Crispy Baked Tofu in Peanut Sauce (Kale Salad)

Crispy Baked Tofu in less than 30 minutes!

I’m going to be honest, tofu and I have had a rough go. The first time I tried tofu was when I first decided to go meat free. I ran to the grocery store to buy a block and picked up the first one I saw. When I got home I promptly sliced it up, threw it into the oven and expected gold.

Disappointment will never cover the range of emotions I felt.

I was repulsed! I almost threw in the towel right there. Who was crazy enough to eat that stuff? Now, tofu and I have more of an understanding. There are various ranging textures and firmness levels. You can’t go buy a block of soft tofu and expect it to crisp up… which happens to be exactly what I did the first time around.

For this recipe I used extra-firm tofu. To help the tofu firm up even more, I used cloth to help press some retaining liquid out. I know some people are a fan of doing this for 20-30 minutes, I don’t have time for that! I let mine press for 5 and it crisped up perfectly.

I chose to put my tofu on a kale salad but it would be great in stir fries, burritos, rice bowls…. the list really could go on forever!

Crispy Baked Tofu With Peanut Sauce

Kelly

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Ingredients

  

Tofu

• 1 block Extra-firm tofu
• 2 tbsp Peanut Butter
• 11/2 tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos //alt. coconut aminos
• 1 tbsp Avocado Oil
• 1/2-1 tsp Srircha optional
• 1 glove Garlic, pressed //alt. chopped

Kale Salad (optional)

• 4 cups Kale, shredded and massaged in oil optional
• 1 cup Carrot, shredded optional
• 2 servings Explore Cuisine Edamame Spaghetti, cooked and cooled optional

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. *See notes for alternative
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat
• Drain the block of tofu. Wrap the tofu in a couple layers of paper towel, a regular towel or cheese cloth and press lightly. Remove the towel and replace it with a dry one before laying something hefty on top of the tofu. (for 5-10 minutes) **See notes for suggestions
• Once properly pressed, cut the block of tofu into 1/2 inch cubes. Lightly spray with cooking spray before placing them on the baking sheet. (I used avocado spray!)
• Bake the tofu for 15-20 minutes making sure to shake the pan half way.
• While the tofu is baking, start on the sauce. Mix the remaining ingredients together until well combined. You might need to add a tbsp of water but it should be a slightly thick consistency. 
• Toss the tofu in the peanut sauce right after it is done baking and enjoy!
• Optional, if you are having the kale salad.... combine all the ingredients in a big bowl. Once the tofu is sauced, mix the tofu in with the salad. The warm tofu will incorporate all the peanut flavor into the greens!

Notes

*Alternatively you could use an air fryer! That is my preferred method.

** When pressing tofu, you can press it for as little or as long as you want. The longer you press it, the more likely it will crisp up. I like to use a pot to place on the block when I am pressing out the liquid. You could use a can of beans or a bag of granola. Just as long as there is some weight on it!

Keyword Asian, salad, tofu