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!

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Crispy Baked Tofu With Peanut Sauce

Course Main Course

Keyword Asian, salad, tofu

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Author Kelly

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

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. *See notes for alternative

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat

3. 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

4. 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!)

5. Bake the tofu for 15-20 minutes making sure to shake the pan half way.

6. 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. 

7. Toss the tofu in the peanut sauce right after it is done baking and enjoy!

8. 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!

Recipe 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!