One bite in and I knew I hit the jackpot with this one. If you’ve been in search of the perfect crispy, baked tofu recipe, this is the one for you! I’m so excited to share this with you guys I can hardly stand it. Let’s do this!
For starters, this dish is served over cauliflower “rice” instead of regular rice because 1) Cruciferous veg for the win, and 2) You can eat an ENTIRE head of cauliflower instead of 1/2 cup of rice and STILL only consume a fraction of the calories and carbohydrates, so why not?!
Cauliflower rice is SO simple and you absolutely must try it! It doesn’t pass completely as rice since the textures and flavors are slightly different. But it looks just like rice and in my opinion, tastes even better as it absorbs the sauce perfectly and takes WAY less time to cook.
You guys know the deal: My favorite way to crisp up tofu is pre-baking it before sauteing – a little trick I picked up at a vegetarian cafe in San Antonio (Yes, I hounded the waitress for the technique – you’re welcome). This gives it that crisp outer edge and perfectly tender center.
Once your tofu is baked, add it to your sauce, which acts as an all-in-one marinade and sauce for the cauliflower rice, veggies and for serving! It wears many hats and it’s oh-so delicious and Thai-inspired. 
Once your tofu is marinated, it’s ready for a quick stir fry to give it that perfectly golden brown, crisp, mega-flavorful coating. Then all that’s left to do is saute up your veggie of choice – baby bok choy for the win – and your cauliflower rice!
All in all this dish takes around 1 hour 30 minutes, which is a little longer than I prefer. But the pay off is so worth it! Plus, it only requires 9 ingredients – many of which you likely already have on hand. 
You’re going to love this dish! It’s
Savory
Satisfying
Super Peanut-y
Perfectly sweet
Not-too-spicy
Loaded with flavor
Packed with veggies
Entirely vegan + gluten-free (with GF soy sauce)
& Perfect for a night in
I made this dish and ate half, then reheated the leftovers the next day and I swear it got better! I love it when that happens. Hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did. Cheers!
- 12 ounces (340 g) extra-firm tofu, organic & non-GMO if possible*
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
- 1 small head cauliflower (~ 580 g)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp or 6 g)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) low sodium soy sauce (tamari for GF eaters)
- 1/4 cup (55 g) light brown sugar (or honey if not vegan)
- 1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce
- 2 1/2 Tbsp (40 g) peanut butter or almond butter (natural, salted)
- Veggies: baby bok choy, green onion, red pepper, broccoli
- Toppings: fresh lime juice, cilantro, sriracha
- Begin by draining tofu 1.5 hours before you want your meal ready. If your block of tofu is larger than 12 ounces, trim it down. You don’t need a full pound for this recipe (see notes).
- Roll tofu in an absorbent towel several times and then place something heavy on top to press. I use a pot on top of a cutting board and sometimes add something to the pot to add more weight. Do this for 15 minutes.
- Near the end of draining, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and cube tofu. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. Bake for 25 minutes to dry/firm the tofu. Once baked, remove from oven and let cool.
- Prepare sauce by whisking together ingredients until combined. Taste and adjust flavor as needed. I often add a little more sweetener and peanut butter.
- Add cooled tofu to the sauce and stir to coat. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes to saturate the tofu and infuse the flavor.
- In the meantime, shred your cauliflower into rice by using a large grater or food processor. You don’t want it too fine, just somewhat close to the texture of rice. Set aside. Mince garlic if you haven’t already done so, and prepare any veggies you want to add to the dish (optional).
- Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat (6 out of 10), and if adding any veggies to your dish, cook them now in a bit of sesame oil and a dash of soy sauce. Remove from pan and set aside and cover to keep warm.
- Use a slotted spoon to spoon tofu into the preheated pan. Add a few spoonfuls of the sauce to coat. Cook, stirring frequently for a few minutes until browned. It will stick to the pan a bit, so don't worry. Remove from pan and set aside and cover to keep warm.
- Rinse your pan under very hot water water and scrape away any residue. Place back on oven.
- Add a drizzle of sesame oil to the pan, then add garlic and cauliflower rice and stir. Put cover on to steam the “rice.” Cook for about 5-8 minutes until slightly browned and tender, stirring occasionally. Then add a few spoonfuls of sauce to season and stir.
- Place cauliflower rice and top with veggies and tofu. Serve with any leftover sauce. Leftovers reheat well and will keep covered in the fridge for up to a couple days.
*Tofu method adapted from my Tofu That Tastes Good Stir Fry
That tofu is freaking SCREAMING my name. LOVE!
haha, me too! I’m ready to make it again already.
This looks fabulous! Adding it to my meal plan for next week. :)
Awesome! Let me know how it goes, Maryea!
Damn, it seems so good!!!
Ps : I’m almost ready to eat your caramelized onion mac n cheese for lunch :D
DOOOO IIIIT. The mac AND the tofu! ;D
I love the idea of serving this over cauliflower rice, I bet the texture is perfect. That tofu is killing me right now, I’ve never tried a peanut-y style tofu before – definitely trying this one out asap! Thanks for the beautiful recipe!
Peanut + tofu = magic. They’re just meant to be together. Hope you give this a try, Brittany!
Only 9 ingredients and looks mouth-wateringly delicious?! Sign me up!
I know, right? 9 INGREDIENTS! That’s how I roll :D
I’ve been kind of anti cauliflower rice because, well… come one! It’s just rice! But I’ve been on a bit of a cauliflower kick lately (so weird for me), so maybe I’ll give this a go. AND your tofu cooking method, because crispy tofu is just so elusive, but it looks like yours works!
Agreed! Let me know if you give it a try! This was my first time using cauliflower as rice and I’m hooked.
I’ve always been weary of the “cauliflower is a substitute for carbs” thing, but my CSA is starting up again and I know I’m going to get more of it than I know what to do with, so I’m embracing. The tofu looks awesome too – I can’t wait to try the crispy cooking method, because I can’t seem to figure it out on my own.
Right? I’m not trying to avoid carbs by any means, but I do like to get in as much veg as possible. This “rice” does the trick! Let me know if you give it a try, Elizabeth :D
Oh my word this looks SO delicious. It’s been a long time since I’ve made cauliflower rice, but I’ve never tried combining it with a stir-fry. Those photos are making me hungry just looking at them… An absolute must-make if I ever saw one:D
This one is a MUST! Hope you give it a try!
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it.
Yay! Let me know if you do, Cassidy :D
I’m a convert -I don’t think I’ll just stir fry tofu ever again. This crispy sticky tofu is so awesome. I can think of a million things to do with it!
I know! I can’t wait to stuff it inside some spring rolls and on top of salads. Huzzah!
or on tacos!
Please share again when you do with springroll?…thanks xxx
This is seriously such an awesome vegan meal! The cauli rice, the perfectly seared tofu, that amazing sauce, and SUCH gorgeous images! pinned
Thanks Averie! Appreciate the love ;D
I’ve been wanting to try cauliflower rice! This sounds delicious and love how great the tofu looks, all crispy and covered in sauce.
Yes! You should definitely try the tofu with the cauliflower rice, Erin. The two go hand-in-hand!
Great vegan meal. Love it ;-)
You always have THE best recipes! I feel like I save every single recipe you post, just so I can make them later. Thanks for the tip about making the best crispy tofu.
*blushing* Thanks Sammi!
This recipe is just about everything I love, ever. Get in mah belly, you yummy stir fry, you.
This is simply incredible! Bookmarked and making this one soon for sure. Love it!
Oh boy. This might just make me love tofu.
These photos are awesome and I bet this just tastes delicious. I’ve started doing my tofu this way after you posted it and I absolutely love it. You get that deep fried taste without all the fat!
Great! Glad to hear it, Katy :D
Not sure about tofu but is give it a shot :)
L x
I’ve been cooking tofu for years and I have never been able to get it crispy enough. Thank you so much for sharing this technique! I don’t think I’ll ever cook tofu the same way again. That sauce looks so flavorful and awesome! You know a meal is good when the leftovers taste even better :)
Thanks Isadora! It’s a technique I was thrilled to learn about and have employed almost weekly since then. Hope you enjoy this recipe!!
What a great idea! I never thought to bake the tofu before adding it to the sauce. I bet it yields the perfect texture. This dish sounds wonderful. Such simple, yet flavourful ingredients. I cannot wait to try the cauliflower rice :)
I have all of the ingredients! Woo! Making this TONIGHT. Thanks for being awesome.
Reporting back. OMG. This dish is amazing. The tofu is so cripsy and chewy, the peanut sauce is to die for, and the cauliflower rice is so tasty! You would never know! I can eat a bowl of rice! :D
haha, yes! So glad you enjoyed it, taylor! Thanks for sharing! xo
I swear you have a portal into my brain, and my fridge. I just fell hard for cauliflower rice a couple of weeks ago (shredder attachment on the food processor!). Plus I have all of the ingredients on hand to make this right now. So I’m gonna.
Yay! Let me know how it goes, Beth! xo
I’m loving the sauce for this stir-fry :) I’ve paired peanut sauce with tofu before but never in a stir-fry. I don’t mind fried though so I would coat the tofu in cornstarch to crispy-fy them and douse it in that sauce!
I have been looking so, so long for an awesome baked tofu recipe–peanut is one of my very favorite flavors, so this will be a match made in heaven for our dinner get-together tomorrow night. Thanks so much, Dana!
Yay! Let me know how it turns out!
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it, my mouth is watering!
I have to tell you that I am in love with this blog. I’ve always been a terrible chef and as a newlywed, I’m always desperate to find healthy and fast recipes for dinner. I’ve made two of your recipes this week! I just wanted to say thank you so very much for your blog, I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Aw, thanks Brooke! So glad you’re enjoying the recipes so much. Hugs!
Simply Yummy. Thanks!
This was yummy! Thanks, next time I think I’ll cut down on the sugar (since its super low-carb otherwise) and I bet it will be just as relish. Great photos!
I just realized i have both tofu AND cauliflower in my fridge! I’m so excited to make this.
Oh my, WOW! This looks so flippin’ amazing! I’ve been wanting to try cauliflower rice and I think this recipe is the one for me. I love how you made the tofu crispy and well coated in sauce. I don’t like limp tofu and I’m always loving it packed with flavor!
You rock, sista! Thank you for sharing.
xox,
K
Tofu is my new favorite and this looks delicious!!!!!!!!! I loveeeeeee the color on that tofu, makes me salivate just looking at it!!!!! I soooo want to try the cauliflower rice!!!! I had a veggie pizza the other day with tikka style grated cauliflower and really loved it so I’m pretty sure I’m going to fall head over heels in love with this cauliflower rice too!
Every time I see something like this my heart sinks. I’m allergic to peanuts. I know I could substitute something but it won’t every be as Thai-mazing as this!
ah, bum! Try it with almond butter!
I used almond butter last night and it was delicious!
I LOVE crispy tofu but it’s been a while since I’ve made it…this looks so fantastic. Pinning!
Best tofu I’ve ever had.
Whoop! Major compliment!!
I over-processed the cauliflower, so it wasn’t as nice looking, but it was so. good! I’ll be making this one again and again for sure!
Great! So glad you liked it, Hannah! Thanks for sharing :D
I made this recipe tonight… it was amazing!!! I was skeptical of the cauliflower rice, but it turned out great. My husband loved it too. I only wish I would have made more. Thank you for sharing. I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes! Thanks also for the tip on baking the tofu. It’s the best tofu I’ve ever made!
Yay! So glad you both enjoyed it. That’s so great to hear! Thanks for sharing, Amanda.
Eating this right now :) WONDERFUL! Thank you for a great recipe!!
I made this recipe last night and all but cartwheeled around the room on tasting it. Seriously good. The cauliflower rice was delicious and now I’ve learned a great way to cook tofu. Thanks!
