This Baked Tofu with Spicy Peanut Sauce can easily be made in 30 minutes and only requires 9 simple ingredients! Crispy baked tofu paired with a delicious sriracha peanut sauce makes this oil-free, gluten-free, & vegan stir fry the BEST weeknight dinner.
*Recipe shared March 2020 and updated January 2022*
Lately, I have been VERY into making vegan versions of my favorite takeout recipes at home. It all started with this Black Pepper Tofu & Green Beans , which is now the most popular recipe on SGTO, followed by the Best Vegan Fried Rice recipe.
This spicy peanut tofu recipe takes it one step further by baking tofu and then covering that tofu in a healthier & oil-free spicy peanut sauce.
Ingredients:
This baked peanut tofu recipe only requires 9 ingredients aka it truly is easy! The full ingredients are in the recipe card.
Ingredient substition notes:
- Peanut butter: Really needs to be smooth & unsalted. You can susbtitute almond butter for a similar flavor!
- Tamari: Is gluten-free soy sauce without wheat. You can substitute coconut aminods or regular soy sauce 1:1.
- Sriracha: I used Fix hot sauce, but any brand works. It is what gives this peanut tofu the spicy flavor but could be substituted for gochujang.
- Sugar: Can be replaced with 1 tablespoon maple syrup or 2 tablespoon coconut sugar to keep this dish refined-sugar free
- Black vinegar: While black vinegar has a really uique flavor and adds a lot of depth of flavor to this sauce, it can be substituted 1:1 with rice wine vinegar or even lime juice for a similar flavor.
How to make crispy baked tofu
To keep this recipe completely oil-free, I decided to bake the tofu! Making baked tofu is actually incredibly easy, so here's a quick rundown of the steps:
First, line a baking sheet with parchment paper & preheat the oven to 400F
Doing this helps to prevent the tofu from sticking and still allows it to get crispy in the oven. Win, win! We are also going to cook the tofu at 400F so it gets crispy & gets rid of any excess moisture.
While the oven is preheating, press the moisture out of the tofu
First things first, I want to stress that this recipe only works with the firm or extra-firm tofu. Silken tofu or soft tofu has too much moisture to get crispy and risks falling apart when being mixed with the cornstarch.
Before baking firm tofu, press it between two towels or paper towels to soak up any excess moisture. There are a lot of recipes out there that say you need to do this for hours, but I honestly do it for 5-10 minutes and always get crispy tofu. Place a heavy item, like a plate, on top to really squeeze out any excess moisture.
Add the tofu to a bowl with cornstarch
Once the tofu has been pressed, add it to a large mixing bowl and add in 2 tablespoon of cornstarch. Mix together until the tofu is coated and no dry spots of cornstarch remain.
Layer the tofu & bake
Next, lay the tofu out on the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until crispy! I like to flip the tofu halfway through baking so it gets evenly crisp on both sides.
Baked Tofu FAQ:
What is the texture of baked tofu?
Cooking tofu this way leads to tofu that is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. It won't be mushy on the inside! If you want softer tofu, follow my Black Pepper Tofu recipe and stir fry the tofu instead.
Do I need cornstarch?
Yes and no. If you want truly crispy tofu the cornstarch helps crisp and brown the edges. However, baking tofu without cornstarch will also lead to firm tofu. It won't be quite as crispy, but it still will taste great! If you don't have any cornstarch on hand, just omit it and bake the tofu as is.
Also, I don't recommend replacing cornstarch with arrowroot powder or tapioca powder in this recipe as it doesn't produce the same texture.
How to make baked tofu peanut sauce
Ready for this one-step sriracha peanut sauce? Simply add all the ingredients to a food processor and blend! Yes, it's truly THAT easy to make this vegan peanut sauce.
This sauce is decently thick without water which is why I like to add in 1-2 tablespoon of water. However, that's totally optional so adjust this sauce to your preferred thickness.
Also, I do want to note that this recipe only makes enough sauce to coat the tofu. If you are looking to have extra sauce to drizzle on veggies, rice noodles, or just to save for later- I recommend doubling the recipe.
What peanut butter works best for this sauce?
I recommend using creamy UNSALTED peanut butter. I actually used natural peanut butter (which will separate naturally if left to sit) and it worked really well for this recipe!
