Easy Oven Baked Tofu
Think you’re not a fan of tofu? Boy, have I got just the thing to change your mind… This Easy Oven Baked Tofu is so crazy yummy, tasty and addictive, you’ll soon find yourself popping it like potato chips!
When I first made this Oven Baked Tofu, my son — who was a teenager at the time — was still living at home and, well, just as pretty much any other reluctant growing boy — I guess — he was not exactly what one could call a fan of tofu.
But I remember the day I’d initially posted this recipe, he almost wolfed down the entire batch before I’d even had a chance to take pictures… or even bake it, for that matter!
I was standing in the kitchen, laying the marinated tofu cubes on a baking sheet, getting ready to put them in the oven, when he walked up to me and asked:– “What’s that?”
Before I even had a chance to answer, “THAT is tofu”, in an almost scandalized voice, as if he was going to get poisoned if he dared touch it, he had already wolfed down a piece and was grabbing a second one, followed by a third…
And then he said:– “Wow, it’s really good!” and walked away.
Whoa… wait a minute. Really good? This was TOFU he just ate, raw tofu! And he said, it’s really good? I couldn’t believe my ears!
But wait, there’s more… 40 minutes later, when I finally took the now baked tofu out of the oven, my son SPECIFICALLY returned to the kitchen to grab a couple of pieces and walked away, once again, telling me how really good he thought this baked tofu was.
I was speechless. SHOCKED! I just couldn’t believe it.
So one of two things, people: either there is genuinely something wrong with my son, or this baked tofu is seriously good s… tuff!
I think it’s the latter, honestly!
But really, don’t take my word for it… Try it for yourself!
You can eat it right as it comes out of the oven, or you could choose to have it at room temperature. Heck, you can even eat it cold! And you know what? You don’t even need to cook it, really. It’s super good even before it hits the oven. Hey, even my son said so! 😉
Just one word of advice, though: if you’re going to make this, I think that you should totally double the recipe. Or maybe even triple it…
It just goes down way too fast!
Start by removing the tofu from its packaging, then drain and press it for about 1 hour to release excess liquid, and then pat it dry with a clean towel or paper towel.
Now, if you didn’t happen to own a tofu press, don’t go running to the store just to get one… You can very quickly set up a little rig that’ll work just as good:
- Grab a cooling rack and place it over a container of some kind, to collect all the liquids that’ll drip. I chose to use a glass loaf pan, but practically any container will do!
- Next, place your block of tofu onto that cooling rack and then place a small plate or other flat object right over that block of tofu…
- Finally, place a heavy object, such as a large book or a cast iron skillet, over that plate or flat object. Now simply put that entire rig aside and let your tofu slowly drip away for about an hour.
Once the tofu is good and pressed, preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Then, cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes and, in a medium sized bowl, combine the tamari, maple syrup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, grated ginger, minced garlic and sriracha; stir to combine.
Add the cubed tofu to the bowl and stir delicately until all the cubes are completely and evenly coated. Set aside to marinate for at least 5 minutes. You could also do this the previous day and let your tofu marinate overnight; just don’t go preheating your oven right now, if you’re gonna do that…
Arrange the cubes of tofu in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, making sure to leave ample room between each cube for air to circulate. Just try not to eat it all now… it’s worth trying it baked too, you know!
Oh, and whatever you do, do not discard that leftover marinade: it makes for an amazing dipping sauce!
Now bake the tofu in your preheated oven for 40 minutes, flipping the cubes once halfway through, until it becomes all nice and beautifully golden brown.
Let the baked tofu cool for about 5 minutes in the pan — try not to eat it all during that time; it might be best to keep the kids out of the kitchen! — then serve it with that leftover marinade as a dipping sauce, garnished with a handful of chopped cilantro and a few sesame seeds, if you so desire.
That’s IF you still have any left to serve by now…
Easy Oven Baked Tofu
Ingredients
- 1- 16oz package extra firm tofu, pressed and patted dry
- 3 tbsp tamari sauce
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 tsp sriracha
- Chopped cilantro and sesame seeds to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Remove the tofu from its packaging, drain and press it for about 1 hour to release excess liquid, and then pat it dry with a clean towel.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes and, in a medium sized bowl, combine the tamari, maple syrup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, grated ginger, minced garlic and sriracha; stir to combine.
