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Home » Recipes » Dinner Ideas

Crispy Honey Sesame Tofu

Published Jul 17, 2017 by Allyson · 46 Comments
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Honey Sesame Tofu is the perfect dinner for meatless Monday or vegetarians. The tofu is fried crispy and then tossed in a delicious sweet sauce!

Honey Sesame Tofu is the perfect dinner for meatless Monday or vegetarians. The tofu is fried crispy and then tossed in a delicious sweet sauce!Another tofu recipe! This time we are making Honey Sesame Tofu!  I am all about posting recipes for tofu that will make people LIKE tofu. So many people say, “I don’t like tofu because the texture is weird…”, but I bet 99% of the people who say that, haven’t had tofu cooked properly, and if they did learn to cook it right, they would love it. Tofu is one of those foods that takes on the flavor of whatever it’s cooked in; so if you make a delicious sauce, that is what the tofu tastes like- bada bing, bada boom! This Honey Sesame Tofu is crispy, sweet, a little spicy, and just delicious.

Honey Sesame Tofu is the perfect dinner for meatless Monday or vegetarians. The tofu is fried crispy and then tossed in a delicious sweet sauce!

For this Honey Sesame Tofu, you can cook the tofu using the dry frying method, baking, or frying. I ended up baking it, so that is how I will show in the recipe below. If you want more breading on the tofu, follow the frying process I use for my General Tso’s Tofu – it works very well.

Honey Sesame Tofu is the perfect dinner for meatless Monday or vegetarians. The tofu is fried crispy and then tossed in a delicious sweet sauce! 

Don’t forget the most important thing while preparing the tofu – you MUST drain out all the extra liquid: 

  • cut the tofu block in half long wise (so you have the full size block, but now it’s only ½ inch thick or so, you want to make it skinnier when you cut it)
  • place a folded clean kitchen towel on the counter
  • place the 2 tofu halves next to each other on top of the towel
  • top tofu with another clean folded kitchen towel
  • Place something heavy on top of the towel – a cast iron skillet, a heavy cutting board with skillet on top, a bunch of books
  • Allow to press/drain for at LEAST 20 minutes, the longer the better

After it's drained for at least 20 minutes, you are ready to get cooking! Don't forget to PIN this recipe to save it for later!!!

4.89 from 9 votes
Print
Honey Sesame Tofu
Ingredients
  • 1 block extra firm tofu , drained (see post for instructions)
  • 1 TBS low sodium soy sauce
 + 1 TBS
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 3 TBS honey + 1 TBS
  • 2 teaspoon Oyster sauce (look for vegetarian oyster sauce if you want to keep this vegetarian)
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt/salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 TBS rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoon corn starch
  • 2 TBS sesame seeds
  • 3 green onions , chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray a non-stick baking sheet with oil or use a silicone mat.

  2. In a medium bowl, stir together the 1 TBS soy sauce, red pepper flakes, 3 TBS honey, oyster sauce, salt, pepper, rice wine vinegar, and oil. Cut tofu into ½-inch cubes. Gently add/stir tofu cubes into sauce. Cover, and marinate at least 15 minutes.

  3. Place the tofu on the baking sheet in a single layer (reserve marinade). 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.

  4. Add additional soy sauce and honey ( 1 TBS each) to the marinade bowl. Add corn starch; whisk to combine.

  5. In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the marinade. Place the tofu cubes into the skillet as well, and stir to coat. Bring the sauce up to a quick boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. After a few minutes the sauce will thicken; stir to coat tofu. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

If you would rather fry tofu (a bit fast than baking), see link above in post for General Tso's tofu.
Serve over rice or quinoa!

Honey Sesame Tofu is the perfect dinner for meatless Monday or vegetarians. The tofu is fried crispy and then tossed in a delicious sweet sauce!

Like tofu as much as I do? Check out these other recipes from Domestic Superhero:

Creole Tofu with Onions and Peppers  Firecracker Tofu with Brown Rice  Bang Bang Tofu

Buffalo Tofu Salad  Buffalo Tofu Wrap (4) edited  Baked Tofu Parmesan 1

General Tso's Tofu 1

Baked Tofu

 

You can also connect with me here:

Thanks for visiting!

- Allyson

Honey Sesame Tofu is the perfect dinner for meatless Monday or vegetarians. The tofu is fried crispy and then tossed in a delicious sweet sauce!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amy

    May 25, 2015 at 7:20 pm

    The ingredients list does not display ginger, garlic powder, or red pepper, but the instructions say to add them...

    Reply
    • Allyson

      May 25, 2015 at 8:33 pm

      Wow, thank you for pointing that out. I have NO idea how that line got in there, I just took it out and disregard. The ingredient list and directions should now reflect the correct recipe. Sorry about that!