This recipe looks amazing and delicious! Is that alot of sugar and sodium for one serving though?
Feel free to reduce as you see fit!
AMAZING. We made this for dinner on Saturday night. And for a first-time tofu preparer, I was very pleased!
I made this for dinner tonight and it tasted delicious but my tofu turned out a little too chewy for my liking and not sure how or why that happened. I also found it to be so time consuming that I wasn’t hungry for it when I finished making it and all I wanted was some fatty comfort food lol!
Will probably make again but maybe I will bake the tofu the night before and marinate it in the fridge overnight to try to reduce the prep time before dinner.
Overall, it’s a great recipe and I love the cauliflower rice!
This is one of our new favorites! I made it with hemp tofu, and it was incredible! I plan on trying it with the chili & lime hemp tofu next time for some extra flavor!
Made this tonight with almond not peanut butter. It was a WINNER. Thanks so muck for such a simple and delicious recipe. Yum. Really enjoyed the cauliflower rice too.
And put my first ever phot up on Instagram. That’s why we need our iPhones at the dinner table! Love your recipes. I’ve got your book so will be making more.
I especially love your photos Dana!
Oh, thanks Vicky! So glad you enjoyed the recipe AND that you’ve joined Instagram! Welcome to the party! :D Thanks for following! So nice hearing from readers :D xo
Apologies for the typos – in my email address too. New iPad user!
just about to make this & the smells alone in the kitchen lets me know that this is going to be GOOD. – Jackpot on this one. I am so grateful to all your posts for expanding my skills in my kitchen. @57 yrs, it is like just the excitement of learning to cook for the first time again.
Thanks Linda! So glad you’ve been enjoying the recipes. Thanks for saying hi!
Thanks so much for the recipe! I can’t wait to try it. The only question I have is, what brand of chili garlic sauce did you use? Would I be able to purchase it at my local grocery store? Thanks!!
Any chili garlic sauce will do! I use this brand.
I love the look of this recipe – just wondering how spicy Chill Garlic Sauce is? Have you ever used this one?
http://us.lkk.com/en/Products/retail/chili%20sauces/chili-garlic-sauce
It’s not too spicy!
i’ve made this once already and it was awesome. i am in the midst of making it again as i type…. :D
YUM x ∞
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Abby :D
YUM! I made this sauce twice in one week-it is so tasty! I added a bit if sirracha the second time around for more of a kick. ;) thanks so much for sharing this!
I made this dish last night for my family and it was a big hit. Thank you for the delicious recipe! I love the new spin on cauliflower. The “rice” is a brilliant way to serve up this versatile vegetable.
This dish is terrifyingly good. Lime and cilantro are fantastic additions and shouldn’t be skipped. This will become a regular staple!
Thank you for all the inspiration
Hi. Sorry for the silly question but do you cut up the tofu before you bake it or bake first and then cut it up? I haven’t been succesful with tofu in the past so I want to double check. Looks delish!
You cut it up BEFORE you bake it. Hope that helps!
Thank you for this one, it will be a new staple at home. We finally got everything together and made this last night, with a ton of cabbage, broccoli, and mushrooms. Every part of this was amazing – I already love cauliflower mashed potatoes, but oh, the possibilities with this rice! That tofu method blew my mind, and with about half an extra cup of sriracha in the peanut sauce (we like spice) it was the perfect balance of salty-sweet-spicy. One change – instead of washing out the pan after use, we used some broth to deglaze the pan, then poured that over the veggies. There wasn’t so much as a single tender grain of the “rice” left. Thank you so much for sharing all of this wonderfulness! Today’s mission? 5-minute microwave hummus…
OMG! Just got done making this recipe, by far the best tofu dish I’ve ever had! So flavorful and so easy to make. Thanks for another great recipe!
Lovely! So glad you enjoyed it, Anna!!!
We have made this recipe for every one of our friends and have even convinced my meat eating parents to go vegan (at least some) because of this recipe. This is absolutely the best meal I’ve eaten, we have it at least once a week. So easy and so good.
Visited that restaurant several times during spring break. Wish I had their recipe for kale salad too, cuz I would eat it every day!! Thanks for the recipe…dinner tonight!!
WoAh! Nellie! I made your tofu + sauce tonight less the PB, plus a few more glugs of sriracha sauce, put it in a fried rice dish with a TON of veggies and OMG!! It’s that dang brown sugar… once it caramelizes, that’s all she wrote! I am telling you, your recipe will make ANYONE a tofu convert It is at the tippy top of best tofu I’ve ever had. Thank you for this, Dana (you too, John!) ; ) . Now I gotta go make more because I just can’t stand it!!!
I have made this 5 times in the last 3 weeks and I just can’t get enough! Today I made it for my mom and she loved it. I keep adding more veggies (today was carrots, Swiss chard dinosaur kale, green pepper, green onion, Chinese greens, zucchini, yellow squash and ginger) and the sauce keeps being a winner!! Love it!
ah, yay! Great additions with the veggies, Tanya. I LOVE that this meal is entirely plant based and is SO ridiculously filling and satisfying. Glad you and your mom enjoyed it!! xo
I’ve made this several times now. My family can’t get enough! We love it!
So great to hear! Thanks for sharing, Amy!
I made this tonight and it was AMAZING. The only change I made was cook the cauliflower rice right after the veg. I kept those warm while I fried the tofu – there was less washing up that way, and that meant I wasn’t sitting around waiting for the tofu to marinade. Oh, I also replaced the chilli garlic sauce with extra garlic and chilli powder as I had none.
The only bad thing is I have no leftovers – I couldn’t stop eating it!
I made this for my Mum and whilst at first saying she was going to ‘try’ it she then sat down and ate the entire bowl, commenting that she’d be happy to be served this dish in a restaurant. Absolutely LOVE this, the sauce is perfect – the cripsy tofu tastes so naughty and amazingly is not! I’ve never used tofu before but definitely will again due to this recipe! Thanks!
I made this last night (doubled everything but tofu and cauliflower + added in extra veggies) and seriously all I have been thinking about all day is eating dinner tonight, so yummy! Thank you!
Ha, yes! The sure sign of a meal success – leftovers are a treat to look forward to. Glad you enjoyed this dish, Chelsea!
No leftovers = sad belly. Dana, this was so good! It’s funny, because I cooked up a huge mess of veggies to go with it, but in the end what I wanted most was the tofu! My husband said it was his favorite part. Guess I’ll just have to make it again! ;)
Oh yay! So glad you all enjoyed it, Beth!!
I love this sauce and that it’s so easy to mix up. I’ll be making it a lot in the future.
Just made this tonight and it turned out so good! One of the best vegetarian meals I have had in awhile, definitely going to make it again. Thanks so much for the recipe (:
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Annalise!
I have a question – I want to prep as much as possible the day before making this. If I bake the tofu, should I marinate it overnight or leave it plain in the fridge and just marinate it a bit before cooking? Will the tofu still be crispy if I do this? It sounds so good, but with two little ones, dinner has to get on the table ASAP after work. ;)
I’d say marinate it overnight! It should still crisp up, maybe not quite as much, but still good!
I just made this for lunch today, and it is one of the best tofu dishes I have ever made (and I make tofu at least once a week). Thank you for the recipe!
This was delicious! It was my first time making cauliflower rice. I didn’t have fresh cauliflower, so I used frozen, and it turned out pretty well. The sauce and baked tofu were AMAZING! Definitely my favorite part of the dish.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Meredith! It’s definitely one of my faves and a reader favorite :D
Ok I’m vegan gluten free and it is so hard to make something that my husband REALLY loves and I can eat too!!! And ta-da!!! He absolutely LOVED this and I did too!!! My first MB recipe attempt and it was a success! I can’t wait to make many more of these recipes! From the bottom of my heart: Thank you so much for what you guys do!!! ❤️
Yay! So glad you BOTH enjoyed it so much!!
I am currently making this dish for the third time in one week. And I’m making a double batch today since my husband and I apparently can’t get enough of it. I figured I should let you know how much we love it! :)
Yay! Made my day. So glad you and your family are enjoying it!
Umm, the cauliflower DOES pass as rice! My husband had to be told at least 4 times that it wasn’t rice! I could just eat a bowl of the tofu it was amazing!
This is the BEST way to prepare tofu! I’ve never tried it like this before and it makes an enormous difference in taste and texture. The whole recipe is a home-run. Great job!
Yay! Glad you liked it, Laura! Thanks for sharing :D
Can I substitute anything else for the chili garlic sauce? I don’t like spicy stuff but lots of flavor.
have you tried hoisin sauce? but the spicy garlic sauce i found in the asian aisle at the store really wasn’t hot at all.
Can you give me the name brand of the chili garlic sauce you used in this recipe? Yes, I have tried hoisin sauce it’s good too. Thank you
oh shoot… maybe it wasn’t in the asian aisle, ha! it says ‘cajun power’ all-purose spicy garlic sauce. hope you find it! it sounds great for a marinade.
i made this for dinner last night and it was so good! my husband and i like a cooking light dish (sweet hot tofu) similar to your recipe but we’ve gotten tired of the flavor. i love baking the tofu instead of pan frying it and the sauce is to die for! i did end up using the entire 16 ounces of tofu because we were both hungry and i couldn’t think of anything to do with the 4 ounces left. i also added broccoli and bok choy. for a little kick, we poured asian hot sauce over the top. i’m excited for lunch leftovers today! thanks for sharing.
Lovely notes! Thanks for sharing, Elizabeth. Glad you and your husband enjoyed it!
Hi Dana!
Well, I wanted to say my husband and I are STILL in love with this dish! I might make it about once a week… and the extra sauce is amazing! I have a question, though… I love, love, love your website so much! I was wondering where you get your recipe inspiration from or what other bloggers you like to visit/try recipes from. Basically, what other websites should I be scouring for absolutely delicious meals? I would prefer something similar to yours… that lists nutrition information and has mostly (or all) vegetarian recipes. Thanks! :)
Made this for lunch today! First time making cauliflower “rice” and husband and I both loved it. We used the frozen veggies we had on hand, broccoli and corn and it turned out great. We were both amazed at how well the cauliflower absorbed the taste of the sauce. Husband doesn’t like cauliflower at all and he gobbled up an entire plate full! Thank you :)
I made this!! I have made more peanut-sauces than I care to count and this one is the VERY best!!! Thank you so much for your recipe.
My raw-cauliflower rice recipe has macadamia nuts, dehydrated onion flakes, salt & garlic powder (from 30-minute vegan).
Ooh, love that cauliflower rice rendition. Thanks for sharing! Glad you liked this dish!
This tofu preparation is to die for! I’ve got this wonderful obsession with peanut sauce and broccoli, and now I can add this tofu to the mix! I went with real rice and ate the whole bowl in one sitting! Thank you so much for the continued easy awesomeness that you produce! I’ve loved everything I’ve ever cooked on here, and I recommend your site all the time.
Ah, thanks Autumn!! Thanks for sharing our work. So glad you enjoyed this recipe! xo
This recipe would not print. Got the picture; prep and cook times; headings for ingredients and instructions, but no instructions and no ingredients. Glitch?
Syd, thanks for the note. We’re having some issues with the print function on a handful of our recipes and we’re in the process of fixing that. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Most amazing dish ever. It is official.
Been looking for a crispy tofu recipe… and this is Thai inspired so already scoring points in my book. Cruciferous vegetables are insanely great for your liver and this recipe has check marks all over it!
Thank you for hounding the waitress on the tofu method -I think it’s the key element to making this a successful dish! Very excited to try it!
Gladly! So happy to hear you enjoyed this dish. It’s definitely one of my faves!