Using unsalted peanut butter is really important because the Tamari adds a decent amount of sodium to this recipe (and you don't want it to be too salty)
How long will peanut sauce keep for?
Luckily, this tofu peanut sauce is easy to double or triple because it can be stored in the fridge or freezer in a closed container. In the fridge, it will keep for 5-7 days. If you are using natural peanut butter it may separate a bit in the fridge, so just whisk it together before using.
If you are storing in the freezer I recommend adding to ice cube trays, freezing, and then storing the cubes in a closed container. Otherwise, it can be relatively difficult to get the sauce out of a frozen container and you will have to defrost it first. This peanut sauce will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.
I truly hope you enjoy this easy 30-minute Baked Tofu with peanut sauce! It really is the perfect sweet, salty, and spicy baked tofu recipe that also happens to be healthier & oil-free. Enjoy!
-TSG
More easy vegan weeknight dinner recipes you will love:
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Baked Tofu with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 14 ounces firm tofu must be firm or extra firm, not soft
- 1.5 Tablespoons cornstarch
Peanut Sauce:
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted peanut butter creamy not crunchy- unsalted is very important or sauce will be too salty
- 4 Tablespoons tamari or soy sauce/ coconut aminos
- 1 Tablespoon sriracha
- 1 Tablespoon black vinegar or rice wine vinegar/lime juice
- 1-2 Tablespoons brown sugar add more or less depending on preference
- 1 teaspoon ginger fresh or ½ teaspoon ground
- 1-2 Tablespoons water optional- I prefer for a thinner sauce
Toppings
- 2-3 diced scallions optional
- 1-2 Tablespoons crushed peanuts optional
Instructions
- To begin, slice the block of tofu in half and press it between two towels or two paper towels. Let the tofu sit for 10 minutes to soak up any excess moisture. While it's being pressed, preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Next, cut the pressed tofu into 1 inch cubes and add to a large bowl. Add the cornstarch to the bowl and use your hands to evenly coat the tofu in cornstarch.
- Add the tofu to the parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer and add to the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes until crispy on the outside and cooked throughout. While not entirely necessary, if you want to make sure the tofu evenly crisps, remove the tray and flip the tofu over at the 10 minute mark.
- While the tofu is baking, make the peanut sauce. Add the remainder of the ingredients including the peanut butter, tamari, sriracha, black vinegar, brown sugar, and ginger to a small bowl or blender and whisk/blend until a smooth sauce forms. It will be a thick sauce, so if you are looking for a lighter sauce, add in 1-2 tablespoon of water and blend in.
- Once the tofu is baked remove it from the oven and add to a pan with the peanut sauce. Turn on the heat and mix together until the tofu is coated and the sauce is warm.
- Remove from the heat and serve on top of rice noodles or alongside your favorite vegetables. Enjoy!
Notes
- Tofu with peanut sauce on top can be stored in a closed container for 3-4 days in the fridge and up to 3 weeks in the freezer.
- This recipe makes enough peanut sauce to coat the tofu, but the peanut sauce portion of the recipe should be doubled if you want extra sauce to coat noodles or vegetables.
- It's also possible to double or triple the sauce recipe and save for later. In the fridge it will keep for 5-7 days. Natural peanut butter may separate a bit in the fridge, so just whisk it together before using.
- If you are storing extra peanut sauce in the freezer I recommend adding to ice cube trays, freezing, and then storing the cubes in a closed container. Otherwise it can be relatively difficult to get the sauce out of a frozen container and you will have to defrost it first. The peanut sauce will keep in the freezer up to 1 month.
Joelle says
Such a great and easy recipe. I squished the tofu lightly by hand, using standard tofu. To compensate, I kept in the oven a little longer. Perfectly crispy!! I also just drizzled sauce over rice and tofu rather than heat together. Love it! Even my meat eating fam thought the dish was delish! Will definitely make this again.
Megan says
So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Sarah Smurlick says
My sauce thickened up way too much in a very short amount of time. I believe the cornstarch used to help crispen the tofu squares acted upon the sauce thickening it. I think it would have been better to warm the sauce separately and just add the fresh hot from the oven tofu at the end. The flavor was good, but the texture of the sauce was like "just peanuts" peanut butter drained of its oil.
Megan says
It's definitely meant to be a thick sauce, but using a runny peanut butter helps with this or next time you can add more water to thin it out!