- Add the cubed tofu to the bowl and stir delicately until all the cubes are completely and evenly coated. Set aside to marinate for at least 5 minutes (or up to overnight).
- Place the cubes of tofu in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, making sure to leave ample room between each cube for air to circulate. Whatever you do, do not discard that leftover marinade: it makes for an amazing dipping sauce!
- Bake the tofu in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, flipping the cubes once halfway through, until it becomes all nice and beautifully golden brown.
- Let the baked tofu cool for about 5 minutes in the pan, then serve it with that leftover marinade as a dipping sauce, garnished with a handful of chopped cilantro and a few sesame seeds, if you so desire.
Nutrition
If you’ve tried this recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and let me know how things went for you in the comments below. It’s always such a pleasure to hear from you!
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*Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January of 2012 and has since been completely revamped and updated with better pictures. A few minor modifications to the original recipe may also have been made.
40 Comments on “Easy Oven Baked Tofu”
Your tofu looks amazing!!! It makes me so happy to hear your son even enjoyed the baked tofu!!! 🙂 must be a real keeper! Lovely photos as usual Sonia, makes me want to reach through the screen and pick several cubes 🙂
YAY! Thanks Nora. Glad you like what I did with your recipe! And I mean seriously… this morning, I was adding the last of this baked tofu to my lunch salad and started discussing it with my son, and he admitted to eating even more after I’d put it in the fridge. I think even tofu “non-enthusiasts” would go nuts for this. I am so totally making more this week-end… but a double batch this time! 🙂
Ooh this looks great! I have only JUST discovered tofu – cooked it for the first time last week – but I really like it, especially the way it pairs with Asian salty/sour/sweet flavourings. This looks so delicious and I can’t wait to try it, maybe with some noodles and garlicky greens…yum!
This would be very yummy with garlicky veggies, indeed! I think it could very easily be made in advance and thrown into stirfrys, too! Seriously, if you like tofu, and sweet / salty things, you will LOVE this recipe!
Ever give tempeh a try? I love it even more then tofu, it has a more substantial texture and takes to marinates just as well. My husband however prefers tofu…ah well.
Actually, I’ve never tried it. I really have to, though. I’m really curious. This shall happen very soon, I can feel it! 🙂
I saw this and had to make it. It is just SO good… I have no idea how I’m going to practice portion control and not end up eating the entire batch before my husband gets home. Also, the ‘marinade’ would be awesome mixed into some stir-fry veggies. Awesome stuff, Sonia 🙂
You made it already???? And I guess you’re all out too? 😉 I totally hear you about portion control. NOT an easy thing to do. You just want to wolf down the entire thing at once! I didn’t throw away the marinade either. It makes a great dipping sauce, or could be turned into an awesome salad dressing!
And hey, don’t thank me. We both need to thank Nora for this new addiction! 😉
Yes, I sure did, lol. I saw in pop up in my FB feed last night, and usually go to the grocery store on Wednesday mornings before work. I still have about 1/3 of it left… was ranting and raving to my husband over chat this morning, so I had to save some for him to try. I had to force-feed my 5 year-old one piece but then she wouldn’t leave the stuff alone either!
Hehe! Glad to hear this stuff seems to even be kid approved! Lovely! Did your husband like it too?
Looks awesome! I love the cubes, I’m usually too lazy and just cut it into slices and then chop as needed for whatever I’m putting it into. Your post actually made me think of when I thought I didn’t like tofu, and then I learned how to make it properly and I LOVE the stuff. Your flavorings sound delicious – I love the fresh ginger and sriracha 🙂
LOL, you’re funny Heidi! This recipe is so easy though, making the cubes would be the hardest part, so you can really go all out and enjoy fully formed cubes this time! 😉 Now you made me realize that I could try a whole bunch of different flavorings too! Ooooooh! I need to stock up on tofu!
