• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Cozy Peach Kitchen
  • home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Nutrition & Lifestyle
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Lifestyle & Nutrition
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Lifestyle & Nutrition
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Dinner Recipes

    Baked Sesame Tofu

    Published: Apr 19, 2020 · Modified: Jul 9, 2020 by Cassidy Reeser · This post may contain affiliate links.

    644 shares
    jump to recipe

    Sweet and savory flavors combine to make this easy but delicious baked sesame tofu! This recipe is great for quick weeknight dinners and is vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free optional.

    Tofu on white rice in a gray bowl with green onions in the background.

    Sesame tofu is slightly sweet and balanced with savory ginger and garlic flavors. Toss with oven-baked tofu for a delicious better than takeout meal!

    Recipe features

    • Made with a sweet and savory sesame garlic sauce
    • The sesame tofu sauce is ready in just 10 minutes!
    • Served with crispy golden oven baked tofu
    • Perfect for weeknight dinners

    I usually make this recipe (or my General Tso's tofu or baked peanut tofu) when I don't know what to make for dinner. It's just so simple to throw together but tastes so good!

    Large grey bowl filled with baked tofu and green onions.

    Ingredients and substitutions

    • Sesame oil: This imparts much of the sesame flavor into the dish. 
    • Ginger and garlic: Fresh is best for this recipe because it is the backbone of the sauce. 
    • Light brown sugar: For sweetness! White sugar or coconut sugar will work in a pinch.
    • Soy sauce: I use full-sodium soy sauce in this recipe. To cut down on salt you can use reduced-sodium if desired. Use tamari for a gluten free dish.
    • Rice wine vinegar: A little bit of acid adds brightness to the sauce.
    • Vegetable broth: In a pinch you can use water in place of vegetable broth, but broth will make the sauce more flavorful.
    • Cornstarch slurry: This is used to thicken the sauce. Mixing the corn starch and water together in a separate bowl prevents the sauce from getting lumpy. If your sauce isn't getting as thick as you'd like it you can always add extra cornstarch and water.
    • Toasted sesame seeds: Quickly toasting sesame seeds in an unoiled pan is a great way to add extra sesame flavor to the tofu.
    • Tofu: Extra firm or super firm work best but firm is fine if that's what you have on hand. Learn more about the different types of tofu in my complete guide to tofu.
    Overhead view of two bowls of tofu and white rice on a gray background.

    How to get crispy tofu

    To get the crispiest tofu we'll use corn starch as I do with my simple baked tofu recipe. 

    All you have to do is toss cubed tofu with a bit of olive oil, corn starch and salt. Bake it in the oven for 30 minutes until nice and crispy.

    Side note: You can definitely make this recipe without baking the tofu! Simply saute tofu in a hot pan until browned on each side, much like my marinated tofu recipe. You can also use air fryer tofu for an even quicker result.

    Toss with the sauce and enjoy!

    Bowl of tofu and white rice next to green onions, sesame seeds and a large bowl of tofu.

    Serving ideas

    I like to pair sesame tofu with plain white rice and sauteed broccoli. Simple but oh so good! This tofu also goes really well in vegan fried rice.

    Looking for more tofu recipes? Here are a few of my favorites:

    • Easy BBQ Tofu Sandwiches
    • BBQ Tofu Bowls
    • Vegan  Chorizo
    • Veggie Spring Roll Bowls
    • Spicy Peanut Sauce Tofu

    Enjoy!

    Did you try this recipe? You can leave a star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ in the recipe card or a review down in the comments section. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow along on my YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest or sign up for my newsletter!

    Tofu on white rice in a gray bowl with green onions in the background
    Print Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Baked Sesame Tofu

    This sweet yet savory tofu is made with a flavorful sauce and is ready in just over 30 minutes!
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time35 mins
    Servings: 4 servings
    Author: Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD

    Ingredients

    Baked Tofu

    • 1 block (14 ounces) extra firm tofu
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon corn starch
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Sesame Sauce

    • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
    • 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
    • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
    • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
    • 6 tablespoons (¼ cup + 2 tablespoons) vegetable broth
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 1 tablespoon water
    • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
    • chopped green onions for serving

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 420 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice tofu into 1" cubes. Press tofu firmly with a paper towel to remove excess moisture from the outside.
    • Add tofu to a large plastic bag or container. Sprinkle with olive oil, corn starch and salt. Gently toss to coat the tofu. You can also move your hands on the outside of the plastic bag to coat the tofu.
    • Place the tofu in a single layer on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. The tofu cubes should not be touching each other. Bake in 420 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
    • Meanwhile, make the sesame sauce. Add sesame oil to a small sauce pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add garlic and ginger. Saute until golden and aromatic, about one minute.
    • Stir in brown sugar. Add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and vegetable broth. Bring to a rapid simmer over high heat. Mix together one tablespoon cornstarch and one tablespoon water in a small dish to form a "slurry". Add this to the the pot, then reduce the heat to medium low.
    • Allow to simmer until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon without sliding off. This will take about 5 minutes.
    • Heat a small pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the sesame seeds. Stir consistently until toasted and aromatic, about 1-2 minutes.
    • Drizzle sesame sauce on the baked tofu. Toss with the toasted seeds. Serve with rice and green onions.

    Video

    Notes

    • Tofu: Extra firm or super firm work best but firm is fine if that’s what you have on hand.
    • Extra sauce goes well on rice or steamed vegetables.
    • This recipe is best enjoyed right away but will keep refrigerated for 4-5 days.

    Instagram icon

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @cozypeachkitchen on Instagram and hashtag
    #cozypeachkitchen

     

    Calories: 176kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 8gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 566mgPotassium: 177mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 47IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 2mg

    More Vegetarian Dinner Recipes

    • Baked Sweet Potato Bowls with Tempeh
    • One Pot Vegetarian Chili Mac
    • Rice and Bean Casserole with Sweet Potatoes
    • Vegetarian Red Curry Noodles (One Pot)
    644 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Smiling portrait of a woman holding a bowl of grits and tofu.

    Hi, I’m Cassidy! I’m the registered dietitian behind Cozy Peach Kitchen, a food and nutrition blog sharing easy vegetarian recipes for every occasion.

    More about me →

    Trending now

    • Vegan Avocado Pesto Pasta
    • Stovetop Gouda Mac and Cheese
    • Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowls with Almond Dressing
    • Vegetarian Black Bean Quinoa Casserole (Dump and Bake!)
    • Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls with Balsamic Chickpeas
    • Instant Pot Black Beans and Rice

    Vegetarian meal prep

    • Quinoa Edamame Salad with Peanut Sauce
    • Vegan Breakfast Egg Sandwiches
    • Vegan Lentil Bowls with Lemon Tahini Dressing
    • Easy Vegetarian Bean Burritos
    • One-Pot Vegetarian Spaghetti
    • Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice (Vegan)
    • Southwest Quinoa Taco Salad
    • Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowls with Almond Dressing

    Footer

    Logos

    Footer

    About

    • Privacy Policy and Disclaimer
    • Accessibility Statement

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with Cassidy

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Cozy Peach Kitchen®. All rights reserved.