Easy Baked Peanut Tofu
Easy Baked Peanut Tofu, the perfect beginner vegan recipe that’s ready to eat in 30 minutes. Crispy baked tofu tossed in a savory and tangy peanut sauce.
I’ve been making a variation of this bowl for as long as I can remember. Honestly, it’s what got me on board with eating tofu. Between the seasoned, crispy and chewy tofu nuggets to the creamy savory, tangy peanut sauce, when combined you get a flavor explosion. The best part, it’s ridiculously easy to make.
Why You’ll Love Peanut Tofu
- Quick and Easy. Just bake your tofu and coat it with the sauce then serve with the extras you like. Perfect beginner vegan meal to try.
- A high protein and gluten-free meal. Each bowl provides at least 30 grams of protein, making it a satisfying meal.
- Perfect to prep in advance. Use as an easy meal prep idea for the work week ahead or for a flavorful dinner you can look forward to during a busy week.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tofu: Use extra firm tofu. Make sure to press before using.
- Cornstarch: Helps to crisp up our tofu. Arrowroot is a great alternative.
- Tamari: I used a gluten-free Tamari, but you can also use regular soy sauce.
- Peanut Butter: Use a creamy peanut butter with no added sugar or oils. This will help make sure that the flavor of your sauce are consistent.
- Lime: Use fresh lime because we need both the juice and zest.
- Sesame Oil: Optional, but does add a lot of great flavor to the sauce.
- Maple Syrup: Use your favorite liquid sweetener, I just happen to love the flavor of maple syrup.
- Sriracha: Adds extra flavor and spice. If sensitive to spice, use less or completely omit.
- Seasoning: Garlic and onion powder as well as ginger for the sauce. Fresh garlic and thyme for the tofu. Add more seasoning based on preference.
- Cucumbers: I used Persian cucumbers because they are super easy to chop up and I didn’t have to cook them. You can swap for any of your favorite veggies, raw or cooked.
How to Make Peanut Tofu
Bake Your Tofu
Preheat oven to 425F. Cube your pressed tofu and place in an airtight container with the cornstarch, tamari, oil, thyme and garlic. Seal the container and give it a few gentle shakes until the tofu is evenly coated.
Place the seasoned tofu on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Flip the tofu and then bake for an additional 8 minutes or until the tofu is crisp and golden.
How to Make Peanut Tofu Sauce
While the tofu bakes, make the peanut sauce. In a small bowl, add the peanut butter, tamari, syrup, sriracha, lime juice and zest, sesame oil and seasonings. Give it a whisk until it starts to thicken then slowly whisk in the water a tablespoon at a time until it becomes a creamy sauce.
Use this time to also thaw your edamame and prepare your rice/quinoa.
Assemble Your Bowl
Place the tofu in a bowl or storage container and pour over the peanut sauce. Fold the tofu into the sauce until fully coated.
Serve the tofu how you wish. I placed mine over a bowl of rice, edamame, and cucumbers. Then top with scallions and sesame seeds and enjoy.
Helpful Tips
- Press excess water out of your tofu. This will help the tofu crisp up better in the oven and also improve the texture. You can use a tofu press or wrap it in a kitchen cloth, place between 2 flat plates and stack 1-2 cookbooks on top to help press out some water. Pressing for 15-30 minutes should be enough.
- Change up the sides. The vegetables and grains I used for my bowl are just suggestions. Feel free to swap with roasted veggies instead of raw veggies and swap for any grain you love.
- Make it a 30 minute meal. You can do this by preparing the sauce and all the sides while the tofu bakes. Whisk together the sauce in a mixing bowl and add the tofu to it to mix up then serve. Use some frozen rice and edamame, and just reheat according to package instructions then chop up or shred some raw veggies to serve on the side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Make your peanut sauce with a different nut or seed butter if dealing with allergies. Great options include almond or cashew butter as well as tahini.
The main reason I recommend pressing tofu in this recipe is to get the crispiest tofu by baking it instead of frying. If you don’t have time to press tofu I recommend either using super firm tofu or trying to press out as much water from the tofu gently by hand then patting it well with some paper towels. Excess water will make the tofu less crispy.
