Baked Tofu

This easy baked tofu will have you passing by the expensive stuff at the grocery store—it’s so easy to make it yourself at home!

Last spring Irving and I took a sushi making class at our local co-op grocery store.  Besides learning how to make sushi, sort of, and having a lot of fun, we were introduced to a few new ingredients.  One of those ingredients was baked tofu from Wildwood.  It was so good—stackable right out of the package.  I knew the boys would love it!  I went to purchase a package and…..wa, wa, wa, waa.  It was $5 for a small slice—they could split the whole block for lunch and still be hungry!

DIY Baked Tofu

I set out to make my own.  I checked out their ingredient list—all good stuff—and tinkered around with my own marinade.  You guys, this stuff is good!  And it’s easy to make too!  Marinate and bake!  I leave my tofu in big slabs which makes for really easy flipping!

^^^ These smiles are proof that this is kid tested and APPROVED!

So Versatile

The tofu is best marinated overnight, but you can get away with an hour or two if you need to, the flavor is just less developed.  It tastes delicious fresh out of the oven, but also holds up well in a lunch box, and tastes great at room temperature.  The boys eat it in cubes on it’s own, and I love it tossed in a salad.  You can’t go wrong!

^^^ Serve it fresh out of the oven with some rice—yum!

Here are some more of our favorite tofu recipes:

• Sweet and Sour Tofu
• Din Tai Fung Tofu
• Baked Tofu with Tomatoes, Lemon, and Capers 
• Pizza Tofu
• Fajita Tofu Scramble

I have a feeling this baked tofu is going to be part of our very regular rotation over the summer when we plunge into picnic season!  I hope you have a chance to try it—when you do, be sure to take a picture, post it on Instagram, and tag it with #frieddandelions!

Print Recipe

Baked Tofu

This easy baked tofu will have you passing by the expensive stuff at the grocery store—it's so easy to make it yourself at home!

Ingredients

• 2 blocks tofu
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (use gluten free tamari if necessary)
• 1 Tablespoon mustard
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons sesame or olive oil

Instructions

• Press the tofu, either using a tofu press (I have two of this one and adore them), or by wrapping them in paper towels and stacking them between plates under a heavy object (like so).
• Meanwhile, add all of the marinade ingredients into a container and whisk to incorporate completely.  Set aside.
• Slice each tofu block in half horizontally, leaving you with four large slabs of tofu.  In a dish that will fit all of your tofu without leaving extra room, drizzle a layer of the marinade.  Place two of the tofu slabs in and pour more of the marinade on top.  Put the other two pieces of tofu in and pour all of the remaining marinade in (following these steps just helps to make sure that all of the tofu is coated in the marinade).  Seal the container and place the tofu into the fridge to marinate for several hours, preferably overnight.  I like to check on mine every few hours and turn the tofu to make sure it's all getting covered in the marinade.
• Preheat your oven to 350°.
• Place your tofu slabs onto a parchment lined baking tray.  Bake for 45 minutes, flipping half way through.  The tofu will firm up slightly as it is chilled.  Eat right away, or store in the fridge for lunch the next day.  We like to cut ours into cubes, but you could really cut it any way you want!  Enjoy!

^^^ Who knew tofu was so much fun?