Crispy Baked Tofu with Peanut-Sesame Sauce

General Fast With Oil Published August 02, 2026

Tofu earns its reputation for blandness only when it is treated gently. Press it hard, toss it in cornstarch, and give it a hot oven, and it comes out with a crust that holds sauce the way fried chicken holds sauce. This is the recipe to learn first if tofu has disappointed you before — the technique matters more than the seasoning.

The peanut sauce does the heavy lifting: peanut butter, soy, rice vinegar, garlic, and enough chili to make you notice. It is thick enough to cling and salty enough to season the whole plate. Over rice with a pile of steamed greens, this is a full meal with better protein numbers than most meat dishes.

A block of tofu is 40-some grams of protein before you add the peanuts. Make a double batch on Sunday; the tofu re-crisps in a hot pan and the sauce keeps a week in the fridge.

FASTING LEVEL: Fast With Oil
SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the tofu:
- 800g (2 blocks) extra-firm tofu, pressed 30 minutes
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

For the sauce:
- 1/3 cup (85g) natural peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1-2 teaspoons chili crisp or sriracha
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 4-6 tablespoons hot water, to thin

To serve:
- Steamed rice
- 2 heads bok choy or 300g broccoli, steamed
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 3 scallions, sliced

METHOD

1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Press the tofu between two plates weighted with something heavy for 30 minutes — this is not optional, the water has to go.

2. Tear or cube the tofu into 1-inch pieces. Torn edges catch more crust than cut ones.

3. Toss the tofu with the oil first, then the cornstarch, salt, and white pepper. The oil-then-starch order keeps the coating from clumping.

4. Spread on a parchment-lined sheet pan with space between pieces. Bake 25-30 minutes, flipping once at the halfway mark, until deeply golden and firm at the edges.

5. Meanwhile, whisk all sauce ingredients together, adding hot water a tablespoon at a time until it pours slowly off the spoon. It will thicken as it sits.

6. Serve the tofu over rice with the steamed greens, sauce spooned over or served alongside for dipping. Finish with sesame seeds and scallions.

NOTES

- For strict no-oil days: skip the oil and cornstarch, and instead simmer the tofu cubes in the sauce thinned with vegetable broth. Thin the peanut butter with broth rather than oil and omit the sesame oil.
- Almond butter or tahini both work if peanuts are a problem. Tahini needs more maple syrup to balance.
- Add a handful of roasted peanuts at the end for texture and another few grams of protein.
- The sauce is also a dressing for cold noodles and a dip for raw vegetables.