I recommend storing the baked tofu and peanut sauce separately in the fridge to help keep them longer. The baked tofu can last for up to 5 days in the fridge and can be reheated in a toaster oven or in a pan. The peanut sauce can be stored for up to 7 days. If the sauce gets thick, add a tablespoon of water to it to help loosen it back up before mixing with the tofu.
How to Balance Your Plate
This peanut tofu is a great high protein vegan option. Normally, I split this into 3 servings. To make a bowl that is higher in protein and fiber enjoy a serving of the tofu with a cup of cooked quinoa, 1/2 cup thawed edamame. Combined even without including the peanut sauce, this can provide more than 30 grams of protein.
Serve with some extra vegetables for additional fiber. I like to keep it easy and choose no cook veggies that I can quickly chop and add to the bowl. Perfect options include cucumber or carrots.
More Weeknight Tofu Recipes to Try
- Tofu Cabbage Stir-Fry
- Lemon Pepper Tofu and Asparagus
- Peanut Red Curry Tofu
- Tofu Broccoli Stir-Fry with Garlic Ginger Sauce
- Easy Balsamic Tofu
Easy Baked Peanut Tofu
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Easy Baked Peanut Tofu, the perfect beginner vegan recipe that’s ready to eat in 30 minutes. Crispy baked tofu tossed in a savory and tangy peanut sauce.
Ingredients
Crispy Baked Tofu
- 1 (~400g) block extra firm tofu, pressed and drained
- 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or your favorite high heat oil
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 2 clove garlic, grated or pressed
Peanut Sauce
- 3 tbsp creamy natural peanut butter
- 1 1/2 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tbsp sriracha or chili oil, add more or less to taste
- Juice and zest of 1 lime
- 1 tsp sesame oil, optional
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 3 tbsp water
Serve With
- Frozen rice or quinoa, heated
- Frozen Edamame, thawed from frozen
- Persian Cucumbers, thinly sliced
- Scallions, thinly sliced
- Sesame Seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. Cube your pressed tofu and place in an airtight container with the cornstarch, tamari, oil, thyme and garlic. Seal the container and give it a few gentle shakes until the tofu is evenly coated.
- Place the seasoned tofu on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Flip the tofu and then bake for an additional 8 minutes or until the tofu is crisp and golden.
- While the tofu bakes, make the peanut sauce. In a small bowl, add the peanut butter, tamari, syrup, sriracha, lime juice and zest, sesame oil and seasonings. Give it a whisk until it starts to thicken then slowly whisk in the water a tablespoon at a time until it becomes a creamy sauce. Use this time to also thaw your edamame and prepare your rice/quinoa.
- Place the tofu in a bowl or storage container and pour over the peanut sauce. Fold the tofu into the sauce until fully coated.
- Serve the tofu how you wish. I placed mine over a bowl of rice, edamame, and cucumbers. Then top with scallions and sesame seeds and enjoy.
Notes
Press excess water out of your tofu. This will help the tofu crisp up better in the oven and also improve the texture. You can use a tofu press or wrap it in a kitchen cloth, place between 2 flat plates and stack 1-2 cookbooks on top to help press out some water. Pressing for 15-30 minutes should be enough.
Change up the sides. The vegetables and grains I used for my bowl are just suggestions. Feel free to swap with roasted veggies instead of raw veggies and swap for any grain you love.
Make it a 30 minute meal. You can do this by preparing the sauce and all the sides while the tofu bakes. Whisk together the sauce in a mixing bowl and add the tofu to it to mix up then serve. Use some frozen rice and edamame, and just reheat according to package instructions then chop up or shred some raw veggies to serve on the side.
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! This is amazingly delicious, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The sauce is so delicious and not overly peanut buttery, very balanced. I cut my tofu extra small so it was beautifully sauce covered. Served it with farro. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it! Literally make this at least once a week and always love it. Thank you for the kind review Eileen!
Made this for dinner tonight and it’s SO good! The perfect combination of lime and peanut in a quick and easy dinner.
I love this recipe so much. I love how quick and easy it is without sacrificing wonderful flavors.
Thank you!!
Appreciate that you’ve made it and love it. Means so much to hear! Thank you so so much!