Minimalist Baker

Simple Food, Simply Delicious

Baked Crispy Peanut Tofu

Platter filled with Quick & Easy Peanut Tofu with homemade peanut sauce

Tofu can either be incredibly bland or the ultimate ingredient for soaking up flavor. Which do you choose?

If you’re anything like us, you’ll take the tofu with all the FLAVOR! And when it comes to flavor, this recipe delivers.

As an added bonus, it’s simple to make and requires just 8 ingredients.

Wood cutting board with ingredients for making our Quick & Easy Peanut Tofu recipe

After marinating the tofu in tamari, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, and maple syrup, it gets coated in cornstarch to help it crisp up in the oven.

Bowl of marinated cubed tofu tossed in cornstarch

The tofu comes out lightly browned and perfectly crispy. All that’s left to do is give it a sweet & spicy peanutty flavor.

Parchment-lined baking sheet filled with Crispy Tofu fresh from the oven

The peanut sauce comes together in less than 5 minutes by whisking tamari, chili garlic sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, and sesame oil in a bowl.

Crispy tofu and delicious peanut sauce combine to make a FLAVORFUL and protein-packed vegan dish.

Using a spoon to stir a bowl of our homemade peanut sauce for making Peanut Tofu

We think you’re going to love this recipe. It’s:

Extremely flavorful
Perfectly sweet
Not-too-spicy
Simple
Versatile
Super delicious

Enjoy this recipe as is or with any Asian-inspired dish. We love it with our Mango Curry, Noodle-Free Pad Thai, or these Thai Noodle Bowls!

For other flavorful tofu recipes, check out our Almond Butter Tofu Stir Fry, Sesame Eggplant Almond Butter Tofu Bowls, and General Tso’s Tofu Stir Fry.

If you try this recipe let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see what you came up with. Cheers, friends!

Tray filled with crispy, bite-sized pieces of our Quick & Easy Peanut Tofu recipe

Print
Pouring peanut sauce into a skillet of Crispy Peanut Tofu
4.87 from 45 votes

Baked Crispy Peanut Tofu

Delicious peanut butter tofu made with 8 simple ingredients. Baked until crispy and sautéed in a savory-sweet peanut sauce. Perfect for Asian-inspired bowls, salads, stir-fries, and more!

Author: Minimalist Baker
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 (portions)
Category: Entree, Side
Cuisine: Asian-Inspired, Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 2-3 Days

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

TOFU

  • 14 oz extra firm tofu (preferably organic, non-GMO)
  • 3 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
  • 1 tsp chili garlic sauce
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 4-5 Tbsp cornstarch (for crispy tofu! You can try subbing arrowroot, but we haven’t tested it and can’t guarantee the results)

PEANUT SAUCE

  • 2 ½ Tbsp creamy peanut butter (or other nut or seed butter)
  • 2 Tbsp tamari (or coconut aminos, but add more to taste as it’s less salty)
  • 1 Tbsp chili garlic sauce
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tsp sesame oil

FOR SERVING optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Start pressing tofu using a tofu press, or wrap in clean, absorbent towel and set something heavy — like a cast iron skillet or books — on top to press out the moisture. Press for about 15-20 minutes.

  3. In the meantime, prepare peanut sauce by combining peanut butter, tamari, chili garlic sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, and sesame oil in a small mixing bowl and whisking thoroughly to combine. Set aside.

  4. Cut pressed tofu into 3/4-inch cubes and add to a large plate. Top with tamari or soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, and maple syrup. Gently toss to combine using hands or a spoon. Let marinate 2-3 minutes, stirring/tossing occasionally.

  5. Use a slotted spoon or your hands to transfer tofu to a quart-size or large freezer bag. Add cornstarch 1 Tbsp at a time and toss to coat. Continue adding more cornstarch and tossing until tofu is coated in a gummy, white layer (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).

  6. Transfer tofu to the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 20-25 minutes, flipping at the 18-minute mark to encourage even baking. It should be firm to the touch, firm on the edges, and slightly browned on the exterior once removed from the oven. Bake slightly longer if needed.

  7. Heat a large metal or cast iron skillet (12 inch) over medium heat. Once hot, add tofu and the peanut sauce. Toss to coat. Stirring frequently, sauté the tofu for about 2 minutes, or until the tofu is hot and well coated with peanut sauce.

