Baked Crispy Peanut Tofu

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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

What is Tofu?

Tofu is a soy-based food that is made from curdling soy milk. It has a mild taste, making it perfect for soaking up flavor in a variety of dishes. It’s also rich in calcium, manganese, copper, selenium, protein, phosphorous, omega-3 fats, iron, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B1.

Origin of Tofu

It’s believed that tofu originated in China during the Han dynasty (202 BC – 8 AD). Then about 500 years later, it’s thought to have spread to neighboring countries such as Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. It’s now consumed and enjoyed throughout the world.

You can take a deeper dive into the history of tofu here.

How to Make Crispy Peanut Tofu

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. Learn more about the origin of this delicious sauce here.

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

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
Print
Pouring peanut sauce into a skillet of Crispy Peanut Tofu
4.81 from 168 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4 (portions)
Course Entrée, Side
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Indonesian-Inspired, Thai-Inspired, Vegan
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 2-3 Days

Ingredients

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

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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).
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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!

Video

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 (1 of 4 servings)

Serving: 1 portions Calories: 275 Carbohydrates: 24.5 g Protein: 16.6 g Fat: 14.1 g Saturated Fat: 2.6 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.11 g Monounsaturated Fat: 3.45 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 1356 mg Potassium: 353 mg Fiber: 2 g Sugar: 11.2 g Vitamin A: 1.8 IU Vitamin C: 1.31 mg Calcium: 293 mg Iron: 2.87 mg

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    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Sorry to hear that, Liliana. Could you give us some feedback on what you disliked about it?

  1. Julie says

    This recipe has become one of my go-tos over the years and I have recommended it to many friends. I don’t eat exclusively vegan or gluten-free, but I have enough friends who do that having this in my back pocket has been very helpful. I make it for myself frequently even if I’m not feeding anyone else.

    I find that making the tofu in my air fryer works well and results in a nice crispy exterior. I tend to omit the corn starch and just mist lightly with oil, then bake them according to the oven instructions, shaking halfway through and keeping a close eye (and nose) for burning.

    I also often use jarred garlic and chili oil instead of the “chili garlic sauce” since it helps me adjust the spice level more precisely. The ratios of the recipe are very forgiving for the sauce, so I usually start with the recipe amounts and then adjust according to taste.

    Bok choy is my favorite veggie to use, but I use a frozen bag of mixed stir fry veggies the last time I made it since it’s what I had on hand. It turned out great. I’ve used broccoli and fresh green beans as well, and both turned out fantastic. I often double the sauce amount because it’s just so good.

    I usually keep a pressed block of tofu frozen so I can easily make this recipe whenever I like. It’s a great way to use up the tail end of a jar of peanut butter since you can prep the sauce in the jar and not have to dirty another dish. Thanks for the great recipe, it’s become a huge favorite for me!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Amazing! We’re so glad you and your friends enjoy it, Julie. Thank you so much for sharing! xo

  2. Trinity says

    Delicious! I added grated garlic and grated ginger to the marinate and sauce, and I had it with broccoli and rice, and it was very good! I recommend adding the garlic and ginger because it had a good depth of flavor, but I feel like it would have been good without too!

  3. Alex says

    Can this be made to snack on later or is best to serve straight away? I’m looking for savoury things to make as snacks when I don’t have time to cook

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      So sorry you didn’t enjoy this one, Jenny! Did you make any modifications? This one is usually a reader favorite.

  4. Bhairavi says

    I made this and my bf who is such a carnivore said he hates to admit he loved my tofu and has asked to have it again!!!- This dish is amazing and thank you so much for sharing it!!

  5. Sue Cooper says

    This tofu recipe is sooo good! Even the extended family members who are adamantly opposed to tofu, really liked it! Thank you.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Amazing! We’re so glad you and your family enjoy it, Sue. Thank you for the lovely review! xo