I cooked this last night, the tofu was tasty but incredibly chewy – like eating a kitchen sponge. I cooked it for 30 minutes at 200C, when it came out of the oven it was browned and very dry other than a tiny bit of moisture in the centre – it was crunchy. I marinaded it for 30 minutes, but the marinade wasn’t very moist they way I did it – not as thick as peanut butter, but thicker than soy sauce. Eating it took quite a while and gave my jaws a real workout. Did I just overcook it?
I think so! This greatly has to do with how small you cut your tofu cubes. I’d say cut them a little bigger next time and reduce your cooking time to 20-25 minutes!
Thanks Dana :)
Hi!
I’d really like to make a teriyaki version of this… any ideas?
How long do you marinate for?
Thank you, I’m new to tofu and this has been really useful!
See this recipe!
Thank you!
daaaaaang. this. sauce. i have to physically remove myself from the room whenever it’s around or i WILL drink it straight up!!
haha, right?! Glad you liked it Caroline!
This was delicious!!! It’s my new “fall comfort food”!
Thanks a lot for that recipe!
This was amazing. I made a couple of mistakes though. My tofu was chewy. Could I have not dried it enough? I used gf tamari. Always leaves an after taste. Any suggestions for a gf replacement?. Still it was so good. The cauliflower was a genius addition. It absorbed better then rice. Can’t wait for tomorrows leftovers.
Coconut Aminos!
Just made it tonight with baby bokchoy and green onion for a boyfriend who doesn’t “like” tofu… He ate the whole plate! Awesome recipe ☺️
Hi ! This is awesome ! I love tofu and I eat it almost everyday of my life and I wanna know more recipes :D I LOVE the idea of cauli flower rice :) more power to you ! More tofu and peanuts to come !!!
Just made the tofu in the recipe tonight, and it was delicious! I was pretty impatient and didn’t drain for the full time suggested (only about 10 minutes). I also used a regular-sized block of tofu. Still turned out wonderfully. Thanks for the recipe!
We made this before commenting. Another great dish from Mimimalist Bakers. Yeah the sauce is awesome and the “rice” was our first time having cauliflower that style: ALL AWESOME. Will make it again. Thanks! Loved it!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.
This sounds really tasty and I can’t wait to try it. Just curious what to do with the 4 ounces of tofu you cut off before making the recipe. I really wish it were possible to purchase 4 or 8 oz. blocks of tofu. 16 oz. is usually too much and I don’t know how to store the leftover uncooked portion.
I use it for tofu scrambles within the next few days!
Thank you for the quick response and great idea!
My Goodness this is so yummy! Thanks :)
thanks this recipe was killer. definitely a necessary meal for aspiring vegetarians like me!
Your plating and photography are flawless! Drooling on my ipad as I type and can’t wait to try this recipe. My tofu stirfry dishes are good, but not great. I’ve actually started crumbling it into the sauce because I’m dissatisfied by the end result of cubed or wedged pieces. This might be the one to win over my non veg extended family that are funny about tofu. Thanks for sharing!
Ah, thanks Veggiemama! So kind.
Just made this and had to comment, it is amazing! The tofu manages to be crispy and sticky at the same time, I’m in love XD I made it with normal rice and beansprout stir fry, and used the leftover marinade as the stir fry sauce. This will definitely be added to my list of regular meals! Thanks :D xxx
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Fern. Love that name, by the way! ;D
Absolutely fantastic!! Probably one of the best things I have made in a long time!!! The only thing I changed was I doubled up the peanut butter!! So good!!!
I made this recipe, except I substituted Spaghetti Squash (cooked) instead of the cauliflower. (I did flavor up the cooked spaghetti squash with coconut oil, Bragg’s Aminos and Nutritional yeast and a touch of truffle oil and salt). The dish was amazing! It was a little work but for those special days when you have a bit more time, it’s worth it. I think it would be good to double the recipe for the marinade and then freeze half of it so that next time, it will be less things to do. You could also make more Spaghetti squash and freeze that too, for another time. The tofu, you’d probably need to do each time, as tofu doesn’t freeze all that great. Thank you for posting this recipe! It would be a great vegetarian / vegan dish to use for a holiday meal. Just make enough for the non-vegetarian eaters because they will scarf this down too!
P.S. Just don’t over-bake your Spaghetti squash or it will be mushy.
Tip: If I were you, I’d move your comment box to the top of the comments. It is a bit tedious scrolling down all the comments to get to it. Others may miss it too.
Thanks for the feedback!
I just made this for dinner! It was so so so delicious (and I loved the cauliflower) – except that the tofu was farrr too chewy. I thought I only had them in the oven for 20 mins, but maybe I did something else wrong?
It may depend on the type of tofu you use because I’ve used a few “firm” tofus and some are more firm than others. I would recommend turning your oven down to 375 and maybe only baking them 20 minutes or less. That should help! I just happen to prefer mine seriously chewy :D
Made this last night for a few days worth of lunches. I made it with mushrooms, red bell pepper, zucchini, and broccoli, and 140z. of tofu. With my small food processor, it was kind of a mess to make the rice but it was worth it!!! So delicious and it lasted me 3 lunches when portioned on a bed of spinach! Bonus that my fiance likes it too!
This recipe is added to my staples!
I made this tonight and it was really yummy. Except that my tofu kind of burnt when I cooked it. I used virgin sesame oil instead of toasted sesame oil but just for the sauce not for frying. Has anyone had the same problem ?
I love this recipe! I added some pineapple to the stirfry and put a little bit of the juice in the sauce too and it tasted great!:)
Great idea!
I bought some tofu over the weekend and decided to cook it today – though I had no clue what I wanted to do with it. Knowing that you always have my back, I typed in the Google Search: “minimalistbaker tofu.” This magical recipe appeared and I am so in love! Thank you for sharing!
This recipe turned out wonderful! I absolutely loved everything about it! THANK YOU!
Hi There, I just want to tell you how much I enjoy your blog and appreciate your recipes! I have recently made the leap to a vegan diet per doctor’s orders and was so relieved to find all these great recipes that make it so much easier because they are just delicious. I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything but am gaining so much in return. Thank you for sharing these, I’m a big fan!
Ah, thanks Nicole! So glad you’re enjoying this recipe and others on the site. Good luck on your new diet journey!
I have been trying to make tofu for many years and never got the texture right, even after drying it out, freezing, marinating etc. Yesterday I came upon this recipe and, although I didn’t follow the recipe ( I was making a different dish already), I followed your tofu “baking” technique. I conquered the tofu, thanks to YOU!!
Thank you so much. Now I can really make delicious dishes with it.
Happy Holidays:)
Brilliant recipe, huge hit with both the vegetarians and omnivores in my household. My only regret us not making a double batch. Now in my repertoire of recipes that work.
This recipe was incredible! We ate the whole thing, and even though we were SOOO full after, we wished we had more! The tofu cooking technique is where its at!! I will definitely make this again. I also made your 5 ingredient granola bars a few days ago and they were gone within hours! The kids loved them. I really like this blog, you guys are my new fav! Cheers!
Any chance chunky peanut butter would work? I’m not too worried about the texture or crunch, but I wonder if it’d still work at all?
This was truly amazing. All of the steps to drain and crisp the tofu made it taste like it was fried. The sauce was fabulous and that cauliflower rice is an innovation. I served it to my husband and asked him to guess what it was and he absolutely thought it was a grain. Amazing. Just had this last night but kind of want to make it again tonight. Oh, one thing I did differently was I heated the marinated tofu and sauce at the end when the cauliflower was finished steaming so it would all be hot together. Thanks for a great and innovative recipe I will make again and again.
Thanks for sharing! Super delish flavor! I liked baking the tofu… it reduced the clean-up time by so much. The only thing was that my version turned out to be a little on the salty side. :/
Well everything went absolutely perfectly and looked delicious. Unfortunately I dropped the bowl of this feast of kings and my dogs got to it before I could. It did look and smell amazeballs though and I plan to add it to my go to list. At last I will try again. Thanks for the recipe!!! (:
Made this dish last night and couldn’t have been more impressed. Cauliflower rice just might be my new favorite side dish and I loved how crispy the tofu came out after it was baked in the oven. I doubled the recipe which gave me plenty of leftovers for lunch today. The fact that this is also vegan and can be made gluten free are both huge bonuses. Thanks so much for the recipe!
thanks for sharing, Julia!!
I made this tonight and it was delicious, and easy. I’ll never stir fry tofu again (without baking it first) – it was perfect. The whole family gobbled up this meal, and my husband commented that he liked the “cauli-rice” better than rice! Thanks for the great recipe!
Wonderful! I am always looking for new ideas. I have had this bookmarked for awhile but haven’t had the chance to make it. My husband is a meat and potatoes kind of guy… He wasn’t looking forward to me cooking this up. Even as I drained the tofu he was debating what the “back up meal” could be. I was finishing up the tofu and picked a piece out for him to try. He just kind of looked at me and took a deep breath. He took a bite and loved it! My picky husband really liked it. I was so excited. I didn’t have lots of veggies, only onions, so next time I want to use more. The only other thing was I didn’t have garlic chili sauce. I found it in one place and it was super expensive and I forgot to look up how to make it before I started making this dish. I ended up using hot sauce and minced garlic once I saw what garlic chili sauce was made of. It was still really good and I could adjust the heat to our liking! I would love to see more recipes like this!
Ive made this before and it is excellent. Going to use Stevia instead of brown sugar next time to cut a bit of the calories.
Did that work ??? I’m needing to cut calories as much as possible !
I’m not vegan, and I rarely eat tofu, but this recipe is fantastic! I was skeptical about my tofu cooking skills, but everything turned out really nice. I paired this with couscous instead of cauliflower (because that’s what I had on hand), and I think it works just as well! Thanks for sharing this recipe! I’ll be sure to be more adventurous and eat more tofu from now on. :)
I just made this dish and it’s excellent! Genius recipe and very creative. My mom HATES cauliflower, and she keeps raving about the “rice!” This dish impressed my entire family (who are all skeptical about tofu), I think I converted them. Thanks Dana!!
I made this recipe and it was delicious. Everybody loved it. I put some balsamic vinegar in the marinade to hide a little bit the flavour of the soy sauce, since my kids don’t like it so much and it turned out very well.
I love your site and your recipes, however I find a little bit difficult to find a recipe fast when I need it because of the way they are organized. I wish I could type salads and have a list of salads or soups or desserts. Is there a way I could do that. I don’t think so. Anyway, thank so much for your recipes, they are all delicious and healthy.
So… I’ve never left a comment on any website ever. Really. I just had to leave one for this recipe. It was soooo good! The tofu was perfect. My husband, who would prefer a “meat only diet”, licked the plate clean, Lol! I prepared everything according to the recipe except for the cauliflower. I just served the tofu and bok choy on top of some veggie lo mein. Delish
Yay! Thanks Kay! Made my day!!
This was the best dinner! The tofu was so good. I love that technique. So easy and so delicious. This was seriously better than the Asian restaurant. I used your suggestion and useda little more peanut butter and honey. And used a fiery sesame oil and it gave the dish a little kick! Thanks for the recipe!
Yay! Best comment!!
I live in San Antonio so I must ask what the name of the Vegetarian restaurant is that you mention here! Please and thank you! ;-)
I made this tofu dish (with brown rice instead of cauliflower rice) and it was even yummier than I had imagined! The family loved it which is saying a lot since I have a hard time finding vegetarian recipes that everyone will like. This one was a huge hit. Thanks for sharing!
i just made this recipe and it was awesome, I also added some chopped up shiitake mushrooms in with the califlower. Yum! I have a question for you. I prepared the tofu, as noted in your recipe. It came out “chewy”. Would that happen if it were over-baked or stir-fried too long?
I made this tonight. Served with stir-fry vegetables, topped with a few cashews. It was DELICIOUS! It’s the first time I’ve made – or heard of – cauliflower rice, and seeing that I’m on my way to changing my diet to low-carb for serious health and weight issues, I am so glad I did. Will definitely make again. It was filling and truly tasty. My kids – 5 ranging from 6 to 18 – loved it and cleaned their plates, and they are not veggie freaks, so another bonus!
