baked tofu

Here is how to make super crispy tofu in the oven. Recipe yields 4 servings of tofu, as a complement to a larger meal.

How to Make Crispy Baked Tofu

tofu

olive oil

tamari* or soy sauce

cornstarch or arrowroot starch

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the tofu from sticking.

To prepare the tofu: Drain the tofu and use your palms to gently squeeze out some of the water. Slice the tofu into thirds lengthwise so you have 3 even slabs. Stack the slabs on top of each other and slice through them lengthwise to make 3 even columns, then slice across to make 5 even rows (see photos).

Line a cutting board with a lint-free tea towel or paper towels, then arrange the tofu in an even layer on the towel(s). Fold the towel(s) over the cubed tofu, then place something heavy on top (like another cutting board, topped with a cast iron pan or large cans of tomatoes) to help the tofu drain. Let the tofu rest for at least 10 minutes (preferably more like 30 minutes, if you have the time).

Transfer the pressed tofu to a medium mixing bowl and drizzle with the olive oil and tamari. Toss to combine. Sprinkle the starch over the tofu, and toss the tofu until the starch is evenly coated, so there are no powdery spots remaining.

Tip the bowl of tofu over onto your prepared baking sheet and arrange the tofu in an even layer. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing the tofu halfway, until the tofu is deeply golden on the edges. Use as desired.

Just made the crispy baked tofu for the first time. Added a thumb of grated ginger &amp; a clove of grated garlic to the oil &amp; soy sauce. Delicious!!! Thank you!!

Thanks for the tips, I'm adding what you suggested to my recipe and It seems other people did too. :)

I am not a tofu lover at all but I think it’s because I’ve never had well-prepared tofu. This was fantastic. I chopped my tofu into slightly thinner cubes than the ones in your photos and they were perfect. I made a really yummy General Tso sauce to go on top, too.

I've used this so many times that I have it memorized! So easy, so perfectly delicious!

This was absolutely the best tofu I’ve ever tasted! I’ve always eaten fried tofu, and it was good, but the crispy exterior and perfectly moist center from this recipe is perfect for me. I also added a little garlic and ginger, as another commenter suggested.

I am an elderly vegan from the UK who adores crispy tofu but over the years has failed in all attempts to produce even one crispy piece myself - until last night, when I tried your wonderfully clear and simple recipe. It worked perfectly, lots of lovely crisp and tasty tofu! Even though I forgot to turn the tofu over halfway during the bake (I am a hopeless cook) it didn't matter, it was perfect. This is a life-changer. Thanks!

This turned out great. Made it crispy for salad toppings.

This is a really well written recipe that helped me understand the order in which to add the oil, soy sauce and corn starch and the right technique to mix them - other recipes I've tried were very vague on that part and I could never get the tofu to come out right. This was the most successful tofu I've ever made! It came out delicious and I added it to rice noodles, broccoli and peanut sauce. Thank you!

Newbie tofu cook here — can you make a batch of crispy tofu, store it in the fridge, and reheat it throughout the week with various dishes? Is this something that people do?

I found your recipe, made your recipe, loved your recipe, and lost your recipe....but I found it again today, made it again today,  and bookmarked it. LOVE this recipe for its ease and flavor. The best, tastiest, and easiest baked tofu recipe. Thanks for making my life easier and my tastebuds happier!!!

This was delicious! I had never used tofu before and was looking for a recipe. I looked at two and because of the comments, decided to try this one. I used coconut aminos instead of tamari and white rice flour instead of the starch. It was easy to make and turned out great. This is in my favorites!

Your crispy baked tofu with peanut sauce is so delicious. This is the only way I make tofu now. I just love how beautifully browned the tofu gets in the oven, and with so little hands-on time. Thank you!

I need help, baldy. And that is because I am helpless and horrible in the kitchen. I can NEVER get my tofu to not stick to the parchment paper. It is so frustrating. What in the world am I doing wrong?

Great recipe!  This made the extra firm tofu tasty with your peanut sauce recipe. I made it as directed. The next time I will add some spices or garlic to add more flavor to the tofu. It was nicely crispy and I cooked it about 35 minutes. Thank you for sharing!

I am new to cooking with tofu and this just blew us away! It was so easy and turned out perfectly. I added a little bit of Szechuan spice to it before baking. Thank you for making this so simple.

Hi and I’m hearing impaired, love bake tofu so delicious because it so good n crispy thanks 

This was a great recipe, thanks for sharing, kids loved it!
I actually also added a little cayenne and chinese 5 spice before baking,result was awesome.
Sonia, Scotland

Amazing. I didn't expect it to come out that good. Thank you!

Turned out nice and crispy! I have used both firm and extra firm and they're both good! I almost prefer firm because they're soft and pillowy inside while nice and crisp outside.

