I remember the first time I tried tofu. It was raw in a whole grain wrap along with some mustard and veggies and I honestly couldn’t finish it. And when it comes to food I’m a trooper. I’ll finish just about anything as I hate wasting food. But, tofu did not strike my fancy from the start and it’s never really been my favorite, even in my hardcore vegetarian days.
But, that all changed recently during a trip to San Antonio when I ate the best tofu of my life. It was in a veggie stir-fry over coconut brown rice at a restaurant called Green Vegetarian Cuisine. If you’re ever in the area you must stop by and try this dish. Your view of tofu will be forever changed – promise.
Two bites in and I was in heaven. I had to flag the waitress down and ask her how in the world they made the tofu taste so good! I thought it was fried, but it wasn’t. Haaaa-llelujah.
The best part? It wasn’t wet or soft or soggy or lacking in flavor at all like all of the tofu I’d tried prior. She rattled off a few instructions and I made a mental note. That same week I hopped in the kitchen and gave it a go myself.
It really worked you guys! I love tofu now. It might not be as delicious as Green Vegetarian Cuisine’s version, but it’s very close. And the more I practice the better I’ll get. I have a very good feeling about this.
The basic trick is first drying the tofu, then baking it at a high temperature to brown it and create a tougher texture, and then letting it set out to dry even more. This gives it a “meat-like” texture, if you will, that makes it much more porous to soak up delicious sauces and far more appetizing in the texture department. With this tofu I can’t help but finish it all – it’s too delicious not to!
For this recipe I made a quick and simple stir-fry* but once you have the basics down this tofu could be used in just about any recipe you already love. It works extremely well in stir fries because they tend to be very saucy, but I also imagine it would be delicious over salad, in faux-egg salads and even with BBQ sauce.
I hope to incorporate it into more of the meals we regularly prepare to see just how versatile it is. But from what I’ve tasted so far, I have very high hopes.
*Note: learn more about stir fry and its origin here.
Because it was diced, baked, left out to dry and then stir-fried in the sauce, the tofu soaked up so much flavor, rendering it absolutely irresistible. Try this tofu and let me know what you think! I think even your tofu-hating friends will approve.
More Tofu Stir Fry Recipes
- 20-Minute Tofu Stir-Fry
- Almond Butter Tofu Stir-Fry
- General Tso’s Tofu Stir-Fry
- Crispy Peanut Tofu & Cauliflower Rice Stir-Fry
Tofu That Tastes Good: Stir-Fry
Ingredients
STIR FRY
- 1 14-ounce package firm or extra-firm tofu
- 2 cups roughly chopped green beans
- 1 cup diced carrots or red pepper
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil for sautéing (or sub peanut or coconut)
SAUCE
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce (ensure gluten-free for GF eaters)
- 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
- 2 Tbsp organic brown sugar (reduce slightly for less sweet sauce)
- 1 Tbsp agave or maple syrup (or honey if not vegan // reduce slightly for less sweet sauce)
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
FOR SERVING optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and begin drying your tofu. Drain, remove it from the package and place between two thick towels folded into the shape of the tofu. Then place a plate or bowl on top and top it with something heavy like a book or skillet. Alternatively, use a tofu press.
- Let it dry for about 15 minutes, changing your towels if they get too wet. Once dry, unwrap, chop tofu into roughly 1-inch cubes or rectangles (see photo).
- Arrange tofu on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet to prevent sticking and bake for a total of 25-35 minutes, flipping once halfway through to ensure even cooking. This will dry out the tofu and help give it a more meat-like texture. If you want a tougher texture, cook it for 30-35. For a slightly more tender texture, pull it out at 20-25 minutes to check.
- Once it’s golden brown and a bit tough and firm, remove from the oven set it out to dry a bit more while you prep your vegetables. Ideally, it would set out another 45 minutes or even longer. I haven’t tried letting it set out for much longer, but I don’t think it would hurt either way.
- If serving over rice, start the rice at this point.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients – set aside.
- To a large skillet over medium-high heat, add sesame oil and swirl to coat. Then add veggies and toss to coat. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring often. When the vegetables have some color and have softened a bit, add the sauce and stir. It should bubble and thicken. Then add the tofu and stir to coat.
- Cook the mixture for 3-5 minutes, stirring often. When veggies are cooked to your preferred doneness, remove from heat. Serve as is or over rice for a more filling meal. Best when eaten fresh, though will keep in the refrigerator for a couple days.
Estee says
Amazing! I used an assortment of other veggies to make it heartier like green pepper, zucchini, green onions and mushrooms and it was fantastic. This is for sure in my top tofu recipes thanks!
