Baked Tofu is a crispy, easy-to-make, and healthy flavor-loaded Chinese dish. It is usually made with extra firm tofu, that is marinated with basic seasonings and baked at high temperature until it turns crispy and golden. The recipe I have shared here shows you how to make crispy Baked Tofu with easy step-by-step instructions for you to try and enjoy at home.
I have also shared a detailed video of this recipe below to make the cooking process simple. This crispy Oven Baked Tofu is one of the best side dishes and is perfect to serve for lunch and dinner, and also can be used in stir-fries, bowl meals, or salads.
Jump to:
What is Baked Tofu?
Baked Tofu is a crispy, easy-to-make, and flavor-filled side dish. It is usually made with extra firm tofu, that is marinated with basic seasonings. Then the marinated tofu is baked at high temperature until it is crispy and golden. This crispy Baked Tofu is usually served as a side dish, used in stir-fries, bowl meals, or salads.
As many of you know, tofu is naturally gluten-free and a low-calorie food. It is also a good source of fiber, protein, calcium, and iron. But when it comes to cooking many of you wonder how to season, and cook tofu without sticking and mainly without compromising flavors. Don't worry, even though tofu is naturally bland in taste, it has the ability to absorb the flavors of the seasoning that you use.
So here I have shared how to make crispy Baked Tofu with simple and basic seasonings that you might have already at home. Even though I have used the basic seasonings here, you can always feel free to season the tofu the way you like or that's suitable for you and your family.
Ingredients
The ingredients you will need to make Baked Tofu are basic Asian pantry elements. You could find them in the Asian aisles in supermarkets or grocery stores. So let's see what are they below.
- Tofu - I would recommend choosing an extra firm or firm form that is perfect for baking, frying, or stir-frying. Other varieties like soft and silken tofu work best for making sauce, dips, and smoothies.
- Soy sauce - All-purpose soy sauce, and I would suggest low-sodium ones to avoid turning your dish to be too salty. You could also use tamari instead to achieve the similar results
- Garlic Powder - For some garlicky flavor
- Paprika - it delivers a deep vibrant color to your tofu as well as some slight heat. If you are looking for something spicy then I would suggest cayenne pepper to achieve that super spiciness. But if you want your tofu to be mildly spiced then I recommend paprika
- Oil - Any neutral taste cooking oil
- Cornstarch - To hold the seasoning intact and helps in achieving a crispy exterior
- Sesame Seeds and Cilantro - For garnishing and it is optional you could either use or skip it
For a detailed ingredients list, please check out the recipe card below.
How to press Tofu?
Tofu is naturally soft and very bland in taste. So pressing them to remove their water is one of the important steps, to achieve the best results. So to do that, drain the tofu from the water from the package and press gently with your palms to extract the water from it.
Also, you could wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and place a heavy object on top of it for 10 to 15 minutes to remove the water from it. Doing this helps to extract the extra moisture, helps to hold its shape, absorb flavors from seasonings, and delivers crispy tofu when cooked or baked.
How to Bake Tofu in Oven?
The recipe I have shared here is Baked Tofu, one of the easy and best ways to cook tofu. This method of cooking tofu delivers a crispy and non sticky outer texture. And the best part is you could enjoy this version as it is as a side dish or you can creatively use it in stir-fries, salads, or soups for different variations.
Following are the high-level instructions to make this recipe but for detailed step-by-step instructions with photos and video, please check out the recipe card below.
To marinate Tofu
- Season - Add the cubed tofu, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and olive oil. Give it a gentle mix. (Note: Soy Sauce usually has a good amount of salt in it, so make sure to keep an eye while seasoning the tofu with salt)
- Toss - Now add the cornstarch and give it a gentle toss until the cornstarch coats well on the tofu
To make Baked Tofu
- Arrange - Transfer the marinated tofu into an oil-greased baking tray and arrange them in even layers (Note: even though the baking tray was greased here some of the pieces were slightly stuck at the bottom, so I would recommend lining parchment paper on the baking tray for best results)
- Bake - Now bake the marinated tofu in the preheated oven at 400°F for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the tofu turns golden and crispy
- Remove - Remove the crispy Roasted Tofu from the oven and garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro leaves
- Serve - Serve this crispy Baked Tofu as a side with your favorite Chinese dishes, or rice, or use it in recipes that call for baked tofu
How long to bake or cook tofu in the oven?
Tofu generally needs 25 to 30 minutes to cook in a preheated oven at 400°F. Baking them at high temperatures delivers a crispy and golden texture to the exterior and a super soft interior.
