My go-to Baked Tofu! It's easy to make with no pressing or marinating and is irresistibly sticky, tangy, smoky, savoury, and sweet with incredible texture. A real dinnertime winner!
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"I made this last night for a dinner party. I'd never made it before and normally wouldn't try a new recipe for guests before testing it myself, but I am THAT confident in your recipes! It is delicious. The guests enjoyed it and gobbled it up, and my husband even had some for breakfast this morning, that's how much he loves it! Thanks, Mel!" - Michelle ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
This Baked Tofu is one of those recipes that, even after years and years, I (and many of you!) keep coming back to. It's just so good, so convenient, and so packed with flavour - The perfect blend of smoky, savoury, sweet, tangy, slightly spicy, sticky, and chewy. Not to mention the texture, which is just incredible!
And all that with no pressing and no marinating...Can't you tell I LOVE THIS BAKED TOFU SO MUCH! It's perfect for people like me who always forget to press or marinate their tofu, then end up in a panic when dinner comes around. In fact, it actually benefits from the tofu not being pressed, so don't be tempted to press it regardless.
There is no salad, noodle dish, stir fry, sandwich, or bowl meal that does not benefit in some way from the addition of some delicious baked tofu triangles, and it's even amazing served as "wings" with some vegan ranch as an appetizer, straight from the fridge as a snack, or in lunchboxes.
Mel x
P.S. Love easy tofu recipes? Be sure to give my very popular Nutritional Yeast Tofu a try, too!
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Let's Make Baked Tofu!
Can't wait to make it? The full printable recipe is below, but first, let me walk you through the steps to set you up for success in your kitchen. I recommend watching my recipe video if you're more of a visual learner:
1 - Mix the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl.
2 - Cut the tofu into triangles and smother it in the glaze.
3 - Lay the triangles of tofu out on a lined baking tray and bake. Keep the leftover glaze - You'll need it in a little while.
4 - At the halfway point, flip and brush generously with more of the glaze before baking again. When you remove the tofu from the oven, brush it with the leftover glaze once more before serving.
Baked Tofu Success Tips
- Don't be tempted to use anything other than extra-firm tofu. You will not get the intended texture or sturdiness.
- You must use a metal baking tray. Don't use a glass or ceramic dish. Your tofu will not caramelize or get the correct texture.
- Be sure to line your baking tray. The glaze gets very burned on. Use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Don't cut the baking time down. It might seem like a long time, but it's necessary to dry the tofu out and get a really good "meaty" texture and slight charring around the edges and on the corners.
How To Cut Tofu Into Triangles
I like to cut my tofu into triangles because I think they look nice and are more interesting than cubes or steaks.
Start by carefully cutting lengthways through the entire block to get 2 or 3 large ½ inch slices. Different brands of tofu are different thicknesses. I usually get 3 slices, but you might only get 2 out of yours if your tofu blocks aren't as thick.
Then take each of those slices and cut it in half to make 2 squares, then cut each of those squares into triangles. Here are some pics to help you visualize it:
Recipe
Baked Tofu
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 1 block extra firm tofu , sizes vary depending on brand but one that's about 350g - 400g (12 - 14oz)
Glaze
- ⅓ cup (80 mls) tomato ketchup
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce , or gluten-free soy sauce/tamari
- 1 tablespoon sriracha , or Sambal Oelek, or any other chili paste
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil , (omit to make oil-free)
- 1 clove garlic , minced or grated very finely
- 1 big pinch freshly ground black pepper
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200 °C) and line a large metal baking tray (it must be metal) with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. This is important because the glaze will burn onto your tray if you don't.
- Open the tofu, drain any excess water, then lay it on its side and cut carefully lengthways into ½ inch thick large slices. Different blocks of tofu are different thicknesses but from most you will get 2 or 3 slices. Take each of those slices and cut it into triangles. There are pictures showing the process of cutting the tofu in the post above if you need a visual guide.
- In a small bowl, mix up all of the glaze ingredients.
- Lay the tofu triangles out in a large dish/bowl. Pour the glaze over the tofu triangles and use one clean hand to rub it all over the tofu.
- Place the glazed tofu triangles on the lined baking tray, leaving a little space around each one. Keep the dish with the remaining glaze in it. You will need it later.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Flip over each triangle and brush it with some more glaze. Put back in the oven and bake for another 20 minutes. Keep an eye on it though as all ovens are different. If it starts getting too dark remove it a little bit earlier. You want it to be really caramelized (dark brown, almost black) around the edges and on the corners. Again keep any remaining glaze (there won't be much).
- Once done, remove from the oven and brush quickly again with the last bits of remaining glaze before serving, or cooling and storing in an air tight container in the fridge.
NOTES
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Sue says
Made a double batch this morning based on the good reviews and comments. It did not disappoint.
The glaze caramelizes really well and the tofu takes on a nice chewy texture. The heat from the Sriracha is just right.
I did not even bother to pat dry my tofu, but I did cut each block into 4 slices (closer to 1/4" thick) before halving and cutting into triangles, and I probably baked it closer to 1 hour at 400 (based on a thermometer as my oven doesn't read/heat the correct temp) to reach the desired effect.
This will be a keeper and in the regular rotation. Thank you Virtual Vegan!
Melanie McDonald says
Glad you enjoyed it Sue, and thank you for coming back to leave a review. It's much appreciated!
Johanna says
I made this last night for our budda bowls. It was great to see my kids eat up the tofu instead of just looking at it! Thanks a lot!