Thanks for sharing, you’ve got a follower!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Beatrice!
Best tofu I’ve ever had, my usually non loving tofu boyfriend agreed too. I even forgot to fry it separately and it was still amazing just added in to the stir fry after baking and marinating. You’ve totally got me converted to baked tofu! I just bought a soy milk maker which includes a tofu press / maker. Can’t wait to make this with fresh tofu when that arrives! Sooooo good. Thanks! I love your site so much. Ive been eyeing off your tofu pumpkin cheesecake for awhile – that’s definitely next…
Since I forgot to rate the recipe – had to recomment so I could give it 5 stars! ;)
I have made so many of your vegan recipes, and loved them all. I just had to write to tell you that I made this for Valentine’s dinner and my entire meat eating family devoured it and the cauliflower rice. I really didn’t have enough. This is remarkable because none of them will eat my tofu dishes. I asked them to try it because I had cooked it a new way, and they ate every last bite and wanted more! I can’t thank you enough for sharing this tofu cooking method.
This was amazing! I added 1/2 cup water to lighten up the ‘glaze’ and doubled the peanut butter. SOOoooo good. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
This recipe was out of this world great!! The glaze was absolutely to die for! I didn’t use garlic chili sauce I just subbed Sriracha and it was still fab. I could of ate it again today BUT it’s all gone. Thanks.
Best comment EVERRRR!
First of all, baking tofu is a total game changer. Ever since I saw the tofu recipe alone, I’ve been hooked on stir frys.
Secondly, this is simply amazing. Great sauce flavors. I don’t care much for rice so will definitely be doing the cauliflower rice again in the future.
Simply amazing.
Wait a minute! 38.5 carbs 1/2 cup? Is that a typo? I guess this is not a low carb dish! Sounds delicious, though….enjoy.
As a vegetarian thinking about veganism but looking to get some decent recipes under my belt before making the jump, I just made this and it is to DIE for (so much so that I didn’t end up with any leftovers…) can’t wait to make this for my meat-eating family members and prove to them that meat-free doesn’t have to be boring :-) thanks very much
This came out fantastic! I used shredded carrots and green onions for the veggie choice. :D
Wow I never tried tofu before neither had my husband I didn’t tell him what it was. I am not going to. It did take awhile to make but well worth it.
Extended family and vegan husband loved this recipe, my offering for a pre-Easter potluck. Thanks, Dana, for sharing.
This recipe is my new addiction..never been a fan of tofu and cauliflower, but this awesome recipe changed my prospective…thank you for sharing..
I was excited about making this and the marinade tasted great when I’d initially mixed it. When I fried the tofu with the marinade, though, it totally dried up and and burnt, and turned into lumps of grit. :( It must be something I did wrong but I was so disappointed! I think it was due to the sugar but I don’t know what I should have done differently. Do you have any ideas?
Hmm, did you forget to add the sesame oil?
I was so excited to make this because it reminded me of a favorite restaurant dish from my college days. It didn’t disappoint, and I will always cook tofu this way!
I just made this and it. was. delicious!! I never heard of “cauliflower rice”–WOW. So good!! I’m already looking forward to making this dish again. My world is that much better (and tastier!) since I stumbled upon your blog. Thank you! :)
Made this tonight! I had to use basmati rice because I misplaced my grater (oops, still recovering from Passover!) but the tofu was great. Cannot wait to try it with cauliflower!
I’m this tonight since my children keep giving me trouble with their veggies. I haven’t ever eaten tofu, but since this entire dish is all veggies they can’t pick out the vegetables or just eat the rice (since the “rice” is also a vegetable mwahaha) . I’m just leading my tofu doesn’t end up chewy like some others did. Fingers crossed
This was absolutely delicious and my whole family enjoyed it immensely. The cauliflower rice is nutty and the texture is a really nice companion to the dish.
However, I am someone who has kidney issues and needs low sodium. (Which actually none of us need high sodium!) This dish as is, is not low sodium. But by switching up a few things you can lower the sodium intake quite a bit. There are soy substitute recipes and lower sodium peanut butter etc. I changed those things and got the dish much more in the 400mg range than the 1000 mg range which it is now. The flavors in the recipe truly are amazingly delicious! Thank you!
This is simply amazing!! Everything about it has me at hello and I so don’t want to say goodbye! The texture of the baked tofu is a worthy extra step and simply perfect, the sauce delectably layered and the cauliflower rice has made me a believer in such things that aren’t rice but say they are. This is a new top ten, thank you!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Erin!
I did not have ant cauliflower on hand, so I made stir fry veggies and the luscious peanut sauce with the tofu. The dinner was enjoyed by everyone, except the one meat eater. I have only been a vegan for two weeks. I really love the food! Thanks for this great dish and for your website. I have a long list of your recipes that I intend to cook.
So great! I hope it’s going well! So glad you enjoyed the dish. xoxo
Wow! This was delicious! Will make it again for sure!
Great, thanks for sharing, Chantal!
One of the best recipes I have ever come across! Cauliflower rice – would never have thought of that. Both the rice and the tofu were delicious, and I loved the sauce in particular (just added a bit more peanut butter like was suggested).
If you’re gonna make this at home, folks, be forewarned — you might just end up eating two servings like I did. Well done Dana!
This was honestly AMAZING I had it over some zucchini noodles and asparagus and it’s the best meal I’ve had in a LONG time!! Thank you
WOW! That recipe rocks! Thanks for sharing.
I just made this for dinner, it was amazing and liked by all!!!! My husband has new dietary restrictions and can’t eat meat. I’ve made tofu before and it was just so-so. Baking it in the oven first really makes a big difference. My dad thought the recipe sounded really good until he saw tofu, but he agreed to try it and also liked it. I had hoped there would be some leftovers, but no it was too well liked. Thanks for sharing this recipe!!!
I made this for lunch. I recently became vegan and needed something with ingredients I had at home & something easy to make (I’m 15 and I suck at cooking, lol). I used a red pepper and green beans for the veggies and basmati rice ’cause I didn’t have any cauliflower. Thank you!! <:
I was just wondering if you could clarify what is chili garlic sauce? I LOVE all your recipes and we make a lot of them so I am really excited to make this one! Thank you for so many great ideas!
It’s this!
Awesome thank you! Can’t wait to make it!
I made this last week and loved it! I used the Trader Joe’s frozen riced cauliflower which was quite helpful. Thank you for making tofu an option again for me in stir fries- it has been all tempeh all the time until I tried this! LOVE!!!
Made this and it was seriously amazing. My husband and his cousin raved about it. The extras I added were bok choy, cilantro and sriracha. Goes in the books as one of our favorite recipes. It is definitely labor intensive but as a weekend recipe it’s hard to beat. Very intense, fresh flavors, with minimal ingredients. Ugh I loved it.
So great! Thanks for sharing Zac!
This was absolutely awesome. If you haven’t tried it, do. I’m new to vegan cooking and I didn’t expect a whole lot when I started out, but I’ve tried a few of the recipes here and I’m sold : ) thanks again!
So wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Allison!
Added to my shopping list for next week :D
this looks wonderful and we LOVE your site. thanks for all of the inspiration and the wonderful recipes. we have been vegetarian for 15 years this month, and are trending towards veganism, so these recipes are helping us on our path! one quick question….do you use ALL of the cauliflower when you grate it? stems included? or just the florets? can not wait to try it!
be well…
~jenna
We’re not vegetarians, but we love a good tofu recipe, and this one is a new favorite that we’ve made multiple times already. Thanks for the great recipe!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
I never think to take pictures of your recipes I make, but I haven’t found one yet that I didn’t love! This is no exception. I made the tofu rolled in sesame seeds. So yummy.
Cauliflower rice is my new love! Adore it for its taste, versatility and low, low calorie count!
Tonight I made the recipe without the tofu. Steamed up some bellas, red peppers and onions in veggie stock and a squirt of olive oil spray, then did the cauliflower and tilted just a spoonful or so of sauce on it. I make the sauce with truvia brown sugar and reduce it by about a third to my taste.
HEAVEN!
Sorry to go on, but your site has literally changed my life. Thanks, Dana!
This was pure perfection. AND very filling. Now we have leftovers for tomorrow– yippee!
I didn’t enjoy this reciepe at all. I had to throw it all out. The tofu tasted only like tofu and even cooked on low my stove top burned the sauce and it got a much lighter color than yours… I don’t know what I did wrong. Maybe I just really dislike tofu :( vegetarian problems..
I love cooking, and this is the first recipe I used for my introduction to tofu. I must say, it was a rather good introduction. Thank you.
Baked tofu, where have you been my whole life?! This was the exact texture I was desiring without frying. I thought this recipe was delicious and I wanted to eat the leftovers right away. I cut WAY down on the oil though–34g of fat per half recipe is just too high–and I don’t think the taste suffered at all. Thanks for sharing and hope to see more like it!
I am worried about fat grams too. Did the modification of oil work ? Thank you !
Part of the appeal of this recipe to me was its baked, “not fried,” nature. But then by adding all that oil anyway for the sauce and to stir-fry it all together defeated the purpose. Cutting the amounts of sesame oil (total 2.5tbsp) in half saves about 17g fat (and ~150 Calories) per serving. However, I just used a drizzle in the pan for cooking it all, and skipped adding any oil to the sauce (there’s plenty of peanut oil in the peanut butter anyway); this does make the sauce a little more thick, so you might have to add more soy or honey to balance that out.
Oops, sorry that should be 17g total for the whole recipe (or 8.5g per serving, or about 77 Calories) by decreasing the oil in half. If you cut the oil out altogether, it saves ~150 Calories per serving.
You could also cut down on the amount of peanut butter (the amount called for in the whole recipe is 2.5tbsp which has ~240 Calories and 20g fat, so 120 Calories and 10g fat per serving).
Overall though, the fat and protein calories in this recipe will leave you feeling satisfied well through to your next meal!
Tried it exactly as per the instructions. Only change I did.. Adding all veggies,rice, tofu and sauce together after sautéing and added little powdered cayenne pepper to make it bit spicy with dash of lime juice. It was awesome..!! Loved it..!!
BIG fan of this recipe. Made it twice in the last week. My boys (ages 4 and 2) also love it. They gobbled it down. I LOVE the drying and baking method that you added to this. I have tried to fry tofu before and it fell apart in the pan and I just didn’t think it tasted all that great. You are a genius to ask that waitress their restaurants method and then share with your beloved fans. :)
I made this for dinner tonight and it was excellent. I’m excited to try more of your recipes.
Could I press and bake the tofu the day before? I like to prep as much as humanly possible the day before (Saturday) and then throw things together the next day (Sunday).
Hmm, I would press the tofu, but not bake it or it will get way too dried out.
I made this last week – had planned for Saturday but things changed and I’d already pressed and baked it. I put the cooled tofu in a ziplock bag, sealed tight and ended up using it a couple of days later. It was fine.
Thanks for the great recipe. I have never liked tofu before but love this method of cooking.
I tried the recipe today and it turned out so good. I never thought making rice out of cauliflower. Honestly, cauliflower is not my favorite vegetable.That’s why I am always looking for different cauliflower recipes and I loved this! Garlic has a really good touch in it. Next time I’ll use more garlic.
And the tofu coating…It is so delicious. I used only 1 Tbsp sugar though.
Well, thanks for another great recipe.
I made this tonight, and it was so amazing!! The cauliflower rice will change the way I do things, for sure. I always knew it would be good, but you made it accessible. Love, love, love your amazing recipes! Thanks so much!
I love that this recipe bakes the tofu! I have one recipe that does this process and I’m glad to find another to try out!