Alyssa says
Made this but added extra veggies. It is a delicious and simple recipe! Tofu tip was awesome!
Lauren says
Love this meal and I’d make it again – thanks!
Carole Weiszer says
This is so great to know how to get a meat consistency. We loved it !
Thanks so much for your help!
Carole
Yvonne says
Not to printer friendly if I can’t print from my iPhone or iPad. The print preview just comes up blank. Some sites are like this and some are not. I wish I knew why.
Hi Yvonne!
We have noticed a small bug with ipads and we’ve been waiting on an update from apple. That said, that’s been a couple months and they haven’t rolled out that fix yet. We’re working on an alternative option, but it’s likely a few weeks out as well. All that to say something should be fixed in the near future! The print function should work on a computer if you have access to that.
Yvonne says
Thank you so much! Can’t understand why on my ipad allows me to print recipes from other sites. Some sites give you the alternative to switch to Safari, and when I do sometimes printing works and sometimes it doesn’t. Just so glad you’re looking into it
Jen says
This. Is. FANTASTIC!! My THREE year old twins are obsessed!! Granted they are pretty good eaters to begin with but I was skeptical with tofu since usually it ends up too soft when I cook it. But this was a hit! This is the absolute best way to cook tofu. Though I do have to say that when I first cooked it, it was too sweet for my liking (and I have a major sweet tooth) so the next time I cooked it, I halved the sugar and it was perfection. I vary the veggies with whatever I have on hand; snow peas, snap peas, broccoli, etc. I also top the finished product with sesame seeds. Delicious! Definitely one of our fav recipes that has made its way into our regular rotation. I had to double the recipe this week because I wanted to ensure leftovers!! Thanks for this simple but amazing recipe!
Erica Bailey says
I made this tonight for dinner to use up all the veggies in my fridge (carrots, leeks, purple cabbage, green onions) and it was delicious! This will definitely be my go-to stir fry sauce from now on!!
Erica Bailey says
Also forgot to mention that the tofu part is genius. SO much better than having wet flavorless sponge cubes!
David says
I’ve just started cooking with tofu. I tried your recipe tonight. My stir-fry went from so-so to so-good.
Thank you .
Elizabeth says
Very tasty though I agree it’s a bit sweet (not a problem in my house). I love the idea of baking the tofu though I think I over did mine a bit as it was a little too chewy. Both my husband and 2 year old ate it up and we had no leftovers. I didn’t have green beans or carrots so I substituted broccoli which I steamed before cooking the peppers. I also added mushrooms. Overall super easy and really tasty made with ingredients I had on hand.
Sabina says
Thanks so much for the inspo.
Shenna says
The sauce for this stir fry is so good even my super duper picky daughter liked it. Thank you!
Lauren says
Mm so good! Just made this. Excellent to make when there’s “nothing to eat” at home; aka need to go to the grocery. Just used some mixed frozen veggies as I didn’t have any fresh. Turned out wonderfully with flavor from seasame oil. Added sesame seeds to garnish!
ben says
Yummy but needs a big hit of acid to finish in my opinion and I also put loads of coriander (cilantro) to finish. Lime and herbs really brightened it up
Brittany says
I made this tonight and the flavors were amazing! But to be honest i did not like the tofu in this recipe very much i think it would have been better without it. But still a great recipe. Thanks!
Emily says
This was delicious!! My husband & I aren’t vegan or even vegetarian, but we’re trying to eat less meat. A friend recommended this blog and it’s excellent. I hadn’t made much tofu before and it came out very well according to the instructions (I may have overcooked it slightly since I cut the pieces a little smaller than I was supposed to, but I’d rather have extra firm than soft mushy tofu). I added green beans, carrots and red pepper, and the sauce was incredibly tasty – I think it can be a go-to base to experiment with adding other veggies too. Served over Jasmati rice and it was very filling! I’ll definitely be making this again soon.
Josie says
I am new to cooking tofu (and new to my plant-based diet – which I am loving) and found this preparation of tofu to be a little tough and flavorless. Needs a marinade, maybe before the baking.
Sarah Williams says
This was my first time making tofu and it was AWESOME! I didn’t have fresh ginger so I used carmelized ginger from the spice rack and cut the sugar in half. I also added some anise spice for additional flavor, and ended up adding more soy sauce just to coat the extra veggies I put in.
Excited to have a tofu recipe for meatless Mondays that the whole family will eat!
