Crispy Baked Sesame Tofu
For an easy weeknight dinner, look no further than this crispy baked sesame tofu! It’s so easy to make, requires only 10 minutes of prep time and is completely vegan and gluten free.
It’s no secret around here that I’m a big, ok huge, fan of sesame anything. Sesame noodles, chickpeas, cauliflower, sesame chickpea meatballs, now sesame tofu?! Sesame salmon is next on my list but I’m always open to suggestions!
Easy dinners are my favorite kind of dinners. Easy dinners that are so flavorful are the absolute best. This baked tofu recipe is exactly that and I cannot wait for you to try it!
I love to serve it up with some rice and broccoli to make a sort of buddha bowl, but you can also serve it in a stir fry or with my vegan fried rice.
Tofu does not contain sesame as it is just made with soy beans, but this recipe contains sesame oil for a delicious sesame flavor. If you love this recipe, try my crispy garlic tofu, gochujang korean tofu or tofu burrito bowl next!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Vegan & gluten free
- Packed with flavor
- Crispy
- Easy to make
Tips for crispy tofu
I’ll admit, I totally understand why some people are so turned off by tofu. It doesn’t look all that great straight out of the package, and without any sauce, it doesn’t have much of a flavor.
However, (and a big however!), if you know how to cook tofu properly, then you can make it taste seriously delicious. Crispy, flavorful, easy to make, high in protein… basically everything you could want.
The key to baking tofu is to bake it plain and with some sort of flour or starch. Baking it without any sauce ensures the tofu on its own is able to crisp up and without burning the sauce.
The flour/starch works to absorb any excess moisture to give us a super crispy exterior and soft interior. We’ll then coat it in the sauce after it bakes so it stays crispy!
How to make sesame tofu
Cut tofu. Cut a slit in the side of the tofu container and drain out all of the excess liquid. Remove the tofu from the package and wrap it in a towel just to get off as much liquid as possible without having to press the tofu. Once it seems dry, cut the tofu into 1 inch cubes.
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Prep tofu. Once the tofu is cubed, add it to a large bowl and toss with the soy sauce. Next, toss in the cornstarch then the breadcrumbs.
I like to just shake the bowl so the tofu doesn’t break (sometimes it breaks if you use a spoon) and toss until every piece is well coated.
Bake. Add to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and try to ensure none of the tofu pieces touch each other. I know that seems annoying, but the space between really helps it get crispy.
Make sauce. Add the tofu to the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. While the tofu is baking, we’ll prepare the sauce on the stove.
Serve. Once the sauce and tofu are done, toss both together until well coated and enjoy! I like to serve it with brown or white rice and some steamed broccoli. Try my chipotle sofritas tofu next!
Do you need to press tofu?
Yes and no. You can absolutely get away with not pressing the tofu for this recipe. I don’t list it in the instructions because this recipe turns out really well without any pressing. Plus, it saves a lot of time!
Tofu is basically a sponge that sits in water and absorbs all of it. Pressing out the excess water does help make it more crispy and ensures it cooks evenly through the center.
If you’re trying to get flavors into the tofu, you do want to press it. In the case of this sesame tofu, we’re trying to get a crispy outside so the sauce will stick on the outside, so pressing isn’t necessary.
Moral of the story, nothing bad will happen if you don’t press tofu, but if you want the crispiest and most flavorful tofu around, press away!
How to store and reheat
Once prepared, this sesame tofu will keep in the fridge for 3 days. It is best served fresh, but you can pop everything back in the oven at 200 for 10 minutes to crisp it back up.
The microwave also works, but tends to make things a bit soft/soggy, but the flavor will still be delicious.
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Garlic Sesame Tofu
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Tofu
- 1 tablespoon low sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 1 16 ounce block extra firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 3 tablespoons gluten free breadcrumbs can sub for regular
Sauce
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon oil I used avocado oil
- ⅓ cup low sodium tamari or soy sauce MUST be low sodium!
- 2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2-3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup depending on preference
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 4 tablespoons water divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 Fahrenheit.
- Drain the excess liquid from the tofu and dry it off with a towel*.
- Cut into 1 inch cubes and add to a large bowl. Toss with the soy sauce.