So I realize it’s been over year since this recipe was posted; I am kicking myself. This is where it is at girl! I LOVE this type of recipe and I need more of this stuff. I am not vegan or vegetarian but I enjoy tofu and lots of vegetables and just general yummy food. The sauce is delicious, cauliflower rice is genius. I have loved every recipe I’ve made from your site. Keep rocking.
Hi Dana, I prepared the tofu today and it was really flavorful. the tofu turned out a bit chewy though. Any thoughts on what might have gone wrong?
Your input is much appreciated,
It is the nature of the tofu, but to make it less chewy/tough, only bake for 20-25 minutes!
My husband and I absolutely love this recipe! We’ve made it four or five times in the last few months and can’t get enough. Even though I’m the one who recently went vegetarian, he keeps demanding we make it. Thanks for your fantastic ideas!
Whoop! So glad you both enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing, Meg!
made this today. First time making tofu, loved it !
I made this over the weekend with Jasmine rice, since it’s what I had on hand – divine! I had some leftover sauce and rice and veggies (cabbage, bell peppers and green beans), and who knew that I would have some hella bomb fried rice for breakfast the next day?! If you haven’t tried it, give it a whirl. I added some basil and scrambled eggs in the fried rice mix.
Thanks for sharing! So glad you liked it, Sabrina.
Hi Dana, I made this again today with silken tofu and It.Was.Awesome. I baked the silken tofu at the temperature you have mentioned for just over 25 mins and had rubbed the tofu with some rice flour just before putting them in the oven. Thank you again for such a fantastic recipe!!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Sharmila!
This is an amazingly good recipe. It is now one of my “go to” dishes.
So great! thanks for sharing, Bridget. This is one of my favorites as well.
Awesome stir fry sauce for this recipe! I used it for chicken and veggies and it turned out just amazing! Thank you!
I found this on Pinterest recently and made it for my husband and I tonight. The flavors were so bold and delicious! It was my first experience with cauliflower rice, and I will definitely be making it again :) My only suggestion- and this is maybe because I’m fairly new to the tofu scene- would be to make a note that the tofu should be flipped halfway through the 25-minute cycle. Mine turned out a bit tough on the side that was sitting on the parchment paper.
I made this tonight and it was freaking delicious. I was definitely skeptical about the cauliflower rice (and I love cauliflower) as a stand-in for real rice and it was more than satisfying. So much flavor. I added baby kale and criminis and loved every bite. I’m a cook at a vegan restaurant and work with like 8 types of tofu all day. I thought I’d seen just about every way you can cook tofu but I had never heard of your crispy tofu strategy and it is awesome, love it!
This was so yummy. My fiance requested it for dinner AGAIN this week! The flavor was incredible, very filling, sadly no left overs. Thank you for this!
This looks fantastic and is totally my kind of meal. My only question: my husband was recently diagnosed with diabetes, and I’m trying to cut down on sugar in meals. Do you have any suggestions for substitutions? Did you try/test it without the sugar? Thank you!
Hi Carrie! Do you have to go completely without? I haven’t tested it without sugar and fear it will need that as a flavor balance. But perhaps you could try cutting it in half? Or sweetening with something like stevia?
I was just thinking of maybe cutting it in half. I’ll try that! I have a block of tofu just sitting in the fridge! And I’ve never thought of pre-baking the tofu – genius.
I’d love to know how you got on with reducing the sugar – do let us know.
Hi Dana! I noticed a lot of your recipes called for brown sugar. I was wondering if I could possibly substitute that for coconut sugar? I already have some in my pantry but was wondering if the substituted sugar would affect the taste or texture drastically?
Thanks!
Lauren
In most cases, yes! It might affect the texture, but in this recipe, it should work fine!
Wowwwwwwwwwwwww! This is SO GOOD!! I can’t thank you enough for sharing the tips for getting it crispy, this is heaven sent! I think I ate too much as it was so tasty :) going to have to lie down for a bit!!
SOOOO GOOD!
I always eat waaay too much because I just can’t resist. I’ve never had cauliflower rice before but it was great!
I can’t figure out why the fat (34 g) and carb (38.5 g) contents are so high yet folks have commented on it being low fat and low carb? Did I miss something, because this sounds fantastic, but that’s a LOTof fat in a serving!
This recipe is the real deal!!! My husband and kids couldn’t stop raving about the sauce for the tofu! I’ve never seen my kids or husband eat tofu so fast!!! The cauliflower rice was tasty and my fried rice-loving littlest one scarfed her dinner! This is the kid who’s usually making herself a peanut butter sandwich b/c she hates dinner. My *very* not touchy-feely husband even hugged me after dinner for “rocking dinner tonight!” Thanks so much for an awesome recipe!
I only have soft tofu in my fridge, can I use that instead of firm?
It won’t work, unfortunately. It will be too soft, but it’s worth a try if you’re up for it!
Twins approved! Trying to get my twin daughters to eat more tofu, followed your recipe & they asked for seconds! If my picky twins eat it, then it must be REALLY good! Lol. Thank you for sharing!
Ha! Great news! Thanks for sharing!
I love this recipe, and especially the way you prepare the tofu. Previous tries with tofu always yielded rubbery or mushy cubes and I wasn’t crazy about the idea of frying them. I will prep my tofu this way from now on. And the peanut sauce was yummy and seems versatile. I doubled the batch of sauce though because the rice soaks it all up. A keeper: thanks!
Yay! So glad you liked it. Thanks for sharing! xo
I made this tonight (with chopped bok choy, onion, carrot, and red pepper for veggies) and it was fantastic! 10/10! Thanks so much for sharing. My family loved it and we were all very well-fed and happy :)
Definitely going to make this many times in the future. Suggested changes: chop all the veggies ahead of time, and use multiple pans in order to hasten the cooking.
Thanks again!
If I don’t have chili garlic sauce, will it still taste good? Are you here any substitutions I can make?
It won’t be as spicy. Can you sub sriracha?
sriracha I have! I’m eating sriracha now! (not by itself of course). I will try it and report! Thank you!
Made this for dinner last night — we loved it! Served with rice but will try the cauliflower next time. Your method for getting the tofu crisp without having to fry it is genius — I can’t wait to use this method with my other tofu recipes. Thanks so much!
this was nothing short of delicious and satisfying!! i am not a vegan and usually don’t find vegan recipes filling enough but this was amazing! i will make it again :)
Oops! I commented on the wrong recipe here – I actually made your Fried Rice recipe last night…but this looks delicious too!!
Oh my goodness this was phenomenal! Prep did take a while but my dog also decided he was ready for a walk so that also contributed (probably worked in my favor to marinate the tofu longer.) Definitely going to make again! Only thing I did different was to add a little light coconut milk to the cauliflower rice along with the peanut sace. Used veggies: bok choy, carrots, green onions, and cilantro
Can I use Sambal Oelek instead of Garlic Chili Sauce?
This recipe was AH-mazing!! so so delicious, next time I’m going to double it..I probably could have eaten this whole recipe myself!! This is added to the rotation! Thanks :) Tips on drying out tofu? can I dry it out the night before so it can be made the following day. Work gets in the way with the 1.5 hours drying time on the weeknights…appreciate your help and great recipes!
At Christmas, I cook for 28 people..meat eaters, vegetarians and gluten free vegans. This dish looks fantastic to add to my buffet.
I noticed that you said you found that it tastes even better the next day, and I see many people make double batches to eat as a second meal.
Could I make the entire meal, refrigerate it, and reheat and serve at my dinner party? What with making 7 or 8 other dishes that day, I would not have time to prepare this the day of.
Just want your ok that this would still be tasty reheated as the first time served.
Thanks so much. Fingers crossed as I await your response.
Hi Jane! Sorry for the delayed response. I think it does taste awesome the next day, but if I were making it for a large group, I’d bake the tofu ahead of time, and then stir fry it just before serving! That will yield the best results in my opinion! Then just keep all of the tofu warm in the oven until serving. Of course, do a trial run with this method beforehand if you’re worried. Let me know how it goes and good luck!
Thanks so much, Dana. Unfortunately, I will be prepping many other dishes that cannot be made ahead the day of, and so I will make this the day before and re-heat. Since they’ve never had this dish before fresh, hopefully they will love it anyway.
Any suggestions as to how to re-heat?
Thanks again.
I would reheat in a 375 degree oven on a baking sheet!
Thanks so much! You have been my cuisine angel! I will post again and report back on the result.
Amazing!! This was my first time cooking tofu & now I want to make a quadruple batch of this!
I was in a super rush when I cooked it so I quickly threw the sauce together with what I had on hand (I had all the ingredients, but not enough soy sauce, but it still was GREAT!) & tossed my drained tofu in it then cooked the chopped tofu in the oven. When it was done I knew I would have to portion it out because I just wanted to eat the whole pan based on the smell alone!
I’m going to use this tofu for my salads this week and just used some this even on to top my veggie soup.
I’m so excited about this!
Forgot to mention- I did use the whole 16 oz of tofu (& I’ll be making this again tomorrow because it’s too good!) and after the tofu came out of the oven I tossed it in some of the sauce that I dipped it in before cooking which threw it over the top! Thanks, again!
OMGeeeeee! So good, still in bliss from it!!! So, my 12 month old son is lactose intolerant. I had always thought about going vegan. So basically, his lactose intolerance, plus dozens of factory farming YouTube videos I made myself watch = me eating vegan. My husband has been a harder case to crack, but he is trying! Anyways, I made this dinner tonight and he LOVED it! He said he didn’t miss meat, dairy or anything in that meal. He actually said it was “sinfully” good! The WHOLE family LOVED it! Thank you so much for posting this and for your tofu research. My family has always been okay with tofu, but I never could get it crispy like at restaurants, so with this technique, problem solved!
Also, we aren’t gluten free, but we LOVED the cauliflower instead of the rice. Only problem is it’s a lot of work grating enough cauliflower for a hungry family of four. I am literally bleeding in six places from my grater! I would hate to substitute rice in this dish, but as I think this meal will be on the weekly rotation, I need a quicker less painful way to grate the cauliflower. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks!:-)
I have a great big muscley boyfriend with a great big appetite so I basically have to double or triple every recipe. In this case though I didn’t want to spend almost $7 on the “rice”. So I used one head of cauliflower and mixed in some cooked brown rice. Next time I might use red lentils as a mix in instead as they have a light taste and an airy texture. Also, do you have a food processor with a grating attachment? That could make the work go much faster. As for the bleeding, I used a hand grater but stopped grating be for my fingers got close enough to cut my self and set aside the bigger chunks of cauliflower. When I was done grating I just quickly diced those chunks on my cutting board. The hand cut bits weren’t as fine as the grated but it didn’t make a difference in the finished product.
This is an an amazing recipe-I’ve made it many times (LOVE the cauliflower rice) My mistake was this- I didn’t have low-sodium soy sauce the first time, so I used regular soy sauce with the recommended 1/4 cup and my sauce became overwhelmingly salty. If you’re going to use regular soy sauce I’d suggest using half the amount recommended then adjust to your personal taste or make sure you’ve got the suggested low sodium! Besides that everything was delicious!
I tried this recipe last week and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!!!!!!! Even my non vegan mother was in love with it! She took some left overs to work the next day and her co-workers jumped all over it! DEFINITELY 5 STARS FOR THIS RECIPE!!!!!!!
I just researched toasted vs non-toasted sesame oil, and it seems to say that toasted is not meant for high heat, as it burns. It’s used as a seasoning, after cooking. I was concerned, especially at the stage when you put the cauliflower rice in the pan with some toasted sesame oil and let it “steam” for awhile. Yet only a few people said burning was an issue with their dish.
Please advise. Thank so much.
Also, I posted on Dec. 3rd about making the entire dish one day ahead and just reheating it for my guests. You mentioned that the next day it was actually better, so I’m assuming I could do this.
