Easy Baked Tofu

It’s hard to believe that I’ve never posted a tofu recipe on my blog. I absolutely love tofu and cook with it all the time. The problem is I immediately eat it instead of photographing and writing about it. Today I exercised some restraint and snapped a few photos so I could share a basic recipe for baked tofu.

There are many different styles of tofu. I prefer extra firm tub-style tofu…the kind soaking in water. I’ve found that silken tofu is too delicate to make baked tofu with. (Silken tofu does work well in many dessert, smoothie and soup recipes.)

The first step is to drain and rinse the tofu. Then gently but firmly press to release extra water from the block of tofu. Then slice the block into 8 slices. (You can also cube the tofu. I prefer to simply slice and then cut-up into cubes or triangles after baking, depending on the recipe I’m making.)

Place the tofu slices on an oiled shallow baking sheet. Coat both sides of the tofu with a flavorful sauce. I like to use a mixture of tamari soy sauce, white wine, sriracha, hoisin and sesame oil. The sauce absorbs into the tofu during baking.

Baked tofu is great served with brown rice and veggies, on salads, in a sandwich or even by itself as a high protein vegetarian snack.

Easy Baked Tofu
1 package (12-ounces) tub-style extra firm tofu
1 tablespoon tamari (soy sauce)
1 tablespoon white wine, mirin, sake or orange juice
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a shallow baking pan.

Drain and rinse tofu. Press tofu brick to release excess water. Slice tofu brick into 8 slices. Place tofu slices in a single layer in baking pan.

For sauce, stir together tamari, wine, hoisin, sriracha and sesame oil. Spoon and spread sauce over both sides of tofu slices. Bake tofu 25 to 30 minutes until sauce is absorbed and the edges begin to brown, carefully turning halfway through baking. Serve warm or cold. Store in the refrigerator.

Makes 4 servings (2 slices each)

Tip: For easier cleanup, line the baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

Recipe Links for more tofu recipes around the web:
Tofu Steak with Miso and Ginger from The Kitchn
Grilled Tofu and Pepper Vegetarian Tacos from Herbavoracious
Tofu Burgers from 101 Cookbooks

Product Links:
Vegetarian Times Magazine Subscription
Get Vitamix 5200 Blender with Free Shipping Code