It looks like it would go down easy. I can’t wait to do this one.
Hey thanks, Tender! Hope you like it! 😀
As a rule, we’ve never had success with tofu – DH is a reasonable cook (better than me) but even his results with tofu suck. I am going to email him this recipe and try it as a last ditch attempt to see if we can actually like it because the picture does make it look good. Will let ya know how it goes!
Actually, I think this one is pretty much fool proof! Can’t wait to hear the results. Cross my fingers that it goes good! 🙂
Oh, this looks like a great idea! I have half a pack of extra firm tofu left over, and I think I’ll make this today. I love the idea. I will have to adapt on a couple of the seasonings, but no problem. I’ve been wondering about other good tofu recipes. (I finally got age dashi tofu down, but I need to make more dashi first…)
I recently started eating tofu and experimenting with certain recipes. I’ve tried seasonings and other flavorings to try and “spice” up the tofu taste. I’ve tried this recipe and I thought it had a great taste. One of the best things I recommend using though is the Tofu Press from http://www.tofuxpress.com. It makes the cooking of tofu so much easier rather it be grilled, baked, or stir fried. Fantastic recipe!!!
Seriously.. I’ve told you this on Leanne’s blog (other Leann 😉 lol) a minute ago… but your photo’s rock! Do you do your own photography? I usually make pictures of my recipes (if it turned out alright :p) but my pictures aren’t anywhere near as great as yours! Great recipes on your site btw 🙂 Love from Leanne a fellow foodie and nutritionist (eatandgetmoving.wordpress.com)
Oh wow, thank you so much Leanne, that is so incredibly nice of you to say! Yes, I do take all my pictures myself… it’s eveb become sort of an obsession for me. I have a hard time eating something if I haven’t taken a picture of it first… 😉 Real glad you found me through the other Leanne and that you happen to like my pics and recipes! Thanks for letting me know, I truly appreciate that!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to go pay your blog a little visit! 😉
Oh wow, thank you so much Leanne, that is so incredibly nice of you to say! Yes, I do take all my pictures myself… it’s even become sort of an obsession for me. I have a hard time eating something if I haven’t taken a picture of it first… 😉 Real glad you found me through the other Leanne and that you happen to like my pics and recipes! Thanks for letting me know, I truly appreciate that!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to go pay your blog a little visit! 😉
My soy sauce is tamari…is that what you used in the recipe or is there another type of tamari sauce?
Tamari or soy sauce, both would work perfectly! I personally prefer tamari sauce, I find it has a deeper flavor, but soy would also do the trick. If what you have is tamari, you’re all set! 🙂
Yes what I already had in my fridge was “Naturally Brewed Tamari Premium Soy Sauce” so I guess that’s right. I also had rice vinegar but not rice wine vinegar. I ran to the store quick but I could not find any rice wine vinegar. Different kinds of rice vinegar and different wine vinegars but none that said rice wine so I just used what I already had. It still came out good. Luckily my package of tofu was only 397g though because according to the package there are 4.5 servings and that’s not really how it’s going to work out…haha!! I think I already ate more than half of it.
I also bought plantains when I was out to try your plantain chicken. I love plantains but have never prepared them myself so this should be interesting!
You can very well sub one for the other, they are extremely similar in taste, I find… heck, you could probably use white wine or even white balsamic vinegar. So long as you use a mild, slightly sweet vinegar, you will be fine. Your tamari sauce sounds yummy! I have yet to find the gluten free version that I found a few weeks ago… Guess I’ll have to whip up some sort of an Asian inspired dish this week… 😉
I don’t know how it is that they measure serving size on tofu packages. It’s obvious to me that they never really tasted the stuff, especially not in this baked form, ‘cos if they had, the label would say “get another package, you won’t have enough of just this one, even if you are alone”… 😉
Glad to hear you like this just as much as I did, and I hope you are also pleased with the plantain chicken! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
I just made this for dinner; the flavor is amazing, it’s perfect in a salad! But I couldn’t get it to be nearly as crunchy/dark as it looks in your photo! I think maybe I didn’t allow for enough press time or marinating time. Regardless it tastes awesome.
