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 8 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
SUPER flavorful
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!
NOTE: Recipe updated 11/6/20 for improved tofu texture and creamier peanut sauce.
Crispy Peanut Tofu & Cauliflower Rice Stir-Fry
Ingredients
TOFU
- 12 ounces extra-firm tofu (organic & non-GMO if possible)
SAUCE
- 2 1/2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter or almond butter
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten-free // or sub coconut aminos but use more as it's less salty)
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1-2 tsp chili garlic sauce
CAULIFLOWER RICE
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 small head cauliflower
- 2 cloves garlic (minced // 2 cloves yield ~1 Tbsp or 6 g)
- 1-2 tsp tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten-free // or sub coconut aminos but use more as it's less salty)
VEGGIES optional
- 1 cup thinly sliced baby bok choy, green onion, red pepper, or broccoli
- 1 dash sesame oil
- 1 dash tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten-free // or sub coconut aminos but use more as it's less salty)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- If your block of tofu is larger than 12 ounces, trim it down. Then drain your tofu and use a tofu press or wrap in an absorbent towel several times and place something heavy on top to press for 15-20 minutes.
- Once pressed, slice tofu into roughly 1/2-inch cubes and arrange on the parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Ensure they aren't touching so they will crisp up. Bake for 20-25 minutes to dry/firm the tofu. NOTE: At 20 minutes, the tofu should be chewy, and at 25 minutes, the tofu should be more crispy. Bake according to preference.
- In the meantime, prepare sauce by adding peanut butter, sesame oil, tamari, maple syrup, and chili garlic sauce to a medium mixing bowl and whisking until combined. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more chili garlic sauce for heat, maple syrup for sweetness, or tamari for saltiness.
- Add baked tofu to the peanut sauce and toss to coat. Let marinate for 10-15 minutes to saturate the tofu and infuse the flavor.
- In the meantime, prepare cauliflower rice by using a large grater or the grater attachment on a food processor. Set aside. Mince garlic if you haven’t already done so, and wash and slice any veggies you want to add to the dish (optional).
- Heat a large rimmed skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add sesame oil (1 Tbsp as original recipe is written // adjust if altering serving size), cauliflower rice, garlic, and tamari. Stir and sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 5-8 minutes until slightly browned and tender. Transfer to a serving platter.
- If adding any veggies to your dish (optional), cook them now in a bit of sesame oil and a dash of tamari until just tender. Add to the cauliflower rice.
- To the preheated pan, add the marinated tofu with most of the sauce (reserving a few spoonfuls for serving). Cook, stirring frequently for ~3 minutes until browned. The sauce will caramelize and may stick to the pan a bit – this is normal and adds more flavor to the dish. Stir with spatula, scraping up any caramelized bits. Then transfer tofu to the cauliflower rice platter.
- Serve with any leftover sauce. Leftovers reheat well and will keep covered in the refrigerator up to 2-3 days. Not freezer friendly.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
*Learn more about the history of stir fries here, and the origins of peanut sauce here.
Rachel says
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!
PINKLADYALLEY35 says
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!:-)
Katie Ashdown says
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.
Farah says
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!
Farah says
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!
Jane says
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!
jane says
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!
jane says
Thanks so much! You have been my cuisine angel! I will post again and report back on the result.
Kelly says
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!
Jennifer says
Can I use Sambal Oelek instead of Garlic Chili Sauce?
Kimberly says
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
Linda says
Oops! I commented on the wrong recipe here – I actually made your Fried Rice recipe last night…but this looks delicious too!!
Mina says
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 :)
Kavi says
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!
Michelle says
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?
Michelle says
sriracha I have! I’m eating sriracha now! (not by itself of course). I will try it and report! Thank you!
Jesse says
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!
BlueStudio says
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
Exmi says
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!
Patti says
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!
Whitney says
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!
Julie Nicolay says
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!
Carmel says
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!
Bo says
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!!
Lauren Loanzon says
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!
Carrie S. says
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?
Carrie S. says
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.
Lucy says
I’d love to know how you got on with reducing the sugar – do let us know.
Jamie says
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!
Taylor Simpson says
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!
Katie Denison says
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.
Courtney says
Awesome stir fry sauce for this recipe! I used it for chicken and veggies and it turned out just amazing! Thank you!
Bridget says
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.
Sharmila says
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!
Sabrina says
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.
Catherine says
made this today. First time making tofu, loved it !
Meg says
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!
Sharmila says
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!
Maria says
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.
Brooke of Passport Couture says
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!
Amy says
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!
Melis says
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.
Denyse says
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.
Alison says
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.
michelle says
I made this for dinner tonight and it was excellent. I’m excited to try more of your recipes.
Amber H. says
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. :)
Jini says
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..!!
Lise says
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!
Wendy says
I am worried about fat grams too. Did the modification of oil work ? Thank you !
Lise says
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.
Lise says
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!
Cole says
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.
Saga says
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..
Jess says
This was pure perfection. AND very filling. Now we have leftovers for tomorrow– yippee!
Kate says
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!
Never Eat Shredded Wheat says
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!
jenna mendell says
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
Gavin says
Added to my shopping list for next week :D
Allison says
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!
Zac says
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!
Dacia says
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!!!
Priscilla says
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!
Priscilla says
Awesome thank you! Can’t wait to make it!
Isabela says
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!! <:
Anastasia says
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!!!
Billie says
WOW! That recipe rocks! Thanks for sharing.
Ashley says
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
Michael says
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!
Chantal says
Wow! This was delicious! Will make it again for sure!
Great, thanks for sharing, Chantal!
June says
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
Erin Messel says
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!
Melodie says
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!
heidi says
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
Lovestofly says
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!
rachel says
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! :)
Beth says
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!
Liz says
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?
Mirah says
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..
Nancy says
Extended family and vegan husband loved this recipe, my offering for a pre-Easter potluck. Thanks, Dana, for sharing.
Terri says
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.
Becca says
This came out fantastic! I used shredded carrots and green onions for the veggie choice. :D
Laura says
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
joe says
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.
Ashley says
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.
Michelle Peters says
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!
Scuba Gal says
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!!
Lisa says
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.
Felicity says
Since I forgot to rate the recipe – had to recomment so I could give it 5 stars! ;)
Felicity says
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…
Beatrice says
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!
Terèsa says
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?
Frances says
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!
Christy Shu says
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! ;-)
Kara says
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!!
Kay says
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!!
Leonora says
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.
Emily says
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!!
Chloe says
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. :)
Jenny says
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.
Wendy says
Did that work ??? I’m needing to cut calories as much as possible !
Jessica says
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!
Tania D. says
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!
Julia says
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!!
Brieanna says
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!!! (:
Megan says
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. :/
Leslie says
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.
Lacey says
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?
Sarah says
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!
Rob Aiello says
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.
Brisa says
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:)
NicoleMD says
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!
Eva says
This recipe turned out wonderful! I absolutely loved everything about it! THANK YOU!