If you’ve ever been a vegetarian, you might be familiar with tofu. Tofu is a food that has become increasingly popular in recent years. It’s made from soybeans and comes in many different forms, including silken, soft and firm. If you’re new to cooking with tofu, it can be hard to know what to do with it. Luckily for you, we have plenty of tips on cooking this healthy protein source! In this article we’ll cover how to bake tofu so it’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside—and still tastes delicious! Honestly, this is one of the best tofu recipe you can find out there, and I’m sure you would love it.
Key Ingredients
- Tofu: It’s relatively neutral in flavor and texture, which makes it a great canvas for flavor. If you’re new to tofu, start with extra-firm because it holds up well when baked.
- Soy sauce: Use reduced-sodium soy sauce so that your dish doesn’t end up overly salty.
- Rice vinegar: This is the most popular type of vinegar used in Asian cooking. You can substitute apple cider, lime juice or balsamic vinegar if you don’t have rice vinegar on hand, but I love the hint of sweetness it adds to dishes here!
- Sesame oil: Sesame seeds are very flavorful and rich in nutrients like calcium and magnesium (which help build strong bones), as well as iron (an important nutrient for healthy blood). Make sure to buy cold-pressed sesame oil to get all its health benefits; otherwise, refined oils will be high in polyunsaturated fats rather than good mono-unsaturated fats! The rest of your ingredients should be easy enough to find at your local supermarket or organic grocery store—just make sure there aren’t any preservatives added before buying them fresh off the shelf
- Grated ginger: Many recipes call for fresh ginger, which is best grated with a microplane grater. If you have the time and energy, you could use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin from the root first. But if not, no worries! The peeled root will still work just fine in this recipe. Just be careful not to add too much—ginger has a very strong flavor and can overwhelm other ingredients if you’re not careful about using it sparingly (which we recommend).
- Minced Garlic: Garlic is a great flavor enhancer, which means it can make your dishes taste more delicious without adding extra salt or sugar. Garlic is also a natural antibiotic and anti-inflammatory—it helps control blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It’s also full of vitamin B6 and manganese, as well as selenium, which are all essential nutrients that promote good health. This versatile ingredient can be added to almost any dish because its strong flavor pairs well with almost everything!
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Drain tofu and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut into bite-sized pieces, about ½-inch thick by 2 inches long by 1 inch wide (or whatever shape you prefer).
Season with soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and spices (you can add other seasonings if you like). Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes then turn over the tofu pieces and bake for another 15 minutes.
For better flavor in this tofu recipe, I recommend leaving your tofu to marinate in the mixture for a minimum of 30 minutes before baking. This ensures that the tofu soaks up the ingredients, giving it a nice flavor.
Baking tofu is a great way to give it a delicious flavor.
Tofu is a good source of calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorous. Baking the tofu will make it more digestible and nutritious. Tofu has no cholesterol or saturated fat but it does have protein which helps keep you full longer than other low-fat foods. It also contains omega-3 fatty acids which can help lower your cholesterol levels by reducing inflammation in the body (1). Baking tofu gives it an extra crispy texture that makes it taste like chicken!
I hope you enjoyed this Tofu recipe! Be sure to check out other tofu recipes on the blog. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. Also, don’t forget to check out our Instagram for more great vegan recipes!
Best Baked Tofu Recipe To Make You Love Tofu
Ingredients
- ½ block Tofu - extra firm
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsps rice vinegar
- 2 tsps sesame oil
- ½ inch ginger - grated
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp cinnamon - ground
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp thyme
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Drain tofu and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut into bite-sized pieces, about ½-inch thick by 2 inches long by 1 inch wide (or whatever shape you prefer).
- To a small bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and all other spices together. Once combined, add in the tofu.
- Cover bowl with sealing wrap and leave to marinate for at least 30 mins (This gives the tofu enough time to soak up the ingredients.)
- Preheat oven to 400 °F.
- Place marinated tofu on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 15 minutes then turn over the tofu pieces and bake for another 15 minutes.
- Serve with rice or tortilla wraps and Enjoy!
