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February 3, 2022

Honey Garlic Tofu

The sauce in this easy honey garlic tofu recipe simmers in minutes on the stove while the tofu bakes on a sheet pan in the oven. Serve it with roasted broccoli and brown rice.

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The sauce in this easy honey garlic tofu recipe simmers in minutes on the stove while the tofu bakes on a sheet pan in the oven. Serve it with roasted broccoli and brown rice.

There are so many reasons to love tofu. One of the best things might be its lack of flavor. I know that sounds confusing. But tofu is the perfect blank canvas for vegetarian and vegan meals. It gives you an opportunity to use all sorts of seasonings and make a sauce or marinade.

When you bake tofu and vegetables in the oven, you can take advantage of that time to whip up a super quick and simple stovetop sauce, which is what I do with this honey garlic tofu. The recipe intentionally makes more sauce than you need. So there is plenty for serving on the side for dipping and maybe even a side or main dish for another dinner.

Sheet pan meals are what we all need during the week to get food on the table while doing a million other things at once. Baking tofu may take longer than a stir fry, but you can be a little more hands-off, a major plus for an easy recipe.

Ingredients including tofu, broccoli, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, honey and scallions

Ingredients & Substitutions

This is what you need:

Tofu blocks come in different types ranging from soft to extra firm. Since you want the tofu cubes to hold their shape, make sure to use extra firm.
Soy sauce is the base for the honey garlic sauce. I always use low-sodium because it is less salty. This allows you to control the seasonings.
Honey adds some sweetness. If you want to make the sauce vegan, you can substitute golden maple syrup, which won’t have as intense a maple flavor as darker varieties.
Rice vinegar is made from fermented rice and has a pleasant mild acidity.
Garlic is key to the sauce, so I include 4 minced garlic cloves. It may sound like a lot, but the flavor of the other ingredients is strong, so they all balance and compliment each other.
Ginger: Fresh minced ginger goes so well with the garlic, honey and soy.
Cornstarch mixed with a little water helps to slightly thicken the sauce into a rich, silky consistency.
Broccoli is my roasted veggie of choice, but you can use cauliflower or a combination of both.
Oil: I toss the broccoli in a minimal amount of vegetable oil before adding it to the baking sheet with the tofu.
Salt & pepper is for seasoning the broccoli.
Scallions are fresh, crisp and oniony. Once I toss the tofu and broccoli in the sauce, I add lots of sliced green onions.
Sesame seeds are a nutty final garnish.
Brown rice is a great choice to serve on the side. You could also use quinoa or another grain that you have in your pantry.

How To Press Tofu

Before you start cooking, you need to press the excess moisture out of the tofu. When you open the package, you will find the block sitting in water.

First, pat the tofu with a towel. Then wrap it in a fresh dry towel, put it on a plate and stack a heavy object on top of it like a cutting board or cast iron skillet.

Of course, no gadget is required to do this, but if you do cook with tofu a lot like I do, I recommend buying a tofu press. Then you can put the block into the press and stash it in the fridge. The liquid that’s pressed out ends up in a basin. It doesn’t take up much storage space, and it’s very convenient.

Steps showing how to bake tofu and broccoli on a sheet pan

How To Make Honey Garlic Tofu

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a sheet pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Prep the tofu. Press out the moisture letting it stand for 15 minutes. Then cut it into 1-inch cubes.
Bake the tofu. Arrange the cubes on half of a sheet pan in a single layer. The sides of the tofu should not be touching. Cook for 10-12 minutes until it turns lightly golden on the side touching the surface of the pan.
Make the sauce. While the tofu is in the oven, combine the soy sauce, water, honey, rice wine vinegar, ginger and garlic in a small pot. Simmer for a couple minutes. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and a tablespoon of water. Then stir the slurry into the sauce. Let it simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.
Toss the broccoli in oil, salt and pepper. Then add it to the pan next to the tofu, and flip over the tofu. Roast until the broccoli is bright green and crisp and the tofu is lightly golden brown on the other side.
Spoon half the honey garlic sauce over the tofu and broccoli, stirring everything around so it’s all coated.
Garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds.
Serve with brown rice and extra sauce on the side.

Honey garlic tofu and broccoli in a bowl with brown rice

Serving

With tofu, vegetables and rice, it feels like a really complete meal. If you are looking for a salad, try this cucumber carrot salad with peanut dressing or this cabbage salad with red peppers and almond ginger vinaigrette.

Leftovers Including The Honey Soy Garlic Sauce

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. You can rewarm them in the microwave, but I also like to eat this dish cold straight from the refrigerator.

You will likely have leftover sauce. It’s so tasty on pretty much any roasted vegetables. Also, my husband is a big fan of it stirred into shredded or sliced chicken.

More Tofu Recipes

Tofu Pumpkin Curry
Grilled Tofu Shawarma
Sesame Tofu Asparagus
Ginger Garlic Veggie Tofu Stir-Fry
Sheet Pan Sweet Potato Black Bean Tofu

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