  8. At this point it’s ready to eat! Enjoy as is or with any Asian-inspired dish. We love it with our Mango Curry, Noodle-Free Pad Thai, or these Thai Noodle Bowls!

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 4 servings calculated with lesser amount of cornstarch and without additional or optional ingredients.

Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 4 portions)

  • Calories: 275
  • Fat: 14.1g
  • Saturated fat: 2.6g
  • Sodium: 1356mg
  • Carbohydrates: 24.5g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Sugar: 11.2g
  • Protein: 16.6g
FacebookTwitterPin It
Get Our Fan Favorites eBook Here!

danaHi, I'm Dana! I am a food stylist, photographer, creator of Food Photography School and author of Everyday Cooking.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and read more about us here!

Leave a Comment & Rating

Have a question? Use ctrl+f or ⌘+f on your computer or the "find on page" function on your phone browser to search existing comments! Need help? Check out this tutorial!

All commentsI made thisQuestions

  1. This recipe is amazing!!! I was getting so so sick of tofu, and I could not stop eating this tofu once I made it! The cornstarch really make a huge difference as it makes it taste like it’s almost fried. I had to hide the leftovers from my meat eating partner afterwards as it was so delicious that he would have devoured it all!

    Reply

    • Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jessica. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo

      Reply

  2. AMAZING!!! I make tofu a lot and this was the crispiest, most delicious version yet. The sauce is incredibly tasty, and the tofu was perfect. I used arrowroot starch and it worked just fine. Thanks for such a delicious way to make tofu!! I send this to my friends who say they don’t like tofu – just wait, this recipe might change your mind :)

    Reply

  3. Wow, this was SO good! I’ve been vegan for over a year now and have always been intimidated by/not really enjoyed tofu, but this recipe was a different story. Even my non-vegan husband who has never eaten tofu in his life liked it. :) Plus it was so easy to throw together. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  4. SO GOOD. This will be a staple recipe from now on. Made the tofu in the air fryer instead of the oven. Less than 10 minutes on about 350 with a couple of shakes during the “frying.” It was delicious served over Pad Thai noodles and broccoli. Ate the leftovers cold for lunch the next day. Like someone below mentioned, even though it’s not crispy anymore, still loved it.

    Reply

    • Thanks so much for the lovely review, Melissa. We are so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo

      Reply

  5. I love a spicy peanut sauce, and I basically cried with happiness when I tried this. The right amount of heat, the perfect balance of peanut flavor, and the tofu was perfect. I added this to the noodle free pad thai for lunches this week. Obviously the tofu didn’t retain all of the crunch after sitting in the fridge, but this flavor is amazing!

    Reply

  6. I loved this recipe, so easy and tasty. I didn’t have any chilli garlic sauce so added 1 tsp chilli flakes instead and added 2-3 Tbsp of water to the peanut sauce so it didn’t become too dry. I noticed when heating the sauce, it quickly thickened. Next time I will reduce the cooking time in the oven so the tofu is still soft in the center.

    Reply

  8. De-LISH! Love this recipe. The sauce is genius. I had a yum yum salad with avocado lime dressing to go with it.

    Thanks so much for the awesome recipe! I’ll be making this one again.

    Aw. Was going to post a picture …

    Just saw your recipe for golden milk. I’m totally doing that tomorrow morning. Thanks again!!

    Reply

  11. My tofu-hating husband loves this tofu! After almost 20 years, this is only the second tofu recipe I’ve made that he likes. And he loves this one. I made the recipe as printed but have a question — can I double the marinade recipe, divide it in half (1/2 for marinade, 1/2 for peanut sauce), then add the peanut butter and lime to the half for the peanut sauce? The recipe would go a lot more quickly, though I see that the amounts would not be exactly the same. Save me from myself, Or I will try this approach next time!

    Reply

    • Hi Alice, that should work! You may just have to taste test and adjust a little more to get the flavors right. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  12. This was a great way to make tofu. Loved the technique. It was so flavorful and crispy. The only thing I did not do was to use a hot skillet at the end (less things to clean), I just put the sauce on the tofu and baked for a few more minutes. Thank you for a keeper!