- Toss with the cornstarch and the breadcrumbs until all pieces are evenly coated.
- Add to the baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
- During the final 10 minutes, prep the sauce.
- Mince the garlic and saute with 1 tbsp oil in a small saute pan for 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Add in the soy sauce, honey or maple syrup, rice vinegar, 2 tbsp of water and sesame oil.
- Whisk together the cornstarch and other 2 tbsp of water in a bowl and add to the pan.
- Heat over low heat for 3-5 minutes or until the sauce bubbles and thickens.
- When the tofu is done, toss with the sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds if desired and serve over rice with steamed broccoli or enjoy as is!
Notes
Comments
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Love it!!!
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YUM!! Simple and delicious. Thanks
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can you make a big batch of this sauce in advance and then cook tofu as needed?
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You can, but because of the cornstarch the sauce will thicken more as it sits, so you will likely want to thin it out with a bit of water as you go.
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This recipe is delicious and easy. I just made this meal, I only had dark soy sauce. Everyone in my family likes it. I was out of broccoli so I also used mixed veggies stirred fry packet I had. I stir fried veggies for 5 minutes . Sorry forgot to take a picture. Thanks for the recipe.
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So happy you enjoyed this, Thelma!
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This was amazing!!
I’ve never been successful at crispy tofu before and this was perfect!
And so, so easy!!Was a hit with the whole family – including my non-vegan husband!
I didn’t have fresh garlic on hand, so I used garlic powder – I’m sure it’s better with the real thing, but it was delicious nonetheless!
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Amazing, so glad it was a hit with everyone!
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I am new to making tofu and this recipe is easy and delish. If only I could get my husband to try it. 😂
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Delicious! I made this tonight and it was super easy to make. I added some fresh ginger to the sauce since I had it on hand. Thanks for the recipe – I will definitely do this one again!
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Thank you, Vicki!
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My absolute favourite. Kids love it too. And so versatile 😊.
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This is my first tofu recipe. I made it because I had all the ingredients. It was very tasty. I definitely need to go with something like the steamed broccoli or some other vegetable next time. The tofu stuck to the bottom of the baking dish which was unanticipated. Perhaps I should spray some oil on the bottom. I hope to explore more meatless meals going forward and will be back to look through your collection for other recipes.
Thank you.
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You definitely want to spray your pan or use parchment paper to prevent sticking! otherwise, so glad you loved it!
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This is the first time I’ve tried baking tofu. What a great recipe – everyone at my table enjoyed it and some of the diners are meat-eaters! Used the lesser amount of honey, and a 12 oz brick of extra firm tofu that I did press because I had the time. I was concerned whether it would be enough for 4, but everyone was full. Served with red quinoa, and sautéed broccoli/carrots/red peppers. Glad I found your recipe!
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So glad you enjoyed it, Diane!
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This recipe is soooo delicious! I think it is the best tofu dish I have ever made. I have no idea if it keeps well because there were definitely no leftovers!
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Hard to not eat it all in one sitting! Thanks Jennifer!
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When do you add the rice vinegar
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Sorry, just updated the recipe, it’s there now!
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Delicious! Thanks 😊😊
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This looks so good! Adding the ingredients to my shopping list now. Wondering if I can use arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch? I already have that, so would be nice to use! Thanks!
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Yes, that should be fine!
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I am so blown away by this recipe. It was SO easy and unbelievably delicious. In the past when I have done a recipe like this, I have struggled to get the tofu crispy enough or the sauce thick enough. But the tofu was perfectly crispy and the sauce was so easy to get to a perfect consistency. I also appreciate that this recipe did not require a lot of ingredients or time!
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Thank you, kate! So glad you finally found a recipe you love.
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hello! could you make this recipe with agave or regular white sugar instead of honey/maple syrup?
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I’d suggest agave!
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Easy and my kids loves it. Will make it again.
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Thank you Tina!
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Hi Claire!
Just wondering if your nutrition information includes a serving of rice or just 1/4 of the veggies, tofu and sauce?
Thanks 🙂-
Hi Jessica! The nutrition information does not include the rice, just the veggies, sauce and tofu 🙂
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