This sticky, sweet, and craveable tofu is so easy to make, that you might find yourself doubling the batch just to have it on hand. Great as a sandwich filling, served over rice with broccoli, or diced in a salad – this Easy Baked Hoisin Glazed Tofu adds tons of flavor and protein to just about anything!
Easy Baked Hoisin Glazed Tofu: Ingredients & Substitutions
Made with mostly staples, this tofu recipe can be prepared the day before and baked whenever you’re ready. The longer the tofu marinates, the better it will be!
- Extra Firm Tofu: While I love basically all tofu, I highly recommend extra-firm for this recipe. I use this mainly in sandwiches, and for it to hold up and have a nice bite extra firm is the way to go. Be sure to allow for 10 minutes or longer to press the tofu! Just wrap it in a clean dish towel and set something heavy but stable on top. I use my cast iron for this all the time!
- Hoisin: Hoisin is fermented soybean paste and spices, and is unbelievably delicious. Kind of salty, sticky, and a little sweet, it reminds me of a really good barbeque sauce but much thicker.
- Tamari: I like tamari because its flavor is just so much richer than soy sauce, but that would work fine too.
- Maple Syrup: Brown sugar would work just fine in this!
- Spices: Ginger and garlic
- Sambal Olek: An Indonesian chili paste, Sambal Olek is hands down my favorite chili condiment. Omit or reduce by half if you are spice shy, but to me, this is more for flavor than heat.
Steps for perfect baked tofu
Since my son is 12 (almost 13) and tofu is his absolute favorite food, we make it A LOT.
With all that practice, I’m certain this is one of the easiest ways to get a lot of food into hungry faces fast.
- Preparation: The day before you plan on having the meal, press your tofu, slice it into the desired shape, and place it in whatever marinade you are in the mood for. Check out my 5 Easy Tofu Marinades for some ideas! We eat it so often, that I usually have a block hanging out in the fridge ready to go.
- Marinate: Tofu can be absolutely delicious, or mega bland. For incredible tofu, you have to marinate it for at least an hour. Longer if you can! Tofu will absorb the flavors of just about anything, so the better the marinade, the better the tofu!
- Heat: For crispy tofu, high heat is key. I love the convection function on my oven, and I rarely use a temperature lower than 425 for tofu. If you are making a higher sugar content marinade like this Easy Baked Hoisin Glazed Tofu, the high heat will caramelize the sugars – but keep an eye on it! Sugar can burn very quickly.
I love this easy baked hoisin glazed tofu so much – it has become my go-to for spring rolls, wraps, and my absolute favorite sandwich of all time, Vegan Bahn Mi. Speaking of, this is part one of three in my collection on how to make amazing Bhan Mi’s, from the baguette to the pate and everything in-between – literally!
If you make this Easy Baked Hoisin Glazed Tofu, let me know! Tag #vegans_for_dinner on Instagram. Thanks so much!
Stay weird and keep eating <3
Sonia
Easy Baked Hoisin Glazed Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 block extra firm tofu pressed
- 2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 Tablespoons tamari
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon sambal olek optional
Instructions
- Wrap the tofu in a clean kitchen cloth or paper towel and place something heavy, like a cast-iron skillet, on top to press the tofu. Let 10 minutes or longer.
- Slice the tofu into strips, about 1/2 inch thick.
- In a large dish, mix together the rest of the ingredients and coat the tofu. try to submerge as much of the tofu in the marinade as possible.
- Marinate the tofu in the fridge for an hour or more
- Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat, and arrange the tofu into a single layer. Do not discard the leftover marinade.
- Bake the tofu for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the tofu from the oven and flip them over. Baste with the leftover marinade and return to the oven.
- Bake for an additional 12 to 15 minutes until the edges are slightly crisp.