This marinated Baked Tofu is packed with savory & sweet flavor! Learn how to make even tofu haters into lovers with this easy recipe.
This baked tofu is juicy and infused with flavor, with a sticky sweet glaze. It is the perfect balance between sweet, salty and savory! The marinade doubles as an irresistible sauce!
Reasons to love this recipe!
- Made with just 6 ingredients and little hands on time!
- Is gluten free & vegan!
- A flavorful addition to sandwiches, grain bowls, noodle bowls!
Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Extra firm tofu – extra firm sprouted tofu works, too
- Maple syrup – adds the best flavor, but agave could work too
- Liquid aminos – or tamari, soy sauce, etc.
- Smoked paprika – adds a great smokiness. You could also use a drop of liquid smoke, but be careful! It is very strong.
- Garlic powder – don’t be tempted to use fresh garlic, it will burn!
- Onion powder
The best baked tofu marinade!
Flavorful baked tofu starts with a flavorful marinade! The marinade is equal parts, salty, sweet and savory! Maple adds sweetness, liquid aminios or tamari adds salty umami, and paprika, onion, and garlic powder add rich savoriness!
With this marinade, you’ll want to let it sit for at least 1 hour, but the longer the better. I find that at least 8 hours is needed to truly get the flavor of the marinade into the tofu and I have let this marinade for up to 3 days!
The best part, is the marinade doubles as a sweet and sticky glaze. Once the tofu is in the oven, we reduce the marinade on the stove until it is thick and syrupy. Then, remove the tofu from the oven, and brush it on both sides. Delicious!
How to make baked tofu:
Marinade: Whisk together all the marinade ingredients. Cut your tofu into large squares by slicing it first hot-dog style (vertically) and then hamburger style (horizontally) into 1/2 inch thick slices. See the video for a visual. Place the tofu in the marinade and let sit in the fridge overnight.
Bake: Line the tofu up on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Place in the oven for 20 minutes.
Baste: Once you put the tofu in the oven, add the leftover marinade to a pot and simmer until it is reduced by 2/3rds, which takes about 10 minutes. Baste both sides of the tofu, and bake for another 20 minutes.
Do I have to baste the tofu?
Actually, no! There are two ways to make great baked tofu. The first is a shorter marinade with basting. Marinate for 1-6 hours and then baste as it cooks.
Second, marinade for longer, 6 hours to 3 days and bake without basting.
The benefit to basting is that the tofu develops a great sticky glaze. The benefit to not basting is that it’s easier! Experiment and find how you like it best!
The key to juicy, not dry, tofu:
The end goal of this recipe is a juicy, flavorful, glaze tofu. Emphasis on juicy! Some tofu recipes, including some I’ve created, are full of flavor but have a spongy or dry crumbly texture. To avoid that, we skip pressing the tofu. The water in the tofu is what keeps this recipe juicy and delicious! Removing too much of it can cause a dry, crumbly texture.
Instead of pressing the tofu, remove it from the carton and pat it with a clean kitchen towel. Press with medium firmness, enough to dry the outside of the tofu, and press out a little moisture, but not so much that we remove too much water. It’s a balance, but as long as you’re not pressing it with a tofu press or under weight, you should be good!
What to serve with baked tofu:
The flavor of this baked tofu lends well to so many dishes! The savory flavor is great in sandwiches, on salads, grain bowls, noodle bowls and more!
Storage:
Store the baked tofu in a lidded container in the fridge for up to 7 days. I usually eat it cold on salads or in sandwiches, but feel free to heat it up in the microwave.
More tofu recipes!
- 30 Minute Sweet & Sour Tofu
- General Tso’s Tofu
- Vegan Egg Roll in a Bowl
- Salt and Pepper Tofu
- Coconut Crusted Tofu
Best Ever Baked Tofu
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
This 6 ingredient Best Ever Baked Tofu is jam packed with savory & sweet flavor! Learn how to make even tofu haters into lovers with this easy recipe.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup each:
- maple syrup
- liquid aminos
- water
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 14 oz block block extra firm tofu, cut into large squares
Instructions
- Whisk together all of the marinade ingredients.
- Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch thick squares and submerge them in the marinade. Cover and let marinade overnight in the fridge.
- The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the tofu on the baking tray, with a little space in between them so they aren’t touching. Reserve the marinade. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- While the tofu is baking, take the reserved marinade and heat it in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until reduced by two thirds. The marinade will be thick and syrupy.
- Once the tofu has baked for 30 minutes, baste the top and sides of the tofu with the reduced sauce. Flip the tofu and baste the other side. Return the tofu to the oven and bake for another hour, basting and flipping the tofu every thirty minutes. Serve.
Notes
To cut the tofu: Cut your tofu into large squares by slicing it first hot-dog style (vertically) and then hamburger style (horizontally) into 1/2 inch thick slices. See the video for a visual.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6th recipe
- Calories: 115
- Sugar: 24g
- Sodium: 646mg
- Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Protein: 3g
Keywords: gluten-free, grain-free, oil-free, vegan
Wow this looks and sounds amazing! Adding it to my list to try for sure.
Thanks Julie! I hope you LOVE!
I’m not sure what happened, but this did not tun out well for me. I followed the instructions to the letter, but the tofu turned out hard and burnt. Because this was a long bake, I used a reliable oven thermometer to make sure the oven didn’t go above 300 F. 2 hours later, after flipping and glazing every 30 minutes, the glaze was almost black, quite burnt on the edges, and the tofu slices were so hard around the edges you could barely cut or bite through them. The middle part of each piece wasn’t bad. The texture was chewy in the middle, but the burnt flavour of the glaze and the hard edges of the tofu made this a fail. Not sure how yours turned out so well. I was very careful with the oven temperature and time, as well as the other instructions. I wanted to take these out early because they seemed to be overdone well before the 2 hour point, but based on a response to another commenter concerned about a similar thing, I kept them in for the full amount of time. I should have followed my instinct.
I think you may have cooked it thirty minutes too long. You cook for 30 minutes then baste, flip, baste that side and cook for 1 more hour flipping (and I basted again) at the 30-minute mark.
OMG, I already love it and I haven’t even made it yet. I love baked tofu but this one looks like a stellar specimen of culinary delight!
So glad you like it! It is one of my absolute favorites! I have a batch in the fridge at all times.
Your “cook time” says 120 minutes but your instructions say bake 30min then baste and bake another 1 hour. That’s 90 minutes of cook time. Which one do we use?
Follow the cook time in the instructions, 90 minutes. Updating the “cook time” to match!
I need to make this !!!! NOW!
The recipe isn’t showing me directions- just ingredients :( I tried to open your page in another browser with no luck! HELP!
★★★★★
Hi Natalia, I suppose the instructions would be helpful ;). I am not sure why they weren’t showing for a while, but the problem is fixed and the instructions are up! Hope you love this recipe! It is one of my faves!
Yes, I see them now!! Wonderful- thank you so much!! I have NO doubt that this will become one of my favorites too. Thank you for sharing! :)
You’re welcome! When you make it, let me know how it goes!
What is liquid amino? Would love to give it a try!
Hi Jane! Liquid aminos is my favorite gluten-free soy sauce substitute. It is a bit less processed than regular gluren-free tamari. It is a little less salty and has more flavor, in my opinion. If you have soy sauce or tamari on hand, they make great substitutes for the liquid aminos in this recipe! Just reduce either by 2 tablespoons and replace that with water, as they are a bit saltier and we want to mellow that out a bit. If you are in the market for a new soy sauce-like addition to your cupboards, I highly recommend liquid aminos :) I buy mine from Amazon, and there is a link to it in this post! Just click on the link that is titled “liquid aminos” in the 10th paragraph. Happy cooking!
I’m not a huge fan of tofu, even though I’m vegan, but I’ll definitely be trying this. Looks like it has a lot more flavor than your average tofu dishes.
Thanks!! Lovely photos too.
Thanks Michelle! I hope you love it!
Do you have to press the tofu before putting it in the marinade?