Lindsey says
This was my first recipe that I made from your site and, I am not disappointed at all! Full of great flavor and very filling! Everything turned out great! ( well, I cut the tofu too thin and that was a little unfortunate but, next time it will be perfect!) I also add a little edamame because I was craving it! Turned out to be a nice addition! Thanks so much for the recipes and pretty food porn pictures! You guys are great! Keep up the good work! -Lindsey :D
Casey says
I love all of the recipes I’ve tried from your site! Thank you! You make transitioning to a WFPB diet much easier!
Leah says
I am so glad I found this tip on baking the tofu before adding it to my stir fry. The texture and flavor came out great.
Kim says
Thank you for this recipe. I am not familiar with tofu cooking, but have also tasted some delicious meals dining out and wondered how they do it. I made it tonight exactly as recipe states. I dried the tofu for about 30 minutes in paper towels before baking for 25 min. I sat it out to dry for an additional 30-45 min while preparing the veggies and the sauce for the stir fry. I was really pleased with the way the tofu took up the flavor of the sauce. I also liked the plain baked tofu better than raw. I will look to using the drying method for other dishes too.
Amy says
Hi Dana,
Thanks for a wonderful recipe. I tried your baked tofu and they came out perfectly.
Can’t wait to try other tofu recipes on your site!!
Hailey says
This was the first time making tofu like this. The last time I used it was in a Cooking Light recipe for chocolate pudding. The problem was the tofu was expired but I used it, because I didn’t know it was expired. It was obviously disgusting. So I was pretty scared to make it again. I unfortunately didn’t like it prepared this way, it was too tough, chewy, and dry and didn’t resemble the texture of meat at all. I will keep trying with other recipes because I’m determined to like tofu.
John stump says
wow, I love Making tofu with your recipe. I make a 3 bean chili, cook the tofu, then put it in my chili. The texture is great. I’m hoping to find a good way to make tofu burgers. store bought veggie burgers give me the jitters. Thanks. john
Corinne Washik says
I made this and everyone loved it, including my carnivore husband! I sauteed some garlic and added some crushed red pepper. Also used frozen mixed vegetables, and added a little water to the sauce to thin it. Just delicious! I will make it again!
Josie says
Thanks for publishing this recipe! My husband said it was the best tofu he’s ever had, he really enjoyed the texture. I sautéed bok choy , mushrooms and red pepper. I did use a bottled stir fry sauce from kikkoman ( very low sodium)
Cris says
I’m making it now! And I actually live close to Green in San Antonio. I will have to try the stir fry. And if you make it back here, try the vegan or vegetarian nachos. Tex Mex food is big here, and I am still saying their vegan nachos are good!
Sarah K. says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Honestly, I am an unexperienced cook and have never cooked tofu before, so this was my first time! I have fallen so in love! This recipe is so simple, easy, and delicious!
eyelessgame says
I’ve wanted a way to make tofu in this “restaurant” style – dried and shrunken not-quite-crispy outside, still tender inside, and soaking up the sauce flavor as you promised – and this simple recipe worked perfectly! My fifteen-year-old son pronounced it to be better than the Mapo Tofu we get locally from Rose Garden, which was high praise. I included both sliced-in-half baby carrots and a dozen sweet baby peppers (the bag from Costco) along with green beans; next time I’ll probably also throw in some mushrooms, and double the tofu.
The sauce immediately became a thick crusty paste in the pan and I had to dump in extra soy sauce quickly to thin it enough, but that rescued it. It was tasty, though as more or less expected, our family prefers our tofu sauces with more salt and garlic, and less sweet. But I’m ecstatic to have a quick and easy way to prepare tofu this way, and a bit of fiddling with the sauce ingredients should get it exactly how we like it. Thanks!!!
Laura V says
tHANK YOU !! I too was determined to like tofu. I had tried it before and if I drowned it in peanut
sauce it was – well it was ok. Your method makes it delicious in its own and with a sauce. Thanks again.
Julie says
I made this last night for dinner and it was a hit. My two little girls have never been big fans of tofu but they loved this recipe. Thank you!
Ranjana says
My aunt just taught me an ingenious tip in the kitchen. Freeze your ginger! That way, not only does it not go bad as quickly, but it’s a breeze to grate. I watched her grating some ginger she pulled out of her freezer and it grated like parmesan cheese.
Jess says
First, I want to say thank you! My husband has been adamantly opposed to becoming vegan for many years (he’s part time vegetarian, I’m full time vegetarian) but your website has changed the game! We are both now part time vegans. Thank you!
This is one of our go to recipes. The tofu preparation has been life changing, as well as, the method of cooking brown rice (12 cups water, one cup rice). I have never enjoyed tofu or brown rice as much in my life as I do now.
