This kung pao tofu recipe takes a different approach because it’s a sheet pan meal that’s made in the oven. (Full disclosure, the sauce simmers on the stove in minutes while the tofu is baking). Bookmark it for your weeknight recipe ideas along with Honey Garlic Tofu, Sweet Potato Black Bean Tofu and Teriyaki Tofu Broccolini—all cooked in the oven too.
I love a stir-fry, but sometimes I want a more hands-off approach that is still easy. And this sheet pan kung pao tofu does just that. While the tofu and veggies bake in the oven, the sauce cooks on the stove. When everything is ready, you can spoon the sauce onto the tofu, broccoli and red peppers right on the pan. Serve it with brown rice and you have a simple healthy dinner.
Hailing from the Sichuan province, this Chinese stir-fry sauce is spicy and often used with a combination of chicken, vegetables and peanuts. Traditionally the heat comes from the Sichuan peppercorns in the sauce, which has salty and sweet flavors with soy sauce, vinegar and sugar. You also see this dish prepared with beef or shrimp.
For this plant-based recipe, I use tofu. And by baking the tofu in the oven, you can use non-stick cooking spray instead of the oil required to stir-fry it in a frying pan on the stove. The hot metal of the baking sheet still lightly browns the tofu and does a good job roasting the vegetables. Again, I will always make stir-fries, but moving to the oven gives you more opportunity to multitask in the kitchen.
This is what you need:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a sheet pan with non-stick cooking spray.
1. Prep the tofu. Pat the block with a towel. Then wrap it with fresh paper towels and place a cast iron pan or cutting board on top to press out the excess liquid. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Then cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes.
2. Place the tofu on the pan and bake it until it is golden on one side, about 10-12 minutes.
3. Make the sauce while the tofu is in the oven. Combine the soy sauce, water, maple syrup, rice vinegar, hoison sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes in a small pot over medium heat. Simmer for a couple minutes.
4. Stir together the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl and whisk it into the sauce. Continue simmering for a couple minute to let the sauce thicken.
5. Flip the tofu to the other side. Add the broccoli and the peppers to the pan between the cubed tofu. Continue cooking for 5 minutes.
6. Add the peanuts to the tofu and veggies. Cook for 5 minutes until the tofu is lightly browned and the broccoli is tender and bright green, but still crisp.
7. Spoon half the sauce on the pan, tossing with the tofu, broccoli and peppers. You can serve extra sauce on the side.
8. Sprinkle with sliced scallions.
Basic brown rice is great paired with kung pao tofu, and it really sops up that wonderful sauce. If you are looking for a salad, try this Asian Cabbage Salad with almond ginger vinaigrette or this Cucumber Carrot Salad.
You can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Either eat them cold or warm them in the microwave. Store the extra sauce in a separate jar.
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Did you try this simple sheet pan recipe? Please leave a rating and comment below. Thanks!
Originally published January 14, 2019. Updated: October 6, 2022.
This was great! Thanks for the recipe and the oven idea. I wasn’t as careful as I should have been about getting the vegetables onto the sheet pan without the sauce, so they steamed a bit. But it was still delicious. I will definitely make it again, and try some of your other recipes.