Your recipes and easy, practice and delicious! Thank you for sharing your creativity and passion with the world! Your ideas bring food to life in kitchens around the world!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/tRE1KqnY.mp4

Learn how to make the best crispy tofu in this recipe video. This crispy tofu is baked, not fried, and it’s easy to make!

Crispy Baked Tofu

How to BAKE Tofu! With three FLAVORFUL marinades! Never have bland tofu again, with these three variations - Sesame Ginger Miso, Spicy Mexican Tofu and BBQ Tofu. Simple, vegan and easy recipes! Great for meal prep!

Baked Tofu! (3 Flavorful Marinades!) 

tofu- organic, firm or extra firm, non-GMO

sesame oil

soy sauce–

miso (or sub 1 more tablespoon soy sauce)

ginger- peels ok

garlic

rice vinegar (optional)

chili paste (all optional)

sesame seeds

salt and pepper

½ cup – ¾ cup bbq sauce

apple cider vinegar

cumin

chili powder

garlic garlic

salt

chipotle powder

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

mexican oregano

Blot tofu well with paper towels, pressing down gently

Cut into desired shapes (strips, cubes, squares).

For Ginger Sesame Marinade

blend ingredients (except sesame seeds) together in a blender until smooth, pour over tofu, coating all sides well. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake 40-50 minutes, and for extra crispy broil for a few minutes.

For BBQ tofu

 Sprinkle tofu with salt and pepper. Mix bbq sauce and 1-2 teaspoons sriracha together in a small bowl. Taste, adjust heat. If you like crispy tofu, stir in a couple of teaspoons of olive oil. Liberally coat the top and sides of the tofu with the bbq sauce. Bake 25-35 minutes, perhaps longer if heavily coated.

For the Mexican Tofu

Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl then brush the marinade on the tofu. Place the coated tofu in the 400F oven and check after 25 minutes, baking longer for extra crispy.

For extra crispy, bake an additional 5-10  minutes or so, or broil

.  ( I actually set my gas oven to 425F- and use the middle rack- but some were experiencing burning- so I lowered the heat here. You can always try this.)

We make bbq tofu all the time, but I was looking for something a little different and found this post. We made the Mexican style tofu last week and the sesame ginger tonight. Both were SO easy and delicious! Can’t wait to make more of the Mexican style to try chilled on a salad. These are definite keepers in our meal rotation!

I tried the sesame ginger tofu, to serve with Sylvia' Thai Noodle Salad.  It was easy and delicious!  I had made the Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce many times for potlucks, but the addition of the tofu elevated it to the next level!  Looking forward to trying the other two variations.

I just used your recipe to prepare tofu to be added at the last minute to a stir fry of onions, garlic, ginger and several large sweet peppers in a sauce of combined soy sauce and oyster sauce. The crispness of the tofu cubes was retained and they had absorbed some of the flavors of the sauce. I served it on fried noodles. Excellent! <a href="http://hanifia.com/variety-of-burgers.php" rel="nofollow">Hanifia</a>

I made the Smokey Spicy Mexican-Style Tofu-- simple to make and so good! Used it in place of fish in your fish tacos recipe. It was light, satisfying, and refreshing. Thank you!

I love these recipes!! They’re so easy and incredibly delicious. I’m curious what veggies you pair with each if you were making dinner?

I have made the sesame ginger tofu about 5 times, it’s delicious! My only suggestion would to make more if you like leftovers!

I made this with the Thai salad for a group.  Lovely!  But it did not get crisp even after adding ten minutes to the baking time.   The flavors were wonderful and I didn't mind that it was not crisp. I sort of liked the creaminess of the tofu with the crunch of the salad.   I am loving your bold fresh flavor combinations. Thanks for these recipes!

Love all three marinades- have been meal prepping with these and each turned out delicious!

Thank you very much for responding AND this amazing recipe! I can't wait to make it tomorrow.  May I suggest saying toasted sesame seeds and just sesame oil! :-))

Tried the ginger sesame marinade and enjoyed it - the use of fresh ginger is key to the flavor. I had the tofu with your Kyoto sweet potatoes and roasted cauliflower - altogether, a healthy, tasty and satisfying work lunch for the week.

Hello Sylvia, my wife &amp; I are new to this, we appreciate all of your advise &amp; assistance. Tell me will these marinades work in a skillet?

Wow.  Easy quick healthy and gorgeous to look at.  I had to take a picture and send it to friends just because it looks so nice!  I've now made it 4 times and still it's my absolute favorite.  I do reduce the liquid smoke a little and use spicy miso instead of sriracha.  Yum!!!!

Awesome tofu! Great for the fresh spring rolls! I thought I would share that I use a silicon mat instead of parchment paper for my tofu to bake on. It's reusable and the mats are very affordable online or at a baking supply store. Just a thought if you wanted to save a little more money!