Since I’ve made this recipe so many times, and enjoyed it so many times, I finally got the nerve up to leave a review, and to let you know about a few things that I modified that others might enjoy. I started thinking maybe it could be a tiny bit less sweet, so I only added 2 TBS of maple syrup and 1 TBS of brown sugar. Then, I thought it could maybe use a kick, so I added about a 1/4 tsp of dried chili pepper flakes. I think it’s a good modification, and not a big one, if you like a little less sweet with a kick.
Thank you so much for this great blog! I share it with everyone :)
Amy says
Should I wrap the tofu in a paper towel, or something more like a kitchen/hand towel?
thanks!
Hi! You can set it in the fridge, wrapped in a towel with something heavy on top for up to 24 hours!
eyelessgame says
I actually used a pair of washcloths – folded one in half, set the block of tofu in the middle and folded the ends up, then folded the other washcloth in half, laid it crossways on the top, and folded it over the sides to the bottom, then pressed it as indicated. Flipped it over after 10 minutes.
Deirdre says
This was SO good. You should have seen the look on my husband’s face when I told him I was making a tofu stir fry for dinner. Not excited. At all. He ended up having two servings! I loved it too. I used veggies I had on hand like broccoli, green pepper and peas. I also added water chestnuts. I followed Dana’s directions for the tofu which really turned out well, and the sauce was scrumptious. I’m looking forward to trying other recipes :-)
Angela says
Can you dry and bake it and then refrigerate to use in stir Fry’s throughout the week? Or does it have to be immediately?
That would work!
Daniel Martinez says
Just made this yesterday. My picky kids gobbled it down. What an amazing recipe and the baked tofu was amazing! Seriously. I recommend this recipe!
Kim says
Hi,
I used this baked tofu recipe and I felt like there was a slight fishy take when it came out of the oven. Any idea? It could of just been me that day. :) I ate some before I put in a sauce. I also flipped more than once so all sides were brown I think it was too much because it was tough. I am definitely going to try again with my black pepper stir fry recipe this week.
Love your recipes
Thank you
Kim
Hmm, weird! Maybe your tofu wasn’t fresh? Or you got a brand that isn’t good to beginw ith?
Jamie says
This recipe is delicious! The tofu baking techniue is spot on. This technique gives the tofu a chewy texture but not overly so. The sauce makes it! Delicious and thanks for posting it. I’ve made it at least 5x. It is a bit salty (but I didn’t have low sodium soy sauce) and I may consider using 1/2 the cornstarch because I prefer a thinner sauce.
Deepa says
We love this recipe in our home – thank you for sharing! What is the sauce pictured in a bowl with this lovely dish?
Peanut sauce!
Michelle says
Can’t comment on the recipe itself, but I just tried preparing tofu in the oven like this and it was FANTASTIC. Mind you, I’ve been vegetarian for three years and have never liked tofu. This was so good that I ate it PLAIN. I have about half leftover, so I’ll probably try the stir-fry tomorrow. I have a feeling this is going to become a staple in my diet. Thanks so much for sharing!
Will says
This was great! I’m trying not to eat meat and have made some pretty crap tofu recipes recently. This is a great method of prepping tofu, I’ll definitely use it elsewhere. I added extra green beans and carrots and used a bit less sauce and it seemed like a good proportion.
Monika says
Oh yeah, I also throw sesame seeds into my tofu. Would love to find an equally great tofu & eggplant recipe.
Hi Monika, we’d suggest this recipe: https://minimalistbaker.com/sesame-eggplant-almond-butter-tofu-bowls/
Monika says
I made my first ever tofu recipe and this was the one. OMG!!! I’ve made it at least 10 times and absolutely love it!!! I’ve shared it with co-workers and they can’t believe it’s TOFU. I did add Quinoa and it is the best ever recipe. Tomorrow I’m making it again and can’t wait! Thank
you so much for this recipe!!!
Mad says
I used this recipe as a base for a really delicious seitan stir-fry, and figured I would share my modifications because it’s seriously great. I tried the original recipe you posted here, but I think using seitan gives it a bit more interesting texture, plus it takes a ton of time off this dish since you don’t need to press or bake the seitan — just throw it into the pan with a little oil and brown it a bit. As for the sauce, I made a couple modifications that I think really enhanced the flavor: I reduced the sugar and oil by half since I wanted something that wasn’t quite so sweet, and added garlic, red pepper/chili oil, and a touch of vinegar for flavor.
So here’s my version of the stir-fry.