Tips
- Pressing Tofu - Draining the tofu from water and pressing it gently with hands helps to remove the moisture from it. You could also wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and place a heavy object on top of it for 10 to 15 minutes to remove the water from it. Doing this helps to extract the extra moisture from the tofu and it helps in achieving crispy tofu when cooked or baked
- Seasoning - I have used minimal Asian seasoning ingredients but feel free to use chili sauce, onion powder, and black pepper powder for extra flavorings especially if you like spicy foods
- Salt Check - Since the soy sauce used for marination already has a good amount of salt, I suggest keeping an eye while seasoning the tofu with salt. You can even skip the salt if the soy sauce is already salty
- Use parchment Paper - I recommend lining the baking tray with parchment paper to avoid sticking the tofu
- How to use - You can use this Baked Tofu as a side dish for your rice, or Chinese dishes, or use them in stir-fries, salads, or in the recipes that call for it
Storage Suggestions
This Baked Tofu stays good in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in a closed air-tight container. You could use it in stir-fries or salads without reheating them. But to enjoy it as a side dish then I suggest reheating them in the oven between 370°F to 400°F until the outer layer turns crispy.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this crispy Baked Tofu as a side dish with rice, noodles, or fried rice. You can also use it in stir-fries, like vegetable stir fry, chicken stir fry, salads, or as a base to recreate other tofu recipes.
Related Recipes
You could also find similar tofu recipes below and more at roasted & baked recipes.
More roasted & baked vegetables.
- Roasted Chickpeas
- Baked Potatoes
- Roasted Potatoes
- Oven Roasted Vegetables
- Roasted Broccoli
- Oven Roasted Asparagus
- Roasted Cauliflower
- Roasted Green Beans
- Oven Roasted Carrots
More roasted & baked meat recipes.
- Baked Chicken Breast
- Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks
- Baked Buffalo Wings
- Baked Chicken Wings
- Garlic Butter Baked Salmon
Baked Tofu Recipe Video
I have also shared a detailed video of this Baked Tofu Recipe below that I hope will help you to make crispy and flavorful Tofu at home. You could also find this recipe in a story format.
📖 Recipe
Crispy Baked Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Tofu, extra firm
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp. Soy Sauce, or tamari
- 2 tbsp. Cornstarch
- Sesame Seeds, to garnish
- Cilantro Leaves, to garnish
- Salt, as needed
Instructions
To Prepare Tofu
- Drain the tofu from the water and squeeze gently to extract the water from it. Also wrapping it in a kitchen towel and pressing it gently helps to remove the moisture from it. Once it is pressed, cut it into equal bite-size pieces
To marinate Tofu
- Add the cubed tofu, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and olive oil. Give it a gentle mix. (Note: Soy Sauce usually has a good amount of salt in it, so make sure to keep an eye while seasoning the tofu with salt)
- Now add the cornstarch and give it a gentle toss until the cornstarch coats well on the tofu
To make Baked Tofu
- Transfer the marinated tofu into an oil-greased baking tray and arrange them in even layers (Note: even though the baking tray was greased here some of the pieces were slightly stuck at the bottom, so I would recommend placing parchment paper on the baking tray for best results)
- Now bake the marinated tofu in the preheated oven at 400°F for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the tofu turns golden and crispy
- Remove the crispy Roasted Tofu from the oven and garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro leaves
To Serve
- Serve this crispy Baked Tofu as a side with your favorite Chinese dishes, rice or use it in recipes that call for baked tofu
Video
Notes
- Pressing Tofu - Draining the tofu from water and pressing it gently with hands helps to remove the moisture from it. You could also wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and place a heavy object to remove the water from it. Doing this helps to extract the extra moisture from the tofu and help in achieving a crispy tofu when cooked or baked
- Seasoning - I have used minimal Asian seasoning ingredients but feel free to use chili sauce, onion powder, black pepper powder for extra flavorings especially if you really like spicy foods
- Salt Check - Since the soy sauce used for marination already has a good amount of salt, I suggest to keep an eye while seasoning the tofu with salt. You can even skip salt, if the the soy sauce is already salty
- Use parchment Paper - I recommend to line the baking tray with parchment paper to avoid sticking of the tofu. It also helps to achieve a crispy oven baked tofu
- How to use - You can use this Baked Tofu as a side dish for your rice, Chinese dishes or use them in stir fries, salads or the recipes that call for it
Nutrition
FAQ
Baked Tofu is a crispy, easy-to-make, and flavor-filled side dish. It is usually made with extra firm tofu, that is marinated with basic seasonings. Then the marinated tofu is baked at high temperature until it is crispy and golden. This crispy Baked Tofu is usually served as a side dish, used in stir-fries, bowl meals, or salads.
Tofu generally needs 25 to 30 minutes to cook in a preheated oven at 400°F. Baking them at high temperatures delivers a crispy and golden texture to your tofu.
Uncooked tofu usually tastes sour and bland in taste. But baked tofu usually absorbs the flavors from the seasoning that we are using. So it may taste sweet, or savory depending on the seasoning. Here my baked version absorbed the flavors of soy sauce, garlic, and slight heat of paprika.
Draining the tofu from water and pressing it gently with hands helps to remove the moisture from it. You could also wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and place a heavy object on top of it for 10 to 15 minutes to remove the water from it. Doing this helps to extract the extra moisture from the tofu and it helps in achieving crispy tofu when cooked or baked
Yes, you can eat raw tofu and it is also safe to consume raw. But the raw tofu is usually sour and naturally bland in taste.
I hope you enjoyed the recipe I shared here and would love to hear from you about how it turned out for you. Please let me know.
If you have any other questions, feel free to post them in the comment section below and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Happy Cooking!
Leave a Review