I made the ginger sesame sauce
In a blender and it seemed very pasty and thought there was way to much garlic but it came out perfect once it was baked. Will definitely make again

Love these marinades so much! I use the Smoky Spicy Mexican Tofu marinade at least twice a week for tacos, and the sesame ginger for stir fry's! Thank you so much for these delicious recipes! Having recently started a plant-based lifestyle, these recipes are invaluable :)

Yum! The ginger sesame has just come out of the oven and it tastes sooo good. I've never had baked tofu before and I wish I had discovered this sooner. Thank you for the recipe! Delicious.

Made the ginger sesame!The flavor profiles are great, though we've had it in the oven for 35 minutes and its still soaking wet. Were we supposed to squeeze the tofu dry? Where did we go wrong?

Made the ginger sesame tofu, served over the asian slaw, with the kyoto sweet potatoes on the side, and dinner was EPIC. My husband barely looked up from his plate - we were both so into the meal!

made the ginger sesame tofu. I'm veggie and made this for my little sister who is so finicky and absolutely cannot STAND the texture of tofu, but she totally LOVED it and asked me why I had never made it before! a smash hit

Great recipe. I have tried different variations of the sesame ginger marinade for tofu.  Hadn't added miso before. I put the garlic through a press and grated the ginger fine, and whisked it all in a bowl rather than blending. My dog barks when I use the blender or food processor, and it worked fine.  Recipe didn't say to flip to cook on both sides which I did. I didn't like the way it was baking on the parchment paper so when I flipped so I transferred to alum foil, brushed the top with the remaining marinate, and baked. Came out great. To get the moisture out of tofu I put on a plate between double layers of paper towel, microwave for 1 min, then cover with press lightly with additional paper towel.  Extra firm tofu is best for marinated baked tofu.

Made the ginger sesame tofu today, it was so good!

We made the ginger sesame tofu and it turned out well.  Do you think you could marinade the tofu after you press it overnight to absorb the flavor of the sauce more?

I've never subscribed to a recipe site before, until today. 

I discovered your site a while back while looking for some cool veggie recipes, and I bookmarked so many.  I've yet to be disappointed by a single one.

Then, yesterday, I was looking for some tofu marinades, and I came across this. I didn't analyze it much; I didn't even look where the recipes came from; I just threw it together and into the fridge to chill. I came back in the evening to read what the recipe suggested for cooking times, and there was your picture. I was like, "OF COURSE it's her again. No wonder the marinades taste so good..."

That sesame ginger one is baller. We'll be trying the Mexican tomorrow. 

I can't wait to try some of the others I've saved.

So far I’ve only made the baked ginger sesame TWICE. I’ve been a non-meat eater since 1976 and this is by far my favorite tofu recipe. I have to force myself to not eat the whole batch. It’s easy to make and works out perfectly using pickled ginger from a jar. I can’t wait to try the others.

Seriously crispy and packed with flavor, this teriyaki tofu recipe is bound to convert ever tofu hater into a tofu lover. It's easy to make, perfect for buddha bowls, stir fries, and a simple dinner!

Crispy Baked Teriyaki Tofu

block extra firm tofu

cornstarch

soy sauce/tamari

tsp pepper

teriyaki sauce

preheat

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

remove tofu

wrap tofu

Place it between two towels or a few paper towels and put a heavy object on top. (See notes for suggestions)

press tofu

Let the extra liquid press out of the tofu for ideally 30 minutes. 

cut tofu

Once pressed, cut the tofu into cubes and add to a bowl. 

season

Toss with the soy sauce, pepper and corn starch and make sure every piece is well coated. 

add to baking sheet

Add to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Try to make sure none of the tofu cubes are touching. This ensures they get nice and crispy and don&#039;t stick together.

bake

Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown. 

prepare sauce

During the final 15-20 minutes of baking, prepare the sauce. Let it come to room temperature before adding to the tofu.

add sauce

When the tofu is done, transfer to a bowl and toss with the sauce, saving a bit to add to rice and veggies if desired.

serve

Serve with rice, broccoli, or veggies of choice.

Oil-free oven-baked tofu with a crunchy coating and chewy center.

Crispy Oven Baked Tofu

(14 ounces) extra firm tofu

soy sauce garlic

corn starch

Add the tofu, seasonings, and cornstarch to a bowl and lightly toss.

Place the tofu on a baking tray lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Bake for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Thank you for the detailed directions.  I tried for the first time tonight and it was really good with an Asian stir fry.  I will try again with other things.

Easy Baked Tofu that really delivers on flavour! This is how I satisfy my sticky, delicious tofu cravings when I don&#039;t have time to press it or let it marinade for hours.