Servings: 2-3,
Prep: 5-10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
* 1 package seitan (I personally prefer cubed, but it doesn’t really matter)
* 2 cups snow or snap peas
* 1 large carrot or red bell pepper
* 1 tbsp sesame oil
* 1-2 tsp sesame seeds (for garnish)
* 1-2 cups cooked white rice (optional)
For the sauce:
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
* 1 Tbsp organic brown sugar
* 1 Tbsp maple syrup
* 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch or cornflour (I usually use the latter, since I have a ton and am trying to use it up)
* 1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
* 1-2 tsp red pepper flakes or chili oil
* 2/3 to 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
1. Slice the carrots and/or pepper. If serving with rice, start that cooking now.
2. Remove seitan from package and drain. Heat 0.5 tbsp sesame oil in skillet on med-high heat, and saute seitan until browned on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. While seitan is browning, combine all ingredients for the sauce and stir
4. Add vegetables to the skillet and another 0.5 tbsp oil if needed. Cook until slightly soft but still firm, stirring often.
5. Add the browned seitan and sauce mixture to the skillet with the vegetables, and cook for 2-3 minutes until sauce thickens
6. Serve alone or over rice, and sprinkle sesame seeds onto dish as garnish
Pats says
I think I am sensitive to soy sauce (raging headaches after eating it in anything other than minute quantities) but this recipe was sooooo delicious that it was almost worth it! I made it a second time, but completely eliminated the soy sauce and added a couple of tablespoons of vinegar instead (maybe more) and a good squirt of tomato puree. So it became more of a sweet and sour. Oh my… it is now a firm favourite of mine. I really like the idea of baking the tofu first; it massively improves the texture. Don’t forget to use baking parchment though, as it welds itself to non stick baking trays, as I once found out!
Vickie says
Pats, I love using Coconut Aminos in place of soy sauce. It’s yummy, the ingredients are: organic coconut tree sap, and sea salt. I don’t think it’s as salty as soy sauce, and has a sweetness though only contains 1 gram sugar/tsp. I get it on vitacost. com. Just wanted to share!
Cathy says
Hi Dana-
I have made this several times. I really like what you do with the tofu. I do fine however, that this tastes salty, and I do use low sodium tamari. Solutions or suggestions as to what I may be doing wrong?
Thanks,
Cathy
Hi Cathy, we would suggest either reducing the amount of soy sauce next time or perhaps trying coconut aminos?
Donn says
Anyone have alternative time/temperature instructions for fan-forced ovens? We have a fan-forced oven so set the temperature at 190°C instead of 205. The tofu cubes were pretty much completely desiccated. Though they were indeed very meat-like, I was expecting a less chewy texture. Not sure how much to reduce the temperature and/or the time.
sadie says
Wow. This sounds great on the texture-enhancement front. But…that’s a ton of sugar. Oy. Have you had any luck with less sugar but just as tasty? I can and will, of course, play around with it, but wanted to ask to see if you’ve experimented since creating this recipe. Many thanks!!! :)
Hi Sadie, feel free to reduce the sugar in this recipe if you think it’s too much! Jessica in an earlier comment had said she would cut the sugar down to a 1/3 and another reader had substituted coconut sugar and had great results!
Siiri says
I made this tonight and it was so delicious. I used Trader Joes super firm tofu and it is very dry. I did wrap it in paper towels before baking. However, I only let it sit for 10 minutes and it was really great! Thank you for another terrific recipe!
Stephanie Arce says
I didn’t try the recipe but I did try the tofu prep and I have to say that the tofu tasted delicious! My vegetarian boyfriend was very impressed considering he has been trying to find a way to make tofu taste better. Thank you for this post!
Mat says
We had this tonight and it was really good. Super easy and crazy cheap, once you have the essentials. I pan fried the tofu in coconut oil, rather than bake. It was crispy and good. The sauce was great, even my 2 1/2 year old ate it! Will definitely make again.
Dee | Green Smoothie Gourmet says
This recipe is exactly what I was looking for Dana! Thank you! I will watch to dry my tofu more.
Dee xx.
Dani says
This was DElicious as usual. My boyfriend and son ate it up almost unawares that there was tofu except that I told them but it didn’t slow them down. Must have again soon!
yessy says
Never been a tofu fan, and i come from an asian household where even sweet drinks are made with tofu, that said, used this recipe to get over my tofu fear and it was incredible. I did make an addition or two to the sauce recipe, I added a liberal amount of garlic, about two tsp’s worth and the zest of an organic navel orange… ginger and orange just works so well together, anyways, super delicious!
Joanne says
Hi, I am new to tofu.
Can I press and cook this tofu as suggested and save some for a second day?
Yes! It is best when fresh though. I would even recommend pressing and then saving to cook for the following day.