    Reply

  13. I just finished making this. It came out pretty good but I found it was quite salty. Also, the sauce in the hot pan just stuck to the bottom so it required constant turning so it wouldn’t burn. The spice level was perfect. I served it with roasted broccoli and brown rice. I will definitely make this again, perhaps tweaking a bit here and there.

    Reply

  14. This recipe is INCREDIBLE. I paired this with the mango salad recipe with the same dressing and added some warm, brown rice and it was literally the best thing we’ve tasted in a long, long time.

    Reply

    • p.s. I had to sub chickpea flour for this because it’s what I had and I used duck sauce instead of sweet chili sauce – So good!

      Reply

  15. This recipe was so delicious! While it is amazing fresh out of the pan, the texture and flavor are equally good when it’s cold, right out of the fridge. So yum!

    Reply

  16. I made this last night and it was delicious! I used honey instead of maple syrup. Thank you very much :)

    Reply

  17. This is my new favorite way to make tofu. It was crispy, yet not dried out in the middle. Who knew baked tofu could be so good.

    I followed the recipe as written with the exception of upping the chili garlic sauce.
    Thank you!!

    Reply

  19. This was great. I especially loved the marinade at the beginning. I’m not crazy about Peanut Butter in dishes like this so I might cut back if I make it again, but it’s certainly not overpowering – my boyfriend said he didn’t even notice there was peanut butter in it. :-) Also, I used Sweet Chili Sauce instead of Chili Garlic Sauce (only because I was confused about which ingredients I had at home).

    Reply

  20. This recipe is so good that even my tofu-hating boyfriend loves it. We made it three nights in a row until we ran out of tofu. The first time I made the recipe almost exactly as is — only subbed brown sugar for syrup because we were out, and used soy sauce instead of tamari. My favorite decision the second time was to use crunchy peanut butter. The crunchy peanut bits added a ton of texture and are a great addition to the dish. I also used a little extra peanut butter to make it extra creamy. One batch of this fed me and my boyfriend for one meal; if you had more veggies and rice with it (and didn’t love it so much you couldn’t stop eating!) it might last longer.

    Oh, and you don’t need to get another pan dirty to mix the tofu and sauce! The second and third times I made this I just microwaved the peanut sauce for less than thirty seconds before mixing it in and I didn’t notice any difference.

    Reply

  21. I made the recipe as written and it turned out great! Baking the cornstarch-coated tofu then tossing it in a sauce worked out nicely.
    I was trying to come up with something to make for dinner that didn’t require a trip to the grocery store, so I served the tofu with noodles (half a bag of linguine), carrots, frozen peas, and a peanut butter and coconut milk-based sauce. It wasn’t fancy, but it worked.

    Reply

  22. My whole family enjoyed this tofu. It was crisp, full of flavour and went so well with the Happy Pear curry that I also made. I only wish there had been some leftovers for my lunch the next day. Thank you

    Reply

  23. I used my air fryer at 400 degrees to bake the tossed tofu for 8 min. Also didn’t have Maple syrup so used pancake syrup and it was still delicious. Definitely will make this regularly!

    Reply

  24. My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe. Super duper flavorful. I didn’t have chili garlic “sauce” so I used chili garlic “paste” and cut the measurement in half because I was afraid it would be too spicy. I didn’t have a lime so used a lemon and I thought it was still really good. The sauce came out pretty thick, and I didn’t want to dirty another pan, so I skipped the last step and we just poured the sauce over our rice and tofu. Thank you for another delicious keeper!

    Reply

  25. This was soooo delicious, and super easy to make! I made zero changes or adjustments to the recipe and it came out perfect as written. Even my partner, who is not a fan of tofu, enjoyed it. This one will definitely be in regular rotation in my house.

    Reply

  27. Hi, everyone! I really enjoy being on Minimalist Baker’s email list. I tried a few of the recipes and really like them. This was absolutely delicious! I have never baked tofu before but hated the mess with frying. Plus, frying is not as healthy.
    My experience was that I wished I had more Peanut Sauce!
    The sauce (which is spicy and fabulous!) got really thick from the corn starch on the tofu so I added water which thinned it out and took some of the crispness away from the tofu. So, next time I will make double the peanut sauce.
    I made everything earlier in the day except combining the Tofu and Peanut Sauce.
    When my rice and Pad Thai Noodles were almost done, I reheated the tofu in a little oil and added the peanut sauce once it crisped up again.