      Reply
    • monica

      March 01, 2018 at 7:01 pm

      Hi,how many calories a serving is this dish?

      Reply
      • Allyson

        March 02, 2018 at 1:37 pm

        Not sure, but you can plug it into an app like my fitness pal and calculate the nutritional info!

        Reply
    • Ben

      April 02, 2018 at 9:34 pm

      5 stars
      Love it? Only thing is that I have no marinade left and I have too add more of everything

      Reply
      • Lainie H

        September 19, 2019 at 6:12 am

        5 stars
        I made a second batch while the tofu was baking. It was the perfect amount. We used the remains of the sauce left in the bowl after mixing it all together and tossed it with broccoli to make it even a healthier dinner.

        Reply
  2. Sara

    January 23, 2016 at 10:39 pm

    This recipe is DIVINE!! Thank you for sharing 🙂

    Reply
    • Allyson

      January 25, 2016 at 9:32 am

      So happy you love it!

      Reply
  3. Megan

    March 01, 2016 at 1:44 pm

    This is not vegetarian. Oyster sauce is made with oysters.

    Reply
    • Allyson

      March 01, 2016 at 1:48 pm

      Hi Megan, You are so right, but if you don't eat fish, then you can easily purchase a vegetarian oyester sauce which is made from mushrooms! You should be bale to find it in the international aisle at your grocery store, or an Asian market! Here is an example. Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Gemma

        February 05, 2019 at 6:59 am

        what if you cant eat mushrooms either

        Reply
        • Allyson

          February 06, 2019 at 5:26 pm

          Maybe sub teriyaki sauce? I can't say really because I've never tried that but I would assume it would work out.

          Reply
  4. leahjodurfey

    March 03, 2016 at 5:24 pm

    How many servings does this make?

    Reply
    • Allyson

      March 04, 2016 at 11:48 am

      About 4 servings 🙂

      Reply
      • Lainie H.

        September 19, 2019 at 6:13 am

        5 stars
        with the one block of tofu, I barely had enough for 3 servings. I would definitely double all elements of the recipe next time.

        Reply
  5. susandorville

    March 05, 2016 at 10:16 pm

    I found the sauce a little strong. What could I do to tone it down a little? I loved the tofu flavor.

    Reply
    • Allyson

      March 06, 2016 at 9:24 pm

      How about a little rice vinegar to the sauce, or even water! I Would add it into the sauce mixture, then add it to the tofu.

      Reply
  6. Meredith Youngson

    June 09, 2016 at 5:29 pm

    Cant wait to make these little guys! Those flavours sound DIVINE.

    Reply
    • Allyson

      June 10, 2016 at 6:30 pm

      Let me know how you like them! This is a staple at my house!

      Reply
  7. Kim

    August 22, 2016 at 1:56 pm

    Hi! I can't seem to find Rice Wine Vinegar. Would I be able to use Rice Vinegar instead?

    Reply
    • Allyson

      August 22, 2016 at 6:46 pm

      Yes, it's the same!

      Reply
  8. Andrea

    September 14, 2016 at 6:39 am

    I found this to be much too sweet, recommend using less honey.

    Reply
  9. Kiki

    September 24, 2016 at 10:38 pm

    I tried this out and it was really good!! Thanks for the amazing recipe and idea. But i'm not sure if it's just my honey but the honey taste seemed to be a tad out of place. Do you think i could substitute it with sugar instead?

    Reply
    • Allyson

      October 09, 2016 at 10:04 pm

      You could definitely try sugar or maybe agave would be a better substitute. Also, make sure your honey isn't out of date, because it definitely gets funky after a while! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  10. Abby

    January 03, 2017 at 10:15 am

    I just made this for dinner! Wanted to share a vegan fish sauce with you. It adds great flavor while staying veg http://tofunafysh.com/.

    Reply
    • Allyson

      January 07, 2017 at 11:49 am

      Thank you for the tip!

      Reply
  11. Susan

    February 24, 2017 at 1:18 pm

    I would like to make this for a potluck at work, should I keep the sauce separate?

    Reply
    • Allyson

      February 25, 2017 at 10:19 pm

      The sauce might congeal a little as it cools. I would sauce it and then reheat at the potluck if that option is available.

      Reply
      • Susan

        March 03, 2017 at 11:13 am

        Thanks, I'll try that.

        Reply
  12. Jaime

    November 01, 2017 at 1:31 pm

    5 stars
    This has been our favorite recipe for the past couple months! I make a mix of steamed broccoli and carrots to add to the bowl, and it’s amazing - we literally eat it once a week! Thanks for the awesome recipe!

    Reply
    • Allyson

      November 01, 2017 at 4:09 pm

      Hey!!! That is amazing to hear! Have you tried the general tso's tofu? Also one of my favs!