Hi Ann! I usually use High Protein Tofu, which doesn’t need to be pressed before marinading. If your tofu is pretty soft and wet, I would press it before so that more of the marinade can soak in :)
2 hours cooking time in total? isnt that abundant for 1/2 inch pieces? they would shrivel up to nothing, or? will you please confirm this for me? surely its 1/2 hour and then another 1/2 hour? thank you for your time!! :-)
★★★★
The cooking time is correct. The tofu needs a lot of time to loose its excess water. The end result is well worth it!
I’ll be making this tomorrow – thank you for sharing the recipe! One question though, do you press the water out of the tofu before marinating?
Hi Franci! I am excited to hear how the recipe goes tomorrow! If you are able to find “high protein tofu” at your grocery store, then you won’t need to press the water out. This usually comes in a vacuum sealed bag, instead of the normal sealed plastic tray, and is in the same refrigerated section as regular tofu. If you can’t find this type of tofu in your store, then regular extra firm tofu will work, but I do recommend pressing the water out before. Happy cooking!
I am eager to try this, but my husband and I are new to tofu…. I see that you have this listed as a side dish. What do you suggest serving it with? Rice? Or is it intended to be more of a snack? Thanks!
Hi Erica! So glad you are going to give it a try! I love having it with rice and veggies, like you suggested. I also treat it as “meat” and eat it in sandwiches and wraps, on salads (like this one, which uses the tofu from this recipe), and even as a snack too :) Oh! And it would be amazing on this Avocado BLT Toast recipe instead of the tempeh! Happy cooking!
Hi Laurel. Can’t wait to make this! I’m curious as to if this re-heats well. Can I make it ahead of time? If so, how would you recommend re-heating so it doesn’t dry out or become rubbery?
Thank you!
Hi Becky! This is one of my favorite recipes and I can’t wait for you to try it! I have made this a zillion times, but have actually never reheated the tofu. I store it in the fridge and use it cold in wraps, salads, (like this one!) or bowls throughout the week – so it does keep very well, but I can’t vouch for how it reheats. Though I wouldn’t call it rubbery, the tofu does become quite chewy and firm – more so than most store bought baked tofu brands. If you are looking for a softer texture, you can bake the tofu for less time. I would recommend checking it each time you baste it to find your ideal texture. Happy cooking!
How would it be if I used firm tofu instead of extra firm tofu? Would I need to alternate the cooking time?
Hi Alissa! While extra firm tofu is best, I think firm tofu should work! I wouldn’t alter the cooking time since a longer cook would cause the glaze to burn on the tofu. The end result might be a bit softer but still delicious. Happy cooking!
The video said 350’ but the directions said 300’
Hi Sue, sorry for the confusion! 300 is correct.
Hi Laurel. I am already in love with this recipe and I haven’t even made it yet. Looking forward to cold sandwiches and lovely chunks in salads. Thank you so much!
Hi Kay! I am so glad you are enjoying the recipe :)
It looks as if it might be overly sweet! But I love tofu (not fond of sweetness though)…so I will give it a try before passing judgement. I will say, I’ve never seen a recipe like this one before, so for the uniqueness alone it deserves a go!
The light gray print on your page and on the printed recipe is hard to read.
Hi Deborah, thank you for the feedback. We will definitely look into the problem :)
What’s is nutrition breakdown
Hi Isabella, I just updated the recipe to include nutrition facts :)
Do you need to press the tofu before you marinate it?
Hi Leah! If you can find super firm or high protein tofu at your local market (I usually grab mine at Trader Joe’s!) then theres no need to press it before marinading. If you are using extra firm tofu, I would give it a press :)
Made this last night….just pressed the extra firm tofu to get the water out. It turned out great and so yummy…thx!
★★★★★
Can I use the leftover marinade for something else? This turns out great every time I make it! Thanks
Hi Erin, Absolutely! If you simmer it on the stove for a few minutes to reduce the water content, you could use it in stir fry, fried rice, or any similar preparation. So glad to hear the tofu is turning out :)
I made this and it was quite good but a little on the salty side for me. I will probably sub in low sodium soy sauce next time.
Can I use something else instead of maple syrup? Would honey work?
Hi Ali, The recipe also works great with agave! I haven’t tried honey, but do think it can work. Just check the tofu more frequently to make sure the sugars in the honey aren’t burning and remove from the oven earlier, if needed. Happy cooking!