With these helpful restaurant tips you’ll learn the secret to making bold, flavorful baked tofu every time! A healthy plant-based protein to add to dishes you are already making! Video.
Back when we had our vegetarian restaurant, big batches of tofu were always baking in the oven. We’d prep large commercial-sized sheet pans simultaneously with different flavored marinades and always had these on hand for tacos, bowls, salads and our fresh spring rolls.
After decades of perfecting our baked tofu recipes, both at the restaurant and in our catering business, I thought I would share a few tips.
Want to know the secret to the best-baked tofu? It’s the marinade! Tofu is like a sponge- it soaks up what you put on it. So if you don’t season it enough or salt it enough, yes, it can be bland- we’ve all experienced that. Please, let’s not do that here!
With our easy instructions, I’ll show you how to bake tofu like a pro!
Baked tofu Ingredients (and what tofu to buy!)
Tofu: Always opt for firm or extra firm tofu located in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. High-protein tofu or sprouted tofu are also a great option. Try to purchase organic, non-GMO tofu whenever possible. I love this organic sprouted extra-firm tofu at Trader Joe’s.
Marinade Options
- Sesame Ginger Tofu – Made with soy sauce (or coconut aminos or tamari) sesame oil, miso, ginger, garlic and chili paste.
- Baked Spicy BBQ Tofu– Made with barbecue sauce and sriracha sauce.
- Mexican Style Baked Tofu – made with olive oil, chipotle, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder,
- Try our Teriyaki Sauce Recipe
- Try our Peanut Tofu Marinade
- Try our Gochujang Tofu Marinade
- Try our Szechuan Sauce!
How to make the best Baked tofu (instructions)
Step one: Cut the tofu.
Tofu can be cut into various-sized pieces- cubes, strips, or even “filets,” depending on how you plan to use them.
- Cut tofu into long, narrow strips for spring rolls and tacos.
- Cut tofu cubes for grain bowls, stir fries, curries or salads.
- Cut into big “filets” or slabs to use as a “main” or in sandwiches.
If making tacos, cut them into long strips at least a ½ inch thick.
If adding to bowls or salads, cut them into cubes.
You can also cut the tofu into “filets” or larger slabs, ¾ inch thick.
Step two: Blot, but don’t overdo it!
Lightly blot the tofu of excess moisture with paper towels. A word of caution- you may see recipes that call for squeezing out all the excess moisture- and I would counsel against this! This will leave you with very dry, overly chewy tofu. A little moisture is good here.
Step three: Make your marinade.
We have three marinade recipes here in the recipe card for you, and a few more of our favorites are below. Feel free to create your own versions!
Step four: Bath the tofu in the marinade.
Season your tofu with salt, then toss or coat all sides of your tofu with your marinade and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Parchment paper truly makes cleanup easy here!
Tip: You can even place different cuts of tofu with different marinades on the same sheet pan to use for different meals throughout the week.
Step five: Bake!
Place the marinated tofu in a 400 F oven and bake it for 30-35 minutes. Use the convection setting for extra crisp texture.
The baked tofu comes out crispy and full of flavor.
Baked tofu Storage Suggestions
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or in a 350F oven, or toaster oven.
More Tofu Recipes you may enjoy!
Watch How to Bake Tofu Like a Pro
Baked Tofu Recipe
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: vegan, tofu recipe, main
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: american
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These restaurant tips will show you the secret to making bold, flavorful baked tofu every time! A healthy plant-based protein to add to dishes you are already making!
Ingredients
- 16 ounces tofu- organic, firm or extra firm, non-GMO
- salt and black pepper
- Pick a marinade below!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Gently blot the block of tofu with paper towels. No need to press out all the moisture, just a little.
- Cut tofu into pieces (strips, cubes, squares, or filets) about 3/4 inches thick and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.
- Make the marinade:
- Ginger Sesame Marinade: blend ingredients (except sesame seeds) together (using an immersion blender or mini blender) until smooth, pour over tofu, coating all sides well. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- BBQ Tofu Marinade: Sprinkle tofu with salt and pepper. Mix bbq sauce and 1-2 teaspoons sriracha together in a small bowl. Taste, adjust heat. If you like crispy tofu, stir in a couple of teaspoons of olive oil. Liberally coat the top and sides of the tofu with the bbq sauce.
- Mexican Tofu Marinade: Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl then brush the marinade on the tofu.
- Bake until crispy- 25-35 minutes. For extra crispy, use convection, or use your broiler for a couple of minutes at the end.
- Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
Sesame Ginger Marinade Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce- or gluten-free Braggs Liquid amino acids
- 1 tablespoon miso
- 3-4 slices thin slices ginger- peels ok
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (optional)
- 1-3 teaspoons chili paste (all optional)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
BBQ Tofu Marinade Ingredients
- ¾ cup bbq sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil ( for crispy texture)
- 2-3 teaspoons sriracha or red chili paste
Mexican Tofu Marinade
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar ( or white)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic ( or finely minced garlic clove)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ -½ teaspoon chipotle powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (optional)
More flavorful marinades: Peanut tofu marinade, Authentic Szechuan Sauce, Teriyaki Sauce
For extra crispy, use the convection setting in your oven or broil for just a few minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 ounces tofu with sesame ginger marinade
- Calories: 161
- Sugar: 0.8 g
- Sodium: 525.1 mg
- Fat: 11.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.9 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 11.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Another delicious recipe! I made the sesame ginger miso marinade and tossed it with cubed tofu. The only thing I would do differently next time would be to marinate in a separate dish and then place the tofu on the parchment paper because The residual marinade on the parchment paper burnt when the tofu was baked.
Oh gotcha, good to note. I will do this sometimes in a pyrex baking dish without parchment (it doesn’t really stick), then scoop all the marinade onto the tofu.
Thank you! I was looking for an easy ginger marinade and this fits the bill. I used 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon coconut aminos and it was plenty salty for us. I made a mistake and added the sesame seeds to the marinade in the blender. Oh well. It still tastes great!
Actually sounds yummy that way! Glad you enjoyed.
Hi! I’ve really enjoying making your recipes, which have the distinction of always being very well written! Would this work with your black garlic sauce (in the stir fried tofu recipe)?
Thanks Janice! So, I haven’t tried, but that is a great idea. I think so?
I have made all three of these variations and have loved them all! These recipes are great ways to add tofu to a meal.
Awesome Anne! Glad you are enjoying!
I made the Mexican tofu and can say with all honesty that this is the first time I’ve made something with tofu and not thought “Meh, well it was OK I suppose”.This was absolutely delicious, I think the tip about not pressing too much of the moisture out is the charm as I used to really flatten that block before!
Awesome Jeannie! So happy to hear!
Used the ginger sesame marinade for the soba noodle salad – was a huge hit with the whole family (including a toddler)! Thanks for the great recipes!
Oh perfect- love it Stephanie!
I am yet to try the Mexican marinade, but it looks like a winner. I picked up a trick to getting more flavor into the tofu. Freeze it first. I have frozen the whole package, but it takes longer to thaw because of the water in the package. I cut the block to half thickness, and freeze two whole sized blocks one inch thick. The ice crystals create a more porous tofu, with a meatier texture. Thaw in fridge. Press out water as usual and then cube and marinate for about 30 minutes. The marinades go deeper into the tofu. Another quick press before cooking will get some moisture out, leaving the great flavors inside, and providing a crispy pan fry result. I be trying the oven bake method next. Thanks.
Yes, Joseph, freezing is a fun option here too. It does change the texture of the tofu though- giving it a more spongy texture.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I follow Bright Line Eating, which means that I do not consume any sugars or sweeteners of any type, or any flour and flour-like substances. I have been trying to go Whole Foods Plant Based but have been having a very hard time with Tofu. I do not like the taste of it at all and marinades all seem to have sugar in them and crispy tofu recipes seem to use cornstarch. I am really hoping that these will work (even the BBQ one, I can try with Primal Kitchen sugar free BBQ sauce, possibly).
Hi Deb, there are so many tasty ways to prepare tofu- yes, baking it in a marinade or also try our Crispy Tofu ( no need for conrstarch). Many of our sheet-pan dinners are adaptable, meaning you can sub tofu for the chicken, also a fun way to prepare it.
can I make this in advance if I am going to wrap them in spring rolls the next day?
yes, absolutly!
Hi Sylvia, is the marinade savable for another recipe?
yes, it should be fine!
I had thought that tofu had to be pressed thoroughly to extract every last drop of moisture. How nice to learn differently! I made the sesame ginger marinade (which a couple of small modifications based on what was on hand), and it was delicious in lettuce wraps. I’ll bake tofu more often because of this great little how-to with marinade recipes.
Awesome Crystal!
I am playing with ingredients for an alternative chicken tortilla soup recipe. I used extra firm tofu, pressed then cut into strips in the Mexican spices marinade. Beautiful! My plan is to add the baked tofu to the soup just before serving so the tofu strips don’t fall apart in the simmering soup.
