Baked Peanut Tofu Bowls
Simple, delicious, and approved by both kids and adults, this baked peanut tofu buddha bowl is the ultimate weeknight dinner recipe! It’s vegan, gluten free, and smothered in the most delicious peanut sauce there is.
*Cue Lizzie McGuire This Is What Dreams Are Made Of.* Because seriously you guys, this baked peanut butter satay tofu really IS what dreams are made of. Crispy, salty, subtly sweet, savory, easy to make, I could go on.
I was never a big fan of tofu until I learned to a) cook it properly and b) flavor it well. In order for tofu to actually taste good, it needs to have an irresistibly crispy outside, a soft and fluffy inside, a delicious sauce, plus more delicious sauce.
The sauce is KEY here you guys, and I’m going to teach you how to make the best crispy peanut tofu ever. This peanut sauce is creamy, rich, easy to make and honestly tastes good on anything, but this tofu is one of my favorites. Try my fried tofu noodle bowls next!
Tips before we get started…
- The veggies for this peanut tofu bowl are merely suggestions, feel free to get creative! Broccoli, carrots, cucumber, bok choy, or butter lettuce would also be delicious with these bowls.
- I suggest firm or extra firm tofu for best results!
- Instead of rice, serve this with noodles for a delicious peanut tofu noodle bowl!
How to make peanut tofu bowls
There are lots of ways to cook tofu, but this baking is one of my favorites, especially if you want it crispy. While tofu in a skillet is easy and all, I always find it leaves the tofu mushy and it can be a pain to ensure all sides cook properly.
When you bake tofu, you definitely don’t have this problem since there is plenty of time to ensure all sides get crispy.
It also requires no pressing, just a quick marinade, some time in the oven, and a simple peanut sauce and you’re good to go!
To make this peanut tofu, you first want to remove the tofu from the package and drain out all excess liquid. If you have a tofu press, great! Definitely use it.
Otherwise, you can place the block of tofu between to towels and use your hands to gently press out any liquid. Pressing the tofu for an extended period of time isn’t necessary, but it will make it crispier.
Place the tofu on a cutting board and cut into small cubes. The smaller the cubes, the faster it will cook and crispier it will be. I usually do about 1/2-1 inch cubes.
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Add the tofu to a large bowl and toss with the tamari, sesame oil, and maple syrup. Make sure all pieces are covered in sauce and let the tofu marinate for about 20 minutes. This is going to give it LOTS of flavor. No boring tofu is allowed here ya’ll.
Drain out any excess liquid from the tofu bowl and slowly toss with the arrowroot starch. Make sure every piece is coated well, since the arrowroot is what will make the tofu nice and crispy.
Add the tofu to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Try to leave space between each piece. If they’re touching, they can stick together which will prevent the sides of the tofu from getting crispy.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until nice and crispy. Once it’s done, remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. If you add the sauce right away, it can get soggy, so it’s best to let it cool first. After about 5 minutes, toss with the peanut sauce and enjoy!
How to store
Once prepared, the tofu will keep in the fridge for about 3 days, though it is best fresh. To reheat, add the tofu to the oven at 300 degrees for about 10 minutes. It won’t be quite as crispy reheated, but the flavor will still be delicious!
Do I need to press the tofu?
I generally recommend pressing tofu for the best results. However, since we’re using extra firm tofu, it’s not entirely necessary for this recipe. You can just wrap the tofu between a towel and very gently squeeze out the excess liquid.
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Lastly, if you try this recipe, leave a comment below and let me know how it turns out! Be sure to follow me on instagram and subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes and daily eats.
Crispy Baked Peanut Tofu Bowl
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Bowl:
- 2 cups cooked rice quinoa or rice noodles are also great
- 1 avocado
- 2 red bell peppers
- 3 cups chopped kale
- 4 green onions chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Optional: chopped peanuts for garnish
Tofu:
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon low sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 tablespoons gluten free plain breadcrumbs or regular
- ½ cup peanut sauce click for recipe
Instructions
- Remove the tofu from the package and drain out the excess liquid. If you’re using extra firm tofu, you shouldn’t need to press it, but you are more than welcome to.
- Chop the tofu into small cubes, about 1/2 to 1 inch.
- Add to a bowl with the marinade (1 tbsp tamari, 1 tsp sesame oil, and 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey).
- Let marinate for about 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 Fahrenheit.