Again, thanks for this great site. Hope you see this and respond before my Xmas Eve dinner party!!
How do I drain tofu? For 1.5 hours? That’s a long time! Lol
Nope, just wrap it in a clean towel and set something heavy on top (like a cast iron skillet) for 15 minutes while the oven is preheating – that’s it!
seriously???
Hi, I was wondering if this could be made ahead of time and reheated?
Yes, it’s good reheated, but best when fresh!
This dish was such a hit with everyone….vegan, vegetarian and meateaters alike. So many requests for the recipe, and of course I turned everyone on to your blog!
Thank you for all the guidance and responses to my questions, and, although I made this a day before and re-heated it, the raves poured in.
Each time I make this, it’s immediately finished by the entire family. Such a good, fast, and easy recipe! Thank you so much for sharing this!
Just made this– it is amazing and will be in the regular rotation now!!!
Hi Dana, just wondering if the serving for 2 is entree size? I want to make this as a main dinner dish so want to ensure there’s enough for each person. Your advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Yes!
I am having to restrict carbs, fat and calories as much as possible . Can you please recommend any modifications that wouldn’t compromise too much of recipe ? Thanks !
I just made this last night and it was AMAZING! Usually I’ll make some adjustments to recipes but this one was perfect as is! It took a while to finish, so I would recommend prepping and baking the tofu the night before if you are planning on having this as a weeknight meal.
The only disappointing part of this recipe was that there weren’t any leftovers! My 4 and 7 year olds LOVED this. I’ll be making it again for sure. The cauliflower rice will definitely be making an appearance on the dinner table soon. The sauce is to die for.
Delicious way to prepare tofu. With 524 calories and 38.5 gm of carbs per serving ( must be that brown sugar), I won’t make it too often…..or just have a small portion.
Calories are likely from the oil and peanutbutter. Brown sugar shouldn’t add that many calories. Unfortunately it is too many carbs for me to eat as written.
Proud to say I cooked tofu for the first time tonight, and my whole (non-veggie) family loved it! Thank you for this wonderful recipe, the sauce was addicting! my dad even had seconds of the tofu ;)
This was my first time making cauliflower rice and I loved it! This recipe as a whole was really delicious. I added some julienned carrots and sliced red bell pepper in with the bok choy, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Why must your book release be so far away? :(
Ha! Thanks Haley! I hear you, but it’s worth the wait! ;D
This was SOOO tasty and it satisfied my Thai craving! I even got my boyfriend liking the recipe, and he HATES tofu! Definitely a keeper :)
Easy, delicious recipe. Made tofu “pad thai,” substituting the cauliflower with rice noodles and added julienne red peppers and carrots. Peanut sauce is delicious. I doubled it and also added a bit of ginger. Baking tofu before stir frying gave it a meatier texture, and I will now bake my tofu before adding it to the pan.
This is now a stable in our weeknight dinners. Thanks for sharing!
Love this recipe! It was so good. Only thing is, I put a pot over my tofu thinking I was supposed to smash it for 15 minutes, not drain it. LOL
This is one of my favorite dishes! Fell in love with it months ago and I have it a number of times. One question, would frozen cauliflower rice cook differently? Trader joes has a pretty convenient frozen pack of it and was wondering if I could use this?
Hmm, I think it would add too much liquid…
Our TJ’s has fresh cauliflower rice in the produce department. This recipe is AWESOME!! Thinking that adding ginger and/or red pepper flakes to the sauce would add that touch of pungency that I missed.
Trader Joes has cauliflower rice in the produce department! It’s not organic but will save some time.
Wow! This is delicious. Baking the tofu… amazing! There will definitely be more tofu in my life after this! Oh, and the pb sauce… move over jelly. Love this recipe and how easy it was to make. Yum yum yum. Thank you!
Definitely adding to my favorites. I am transitioning to a vegan diet but I’m also very active so I’ve had to ensure I get enough protein each day for recovery and it’s been the biggest challenge. I was tired of drinking protein shakes which led to craving real food. This was my first tofu dish I’ve tried and I was blown away. Preparation was simple and clear. So much flavor, low in carbs yet high in protein and good fat. I didn’t think it was possible. So thankful, Thank you!
The tofu was phenomenal – my husband even “borrowed” the last piece from my plate :)
However I feel that I didn’t quite do this recipe justice – the sauce was too creamy, the peanut butter didn’t mix with the other ingredients well, therefore everything just ended up tasting like peanut butter :)
But thank you so much for this and other vegan-ish recipes! Me likes ^_^
This looks amazing! To cut down a little bit of the fat (it’s good fat, either way!) can I use less PB or use PB2?
I’m also wondering about using pb2 in this recipe!
So I used the PB2 and it turned out great!
Oh amazing! Can you tell me what you did?
I’m also wondering if I can sub something for the brown sugar. I’m on a very low sugar diet at the moment, and as much as I hate to do it, I may need to use an artificial sweetener here.
So I just used like, 2 tablespoons of the Pb2. It thickened with the liquids used in the recipe, tasted perfect!
I haven’t made tofu in years. I’m a little confused about the draining. Do I drain it for 1.5 hours in the fridge and then wrap in paper towels for an extra 15 minutes? Just want to make sure I don’t mess it up! Thanks!
Hi Amy! I just wrap mine (straight from the fridge) in a clean towel and set something heavy on top for 15-20 minutes. That should do it!
Loving theeeese tofu bites! I just had almond butter at home, it was super creamy :) Thanks for the recipe!
I didn’t read ahead to buy what I needed for sauce. All I had was 2 packets of commercial soy sauce. I used the 2 packets and added lots more veggies, and even a little “real” rice (It was a left over I needed to use). I loved the idea of using cauliflower – it was great. I plan to get some of the ingeedients that you recommend for the sauce and add it tomorrow.
CAF
Can you substitute the tofu with seitan?
This was AWESOME!!
This meal was AMAZING! I’ve made a lot of vegetarian Asian dishes and this definitely ranks at the top. The cauliflower rice also helps make it feel a little lighter and not induce instant sleepiness :) Thank you!
Can I just say this is an AMAZING dish!!! I’ve been trying to eat less meat, and I don’t have alot of experience cooking with tofu (other than miso soup), so this exceeded my expectations! It’s definitely one of my favourite dishes, so it’s going in the recipe folder :)
This recipe is so simple and delicious. I’ve made it several times, and each time, it’s a hit!
Thank you so much.
Dana, this is sooooooo delicious!!! You’re right, it’s a winner!!!
I will be making this all the time. Especially since the calories are low.
I avoided the sesame oil. It’s not a favorite so I left oil out totally and the sauce was still so YUMMY!
I didn’t read all the comments, but enough to know that for some, 25 minutes is too much for the tofu. I don’t like the really chewy tofu either. So I baked my tofu for 15 minutes after preheating and it was a perfect chewiness.
Also, I chopped up some mushroom, bell pepper, onion and broccoli and sautéed and added the cauliflower rice to it. What a brilliant idea!!! I’ll be making cauliflower rice often now, thank you very much!
Also, I was in a hurry and so I didn’t take the step and sauté the tofu in the sauce, I just added everything into the large sauté pan and it’s all so flavorful!
This is at the top of my favorites list. I love the sauce!
This was so so so good!!! I am a big fan of the cauliflower rice but I have to admit when I searched for a recipe I was trying to use up some leftover rice from my Chinese food take out. Next time I am totally using the cauliflower tho. I love things spicy so I bumped up the chili last quite a bit and will actually use more next time. Thank you for this awesome recipe. By the way I have never written a review on anything but this was that good!!
Made this last night with a side of a detox salad. My husband and I thought this is the best recipe I’ve ever mad (I cook from scratch every day for over 15 years). My 4.5 year old ate it all and said it is yummy. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
New to tofu so googled for recipes and saw this 5star rated recipe.
I can understand why this is so highly rated since it has a HUGE amount of sodium/sugar and calories. No way I will subject myself to a meal with so much sugar and sodium. I will get back with you on alternate ingredients after I do some adjusting.
Had a head of cauliflower and was looking for something different to try instead of making the usual pizza crust. I came across this and it sounded so good so I gave it a go. I was amazed at just how delicious it was! I went back for seconds and will probably finish it off completely tonight! The prep time was a bit long but well worth the end result. I did end up altering the recipe slightly. First, I used vegetable oil instead of sesame oil since we didn’t have any. I also subbed the chili garlic sauce for a dash of minced garlic and a dash of chili powder. Third, I had regular soy sauce (as opposed to low sodium) so I mixed half of the amount of soy sauce the recipe called for with water. I was concerned that these changes might ruin the recipe, but I LOVED it and will absolutely be making it again!
I made this last night for a make ahead week night meal. It was fantastic fresh. I added some hated ginger to the garlic when cooking the “rice” and topped the final plate with chopped peanuts, a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper. Yum!! Unfortunately I was not so impressed with the leftovers. The flavors dulled and the texture was not so appealing. I will definitely make this again, but you did all the first night!
*grated ginger. ** but eat it all the first night.
Kids want to go vegan / veggie so looking for all the recipes I can find for tofu. I made this tonight. It was good. A little sweet for me but son thought it was perfect. I could double the tofu for the amount of sauce. I will be making again. Thanks for the recipe!!
Just made it! ABFAB! Question: can tofu be baked in this fashion then refrigerated ahead of time before seasoning to be used in several different recipes? Or will it lose its texture?
The recipe was delicious! I’m new to cooking with tofu – my tofu was spongy on the inside (and crispy on the outside). Is it supposed to be spongy?
Wonderful recipe. Thank you for sharing
I made this last night and it was SUPERB! So much yum! My 5, 4 & 1 year old even gobbled it up. We served it over buckwheat soba noodles, tossed with your sauce (instead of the cauliflower). This was the first time I’ve ever been able to make tofu successfully and I will use this trick from now on. It was so great! I’m super glad we have left overs, I almost want to just eat it for breakfast today. Thanks for the recipe!
It’s wonderful!! The tofu with the sauce is so delicious and the cauliflower rice looks like real rice. Mom loves it,too. She even plans to cook eggplants with this sauce tomorrow.
I’ve never had tofu in my life so this recipe is my first foray into the world of tofu!
It seems like an awful lot of brown sugar. I’m afraid it might taste like candy. Why so much?
Found this recipe on the Huffington Post article, definitely going to try it this week. I may sub the boy choy with broccoli. Love the hot pink place mat, where did you get it?
Just made it. It was very good! Thank you so much.
I can’t seem to ever follow a recipe word for word, but this served as great inspiration for using ingredients I happened to have on hand. I prepared the tofu with your oven technique and that worked really well. I added some garlic, ginger, veg stock and a tiny bit of cornstarch to the sauce and it turned out amazing. Didn’t have cauliflower so I used some quinoa as the base and a random assortment of stir fry appropriate veggies to make it a complete meal. Thanks again for the wonderful inspiration!
I made this and have to say if was delicious. Made a few adjustments. Used 100% maple syrup instead of sugar/honey and added a little more kick (pepper flakes). The first time I did cauliflower rice. Will be making it more often!
Do you see any problem with marinating the baked tofu in the sauce for 2-3 hours?
Holy Tofu! This technique is incredible. So much so that I think I can get my meat-loving hubby on board with tofu as he loves crispy, crunchy textures. I will never prepare stir fry tofu any other way. Although, I did have a MAJOR mishap and used my Le Creuset to press the tofu. It crashed to the floor and broke a major chunk off :-( But, the delish tofu made up for it.
Hats off!!! So delicious. Thank you so much
Excellent dish; well worth the work. I used firm tofu, so the early steps can be eliminated. I like crunchy dishes, so I used crunchy peanut butter and added peanuts to the final preparation. I will definitely make it again.
Its so delicious. I made it today for my husband. He liked it a lot. Thanks for the recipe.