Thanks for a delicious recipe!
I like your plan! sounds good Eli!
The tofu didn’t come out that crispy, it looked crispy but wasn’t crispy when you took a bite. Is there anything I can do about this? Other than that, your recipe was fantastic. Thanks so much Sylvia, your recipes always inspire me!
Hi Jo- which marinade did you use?
The ginger sesame marinade, it was delicious but not that crispy. I blotted my tofu for a half hour so I’m not sure what happened. Any ideas?
Ok yes, there is a lot of moisture in that marinade so these won’t get very crispy. Have you tried making the Crispy Tofu on the blog, on the stove top? This may be more of what you are looking for. Type it in the search bar and it should show up. 🙂
Thanks so much for your help Sylvia! Your recipes are an absolute joy to eat!
Its delicious and healthy.
Am I do this in a cast iron skillet instead? I don’t have an oven!
Hi Kim- then I would recommend to go over to the “crispy tofu” post.
Yes I saw this. So then I can I do a marinade or just dry spices?
Dry spices- and cook it in an oiled skillet.
Got it thanks!
Thank you for always bring easy and flavorful recipe.
My family 😉 enjoy.
What kind of tofu are you supposed to use? Soft? Silken? I used extra firm and it came out overcooked and hard, had to throw it out. I would make this again but possibly sautee it in a frying pan instead of baking it.
I’m sorry about that. Which marinade did you use? Each marinade has a different baking time, is it possible you accidentally looked at the wrong time?
The sesame seed asian one.
Ok- thanks I’ll adjust baking time- sorry about that.
I have to agree with Tziga. The cooking time of 35-40 min at such a high temperature overcooked the ginger sesame tofu. Pan frying or baking for 20-25 mins would seem appropriate.
Noted the recipe- thanks Ginny!
I made the ginger sesame tofu for the Fresh Spring Rolls and they were delicious on their own! I pressed the tofu and marinated it overnight in the fridge. Will definitely make it again. Thank you!
I’ve only made tofu once or twice, but I was looking for a marinade that would work with a mushroom fried rice I will be making. It sounds perfect! Thank you 🙂
This was so easy to make and the flavor was scrumptious!
I could not even tell that it was healthy, lol.
I made the ginger recipe, but without the sesame seeds (since I did not have any on hand); however, I added a few splashes of red wine & white distilled vinegar, plus two squeezes of regular mustard (mainly because sometimes I crave vinegar) into the marinade. OMG, it turned out superb!
The only thing different I did on the cooking part was to do 25 minutes at 400 degrees and then lower the oven to 350 for the next 10 minutes (in which I flipped the tofu over so the cooking would be more even).
The tofu came out 100% perfect. It was so tasty, the outside had a crunch while the inside was soft and smooth.
I did not need a dipping sauce or anything for this.
Great to hear and thanks for sharing. 🙂
So far I’ve only made the baked ginger sesame TWICE. I’ve been a non-meat eater since 1976 and this is by far my favorite tofu recipe. I have to force myself to not eat the whole batch. It’s easy to make and works out perfectly using pickled ginger from a jar. I can’t wait to try the others.
thanks Connie!
Haven’t made it yet but do you really have to cook the ginger sesame tofu twice as long as the others?
You know, yes, the marinade is really wet, so to get those edges crispy, it needs to bake longer. You can check and see it if gets done any earlier?
I’ve never subscribed to a recipe site before, until today.
I discovered your site a while back while looking for some cool veggie recipes, and I bookmarked so many. I’ve yet to be disappointed by a single one.
Then, yesterday, I was looking for some tofu marinades, and I came across this. I didn’t analyze it much; I didn’t even look where the recipes came from; I just threw it together and into the fridge to chill. I came back in the evening to read what the recipe suggested for cooking times, and there was your picture. I was like, “OF COURSE it’s her again. No wonder the marinades taste so good…”
That sesame ginger one is baller. We’ll be trying the Mexican tomorrow.
I can’t wait to try some of the others I’ve saved.
Thanks Danica, appreciate this!
Hi! Items 9 & 11 in the ingredient list for ginger sesame marinade seems to be missing on the post.
Hi- they weren’t missing just spaced weird! Sorry about that, fixed!
We made the ginger sesame tofu and it turned out well. Do you think you could marinade the tofu after you press it overnight to absorb the flavor of the sauce more?
Sure!