    Reply

  28. We are in love with this recipe! I have never been able to get my tofu so crispy before. And the sauce is perfect! I usually stir fry some veggies and serve with some rice. Thank you for this awesome dish!

    Reply

    • Thanks, Wendy! Next time would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. xo!

      Reply

  29. Thank you very much for all that you are doing to all of us. You are one of the kind people out there. May Jehovah God bless you!

    Reply

    • Thanks for sharing, Chris! Next time would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers. Thanks! :D

      Reply

  31. This was incredible!!! Ive been looking for a peanut based recipe to have so I order out less and this is outstanding! Highly recommended!

    Reply

  32. I’ve never made one of your recipes before, but if they’re all as delicious as this one, I’ll make ’em all. I might’ve added more chili garlic sauce than recommended (I kind of lost control of the jar…), but that was fine by me. Thanks for a great vegan dinner!

    Reply

  33. Fantastic! This will definitely be a recipe I come back to again and again. Even my carnivore husband loved it. I put the tofu and peanut sauce on top of a veggie soba stir fry. Delicious.

    Reply

  34. Disappointed. My tofu tastes like corn starch. The sauce has an unpleasant after taste. A lot of time and ingredients to not want to eat it. I dont want to try to doctor it up and still not like so we will just say this one is not for me

    Reply

    • Sorry to hear that, Nancy! You could also try subbing arrowroot here if your cornstarch has an unpleasant taste. In my experience though, cornstarch doesn’t really taste like anything so I’d recommend checking the freshness of your cornstarch.

      Reply

  36. This is amazing! All previous recipe I tried, the tofu was either to smushy, not tasty or not crispy. This is what I was looking for all along. The tofu is super crispy and the peanut sauce is delicious. You can change the ratio of ingredients in the sauce to change the taste a little bit, if you want more a thick peanut butter sauce or taste the lime more.
    And pressing the tofu changes everything. Do not skip that part.

    Reply

  37. The best crispy tofu recipe without frying! This is definetly a staple in our household and it never disappoints.
    Thank you xox

    Reply

    • Thanks, Anik! Next time would you mind leaving a rating? It’s super helpful for us and others readers. Thanks! xo

      Reply

  38. I substituted peanut butter (someone left a near empty jar in the pantry) for almond butter and it tasted amazing!

    Reply

  39. Dana, as usual, you hit it out of the park. Made it for lunch and added it to left over rice from another recipe #youdabomb Thank you!

    Reply

  40. This is so good! I made it for dinner along with the Tom Yum soup. I had leftovers (cold) for breakfast the next day, and it was just as good. (Sounds strange, but I woke up craving it, and it was a perfect breakfast food for me.) I’m already craving it again.

    Reply

  41. Delicious,- as good as Thai restaurant food and so much healthier!!
    Easy and relatively quick to make-
    I read the recipe on my phone earoute home from work Friday, stopped in my local Whole foods for the garlic chili sauce and made the tofu, for supper.
    Did not have rice syrup so I substituted a blend of agave and date syrup.
    Used Ramen noodle.
    I used a brand of tofu which comes already pressed.
    Recipe works beautifully.. This is a keeper; I have printed and stuck into my copy of the Minimalist Baker cook book .

    Reply

  42. made this for dinner tonight. mixed with brown rice, broccoli and shredded kale. I didn’t realize I was out of garlic chili sauce, so I replaced with vegan red curry paste.
    OMG sooooo good!! I’m so happy I made this, the tofu is browned and crispy and the sauce is delish.
    Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

    • Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Erin! Next time would you mind leaving a rating? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. xo!

      Reply

  43. Such an easy and delicious recipe! Made it this morning with some left over tofu. I used sriracha instead of chili garlic sauce and added a bit of garlic powder. The tofu didn’t turn out crispy but the flavour was perfect!

    Reply

  44. Had everything thing in the house (but the lime, sadly) and has this for dinner two nights in a row!! Both nights I used the left over marinade as a stir fry sauce for broccoli on the side. Second night I halved the maple syrup in the sauce – l liked it less sweet. Anyway, VERY EASY and YUMMY. I will definitely be making just the marinated crispy tofu (OMG!!) again lots for other recipes :)

    Reply

  45. So freaking good! Made this last night and used the sauce to season some stir fry veggies and then tossed the crispy tofu in. The sauce makes a good amount, and when you heat it up and it is really generous. Absolutely delicious. I didn’t make any recipe adjustments except that I didn’t have lime juice, which may have brightened the flavor a bit, but it was scrumptious without it. Didn’t even miss it. There are zero leftovers. Thanks, Dana!

