy pan-fried tofu slices as a replacement for pizza dough. Add your favorite toppings and mozzarella cheese, then set it under the broiler until melted and bubbly. This easy meal was among my favorite tofu dishes growing up!
When the word “Tofu Pizza” is used in the U.S., it often refers to the healthy pizza dough made out of tofu. However, in Japan, we have this quick and easy tofu dish called Tofu Pizza (豆腐のピザ) which we use the tofu as the replacement of pizza dough.
Tofu plays a huge part in everyday Japanese food, and there are some creative and unique ways to enjoy tofu including tofu dessert, Tofu Blancmange. Tofu Pizza was one of my favorite tofu dishes growing up and if you like tofu, you’ll love this quick easy meal!
How to Make Tofu Pizza
For this dish, we will use a “firm” tofu. The key to firm tofu is to drain it very well so the water doesn’t come out when the dish is being cooked or after it’s cooked. You wouldn’t want soggy pizza, right?
The ingredients for toppings are all up to you. If you want to make it vegetarian or vegan, you can choose ingredients that work for your diet. For today’s recipe, I made a Tofu Pizza with things we already have in the refrigerator. Nothing fancy, just basic ingredients. Those of you who love bell pepper can cut in rounds, and the color will make this dish look really pretty, but I can’t digest bell pepper well so I skipped it for my recipe. 😀
Since pizza sauce is not a common condiment that we usually have in Japan, most people use ketchup to season. You can definitely substitute the ketchup with homemade or canned pizza sauce. If you like it to be spicy, add hot sauce or Sriracha sauce! My recipe here is the kids-friendly recipe as my family usually enjoys the food together right after we photograph for the blog.
Enjoy Tofu Pizza Anytime!
Since this dish only takes a bit of prep time and you can be creative with the ingredients you already have in the fridge, it’s a really simple dish that you can enjoy for lunch, snack time, or dinner! I was surprised at how much my family enjoyed it when I made it for them, especially my son since tofu is his favorite food. This tofu dish might be a bit unusual for you, but I hope you will give it a try and enjoy it as much as we do!
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Tofu Pizza
- 1 block firm tofu
- 3 slices ham (skip for vegetarian)
- 2 mushrooms
- 1 tomato
- ¼ cup potato starch or cornstarch (or substitute flour)
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2–3 Tbsp ketchup
- 2–4 leaves basil
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
For the Garnish
- parsley (for garnish, optional)
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Slice 1 block firm tofu in half to make 2 thin, flat slabs. Wrap with a paper towel. Place a plate and a heavy object on top of the tofu and set aside for 15 minutes. This process will help the tofu drain faster.
- Slice 3 slices ham into thin strips.
- Thinly slice 2 mushrooms and 1 tomato.
- Season ¼ cup potato starch or cornstarch or flour with ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well. Coat all sides of the tofu with the potato starch or flour. This step helps the tofu retain moisture.
- Heat some neutral oil over medium-high heat in an oven-safe skillet (or regular nonstick frying pan). Cook the tofu until the bottom is crispy and golden brown. Flip and brown the other side. If your frying pan is not oven safe, transfer the tofu to a baking dish lined with parchment paper later on.
- Divide 2–3 Tbsp ketchup on top of the cooked tofu. Then, top with slices of tomato and 2–4 leaves basil.
- Put the sliced ham and sliced mushrooms on top.
- Divide and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Then, place the pan in the oven and broil for 5–7 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Top with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
I’ll be honest, I was a little bit sceptical about a tofu pizza, but it was really delicious. Frying the tofu with the seasoned potato starch gives it a really good crust and I think it was better than any pizza dough I’ve ever made. I’m not sure if my tofu block was thicker than normal but I cut it into four slices rather than two and it worked well for us. I’ll be making this again.
Hi Andy! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed Tofu Pizza!
Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and sharing your cooking experience with us. Happy Cooking!