Even before I became a vegetarian, I loved tofu….especially when it’s fried, crispy, covered in sauce and in Chinese food. Who doesn’t like that? But, since learning to cook with it more, I have found different techniques to mock frying the tofu, and still being able to get a nice crispy outside, without all the bad points of frying. In a different post I talked about ‘dry frying’ tofu, which is really handy and easy, but it can sometimes be time consuming. So when I stumbled upon a baked tofu recipe on All Recipes, I thought I hit the jackpot. With several positive reviews, I knew I had to try this one out.
I am happy I did, because it is delicious. The sauce takes 2 minutes to whip up, and then you really don’t have to do anything else because you just put it in the oven. It turned out slightly crisp, and full of flavor. I highly recommend making a double batch of this because it will go fast! I also suggest finding a local Asian Farmer’s Market to shop at, because you can get tofu super cheap, along with the rest of the ingredients in the sauce. I served this baked tofu with Asian roasted asparagus, all over rice. It was awesome.
You definitely don’t need to be a vegetarian to try this Easy Baked Tofu. Making it this way will have your mind totally off meat, and fills you up just as well. I’ve also heard a lot of people say that they don’t like tofu because of the texture, but the texture completely changes depending on how it’s cooked, so give this a try. At pretty much just the cost of the tofu (because it’s likely you have most other ingredients on hand already), you can’t go wrong with this healthy and inexpensive meal!
I don’t have a ‘tofu press’ (whatever that is…), so I just put the tofu between paper towels, and put a heavy book on top to press out the water.
I highly recommend honey from The Savannah Bee Company-it’s SO SO SO good and I have been using it in everything lately!
- 1 16 oz package firm/extra firm tofu
- 3 Tbsp gluten free low sodium soy sauce tamari or Bragg’s liquid aminos
- 2 Tbsp honey agave or maple syrup can be subbed for vegan
- 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- couple dashes of cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper
- olive oil spray
- chopped green onions/scallions for serving
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1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly spray a non-stick baking sheet with oil or use a silicone mat.
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2. Slice tofu into 1/2-inch slices, and gently press excess water out of tofu (use tofu press or place between paper towels and put heavy weight on top for 10 minutes). Cut sliced tofu into 1/2-inch cubes.
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3. In a bowl, stir together the soy sauce, honey, vinegar and oil. Stir in ginger, garlic powder and red pepper. Gently stir tofu cubes into sauce. Cover, and marinate at least 5 minutes.
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4. Place the tofu on the baking sheet in a single layer. Spray tops with olive oil (I use the Misto) and bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. Turn tofu, and bake until the tofu turns golden brown, about 20 minutes more or until develops a nice crisp crust. Enjoy!
Serve over rice, with mixed vegetables, with stir fry...the options are endless!
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– Allyson
now at home mom says
great idea Allyson to use a book and paper towels instead of a “tofu press” because for real who has one, right? 🙂 this looks great! I will be checking the “Savannah” honey! 🙂 have a great day!
pamasaurus says
This looks delicious!!
Cameron says
This looks so yummy! I’ve tried cooking tofu a few times and it never turns out right which is a shame because I love it. So I’ll have to try this recipe out!
Allyson says
You should try this one! You really can’t mess it up, and it’s super tasty!
D@TheShadyPorch says
I’ve never had tofu but I will say your photos make it look good! Thanks for sharing it at the Rock ‘N Share! Blessings, D
Allyson says
You HAVE to try it! OMG! Do it, now!!
myfavesjournal says
That looks delicious.
Allyson says
Thank you! it is really tasty, especially if you are on the fence about tofu…I always love it, so I may be a bit biased 🙂
Our Kitchen Inventions says
Looks like a yummy way to add tofu in a different way to our dinners. Thanks for the idea! Hope all is well with you guys.
Allyson says
It’s really good! Yes, all is well! We have missed the dinner meet ups! When is the next one (I haven’t gotten an email about it in a while!)?
susan says
Have not done a Supper Club in a while. Schedules have been crazy! Hope to have a Spring Kick Off one, and get some dates on the calendar. I’ll send an em to you once we do. Take care!!
Allyson says
Please do! We would love to see y’all!
Farina says
Speaking of tofu, I recently made dredged in cornstarch (glutten-free) and fried – it was very tasty.
Allyson says
That does sound tasty!
Liz says
All wonderful recipes. Thanks so much. Have a Great Weekend!
Meag says
I thought Tofu was disgusting before eating this dish. If it wasn’t fried I would eat this everyday… OMG amazing and it tastes just like it’s from the Chinese restaurant. I used to love General Tso Chicken before I became a vegetarian. I was actually sad when my plate was finished. Thank you!
Hashmanis says
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!