How to Bake Tofu

How to Bake Tofu

I’m not gonna lie – I hated tofu when I first went vegan. It was flavorless, had a weird texture, and just generally grossed me out. LOL. I have to laugh now because fast-forward years later and I am obsessed. The truth? I was cooking it all wrong. Once you learn how to properly bake tofu, you won’t be able to get enough of the crispy goodness.

This is sort of a vegan/vegetarian 101 post, but I think it is important because so many people have no idea how to work with tofu – never mind eat it. These crispy bites are easy and best of all – bursting with flavor. I promise, you will be a changed human once you master this recipe (which, spoiler alert, is fool-proof).

The #1 piece of advice I can give you is to first squeeze out the excess liquid. HOWEVER, some people will go crazy and tell you to wrap it in paper towel, put a heavy plate on top, and leave it for like 20 minutes. Nope… I never do this, and my tofu still ends up crispy and delicious. I simply take the tofu out of the packaging, wrap it in paper towel and squeeze over the sink. I do this about 3-4 times, changing the paper towel in between. That’s it. No need to sit on it or wait an hour for dinner – it’s pretty simple.

Okay, so now that the tofu is ready to be prepared, let’s get to the recipe.

Recipe

Oven: 425 F
Bake Time: 40-50 minutes

You will need:

  • Olive oil spray (or your choice cooking spray)
  • 1 block of tofu
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

To make:

  • Preheat oven to 425 F and line a baking sheet with tin foil. Spray with cooking spray and set aside.
  • After getting the excess liquid out of the tofu (see above instructions), cut into tiny squares (I usually do 4×4 or 3×4, depending on how big you want them).
  • In a small bowl, add tofu bites, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
  • Toss until tofu is coated.
  • Pour onto baking sheet, with room between each one. Spray one last time with cooking spray and put into the hot oven.
  • Bake for about 20-25 minutes first – take out of the oven. Using tongs or a fork, flip each one (they should be golden brown) and the put back into the oven for another 20-25 minutes.
  • Serve warm or store in an airtight container for use during the week.

These bites are perfect to eat as is when they first come out of oven. For later in week, I will usually add them to wraps, burritos, or stir-fry. I’m absolutely crazy about this bites!

So yes, when prepared poorly, tofu can be disgusting. Any food would be if it wasn’t prepared right! I promise you that this recipe will change your mind, and I really hope you’ll give tofu another shot. It definitely deserves it ;) xx bianca

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