Glad you liked, Meghan! So many different variables could explain the difference in colour and texture, but I guess in the end, they aren’t really that important. What really matters is that you liked the final product! Thanks for your great feedback, I truly appreciate that! 🙂
I just made this for dinner yet again. I love it! My husband liked it, but wasn’t totally gung-ho at first. He’s really latched on to it now, though. I make an extra big batch of the marinade and then while the tofu is baking, I heat it up on the stove and thicken it with a cornstarch slurry. I then serve it over brown rice with roasted green beans and red peppers with a drizzle of the sauce.
Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe!
Oh yummy, Susan. You are making me hungry! 😉
Thank YOU for the great feedback AND delicious inspiration!!! 🙂
I just want to say I found this recipe three weeks ago and I have made it every week!
COOL! Glad do hear that, Jessica! Thanks a bunch for letting me know, too. I really appreciate your taking the time to do that! 🙂
I LOVE THIS RECIPE!! it turned out just perfect.
Sonia, THANK YOU!
You are very welcome! And thank YOU for the great feedback. I sincerely appreciate your taking the time to write that! 🙂
Ok, gotta comment! I made your Crispy Oven Baked Tofu Nuggets ( if I have the title wrong, it’s a recent recipe made with nutritional yeast) and it was delicious. This is next! We are huge tofu lovers here, and I can totally see why your son was sold on this. Can’t wait to try it!
If you loved the nuggets, Dana, you’re gonna adore these! Seriously… make a double batch! 🙂
Acabo de leer tus argumentos de volverte vegetariana y cómo llegaste a él y lo respeto, pero creo que la clave de todo está en el equilibrio. Estamos todos en éste planeta, reino vegetal, reino animal y reino mineral para satisfacernos plenamente, Yó, cómo carne, pero lo que necesito, es decir, carne roja, 1 vez a la semana 2 medallones de solomillo, eso serán + ó -140 -150 grs. X semana, no tomo leche porque nuestro estómago no está hecho para digerirla y me sienta fatal. Yá, Si todo el mundo tomara la carne que necesita comer y nó carne todos los días y se reeducaran para no pensar que una buena comida conlleva un chuletón de 400 grs. Y tomáramos los lácteos soloen edad infantil, no estaríamos en el problemon que estamos por la gran explotación de ganado que por cierto contaminan una barbaridad por los gases que emanan (pedos). Conclusión, porqué tengo yó que privarme de lo que la naturaleza me ha dado por derecho por la culpa de una mala educación. La solución sería reeducar, desde dónde? Desde el kindergarden, el colegio y etc, etc. Peeeeeero, resulta que (no lo sé, exactamente) el 90%de los países, el profesorado son los peores pagados, entonces qué interés pueden poner? Ninguno, porqué? Porque es una carrera que no necesita mucha puntuación para hacerla, así es que, la mayoría no son por vocación, si no, porque había que hacer algo.
Sonia querida, habría que hacer éste planeta otra vez y pensé que con la pandemia, las cosas cambiarían pero ná de ná. Parece que todo sigue nó igual, PEOR. ahora la gente está con rabia, con odio, necesitamos una desescalada de odio Terrible! Pero los que no se adapten desaparecerán porque ésta pandemia es un colador de la madre tierra conjuntamente con el cosmo .
El tofu nos encanta y pronto lo haré. El mopu tofu me chifla.
Perdóname por haberme enrollado como las persianas pero creo que era necesario. Cuídate mucho preciosa. Besitos
Man, I really gotta start working on my Spanish!!!! I wish it was good enough for me to understand all of this, but unfortunately, I’m not even near there yet… but I do get what you are saying. Thank you for sharing your point of view, and for forcing me to work on my Spanish a little!
You know, I always love eating tofu. But I never think about oven baked tofu before. My favorite way to cook tofu is to cut it into cubes and add chili, onion, black paper, salt, a dash of sugar and quick fry it with coconut oil in the hot pan.
Definitely gonna try this at home.
Looks yummy what dipping sauce do you recommend?
It is great It is great