Jessica says
This was a tasty dish. Next time, I’ll cut the sugar down significantly, probably to 1/3 of what the recipe calls for. It was much too sweet for my liking. Also, I needed to add about 1/4 cup of water to the pan after I added the sauce because of how thick it got. It basically was a bundle of coagulated gel aso well as sauce stuck on the pan. Just a little touch of water made it the perfect consistency.
Venus says
Made this for dinner tonight and loved it! Thank you ~
Ann says
Accidentally left my tofu under a book all night so it was ummmm well pressed. I ended up frying it versus baking. Was afraid the tofu would get too tough. I added a little powdered ginger as I have had a weird aversion to ginger lately after buying some horrible squeeze bottle crap because the grocery store stopped carrying the organic chopped version (for when I am too lazy to chop it myself). Ugh it was awful and I can’t even believe people buy it. Anyway – added a little OJ and vinegar – next time will use less soy sauce – just not a fan. That’s an aversion story for another day.
Turned out great! I love the simple sauce. In the past we have pressed the tofu and then coated with corn starch or gf flour and then fried in grape seed or olive oil and used a ginger/orange sauce recipe and that is excellent as well. But this is nice for something different. Esp if you don’t feel like frying it. I have baked it before using this recipe – it was a little tough but I am almost positive I forgot it was in the oven:-/
Aneesha says
Sauce was way too sweet for my liking. However, I made the sauce and added it to stir fry veggies rather then tofu. It was so sweet that It felt weird in my throat. Very average sauce.
Deborah says
Finally, I made tofu that is absolutely de!icious! Thank you for this fabulous recipe.
Christina says
I usually don’t comment on recipes, but this was honestly the best vegan stir fry I’ve come across. c:
Even though I didn’t have green beans, using red & yellow peppers along with carrots and a bit of finely chopped green onion created a lovely flavor. The sauce wasn’t too sweet, and I love that I didn’t need any additional salt. Definitely going to be preparing my tofu this way in the future as well. The texture was great.
This’ll definitely be one of my go to dinners for a busy week!
Carolyn says
I made this tonight and it was great! It was quick, easy, and satisfying. I added a generous squirt of sriracha, a few cloves of garlic, some more veggies, and omitted the agave. Thanks for sharing!
dana.rahe.richards@gmail.com says
So yummy!! Tonight is the second time I’m making it with broccoli. Adding some crushed red pepper to make it spicy. Delish! Thanks again Dana!
Bonnie says
My daughter and I enjoy tofu but my husband can’t stand it. Always says it has no flavor and is mushy. Made this tonight and was given the go ahead to make again as he enjoyed this very much. I did use onions, red peppers, carrots, and broccoli for our veggies. Next time I might add some red pepper flakes for a hint of spice. Thank you
Alayney says
I just made this and it was fabulous! The sauce tastes very authentic. I didn’t have green beans — used broccoli, carrots AND red pepper — ALL organic! Before serving I sprinkled peanuts and cayenne pepper. This is a keeper! So pleased!
Whitney says
I tried this recipe for the first time tonight to cook dinner for my family.. Turned out very well. I added some chopped green onion to it. Also, found that it needed a little more soy sauce.. I added just a tiny bit too taste. And served over wild rice.. I give this a ? and a A+..
Carol says
Can you use frozen vegetables in this dish . Thanks Carol M
Sure!
Daphne Salang says
Well so I tried to make this. I over cooked the tofu. It was rubbery in the middle crispy on the outside. It had great flavor all around. I did add some leftovers from my stir fry the other day. I added half a head of cabbage, water chestnuts, and celery.
Sonya says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, Dana! I loved how the tofu turned out, great texture. And the sauce was delicious! I will definitely make this again:) And I have a question – does marinating tofu help with more flavour absorption or is there not much of a difference?
Lani says
Oh god, thanks! Finally, this is the first asian recipe I tried which doesn’t taste like crap.
I also added some sesame seeds, chili flakes and fresh lemon juice, it was awesome! And perfectly for that, I just were in an asian market 2 days ago and got “real” tofu – there’s such a big difference to the tofu they sell in normal markets, so soft and soaky.
Paty says
Excellent recipe! The sauce is simply amazing! Better than many Asian restaurants!!
Dean says
Ive been making this consistently now for a few months. So good. Just a few personal changes. I stir fry the tofu after baking it, it gives it an amazing texture. I throw Jalapenos in the fry to give it an extra kick. Then at the end when you add in the sauce, i also add a bunch of cut up fresh basil leaves. Gives the sauce an amazing complexity. Thanks for the recipe!
