Baked tofu, a simple way of making tofu taste amazing with just 5 easy-to-get ingredients. It's crispy on the outside, but soft on the inside.
Baked tofu is a delicious way of cooking tofu. It's tasty, crispy, and packed with lots of good-quality protein. This recipe is nutritious, flavorful, and healthy, and you don't need oil to make it. It's the best way of cooking tofu!
To prepare the tofu I just drain it to remove the liquid, as I don't think you need to press it. It actually saves some time and the recipe works great! But if you'd like to press the tofu, go ahead.
This version of the recipe is so crispy and the marinade gives it an amazing flavor. However, you can add, replace, or change the ingredients you'd like and customize it with spices, dried herbs, lemon juice, or vinegar.
You can eat this crispy baked tofu just by itself or with any sauce you have on hand. It can be used to make other tofu recipes as well, and it's perfect to incorporate some protein in salads, soups, and even stews.
Ingredient notes
- Firm tofu: firm or extra firm tofu work best for this recipe. Soft or silken tofu is not a good choice as it will fall apart easily.
- Soy sauce or tamari: I used soy sauce, but tamari is a good gluten-free alternative. You could also use coconut aminos or add the same amount of water or vegetable stock and add more salt.
- Extra virgin olive oil: I’m Spanish, so I use extra virgin olive oil to cook most of my dishes. However, any type of oil is okay. I always use extra virgin oils when possible because they’re healthier.
- Cornstarch: feel free to use any other type of starch instead. You could also omit it, but your tofu will be crispier if you use it.
Dietary variations
- Make it gluten-free: use tamari instead of soy sauce.
- Make oil-free: just omit the oil.
Pro tips
- I prefer to make this baked tofu recipe with 6 tablespoon of cornstarch because I like my tofu cubes super crispy, but you can use only 3 tablespoon or even less quantity.
- Feel free to add any herbs and spices you want, such as black pepper or paprika.
- If you're oil-free you can omit the oil, although this baked tofu will be crispier if you use it.
- You can also replace tamari or soy sauce with salt to taste.
- Firm or extra firm tofu are the best choices for this recipe, as silken or other soft tofu types wouldn't work as good.
- Garlic powder is optional, but I like my crispy baked tofu better with it. Onion powder will also work great.
How to bake tofu
- Preheat the oven to 400 ºF or 200 ºC.
- Add the tofu cubes, tamari or soy sauce, oil, and garlic powder to a large bowl, mix until well combined, and let it rest for at least 5 minutes.
- Drain the tofu and transfer ⅓ of the tofu cubes into a freezer bag with 1 or 2 tbsp of cornstarch and toss to coat. Repeat this step with the remaining tofu and cornstarch.
- Place the tofu cubes onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Then remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip each of the tofu cubes. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Enjoy your baked tofu immediately and serve it with your favorite dishes!
How to store baked tofu
- Fridge: although this crispy baked tofu is best when served immediately so it can keep its amazing texture, you can also keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
- Reheat: the best way of reheating baked tofu is by adding it to a pan with some sauce and cooking over medium heat until it's warm enough. It's important to add the sauce so the tofu doesn't get too dry. However, you can also reheat in the oven or in a skillet with a little bit of oil.
What to serve with baked tofu
Baked tofu is delicious just by itself, but you can serve it with any sauce you'd like or use it to make other tofu recipes. I love to have it with vegetable soup, vegan butternut squash soup, or vegetable tempura.
Looking for more tofu recipes?
Did you make this baked tofu recipe?
Please leave a comment and rate it below. We’d love to hear from you!
Baked Tofu
Ingredients
- 12 ounces firm tofu, cubed
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder, optional
- 3-6 tablespoon cornstarch, see notes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF or 200ºC.
- Add the tofu cubes, tamari or soy sauce, oil, and garlic powder to a large bowl, mix until well combined, and let it rest for at least 5 minutes.
- Drain the tofu and transfer ⅓ of the tofu cubes into a freezer bag with 1 or 2 tablespoon of cornstarch and toss to coat. Repeat this step with the remaining tofu and cornstarch. Add more cornstarch if needed.
- Place the tofu cubes onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Then remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip each of the tofu cubes so they can cook evenly on the other side. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve your baked tofu immediately. This crispy baked tofu is delicious just by itself, but I love to have it with vegetable soup, vegan butternut squash soup, or vegetable tempura.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. The best way of reheating baked tofu is by adding it to a pan with some sauce and cooking over medium heat until it's warm enough. It's important to add the sauce so the tofu doesn't get too dry. However, you can also reheat in the oven or in a skillet with a little bit of oil.
Notes
- I prefer to make this baked tofu recipe with 6 tablespoon of cornstarch because I like my tofu cubes super crispy, but you can use only 3 tablespoon or even less quantity.
- Feel free to add any herbs and spices you want, such as black pepper or paprika.
- If you're oil-free you can omit the oil, although this baked tofu will be crispier if you use it.
- You can also replace tamari or soy sauce with salt to taste.
- Firm or extra firm tofu are the best choices for this recipe, as silken or other soft tofu types wouldn't work as good.
- Garlic powder is optional, but I like my crispy baked tofu better with it. Onion powder will also work great.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published in February of 2019, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions, and tips in August of 2022.
You says
Just made this and it came out great. Thank you!
Iosune Robles says
Hi You! Thank you so much 🙂
Katie Ahlers says
I have made baked tofu many times! I love this recipe! So easy and delicious! One time I didn’t have enough cornstarch so I used xanthan gum instead. Wrong choice! Tasted terrible! All I could taste was sticky mess of xanthan gum, but not the tofu! I had to throw it out. 🥲. I’ll never make that mistake again and just make sure that I have enough cornstarch.