- Once marinated, toss with the cornstarch, then toss with the breadcrumbs. Add to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving space between each piece so they can really get crispy.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- While baking, prepare your sauce and veggies. The sauce calls for 1/4 – 1/2 cup of water to thin it out for this recipe, you’ll want to use closer to 1/2 cup. The sauce makes more than you will need for this recipe, but it stores really well in the fridge so you can save it for noodles or use as a dip for veggies.
- Slice the red peppers into thin strips and add to a pan with 1 tbsp of oil. Saute for 10 minutes or until it starts to brown on the sides. Add in the kale and let wilt for 1-2 minutes.
- When the tofu is done, remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Toss with 1/2 cup of sauce.
- Assemble your bowls starting with the rice, add the veggies, avocado, scallions and tofu and drizzle with the remaining sauce.
Notes
Comments
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Made this for dinner the other night; I thought it was delicious! My tofu didn’t crisp us as much as I would’ve liked but I also didn’t pop it back in the oven for the extra crispness as suggested at the end of the recipe. I think the real star was the peanut sauce; we used the recipe from this website.
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So glad you were a fan!
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This was tasty and my family loved it. It is also healthy for them which is a bonus.
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I was looking for a new baked tofu recipe and I believe I found it. I made a few variations to the recipe and used the veggies I had on hand. What I am commenting on is the actual baked tofu. I think the honey and bread crumbs make a difference. I’ll make this again.
I made my Buddha bowl with sticky rice, roasted asparagus, shredded uncooked carrots, baked tofu and peanut sauce. I added a few pepitas on top.
Recipe variations for the tofu:
1. I used low sodium soy sauce, not tamari
2. I switched the sesame oil for olive oil
3. For bread crumbs, I used packaged cauliflower “bread” crumbs that I got on sale and hadn’t used yet. They are tasty, but may not use them again for something that bakes for 35 minutes. They seem to get darker quicker than panko. I took the tofu out of the oven 5 minutes early because of it. Luckily I cut my tofu a little small so they were still crunchy. Had I made tofu slices, I wouldn’t have been pleased. -
Very tasty! I simplified it by
• using the marinade 3 ways: marinate tofu, flavour quinoa, & added peanut butter/red Thai curry paste/sesame oil/water to make the peanut sauce
• Mixed cornstarch with the breadcrumbs
• I also baked all the ingredients (2 pans)
Tofu: 10 mins
At 10 mins: rotate tofu, add onions/peppers to one side
At 20 mins: lightly sprayed/salted Kale pieces for last 10 mins
Will definitely make again. Thanks for sharing!
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I made this tonight and it was so delicious! I did not put breadcrumbs on the tofu – I just marinated it, lightly sprinkled cornstarch on it, and lightly sprayed it with avocado oil and baked it. The peanut sauce is terrific! In addition to the peppers and kale, I also topped the bowls with garlic soy sauce green beans. Will definitely make again.
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Sounds delicious! So glad you made it work for you!
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Corn starch!!!!! Really??? This shit is poisonous!
Stupid Americans 😞
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You can very easily swap for tapioca starch or arrowroot starch instead.
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Will try tonight. It’s a lovely recipe. As a celiac, I hope I am not too stupid an American in using cornstarch.
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You seem nice 🙄
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Okay Marty get back in your time machine and think about how you became such an angry anonymous recipe blog troll…
I can’t even go on a recipe site these days without seeing someone spreading hate. Move on to a different blog that fits your needs. It’s all good. -
Educate me. Why is it poisonous? I know it’s not nutritious so it should be eaten in small amounts. What do you know that I don’t?
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My kids love this recipe! I find it a little too creamy and heavy especially for something that goes over rice. I think the avocado is unnecessary as the peanut sauce adds enough creamy flavor. I added a little ponzu sauce over the top to add brightness. Other than that, its a great recipe with a nice flavor profile.
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It’s delicious!!!
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recipe looks great and excited to try it! just wondering how long the tofu would last in the fridge? (or if it would work in the freezer also)
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It will keep for about 2-3 days, but will get a bit soggy! Same with the freezer, it will just be a bit soggy when you defrost it.
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Amazing easy staple! I love thé technique if wilting the kale at the end of cooking the peppers – changed my life. I will say the tofu turn out bad every-time I follow this tofu recipe, so I just use my own tofu technique or replace with chicken. Delicious!!
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Have you got any ideas for a sauce that’s not peanut butter based? Like something chilli based would be nice instead and I’ll just top it with crumbled peanuts for crunch.
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I would maybe try my spicy garlic tofu or korean tofu!
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