Jannelle says
THANK YOU from all my heart!! I recently became vegan. I have never been a plant protein product fan and have struggled getting enough protein. I do not know exactly what it was about baking of the tofu or this recipe, but it made the perfect tofu texture/meal. I tore tofu pieces and baked with nothing for 25 min. The sauce I doubled as I wanted drizzle over broccoli. I also sliced thai basil and mint along with peanuts on top for serving. My partner made chicken and ate the tofu instead and saved the chicken along with scraping the sauce for leftovers. My first fantastic tofu dish that will be added to recipe rounds. Felt fully satisfied which I have not been successful with since going vegan. Thank You!!
Megan says
You are SO welcome!! I hope you're able to find many more tofu recipes here that work for you both 🙂
Beth Davis says
This recipe is great! I skipped out on the sugar entirely and I doubled the ginger. We cooked our tofu in the air fryer and it was amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Megan says
You're so welcome! 🙂
Dan says
I LOVE this recipe! I've been making this once a week for more than a year now. It's delicious drizzled over freshly shredded red cabbage. I have a hard time finding black vinegar, but the recipe works well with rice vinegar or lime juice, as noted above. What's also nice is that you can make this more or less sweet or spicy by simply changing ratios of sugar and hot sauce. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe! It's given me and my guests many hours of happiness 🙂
Megan says
Thanks for sharing your substitutions and so glad you enjoyed it!
Jen says
Delish! I cut the sugar way back to 1tsp and upped the grated ginger (got carried away with the grater and tossed the extra in :)). Had with brown rice and sautéed broccoli and red peppers. Colorful and tasty!
Megan says
Adding in all those extra veggies sounds great!
Vicki says
This recipe is one that I make regularly. We love it!
Megan says
Love to hear that- it's a favorite over here too 🙂
Natalie says
OK recipe. Easy but way too sweet with all the sugar. I doubled to make extra sauce and wish I'd tasted before adding everything. Had to add more peanut butter, soy sauce and sriracha to tone down the sweetness. If I made again, would add a tbs of sugar at a time and taste.
Megan says
Sorry to hear the sauce wasn't to your liking. Make sure to use unsweetened peanut butter or the sauce will definitely be too sweet, and you can always add less sugar in the future :).
Sarah says
I love this dish. I'm making it for a second time tonight. It has just the right amount of spice for me! It was a little spicy for my mom but when she makes it she won't add as much sriracha. Thanks for the recipe!
Megan says
You're so welcome! 🙂
Kara says
What makes this vegetarian and not vegan?
Megan says
It is vegan actually
Lucy says
I don't know what I have made wrong, but the sauce was so thick that it was really weird texture. Even when I added about 1/2 cup of water, it was really thick and sticky. I am an PB lover but this was too much to my taste. I am so sorry but I didn't enjoyed it.
Megan says
Sorry to hear that! It may have something to do with the peanut butter you used or using too much of it- it should be a thick sauce, but if you look at the pictures it doesn't thicken a lot until it is cooked.
Ann Smajstrla says
This was so easy and delicious!
Megan says
So glad you liked it 🙂
Lea says
This looks so delicious and full of flavor!
Megan Currier says
Delicious! Made this for dinner tonight, the sauce was so good. Subbed Chili paste for sriracha since I was out, and cut the sugar in half - had an extra kick! Served with some rice noodles. Ultimate comfort meal.
Megan says
So glad you liked it and thanks for sharing your substitutions 🙂
Sam says
Made this for lunch yesterday wow this sauce is TASTY. Very easy to throw together too!
Hannah says
Hands down my favorite recipe of yours that I’ve made! Make sure you double the peanut sauce recipe, you’ll be craving it for days to come!
Kelly says
Yum, just made this for lunch with a salad and dragon dressing and it was so tasty.
ShortGirlTallOrder says
That combo sounds awesome! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
ShortGirlTallOrder says
So glad you liked it thanks for the feedback!
Paulette says
Absolutely delicious. Thank you.
Zoe says
I didn’t make the tofu, but I made the spicy peanut sauce and added it on my normal stir fried veggies and threw in some egg noodles. So quick and easy, and super flavorful. Definitely recommend!!
ShortGirlTallOrder says
So glad you liked the sauce!