Baked Tofu

/ 80 mls tomato ketchup

maple syrup

soy sauce

sriracha (, or Sambal Oelek,

sesame oil (, (omit to make oil-free))

garlic (, minced or grated very finely)

black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F (200 °C).

Open the tofu, drain any excess water then lay it on it&#039;s side and cut carefully lengthways into ½ inch thick large slices. Different blocks of tofu are different thicknesses but most you will get 2 or 3 slices. Take each of those slices and cut it into triangles. Lay the tofu triangles out in a large dish and set aside.

In a small bowl mix up all of the glaze ingredients. If you taste it don&#039;t be alarmed at how strong it is. Once it&#039;s on the tofu and baked it&#039;s all ok, I promise!

Pour the glaze over the tofu triangles and coat each one. I find it best to use one clean hand to do this. When using tongs or other implements you end up breaking little pieces of tofu off no matter how careful you are.

Line a metal baking tray with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and lay each tofu triangle onto it with a bit of space around each one. Keep the dish with the remaining glaze in it as you will need it later.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Flip over each triangle and brush it with some more glaze. Put back in the oven and bake for another 20 minutes. Keep an eye on it though as all ovens are different. If it starts getting too dark remove it a little bit earlier. You want it to be really caramelized (dark brown, almost black)  around the edges and on the corners. Again keep any remaining glaze (there won&#039;t be much).

Once done, remove from the oven and brush quickly again with the last bits of remaining glaze before serving, or cooling and storing in an air tight container in the fridge.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/90bVLiuH.mp4

Easy Baked Tofu that really delivers on flavour! This is how I satisfy my sticky, delicious tofu cravings when I don&#39;t have time to press it or let it marinade for hours.

Stuff these crispy baked tofu nuggets in a sandwich, pile them on your favorite salad, or dip them in your favorite sauce. These versatile little bites are delicious any way you eat them, and super easy to whip up!

Crispy Baked Tofu Nuggets

unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk

whole wheat flour ((or all-purpose))

flaxseed

red wine vinegar

panko breadcrumbs ((I used whole wheat))

garlic powder

onion powder

paprika

Oil mister or cooking spray

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the batter. Allow the mixture to sit for at least 10 minutes.

While the batter rests, stir together all ingredients for the panko coating.

Cut the tofu block in half, lengthwise, then slice each half into 8 squares of equal thickness.

Preheat the oven to 425° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place one of the tofu squares into the batter, and roll it around to coat.

Transfer the tofu to the panko coating and roll it around to coat.

Transfer the tofu square to the baking sheet.

Repeat until all of the tofu squares are coating and arranged on the baking sheet.

Spray the tofu squares with oil to coat the tops.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Carefully flip the squares, and spray again with oil to coat.

Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake 10 minutes more, until browned and crispy.

Serve.

Crunchy, spicy, and a little bit sweet-- this is the perfect recipe to end bland tofu

Korean Gochujang Crispy Baked Tofu

black or white pepper

gochujang

water

mirin

ginger

Scallions and white sesame (to taste)

Preheat oven to 400°F/205°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Drain and press firm tofu. In a large mixing bowl, mix black pepper, cornstarch, oil, and soy sauce. Toss in tofu and generously coat with mixture. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until crispy (if your tofu is too wet, it won’t crisp up!)

Mix the gochujang, water, soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, grated ginger, and minced garlic in a shallow saucepan and simmer. Create a cornstarch slurry with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoon water. Pour into gochujang mixture and stir until the sauce thickens. Keep your eye on the sauce as you don’t want it to stick to the pan.

Throw the baked tofu in the sauce and coat generously. Toss lightly so it’s all covered.

Serve with white rice and top with some chopped scallions and white sesame seeds.

These healthy meal prep quinoa bowls are packed with protein and flavor. With chipotle baked tofu, avocado, tomatoes and more!

Meal Prep Chipotle Tofu Quinoa Bowls

block ((16 oz) extra firm tofu)

chipotles in adobo (, sauce ONLY)

tomato paste

salt & pepper

quinoa

Chipotle Tofu

greens

avocado (, quartered)

cherry tomatoes (, chopped)

Lime

Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Cut the tofu into cubes and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the rest of the tofu ingredients. Stir together to form a sauce, thinning with a splash or two of water. Add the cubes of tofu into the bowl and toss everything together. The tofu should be fully coated in the sauce.

Bake for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the sauce has caramelized on the tofu.

Once ready to assemble, divide everything evenly between four bowls or containers (minus the avocado – serve that day of). Just before serving, drizzle with lime juice and some olive oil and enjoy!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/gtW0ViPi.mp4

You will love these healthy Chipotle Tofu Quinoa Bowls! This easy recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and meal prep friendly. Easy to make and absolutely delicious!

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