Crispy baked tofu over rice with peanut sauce and fresh vegetables
VeganHigh ProteinMeal PrepGluten-Free-Adaptable

Crispy Tofu Bowl

Lin Wei

@linweiwok

4.7(668 reviews)🍳 2,218 made this

Prep

15 min

Cook

15 min

Total

30 min

Servings

4

Difficulty

Easy

Let's cook

  1. Press the tofu hard

    Wrap the block in a towel, put a heavy pan on top, and press for at least 20 minutes. Squeezing the water out is what allows it to crisp instead of steam.

    💡

    Twenty minutes minimum. Unpressed tofu will never go crisp, whatever else you do.

  2. Tear, do not cube

    Tear the pressed tofu into rough chunks rather than cutting neat cubes. The irregular surfaces catch the coating and crisp much better.

  3. Coat in cornstarch

    Toss the pieces with the soy sauce first, then the cornstarch, until each piece is dusted evenly and looks dry.

  4. Bake hot

    Spread on an oiled tray with space between pieces and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 30 minutes, flipping once, until deep golden and firm.

  5. Make the peanut sauce

    Whisk the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, maple syrup, and garlic. It will seize; add the warm water gradually until pourable.

  6. Assemble

    Build bowls with rice, broccoli, carrot, and tofu, then spoon the sauce over and top with scallions and sesame seeds.

🍳

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📝 Tips, swaps, and make-ahead notes

Sauce the tofu at the table rather than in the bowl if you want it to stay crisp. Baked tofu keeps 4 days and re-crisps in an air fryer for 4 minutes.

  • Air fryer: 400°F for 15 minutes, shaking twice.
  • Nut-free: Tahini or sunflower seed butter make the same sauce.
  • Gluten-free: Tamari in place of soy sauce.

Nutrition & Safety

Calories

548kcal

Protein

24g

Carbs

58g

Fat

26g

⚠️ Allergen & Safety Note

This recipe contains soy, peanut and sesame. Nutritional values are estimates per serving and may vary based on the specific ingredients you use. If you have food allergies, please verify all ingredients before cooking.

AI-assisted content. Always verify instructions with trusted culinary sources.

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