I was looking for a good tofu recipe but didn’t have cauliflower, so I made it with precooked quinoa instead (skipping step 10), to which I added sauted red pepper and carrot strips and sliced green onion. I thought the sauce was way too sweet, next time I might use half the honey/sugar, but was very impressed with the tofu! Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, with a lot of flavor. One of the best recipes for flavorful tofu I have come across! Will make this again with slight modifications.
Wow! One of my new favorite recipes. I made this a few months ago and ate every last bite. I am not vegan, but am dairy free and try to introduce meatless foods as much as possible. Never been keen on cauliflower rice- but the sauce covers it all up and melts in your mouth. I also love how you shared this method of getting crispy tofu because I’ve always struggled with that myself. Thankyoux100!
I should also add that I added a back of stir fry veggies (it has all the best veggies- water chesnuts, baby corn,bamboo shoots) and extra sugar snap peas. If youre vegan and dont want to use brown sugar- use agave in the raw. so yummy!
I am not a huge tofu fan, but this was absolutely fabulous!
So great! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for your recipes! I’m new to plant based eating and your recipes are delicious, simple to prepare and making this transition so much easier for me! I’m so happy to have found your blog!!
What can be substituted for the chili garlic sauce? I noticed someone used minced garlic and chili powder but how much? Any other substitutions for it?
That will work! Minced garlic and red pepper flake, or thai red chilies (or serrano peppers, finely minced).
Hi Dana,
Can the tofu be baked, cooled then left in marinade overnight to be cooked the next day?
Hmm, I think so but it will take on a different (maybe chewier) texture. If you try it, let me know how it goes!
Could you bake the tofu, cool it, then put it in the fridge in the marinade for a few hours (rather then just 15 minutes)? Then pull out and fry as directed?
I think that would work lovely!
This recipe is delicious. I used soft tofu (the grocery store was out of firm or extra firm), and it still turned out great and crispy. I think baking the tofu is what did the trick, so don’t skip that step. I used about 3 tablespoons of honey and 2 tablespoons peanut butter. Our grocery store has frozen stirfry veggies (red pepper, snow peas, water chestnuts, broccoli) that were about $1.50 so I did that and regular rice to save time. I was really happy with the results. Five stars. Husband and I loved it. I will make this again.
Hi Dana!
Thank you so much for this recipe! It is AMAZING! My husband declared last night that I should consider this my “go-to” dish – best think I have ever made. Anyway, I also had a comment – I think the reason you are getting so many questions about the draining is because the very first thing it says after #1 is, “Begin by draining tofu 1.5 hours before you want your meal ready. ” If that is not correct, you should delete it if you are able to edit it. If it is not correct, what do you mean by draining it for 1.5 hours? It is confusing to have that be the first thing in the recipe.
Thanks!
Angela
This sauce is amazing. The second time around I decided to play with the recipe and used eggplant instead of tofu. I didn’t bake the eggplant, I just marinated it in the sauce and it was super tasty!
oh my goodness! this was yummy!…..husband just went back for more! i added ginger to the sauce, we are low sodium so i added more peanut butter (unsalted) and only a tablespoon of soy sauce….have some homemade pho….added that instead of the soy sauce….really, really nice….this is a keeper!
Oh my goodness I absolutely LOVED the sauce!!!!! I was looking for a new peanut sauce recipe and this totally nailed it! Thank you again for an amazing recipe!!!!
hi where do i get the chili garlic sauce? or is that Sriracha
I’ve been hearing about cauliflower rice so when your recipe popped up on my Google search with a pretty photo beside it, I said, Oh! that’s Dana’s website! I saw this recipe listed as one of your top choices to try. Grating the cauliflower with the cheese grater however turned out to be too messy, so I tossed the chunks into my Blendtec and hit the pulse button a few times, which worked perfectly. When my husband came home he asked what I was up to so I told him, making cauliflower rice, to which he responded, “that may be cauliflower but it’s NOT rice!” But your recipe won him over- he commented a couple of times how good it tasted and seemed pleased knowing it was healthy for us as well. The smooth peanut sauce was restaurant quality, and the pressed, baked tofu is really an improvement over just using it right out of the container. I stir fried broccoli for a colorful veggie topping. It made 3 large helpings; lunch tomorrow! This veggie dinner is definitely a hit, thank you Dana!
I followed the recipe exactly, except I used 1/2 tbs more peanut butter. It was a hit with my meat- eating mother and boyfriend and will definitely be making again!
Love it, Love it, Love it! My kiddos eat all of it. i’m telling all my friends about it.
It’s my husband favorite dish.
Adele
This was absolutely fantastic. I doubled the recipe for a big family dinner and every loved it! Some of the best tofu I’ve had! I’ve just shared the recipe with some family and friends as well ;)
I have made this about 6 times for my family, it is adored by the pickiest of small eaters and adults too! There are NEVER leftovers. I have served over cauliflower rice, brown rice, white rice and i can only imagine it would be delicious over a rice noodle. I am posting to THANK YOU for the recipe, and share that I had to make a mod today as I was out of Chili Garlic sauce. I used Sriracha instead (same amount plus a smidge more), and put a smashed garlic clove in while the tofu was marinading. Turned out really great!
The flavors really need to be punch up otherwise the dish is fairly bland. Definitely needs more peanut butter, an extra tablespoon at least. Maybe even more sesame oil and more garlic chili paste. Would then be four stars (“very good” as opposed to “good”)
So Good!!! Made this last night and the whole family loved it!!! Including my dad who is a self proclaimed non-tofu eater :). Thanks so much!
So, so delicious!! I did end up using 16 oz. of pre-cubed tofu and there was a perfect amount of sauce! I also used chunky peanut butter for the extra peanut bits. Adding this to my usual rotation!
looks very appetizing! is there a particular brand of chili garlic you’d recommend?
Yes! Huy Fong Foods.
Everyone in my family LOVED it~ no kidding… all of them like meat, but loved this dish!!
Thank you so much for this recipe~
Can’t wait to try this!
By the way, by any chance, was the vegetarian cafe you mentioned called “Green Vegetarian Cuisine?” :)
Can’t get over how good this recipe is, it’s in regular rotation in my household!
I really loved this. Big fan. I can’t wait to make it again. A few notes: I am not a fan of the oils used in a lot of these recipes (lots of evidence these days that grapeseed and Sesame oils are not good for you). In the sauce, I used peanut oil instead. In the stir fry (in the pan), I used olive oil (probably should have been the other way around or all peanut.
I also used maple syrup in the sauce instead of brown sugar and only used 2.5 tablespoons.
Very tasty, I used almond butter and doubled the amount of chili garlic sauce. Great tip on the tofu prep, I’ve been vegetarian for 20+ years and this just changed the game! Thanks for the recipe!
What can be substituted for the chili garlic sauce? I don’t want to buy a whole jar just for 1/2 tsp and also because it has preservatives in it. I saw some people subbed minced garlic and red pepper flakes but do you have a measurement of how much to use? Making it tomorrow!
Thanks!
Hi Sara, I was in the same predicament. I don’t like using canned anything if I can help it, so I looked up the ingredients in chili sauce and just ended up using finely chopped jalapeños and garlic with a bit of vinegar, salt and sugar. This was a great addition!
Made this for my boyfriend who is not vegetarian- and has little experience with tofu and he (and I) both really enjoyed it! We added some ginger to the sauce for an extra punch, and substituted real garlic for the garlic sauce – both turned out great. The peanut sauce is definitely a winner!
This is delicious, and easy to make. I roasted some onions in the oven with the tofu and mixed the onions with fried kale, it worked really well. And making the rice of purple cauliflower turned the dish into a beautiful celebration of colors.
This is my new favorite recipe and one I’ll be incorporating into many more nights to come!! So incredibly delicious and I love the with rice cauliflower! My husband had no idea it wasn’t rice. Score!
i have been looking for a new tofu recipe for weeks, tonight was my husbands first time trying it
i loved it, he liked it he is still trying to get use to the texture lol thank you so much for this recipe i will deff be making it again
This was absolutely amazing. Baking the tofu before pan frying is brilliant and I used crunchy peanut butter. My SO actually enjoyed it and stole some of mine off my plate! I always look forward to your vegan recipes. :) they are never plain or lacking!
Just made this. 10/10 will def be making again. First time making tofu and everything came out awesome
Love this recipe. The only thing I changed is *of course* I use the whole pound of tofu! As though I’d be able to keep from snacking on them the whole time I was cooking! Thanks!
This recipe is delicious. I used sliced water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, carrots, sliced mushrooms, and diced yellow pepper for the vegetables. The peanut sauce is delightful. And the texture and taste of the tofu is fantastic. The cauliflower rice adds great flavor to the dish.
Prepping the veggiesame and tofu and shredding the cauliflower does take some time. The veggies could be prepped ahead of time.
I made this 2x now and both times I used my whole block of tofu. It sort of dehydrates in the oven, so you end up with less & there is still plenty of sauce. My boyfriend didn’t like tofu until I made it for him. Now he likes it and says he can’t believe this is tofu because it tastes so good. I love this sauce because it has a ton of flavor. I even added a little ginger. Love using cauliflower in place of rice, but on my last Trader Joes shopping trip couldn’t find it. So, I made it without it tonight, just chunks of broccoli and it was still super good. It’s the sauce and the way the tofu is made that makes this recipe a keeper. Thanks.
Delish dinner on a meatless Monday. I used kale instead of bok choy. The tofu is addictive.
This is the 3rd recipe I’ve made from this website & they’ve all been winners!
I made this for me and my dad (meat eater) and he loved! Replaced the cauliflower rice for rice noodles, sesame oil for olive oil, brown sugar for coconut nectar and chili garlic sauce for garlic paste and it worked great!
I’ve been baking my tofu with your recipe for quite a while and love it. I tried the rest of the recipe tonight and am crazy about it! I have to stop myself from eating it all! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
I just made this. It was amazing! I talked with my sister (who is a tofu pro) and she suggested coating the tofu in corn starch and pan frying it before coating it in the sauce. This turned out perfectly! Nice and crispy! Thanks so much for the recipe! I’ll definitely be making it again. You have converted me into a tofu fan :)
Oh, sounds delicious!
I’m planning to make it tomorrow evening but I only have one little square of tofu left (about 90gr). I do have a couple blocks of tempeh in the freezer though. Would the crispy tofu technique work with tempeh as well?
Really good. I made it with both cauliflower and rice. Will triple the sauce next time. I also added a bit more chili sauce as we like a little kick.
This recipe is wonderful, will definitely be made again!
We loved this! Will make again for sure. I would definately use the low sodium soy sauce the recipe calls for. I didn’t have any and had to add a bit of water as it was too salty otherwise (and I love salt!). Thank so much Dana and John!
Can you tell me how much Potassium in this recipe?
Sorry I can’t!
We make this almost weekly!! I’ve made it exactly as written and also with our family’s favorite twist… We love serving it over coconut basmati rice! Letting the tofu sit and dry definitely makes the dish, but I will admit that when I need a quick throw together dinner I’ll bake the tofu and cook it right away with the sauce. Not as good but still delicious!
I unfortunately did not have the cauliflower, or some of the other ingredients to make this recipe, but I used the sauce, and my own vegetables in the house, and it was wonderful! I now know how to properly make tofu crispy, and whenever we have tofu in the house this is what I make. I love this website and I get so many good vegetarian/vegan recipes.
This was delicious! I will definitely make it again!
Just made this dish tonight. My very skeptical husband loved it and so did I. Thank you for posting this amazing recipe!
This dish was amazing and completely satisfying! Filled me up without making me feel overly full. The flavors blend well together….I added fresh pineapple to the sauté which was perfect for us.
Loved this method of making the tofu firm and crispy without deep frying! I used fresh garlic + dash of hot sauce in place of the chili garlic sauce. I also skipped the sugar/honey and added some fresh grated ginger. Paired with broccoli, mushrooms, red pepper, and quinoa.