Jen says
Your sauce is delicious! The only thing I added was a touch of red wine vinegar. Obviously this can be left out; it’s just something I’m used to. But I warmed up your waive just to try, and it was wonderful, as is.
CookingforBello says
Thrilled to find this ToFutorial! Thank you for sharing the trick to tasty ToFu
Abby says
Hi! This is sort of a random question, but what kind of baking sheet do you use?
Carly Syms says
Hi Abby! Dana has a post that you can find here that details everything in her kitchen!
Lee Ann says
Yum, I just used the sauce for another dish in my slow cooker, portabella with peppers and onions and this sauce, I can hardly wait! I used a second container for rice in the cooker at the same time. I know it will be delish because I made this recipe as is before as part of the 30 day menu.
Sonica says
Hi! I am new fan to this website! I tried this recipe yesterday for lunch and it was absolutely phenomenal. My kids and hubby loved it! I did however make a few modifications, for the veggies, I used green bell pepper, red bell pepper, onion and added brocolli and baby corn. I didnt have cornstarch so I left that out and it came out really nice. I also added a bit of garlic to the sauce when I made it.
Brooke says
Just finished this with my wife, and we both found it to be ridiculously delicious. I’m talking stupid dumb delicious, if that’s even a thing. Sooooo good. AND it has much less sugar and sodium than the General Tso’s, which I feel much better about:) High-five to Dana for another incredible recipe. This one is being put on heavy rotation, stat.
Tena says
I made this tonight. I am new to tofu and I was very nervous, being new to tofu. This turned out so good! Looking back it was very easy. I looked at many recipes and this one just stood out. Thank you sooooo much for your help with the beginning of my tofu journey! I am looking forward to more!
Maggie says
I’m using parchment paper and it’s still sticking. Any tips?
Ceej says
If the tofu is sticking to your parchment try flipping every 10 minutes or as soon as the edges start to dry. Sticking can also mean it is holding too much water still. C
Shouldn’t be sticking with parchment paper. Definitely try and press more liquid out before cubing!
Anna says
Hello, thanks for this mouth-watering recipe. Sadly, just before starting this dish, I found out that only 1/4 of the needed soy sauce was available in my fridge. Tried by adding 1/4 of mirin and the rest of sake. I left out one tbsp of sugar. It worked well.
Barbara Schutt says
I’ve found, too, that you can open the package and place in a ziplock bag then freeze it and take it out at a later time. Thaw it and you end up with a much different texture that is dry.
Rosie says
I need to try this method! I’ve had tofu in restaurants and really enjoyed it but every time I made it at home it was a complete flop! But I read somewhere about drying it out in the oven, so drained and dried it, stuck it in the oven at 180 celsius for 25 mins and the shallow fried it – super duper yummy but not very healthy! So I’ve been wanting a healthier way of cooking it that tastes just as good! Definitely going to pick up some tofu next time I go shopping!
Kathleen says
I made this exactly as published and it was wonderful, Dana!!!! I am fairly new to tofu but will make this again!!! I will probably use parchment paper next time as I did oil my pan but pieces did stick when I went to turn them . I have to say I do agree with Brian on his comments on the sauce pic. Mine was dark brown as well. I don’t understand the orange /peach color sauce in the picture when recipe is soy sauce, ginger, Brn sugar, maple syrup. Ginger etc. Maybe the pic is in error.
Maren says
This is one of the better stir frys I’ve ever had. Very grateful for this recipe! Thank you so much.
I sautéed the vegetables in a Sesame Chili Oil (rather than toasted sesame) to give it a kick and it was excellent.
Plus, it’s really good leftover.
Caroline says
Hi. I made this and shared some leftovers with my supervisor who is a vegetarian. I liked it and she LOVED it! Thank you for sharing the recipe – I will make again definitely. ?
Giri says
This recipe turned out excellent. My family loved it! I like it spicy, so I added hot chilli sauce to the stir fry at the end. One concern I have is the sugar content in the marinade. Is there a marinade that does not use sugar but it is still tasty?
You can cut back the sugar, or sub coconut sugar or maple syrup!
Sonya says
I actually did just that – I subbed coconut sugar for the brown sugar and it was great!
Brian says
Hi Dana! Loved this recipe, but am confused about the sauce in your photos. We made it according to your recipe and ours was runny and dark. Yours looks thick and light in color. Almost like a peanut sauce. Can you explain why yours is so light (kind or orange) even though it’s mostly soy sauce? Thanks!
Kathleen says
I agree Brian. my sauce was dark brown but I did like the recipe as well.
