Published: Jan 7, 2021 · Modified: Jan 12, 2021 · by Laurel · About 4 minutes to read this article. · This post may contain affiliate links

Best Ever Baked Tofu

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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!