What is a substitute for peanut butter or almond butter? My son is allergic to peanuts and treenuts. Thanks!
Hi! I haven’t tried it but you could try sunbutter as an alternative? If you give it a try, let me know how it goes!
I just so happened to use tahini because it was what I had on hand and it worked fantastically! For nut allergies. :)
This recipe is so insanely delicious! I don’t even like tofu that much and I used this recipe to try and find a way to cook it that I like, and it worked. This is so easy to make, so so so delicious, and so low calorie! It even tastes great reheated on day two! Thank you!!
Wow! Delish. Anything with peanuts is my weakness. I was surprised to find i loved the cauliflower rice, probably because I threw in a little of the sauce. I found the “marinade” too thick and I followed the measurements precisely. I even weighed the sugar on my scale. I did add more peanut butter which I’m sure didn’t help, it was more a jam consistency than a sauce. Probably I need to add more soy sauce or water.
This is a keeper! I doubled the recipe because I wanted left overs. Added extra veggies as well (red pepper and onion). I made the sauce the day before I needed it. The sauce really thickens with time so I I added a bit of water. The sauce would be great for a thai salad or dipping fresh rolls. Everyone loved this recipe. (There were no left overs by the way.) Can’t wait to make it for my daughter when she comes home from university!
Wow, that was so delicious! Perfect Sunday night dinner or any night dinner. My husband LOVED it! “That was delicious honey” he couldn’t believe the rice was cauliflower. I’ve always wanted to try that, I couldn’t believe how good it was! Great meal! 10/10!
My husbands first time eating tofu and cauliflower rice. He didn’t know it was cauliflower and ate the tofu! I would call it a success. I personally loved it!!
Hello!
If I pre bake the tofu the night before , would that still work ? Thanks !
Hi Allison! You bet!
Just made this amazingness! Added a little more PB and honey as suggested, but also added a large clove of garlic and ginger paste to give it a little more dimension. Super good!
Freakin’ delicious. I used baby bok choy, red bell pepper and zucchini for the veggies. Sauteed them in a little oil, garlic and salt – first the pepper and zucchini and then adding the bok choy when it was just about done. The cauliflower rice was delicious, along with the sauce. MMMMM!!! My boyfriend loved it too. Perfect for anyone on a low carb diet.
I’ve never bought “chili garlic sauce.” Would they have this at Whole Foods? Is it a red sauce? Any guidance is great, thanks!
Hi Michelle! Whole Foods should have it, but any local grocery store should carry it as well! Hope you spot some on the shelves! Good luck!
Wonderful, thanks. Really liking your websites and the awesome recipes. You have a gift for sure and thanks for sharing it!
I could not find it at our local Meijer store, but I found it at the local family fare store by the Asian sauces. It only takes a very small amount so really not a huge issue if you subsitute I am sure.
It looks So yummy. I have to try it. Thank you Dana!
I made this for dinner last night, and it was so delicious! I love a good peanut-y tofu or tempeh…this really hit the spot. I was slightly lazy last night, so I went with brown rice instead of the cauliflower. I will be making this again, and next time I’ll make it with cauliflower.
I am a newbie cook and I even managed to mess up a few steps, but this turned out so amazing. My boyfriend loved it and he claims he hates tofu. This is just perfect and I will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
At work we have a healthy living group-we talk alot and try new things. A coworker talked last week about tofu. I looked up tofu recipes for our healthy potluck and came across this recipe. I figured I would try it and be done withtofu. Oh my goodness!! I will definately make this again! It seems complicated at first but was actually very simple. I cheated and bought my cauliflower rice from the frozen food section. I added a few more veggies to make is stretch a little further, bok choy (new to me and so yummy) and red peppers. I couldn’t wait for the potluck tomorrow-had to eat some today. Oh and I also bought the firm tofu already cut up. I am a lazy cook. Thanks for a keeper recipe!
I tend to avoid anything that is advertised as vegan and gluten free but have been trying to reduce my meat intake for environmental reasons. This recipe was WONDERFUL. It took a while to prepare but I loved the texture, flavor, and huge amounts of nutrients per bite.
I just made this last night and am currently enjoying it for lunch! Love it! The technique used to cook the tofu is a game changer, thank you! I added some extra veggies that I had on hand to round out the meal and ended up using a bag of Trader Joes frozen cauliflower rice to speed up the prep time. I’ll be eating it for lunch all week! The only thing I will change for next time is the baking time for the tofu. I think I overcooked it a bit, so in the future I’ll do 18-20 minutes instead.
Used Peanut sauce to marinate french fry sized cuts of tofu then baked and ate. Excellent! Thanks for the recipe.
Love your recipes!
I just made this, subbed with sunflower butter and added butternut squash cubed and it was a great vegetarian dish. Even my husband who does not like tofu ate it (don’t tell him it was tofu! lol)
Jackie
* I really appreciate the tofu tip – I flipped them once mid-bake to even out the drying & crisping, which worked great.
* Variation to the peanut sauce: I’m not a fan of real salty things, so I used only 1 TB of tamari & wished I would have started w/o any. The bonus is, that in trying to “unsalt” the sauce, I kept adding other ingredients and now have twice as much as I would have had otherwise – yum :-)
(Add’l ingredients included lime juice, cherry balsamic vinegar, garlic, chili oil, sriracha & a lot more peanut butter. End result is a lot less salty, a lot less sweet and a lot more peanut flavor. I’m sure others will adjust to their taste also.)
* Love the idea of cauliflower v rice & look forward to trying it. Thanks again!
Nice recipe. The website, however, loads terribly on my phone.
Sweet Lawd!
I’m not sure I’ve ever commented on a blog in my life – I’ve made so many of your recipes, I love your cookbook – but THIS. OMG THIS.
I’m 1/4 into my bowl and I had to stop everything and comment – this is absolutely delicious, and I’m not even a huge fan of tofu. I literally cannot stop talking about how good this is – my husband is already annoyed.
HIGH FIVES ALL AROUND.
Now back to my food :)
I have made several of your recipes and wanted to tell you that the crispy tofu in p-nut sauce over cauliflower rices is the best!!!! OMG it’s soo good!!! THANK YOU!
Made this for dinner last night! I’m eating leftovers for lunch right now and I’m very happy. I used orange bell pepper and frozen broccoli for my veggies because that’s all I had on hand. Turned out great! Will definitely be making this again.
Delicious! Healthy. The sauce to coat the tofu was delightful and I will use in other recipes. This meal will be one of my regulars. Thank you.
Literally the best tofu I ever ate! I always had a hard time eating tofu due to bland/texture but baking it then frying really takes the unpleasant spongeness out of the tofu. The only thing I changed in this recipe is adding a dash of liquid smoke and black pepper. Will make again and definitely will prepare tofu like this from now on.
This looks great!
This is actually my first time on your site – i’ve been following you on Instagram – and I’m so happy I checked it out. Bout time I actually find the yummy recipes for all the food pics I’ve been drooling over!
Yum! Turned out great with medium tofu. I let the tofu rest for an hour in the warm oven after baking it. So good! Thanks!
This was really good!
Thank you for posting such a yummy vegan dish!
I added 1/2 Tbsp of ginger to the sauce, and it was delicious!
SO, SO GOOD!! I added a bit more of the chili garlic sauce, but baking the tofu and soaking it in the marinade before heating it all up gave it the most amazing caramelized coating, it was so delicious! I kept stealing bites out of the pan while I waited for my rice to finish cooking! My bf isn’t a huge fan of tofu, but he definitely enjoyed this one!
I made this for dinner tonight; I was never a huge fan of todu until now! We have company coming later this week and I plan to make this for them. I love the cauliflower rice in this recipe but may try to substitute it with some bulgar wheat for added fiber.
This is my all time favourite tofu recipe. My boyfriend doesn’t even like peanut butter and he still enjoys it! I made it for his family, and his mum said it was the best stir fry she’d ever had, which made me pretty proud. I love the texture the tofu gets from being baked.
Really good, will make this again and again.
I loved the cauliflower rice. It cooked up exactly as described. I loved the peanut sauce, though mine was a bit thick and I added a tbls of water to thin it out. It was flavorful and delicious. What I might do differently next time is not “crisp” up the tofu. It seemed tough and unpleasant. I may have baked it a bit too long, but I think I might have enjoyed it a bit more if I had skipped this step, since I bought “super firm” tofu to begin with. Overall, what a fabulous and creative recipe. I am sure I will try this again and again. Thank you for it. I will try more of your recipes based on the success of this one!
To keep the Tofu from getting tough and hard I just warmed it up in a pan, and poured a little of the sauce on top. Delicious of course, but this recipe kinda defeats the purpose of Tofu being a low fat, low sodium food. This tastes like Tofu candy.
Just made this recipe for a Taiwenese vegan friend. Oh my – soooo good. Sauce was a bit thick so will work on that – definitely a repeat. Loved the texture that baking then frying the tofu provided. So did my friend.
Had to substitute sweet chilli sauce with garlic for the chilli garlic sauce. Still worked out fine. The lime and coriander is a must.
Hi Dana, I absolutely love your recipes! I’m going vegan and your blog is an absolute godsend. This recipe though didn’t turn out as I’d hoped…although I used low salt soya sauce as it’s practically just oil, soya sauce and peanut butter it was VERY salty. I could only manage a bit and had to leave the rest. Is your version extremely salty? I’m trying to work out what could have gone wrong as I love the idea! I’ll keep trying new recipes! Lisa
Oh no! It shouldn’t be extremely salty, no – I hope you have better luck next time! I am not sure what went wrong..
This recipe was beyond amazing-especially the sauce! I will use now use it as my go-to sauce for all my Asian recipes:)
Oh, my goodness. This was fantastic. I might actually prefer the sauce as a dipping sauce for the tofu, but it was amazing as is, too.
The “rice” looks and seems more like couscous than rice, which I think I might like better. Love rice, though. Looks really lovely and light. Can’t wait to try.
Amazing recipie! Tasty, satisfying, and worth the time. Even my 3 yr-old ate some of it!
I MADE THIS!!!!
Just YESSSS!!!!
DO IT. This is the best tofu I’ve ever had.
I’ve been wanting to try the bake-and-stir-fry method of cooking tofu for such a long time and never gotten around to it, but I finally have and this is DELICIOUS. I ate my leftovers right out of the fridge, and they were still great; I’ll definitely be making this again!
Sooooo good!!! The sauce is DELICIOUS. I was worried that it would be overwhelmingly peanuty, but it was the perfect amount. My tofu ended up a little bit chewy but honestly it was still great. I’ll just have to try it again and step up my tofu game ;)
This was outstanding! The flavors meshed just perfectly and my family who “doesn’t like tofu” loved it. Thank you for the inspiration!
I made this tonight and it was AMAZING. The only change I made was cook the cauliflower rice right after the veg.
This looks delicious! Thank you! I’m planning to make it for a dinner party but have never cooked with tofu before. Do you think it would be just as good if I drained, baked and marinated the tofu the night before then fry it up 24-hours later? Or would it go soggy?
Hi! That would work!
Looks amazing! What can I use instead of chili garlic sauce if I don’t have any on hand?
Hi! You could try a dash of minced garlic and a dash of chili powder or red pepper flakes. You could also try sriracha with a little bit of minced garlic!
Tofu turned out chewy. Bummer.
Love the sauce but the tofu was very chewy. Any thoughts on how to avoid that?
Hi! It may depend on the type of tofu you use because we’ve used a few “firm” tofus and some are more firm than others. We would recommend turning your oven down to 375 and maybe only baking them 20 minutes or less.
The oven part is fine.. but frying them in the pan coated my pan in a thick residue :/
It leaves a thick black residue on my pan (when I cook the tofu)…