Iosune Robles says
Thanks for your kind comment Katie 🙂
Merryl says
So simple to make. Came out great. Served it with a stir fry of carrots, brussel sprouts, green beans, soy sauce, black pepper and maple syrup.
Iosune Robles says
Hi Merryl! Sounds so good 🙂
Katie Ahlers says
I have made this baked tofu so many times! Love them! So quick and easy. I have limited time to prepare and cook and I refer to Simple Vegan Blog for quick and easy vegan meal ideas! Thank you!
Iosune Robles says
Hi Katie! Thanks for your kind comment 🙂
Lorna says
This was easy and tasty. I added a splash of a few other seasonings to taste. The only reason I took off a star is because of the single use plastic bag for coating with cornstarch. Instead, put the cubed tofu in a bowl and fit a saucer on top. You can coat the tofu with cornstarch without creating plastic waste.
Iosune Robles says
Hi Lorna! So glad you liked it 🙂 Thanks for the tip!
Lauri says
Good technique but way too much corn starch and not enough soy sauce for me, though 🙁
Iosune Robles says
Hi Lauri! Maybe you can try to add less cornstarch 🙂
Marilyn Mendelson says
Your recipe reminded me that baked tofu was my introduction to a total addiction! The people who first introduced me to tofu placed slices on a baking sheet, then sprinkled soy sauce over the tops, followed by garlic powder, and then topped off half of the slices with yellow mustard. (Some of them liked that, others preferred it without). They'd then bake it in a hot oven for 30 minutes. It was delicious! Now, I'm looking forward to trying it your way,
Iosune Robles says
Sounds so good Marilyn 🙂 Have a nice day!
Christine H. says
Made it and it was delicious. Making it again!!!! Thank you.
Iosune Robles says
Hi Christine! I'm glad you liked our baked tofu 🙂 Have a nice day!
Sue says
Absolutely delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
Iosune Robles says
Hi Sue! Thanks for your kind comment 🙂 Have a nice day!
Mike Seamon says
Ingredients changed
Mulikat says
Pls how do I cook the soy milk to form a cube
Jen says
I used flour, because it was all I had, still turned out really good
Iosune says
Hi Jen! So glad it worked for you 🙂
Cayley says
Turned out so well, golden crispy outside and soft inside. Tasted so good with plum sauce ❤️
Iosune Robles says
So glad you liked it Cayley 🙂 Have a nice day!
Brenda says
I love baked tofu. This recipe helped me transition from carnivore to (mostly) vegetarian. Still working on it. I added nutritional yeast and panko bread crumbs before baking instead of the cornstarch but kept the olive oil, soy sauce and garlic powder. Sometimes I add a little heat with Cajun spices. So many ways to change it up and make it interesting.
Iosune says
Hi Brenda! So glad to read that 🙂 Sounds so good!
John M says
This is a simple and useful recipe. I take exception with a couple of your guidelines, though. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil is first-pressed, and has lots of "contaminants", which are the things that taste good. However, when heated to 400F, they burn faster than other oils. Oils like Grapeseed, Canola, even Corn or Peanut, are purified to leave out the sediments that burn easily.
Also, you suggest that regular wheat flour would not be a good starch, but there is nothing wrong with it. You can use wheat, cornstarch, potato flour, rice flour, and many others with equal success. It has mostly to do with how fine the flour is, not its origin.
Iosune says
Hi John! We've been using olive oil for centuries in the Mediterranean countries for cooking and baking and we're pretty healthy people 🙂 Starches work best for this recipe, but flour is also okay. Have a nice day!
laurie says
Thanks for this recipe. I haven't made it yet but would like to suggest one minor change in the interests of reducing plastic waste: how about using a plastic tub with a tight-fitting lid for the starch-coating step? Easy to wash and save for another use. I've washed plastic bags to save for reuse but they have to be handwashed, they're not real easy to get clean and never as nice as when they're new, whereas a plastic tub with a snap-on or screw-on lid (I save good ones from frozen food purchases) can often be popped in the dishwasher, top rack, and can be reused indefinitely. Reducing plastic production and waste is crucial, and our individual efforts add up in a big way. Thanks again.
Iosune says
Hi Laurie! Thanks a lot for your comment 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Carol says
This is an excellent, easy, low maintenance baked tofu!! Thanks so much for posting it! Looking forward to making it this week...
Iosune says
Hi Carol! You're so welcome 🙂 I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Julie K. says
This is a great alternative to pan-frying and requires so much less oil. I altered the recipe to use potato starch because that is what I had on hand, and I ended up baking the tofu for 45 minutes to get it fully crisped on the outside. But all in all, I will definitely be using this recipe all the time!
Iosune says
Hi Julie! So glad it worked for you 🙂
Amanda says
This recipe is super easy and equally delicious. You can add any sauce or seasoning to change it up for a variety of dishes, though it's fantastic as is. It's a go to tofu. Yum!❤️
Iosune says
Hi Amanda! Thanks a lot 🙂 I'm glad you liked it!
hayley says
I just made these and the tofu tastes amazing! I have a lot leftover and I´m going to put it in the fridge, how do you recommend reheating? Or do you think better to eat cold once it´s cooled down?
Iosune says
Hi Hayley! I like it cold and I've also reheated in the oven and in a skillet with a little with of oil (I think it should also work without oil). However, I think the best way to reheat it is adding a sauce to the pan because when you reheat the baked tofu it dries a little bit. Hope it helps!
M says
This looks delicious! I noticed in the copy of your post that you left out the step with the cornstarch (though it is in the recipe itself). Just thought you'd want to know. 🙂
Iosune says
Hi M! Thank you SO much 🙂 Have a beautiful day!!
Lori says
Can you use arrowroot instead of corn starch?
Iosune says
Hi Lori! Yes, any starch will do 🙂