Baked Sesame Tofu
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Baked sesame tofu is a delicious vegetarian dish that combines crispy, golden-brown tofu with a sweet and sticky sesame glaze that is served over a bed of fluffy rice.
We make a lot of Asian food in our house. My husband says that Asian is actually the type of food that I make the best and I have to agree with him.
One thing I like about Asian food is that you can use a variety of meats or plant based proteins.  Plus, the proteins are often interchangeable.Â
Whenever we want a vegetarian meal I will often use tofu.  We probably eat tofu once a week and nine times out of ten it’s in an Asian dish.  Firm or extra firm tofu is best when you are baking or stir frying it for a dish.
What is Tofu?
Tofu is a great source of plant-based protein that is made from soybeans. Tofu is often used in Asian cuisine and is known for its mild flavor and ability to absorb the flavors of sauces and other ingredients. Tofu comes in different textures, such as silken, soft, firm, and extra firm, which makes it versatile for a variety of dishes including soups, stir fries, and even desserts.
The tofu dish we currently eat most often are Korean BBQ Tofu Bowls. They are great because you can change out all of the vegetables and rice in the bowls. Egg roll in a bowl with tofu is another favorite. For something different we love these Fried Tofu Sandwich with slaw.
Most of the Asian tofu meals I make have stir fried tofu. So when I saw this Baked Sesame Tofu I wanted to give it a try. I thought it would be nice to be able to put the tofu into the oven and forget about it while I worked on the rest of the meal.
One thing to note is that it is best to use firm or extra firm tofu that has been pressed. This will result is a crisper baked tofu.
How do you press tofu?
First drain the water from the tofu.  Then you can press the tofu between two plates or under a baking sheet topped with a heavy pot or can for 15 minutes. Discard the excess water. We eat tofu so much that I actually own a Tofu Press and use that to extract the extra water.Â
This firm tofu is baked in the oven with a cornstarch and breadcrumb coating.  Then it’s tossed with a sweet and sticky sesame sauce and served over top of rice. Â
Ingredients:
- extra firm tofu (firm will also work)
- cornstarch
- breadcrumbs (regular or panko)
- low sodium soy sauce (you can use regular but low sodium is preferred in this recipe)
- sesame oil
- rice vinegar (I like using seasoned but plain is fine)
- honey (or maple syrup if you prefer)
- garlic cloves
- sesame seeds
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  To make the tofu drain and press it.  Cut it into 1 inch pieces. Toss with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce.  Place the cornstarch and breadcrumbs in a bowl and add the tofu pieces.  Toss to coat.
Is there an easier way to coat the tofu?
I have found that putting the cornstarch and breadcrumbs in a large zip top baggie and adding the tofu to the bag works great. Zip up the bag and turn it upside down and gently shake. This works pretty well to coat the tofu without a big mess.
Place the tofu in a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, flipping the tofu one time. Meanwhile, combine the garlic cloves, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, water, and sesame oil in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a simmer. In a small bowl whisk the cornstarch and water together and add to the sauce.  Cook for an addition 2-3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
At this point you can add the sauce to the tofu and bake for an additional 5 minutes or you can simply remove the tofu from the oven, serve over top of rice, and pour the sauce over top of it.
This tofu was really tasty!  It gets crispy but not super brown.  The sauce is slightly sweet and sticky and it really sticks to the tofu. It has a lot of great flavor.Â
While the tofu was baking I added a tray of vegetables to roast and serve along side of the tofu and rice and that turned out to be a good call. You can even drizzle the veggies with the sesame sauce if you would like.
How do you store sesame tofu?
I found that placing the tofu in an air tight container and the sauce in a separate air tight container in the refrigerator worked best. That way I could reheat the tofu in the oven or air fryer and keep it crispy before adding on the sauce. You can store the tofu and sauce together but the tofu will no longer be crisp.Â
Overall I found this to be an easy to make vegetarian dish.  I liked that I didn’t have to babysit the tofu while it was in the oven and that I could do other things. Plus, it’s healthier than stir frying the tofu in oil.
Baked Sesame Tofu
Equipment
Ingredients
For the tofu:
- 1 block 16 oz firm tofu, drained and pressed
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 Tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
For the sauce:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 4 Tablespoons water divided
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
- Cut the tofu into 1 inch pieces and place in a bowl. Toss with the soy sauce.
- Place the cornstarch, breadcrumbs, and pepper in a large zip top bag. Add the tofu pieces and gently shake to coat.
- Place the tofu on the baking sheet and spread out in a single layer.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the sesame oil to a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
- Add in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and 2 tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the tofu from the oven and toss with the sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Serve over top of rice.
Notes