    Reply

    • It would! I’d recommend steaming the tofu for 10 minutes to remove bitterness, then cubing and proceeding as instructed. Tempeh usually benefits from a longer marinade.

      Reply

  48. This was easy, full of flavour and quite quick to whip up. I like more chilli so I’ll add fresh chilli when I add it to my dish. I used organice brown rice syrup which was plenty sweet enough. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  50. So tasty and easy to make!
    Changes I made: I didn’t use a plastic bag, but instead a bowl and tossed half the tofu at a time with the cornstarch. It did not take much cornstarch at all. I also used a silpat instead of Parchment.
    It turned out perfectly!

    Reply

  51. Delicious! Made it for dinner, we loved it. Used arrowroot instead of cornstarch because that’s what I had and it was good- maybe a little chewier than if it had been cornstarch but still very delicious! Also subbed sriracha for the chili garlic sauce.

    Reply

  52. Great recipe!! So easy and tasty. Will be sharing this one with family looking for how to make an easy tofu dish.

    Reply

  53. Hi, Can you suggest a substitution for the chili garlic sauce? My daughter does not like spicy food yet. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Elissa, I have no suggestions, but I had to giggle at the subtle “yet” in your comment. My girls, 11 and 12, both like their food more spicy than I do most of the time. Yet, ethnically, we’re generally more on the bland side (totally stereotyping here, but we’re German, and salt is about as spicy as we got when I was a kid). ;-) We all love all foods Asian and Mexican, so spice and flavor are almost always in my cooking, and they love it! It was a process. You’ll get there, one drop at a time! :-) Dana – Thank you for all your amazing recipes! We’re doing a vegan week next week and I look forward to making this!

      Reply

      • Thanks Sandy and Elissa! For the chili garlic sauce I’d just reduce it a lot. It’s honestly not incredibly spicy, but start with a little and work your way up!

        Reply

  54. This was amazing! Perfect combination of sweet and savory. My partner and I both independently decided that this was what we’d make for dinner yesterday and what a great decision. This will definitely be in the regular rotation.

    I just want to say that I really appreciate your comment/rating guidance. So often, I see a recipe with great ratings where there isn’t a single comment from someone who actually made it.

    Love your stuff!

    Reply

  55. This was so delicious! I didn’t have enough maple syrup for the sauce, only 1 tablespoon so I used about 2 tbsp coconut sugar. I used liquid aminos instead of soy sauce and almond butter. My husband and I love this dish! I served with Jasmine rice and broccoli.

    Reply

  56. Delicious! Mine wasn’t very crispy, but it was very tasty. I reduced the chili garlic by ⅓ because your recipes are kinda spicy for me generally. Made it with stir fried bell peppers and carrots over brown rice, I also made my tofu in the air fryer instead of the oven,

    Reply

  57. This recipe looks great. I’ve been looking for a new way to cook tofu!!
    I’m going to try it tomorrow and I’ll let you know how it goes.
    I sound like a suck up, but you honestly post the best vegan recipes and I check them all.

    Reply

  58. Trying to reduce single-use plastic. Would shaking in a covered container do the trick? Other than cleanup is there an advantage to the bag?

    Reply

    • I would think so! I don’t see why not… did you try it?

      I, unfortunately, used a bag but I rinsed and kept it, in case I need it for other storage uses around the house.

      Reply

    • That’s what I do when I’m coating tofu in cornstarch. Or just toss it in a bowl with my hands or a fork. Works well enough.

      Reply

      • Thanks for sharing, friends! Those are great suggestions. A covered container would do well!

        Reply

  59. I’m loving all the different meals from Asian cuisines you’ve been posting lately (Thai, Chinese, Indian, etc)!

    Reply

    • I make “tofu” out of chickpea flour (Burmese tofu). It’s easy to make and soy free, if that’s the issue. It works well in these types of recipes.

      You could maybe try seitan if gluten’s not an issue? Or maybe even a bean meatball recipe with adjusted spices to compliment the sauce?

      Reply