CA says
This recipe turned out great– I didn’t add sugar but did add siracha and it added a nice kick. I did potatoes, carrots, green beans, fennel and celery. Tofu turned out great- I pressed it for a lot longer just between heavy plates and drained it off often- no towel needed. Thanks.
Melanie says
I just made this recipe and followed the tofu baking instructions but my tofu got way overcooked! I had it in the 400 degree oven for 30 minutes and it came out like crispy crackers :( The stir-fry sauce was yummy but when I threw the tofu in and it absorbed the mixture, it just got uncomfortably hard-chewy :/ Is this because I did not pat out the water enough or is that amount of oven time actually not necessary?
CA says
thoughts: cut the tofu too small of cubes? also, there are different types of tofu (xtra firm, etc)- I wonder if you used a kind that does not generally work for this?
Angie says
Made this tonight. Doubled the ingredients and added peanut butter to the sauce, other than that stuck to the recipe and it was beautiful! Honestly one of the most delicious meals I have ever eaten and as a new vegan its great to know I can still enjoy food this much :) my family loved it too, I will make this again and again. Thank you!
Thanks Angie! So glad you liked it.
Gissel Castro says
Omg so DELICIOUS! I literally just finished eating and I had to share my happiness! Haha! Thank you for sharing such an easy stir fry recipe, only modifications I made: I used coconut aminos seasoning instead of soy sauce, added a little broccoli and red bell pepper. Also, I baked thin potato coins along with the tofu and that was our side, instead of rice. Tofu and potatoes were crunchy, on point !!
I_Fortuna says
This is a great recipe!
If one lives near a great Chinese supermarket, as I used to in California, one can find many different flavors and types of tofu. Baked tofu, tofu skins, tofu in many shapes and sizes. I love the five spice baked but no longer live in California.
I recently stopped taking a medication that prevented me from having soy products. Soy is in many products people use every day. It was surprising and it was never something I looked for on food labels.
I am so glad to have tofu back in my life. : )
Penelope says
Thank you!
I love my favorite tofu dish at Jenni’s Noodle House with “fresh tofu” not fried, but I know it’s not raw. I think this may be their secret! I sprinkled with black pepper and kosher salt and baked for 25 minutes, and it was PERFECT!
Unfortunately, I ate half of it before making my recipe, oops. I like pan frying it in the skillet to get it extra crispy, but this is way less effort, way less mess, and just as yummy! Thank you!
Ha! So glad you enjoyed it, Penelope! Love your name, by the way!
Arwen M. says
This is now not only my go-to stir fry recipe, but my go-to tofu preparation method, period! Besides this recipe, we’ve been loving oven-baked tofu with BBQ sauce. I’m a huge tofu fan but had never found a reliable & easy non-fry method to make delicious tofu at home. Thank you!
Ah yay! Thanks for sharing, Arwen! Glad you liked it.
Alyssa says
Thanks for the recipe! I tried it and the result is ten times better than any other tofu recipes I have tried! However I would make more sauce next time, the veggies absorbed most of it.
WOnderful! So glad you liked it. Thanks for sharing, Alyssa!
Ginny glenza says
Love it
nicole says
I used “pre-pressed” tofu for this and as a result, even after baking my tofu for only 20 minutes, it came out WAY too dry. Some pieces we even crunchy. No amount of cooking in my sauce could bring the tofu back to an edible level. It was terribly chewy. Such a disappointment.
So, I caution everyone to reduce baking time by more than half if your using pre-pressed tofu.
Heidi says
I had the same experience. I think I may try baking it for 15 mins next time.
I added garlic to the sauce and cut the brown sugar by 1 Tbsp. I also added a dash of Siracha sauce to it.
Delicious!
Linn says
Thank you! After being a vegetarian for 20 years I can finally start eating good tofu! Tasted excellent!
Debbie says
For future photos using chopsticks , you may want to check out this brief article that explains some taboos. I lved in Japan for 10 years and I learned nearly every one the hard way! Off to make some stir fry!
Caitlyn says
this is good advice :)
Cheryl Gaona says
Wow! This was absolutely delicious! I made a minor change the second time I made it. I fried the veggies for a bit longer as I like my veggies softer. Also, I toned down on the brown sugar just a little to make it not as sweet. Otherwise it’s a wonderful dish. Thanks so much for posting!
Cheers!
Cheryl
Thanks for sharing, Cheryl! So glad you enjoyed it!
Sandra Hall Phillips says
I have a first cousin named Dana Shultz.. might you be Sandra,’s cousin? If so, small world! I actually make my own Tofu from milk made in a SoyJoy machine, here at the house :)