      Reply
    • Lainie H.

      September 19, 2019 at 6:21 am

      5 stars
      This was a real crowd pleaser but I would make 2 changes and 1 addition.
      1. I would double both the sauce and the amount of tofu. One block only made 3 servings that were pretty small.
      2. I would double the marinade. There was not enough left over to mix after cooking the tofu. Doubling the sauce made for a perfect amount.
      3. I added broccoli to the little bit of sauce that was left and it added another nutritious dimension to the dinner.

      Reply
      • Allyson

        September 19, 2019 at 7:28 am

        Happy that you loved it, and I agree I love doubling and having extra too!

        Reply
  13. Rachel Rex

    February 23, 2018 at 12:16 pm

    5 stars
    how much is a block of tofu?

    Reply
    • Allyson

      February 25, 2018 at 4:21 pm

      It's about 14 ounces!

      Reply
      • Susie Flores

        January 07, 2019 at 11:16 pm

        Just tried this. So so so good.

        Reply
  14. Leisha

    January 15, 2019 at 5:57 pm

    I followed the recipe to a T but it turned out really tough and flavorless. This was my first time cooking with tofu. Any idea where I went wrong? Possibly drained it better? I’m welcome to any tips!

    Reply
    • Allyson

      January 16, 2019 at 10:36 am

      Oh no!!! I dont like the way that sounds! I can't be sure what went wrong since I am not there, but it shouldnt be tough or flavorless. Did you drain it? how long?

      Reply
      • Kay

        January 08, 2020 at 7:22 am

        My tofu also didn't get crispy but became very tough and umpleasantly hard and chewy. Sauce was delicipus though. I followed the recipe exactly. Used the baking method, but took it out of the oven after 30 minutes rather than 40 minutes, as it was starting to burnd. Drained the tofu for a couple of hours before preparing. What could I have done wrong?

        Reply
  15. Kristina Salko

    March 14, 2019 at 12:18 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks for the delicious recipe! My family has NEVER had tofu. We are all carnivores except during Lent when we can't eat meat on Fridays :). I was getting tired (although it had just started) of the same old cheese pizza, grilled cheese, soups and beans. I'll totally admit it.... we all judged tofu before we tried it. Being hesitant and having 3 kids with totally different likes I told them we were all going to give it a go and it would either be delicious or we may not want to eat it. Everyone ate every last bite AND I kept the leftovers for myself and even enjoyed it reheated. The only thing I did differently from your recipe was pan fry the tofu. It's going to be on our regular rotation now... in fact we are having tofu crumble tacos tomorrow!!!

    Reply
    • Allyson

      March 14, 2019 at 2:00 pm

      KRISTINA!!!! This is sooooo amazing, I absolutely LOVE to hear this!!! YAY!!! You will definitely HAVE to try out my other tofu recipes, because they are ALL delicious! I actually ay everyone should try the General Tso's Tofu first, so try that one next 🙂 Enjoy!!!

      Reply
  16. sarah

    March 16, 2019 at 7:14 pm

    hi there. if i am going to fry the tofu, do you suggest you marinade it first, or just do the cornstarch and fry it then coat it with the sauce and saute???

    Reply
    • Allyson

      March 18, 2019 at 12:26 pm

      I wouldn't marinate it, just follow the directions as written 🙂

      Reply
  17. Nigel Hoath

    September 20, 2019 at 10:25 am

    4 stars
    We like picante so the only change I made was to add a finely chopped very strong fresh chilli to the sauce. And as others have suggested doubled the sauce ingredients.

    Came out rich and tangy. Next time I-ll make it as one dish of a few - including milder dishes to contrast. I think mangetout with bean sprouts, and coconuk rice would go well. 4 or 5 pieces of tufo withy the sauce would be enough for me.

    So Allyson thanks for your creation. I'm looking forward to trying a few more.

    Reply
  18. Amanda Wilson

    April 01, 2020 at 6:53 am

    5 stars
    I did this yesterday evening. I doubled everything and then did another double lot with chicken breast instead of tofu (I'm not the biggest fan of tofu, but my daughter is vegetarian/vegan). It was amazing on both.
    Although I did the same amount of marinade for both, after soaking for the 15 minutes the tofu had soaked up more so even topping it up afterwards there wasn't the same amount available . Next time I'll try adding 2 Tbsp of the honey and the vinegar afterwards and see how that goes. I think I'll try frying the tofu next time as well - it was really well done when it came out of the oven. We'll DEFINITELY be having this again 🙂

    Reply
    • Allyson

      April 01, 2020 at 9:31 am

      Thank you for the amazing review and tips!!! Glad you loved it as much as we do!

      Reply

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