Spicy Chipotle Tofu Bowl
A saucy and Spicy Chipotle Tofu Bowl for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. This meal uses oven roasted crispy tofu tossed in a zesty chipotle lime sauce.
My favorite meals are the ones that taste like you spent hours in the kitchen making, but take minimal effort. This Chipotle Tofu Bowl hits the mark and is now part of my easy weeknight dinner rotation list. Best part, it tastes as if I got this bowl to go, so it also gives me all the comfort I might be looking for in a to go meal.
Why You’ll Love This Zesty Chipotle Tofu
- Made with simple ingredients
- Minimal chopping required
- Can be made in 30 minutes
- This dish is extra saucy
- High in plant-protein and iron
- Completely vegan, easy to make gluten-free and naturally nut-free
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tofu: This recipe was tested using extra firm tofu. Make sure to press it well before using. You can make this recipe with super firm tofu or swap for chickpeas if you are dealing with soy allergies, just skip the roasting instructions.
- Chipotle Peppers: Use canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. You can find these peppers in the international aisle of your local grocery store where they sell Latin style ingredients.
- Limes: Use fresh limes for the best flavor. Since limes can sometimes be difficult to juice by hand, I recommend using a lime squeezer to help get as much juice out of your limes as possible.
- Sweetener: Choose the sweetener you prefer. I have made this with both maple syrup and brown sugar, so pick the one most convenient for you.
- Soy Sauce: To help keep sodium lower in this dish, I have chosen some low-sodium soy sauce. If you deal with a gluten allergy, you can swap this out for some coconut aminos or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos.
- Vegetables: This sauce goes great with a blend of peppers and onions. Pick the colors you enjoy most.
How to Make a Chipotle Tofu Bowl
Start by prepping your tofu. Take your pressed tofu and break it up into bite sized chunks with your hands and place in a bowl. Toss and coat your tofu with soy sauce, oil and lime juice then sprinkle your corn starch and nutritional yeast over top and toss again to coat. Place your tofu on a baking tray and then roast in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping half way.
As the tofu roasts, prepare the sauce by blending the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, veggie broth, and sugar until smooth. Mix together your water and cornstarch separately to make a slurry.
Now, sauté your veggies until softened with a little salt and minced garlic. Pour in your sauce and bring to a simmer while stirring. Add in your corn starch slurry and continue to stir and cook down the sauce to thicken. Stir in your baked tofu and toss to coat completely in the sauce before serving.
Expert Tips
- Break up your tofu by hand into smaller chunks. This will help give the tofu a meatier texture and crisp up more in the oven as it roasts.
- Double the sauce. This dish is saucy, but if you want some extra sauce to pour over your bowl, feel free to double the sauce ingredients.
- Add more vegetables. Feel free to stir in some spinach at the end or even sauté some zucchini or broccoli with the peppers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. While I think it’s easier to blend everything up, you can mince the chipotle pepper really finely with a knife and add it along with the remaining ingredients in a bowl to whisk together.
Once prepared and cooled, the tofu and vegetables can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can reheat the tofu in the microwave for two minutes to warm through or heat back up in a pan on the stovetop.
You can make this dish less spicy by cutting your chipotle pepper in half and removing the seeds. This will help to reduce the level of spice in the overall dish.
You can swap out the tofu for chickpeas or homemade seitan. If using either of these options, you do not need to roast them in the oven, but can sauté them with the peppers, onions and garlic before adding in the sauce.
How to Serve
The tofu dish is made complete by serving with with some Cilantro Lime Rice. You can also include some extra vegetables like air fried asparagus or some fire roasted corn.
This recipe also goes very well with some plantains, fresh salsa and Chili Lime Bean Salad.
More Saucy Tofu Recipes to Try
- Orange Tofu
- Lemon Pepper Tofu and Asparagus
- Peanut Red Curry Tofu
- Tofu Broccoli Stir Fry with Garlic Ginger Sauce
- Easy Balsamic Tofu
- Lemon Basil Tofu
Spicy Chipotle Tofu Bowl
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Tex Mex
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A saucy and Spicy Chipotle Tofu Bowl for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. This meal uses oven roasted crispy tofu tossed in a zesty chipotle lime sauce.
Ingredients
- 1, 450g block extra firm tofu, pressed and drained
- 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or neutral oil of choice
- 1 tbsp + 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast or an extra tbsp of cornstarch
- Zest of 1 lime + Juice of 2 limes
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce + 2 tbsp adobo sauce
- 3 tbsp organic light brown sugar or maple syrup
- 3/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 small red onion, sliced into strips
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp of cold water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Take the block of pressed tofu and break it apart with your hands into smaller chunks into a medium sized mixing bowl. Drizzle the tofu with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, oil and juice of one lime and toss to coat. Sprinkle the tofu with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and nutritional yeast and toss to coat again. Place the tofu on the baking sheet and spread the tofu out into a single layer. Bake the tofu in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping it half way while baking.
- To a small blender or food processor add the chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, juice of the remaining lime, sugar and vegetable broth. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- In a large skillet, warm a splash of oil to your pan and add in the peppers, onions and garlic with a pinch of salt then sauté until the peppers and onions have softened.
- Add the blended chipotle sauce to the pan and bring to a simmer. In a small bowl combine 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with the water and mix to make a slurry. Add the cornstarch slurry to the pan along with the lime zest and stir until thickened.
- Stir in the roasted tofu chunks and coat completely in the sauce then serve as desired.
Notes
Break up your tofu by hand into smaller chunks. This will help give the tofu a meatier texture and crisp up more in the oven as it roasts.
Double the sauce. This dish is saucy, but if you want some extra sauce to pour over your bowl, feel free to double the sauce ingredients.
Add more vegetables. Feel free to stir in some spinach at the end or even sauté some zucchini or broccoli with the peppers.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★ Catherine
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Wow! I loved these bowls. I added some spiced black beans too. Super yummy and very filling.