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Learn how to make baked tofu that's crispy and savory with a soft center. The perfect vegan protein for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
If you regularly eat with non-vegans and want a plant-based protein to replace chicken, fish or other animal proteins, this meaty baked tofu is perfect. It's crispy and crusty on the outside and is infused with flavor from an Asian-inspired soy marinade.
Serve this delicious baked tofu with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Vegan Chopped Salad for a well-rounded and satisfying meal. This tofu is perfect if you're craving some homemade fast food, too - I love making these vegan KFC Famous Bowls!
How-To Video
Ingredients
The sauce for this baked tofu is five simple ingredients. You can easily whip this up for dinner, even on a busy night. Here's what you need to make baked tofu:
- Extra-firm tofu. Make sure you choose extra-firm for the best texture. It has less water than softer varieties of tofu and can better absorb the flavors from your sauce. Check out this guide on how to press tofu.
- Soy sauce. You can use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
- Cornstarch. Arrowroot starch/powder can be used in place of cornstarch. This is a thickener for the sauce.
- Garlic and onion powder. These infuse your tofu with deeply savory, umami flavor.
- Oil. Choose a neutral oil like vegetable or avocado.
Ingredient Substitutions & Swaps
- Gluten-free baked tofu: swap the soy sauce for coconut aminos or gluten-free tamari.
- Other seasonings: Feel free to use other or add more seasoning to the sauce for a different flavor! Some ideas: smoked paprika, lemon pepper, Italian seasoning, taco seasoning.
Storage
You can store leftover tofu in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. It makes a great option for meal prep. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave or in a hot oven for 10 minutes, until heated through.
Or try eating it cold as a sandwich with Vegan Oil-Free Mayo and 4-Ingredient No-Yeast Bread for lunch the next day.
Tofu Guide: How to Press Tofu
In this resource, you'll learn 2 easy methods.
Trying to go vegan? Sign up for our (FREE) Vegan Beginner's Guide!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Please leave a comment and a ⭐ star review below!
You could use this recipe to make crispy sesame tofu or orange tofu.
Recipe
Baked Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) block extra firm tofu
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Press tofu for at least 30 minutes. Cut into whatever shape you prefer (I like cubes or triangles.)
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat.
- In a bowl, toss with oil and soy sauce. Then toss with cornstarch, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper.
- Place the tofu evenly onto the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway, until tofu is golden brown and crispy on the edges.
Meg says
I made this the same day the recipe came into my e-mail inbox. It's fab! I had half a block of tofu waiting to be eaten in my fridge, so I halved the recipe and it was perfection -- easy to put together (after pressing the tofu and cutting into triangles) with exactly enough seasoning and coating. Baked for 10 minutes on both sides and it was outstanding on a salad. It was hard to resist eating the triangles as soon as I took them out of the oven. This is going into my recipe file permanently. Thanks for such a tasty and easy recipe!
Kyrila Scully says
After my heart attack, I learned that oils extracted even from vegetable sources like coconut, avocado, etc. become oxidized which affects my LDL and VLDL numbers. So I cannot use any oils whatsoever (although I can eat avocados, nuts, corn and coconut, etc. as the oils in the food itself are not oxidized). Could I substitute vegetable broth in place of oil? I usually use that or plain water when sauteing.
Deb says
I use the broth from my steamed vegetables for sautéing or any time I need vegetable broth. It is salt free unlike the store bought brands and is free.
I sprinkle Kirkland brand organic no salt seasoning on the veggies prior to steaming and it gives the broth good flavor too.
Ruchama says
This looks simple and tasty. However, we have a huge oven. We try to use our air fryer (there are just two of us) whenever possible. Would this work in an air fryer? If so, any suggestions for the settings and time?
David Besaw says
Thank you! Unfortunately I haven't tested this recipe in an air fryer, but it should work fine! Not sure about temp/time.
Patricia G says
We are on the road, so no chance to try this yet, but it looks amazing and promising. I have started using an air fryer for very high heat/smaller quantity baking/roasting, so I am thinking that will work well for these. I am also wondering if the bbq would serve as a good "oven", as the weather is too hot to be heating up the kitchen at the moment. Will try both and report back.