This teriyaki tofu recipe is a sheet pan meal where cubed tofu bakes side-by-side with broccolini. You can simmer the sauce while you prep the tofu. Then serve this vegan main dish with brown rice, and you’re all set.
If you love a simple sauce with lots of flavor, try this Honey Garlic Tofu too.
The tofu is baked, not fried or sautéed. Besides being healthier and not requiring lots of oil, cooking tofu on a baking sheet is an easy, hands-off way to prepare it.
The teriyaki sauce is sweetened with maple syrup rather than sugar. I don’t love an overpoweringly sweet sauce especially because it takes away the attention from the tofu and vegetables in the recipe. This homemade teriyaki sauce simmers on the stove in minutes and is then tossed with everything on the sheet pan.
This recipe is a complete meal with tofu, broccolini and rice. It is so convenient that the tofu and broccolini cook on the same pan. The rice can be made at the same time or cook it in advance and warm it up when you are ready to serve everything.
Hailing from Japan, teriyaki sauce is sweet, salty and a little bit tangy. It’s made with soy sauce, mirin and sugar. It is most commonly served as a glaze for chicken, meat or fish. Because if its sugar content, it’s best brushed on in the final minutes of cooking to avoid burning.
This is what you need:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
1. Prep the tofu. Pat the block of tofu with paper towels. Then wrap it in a dry towel and place a cast iron skillet or cutting board on top of it to press out the liquid. Let it sit like this for 15 minutes. After that, cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes.
2. Make the sauce. You can do this while you press the tofu. In a small pot, combine the soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, maple syrup, mirin, ginger and garlic. Simmer for a couple minutes until fragrant. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with water. Pour the slurry into the sauce. Simmer for another 3-4 minutes until it thickens.
3. Bake the tofu. Put it on one half of the sheet pan and bake if for 10-12 minutes until it is lightly golden.
4. Add the broccolini to the pan after you toss it with olive oil, salt and pepper. Flip over the tofu.
5. Bake the tofu and broccolini for another 10 minutes. The broccoli should be bright green with tender stems that still have some bite.
6. Toss the tofu and broccolini with half the sauce.
7. Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.
8. Serve with brown rice. You can put the extra sauce in a small bowl on the side.
With tofu and vegetables along with rice for a side dish, this is a complete meal that’s great for a weeknight dinner. If you’re looking for a salad to go with it, try this Cucumber Carrot Salad with peanut dressing or this Asian Cabbage Salad with red bell peppers and almond ginger vinaigrette.
You can keep leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Store the sauce in a separate jar. Warm leftovers or enjoy them cold. You can freeze the sauce up to 1 month. Let it thaw at room temperature and then reheat it over low heat on the stove.
Do not skip pressing the tofu. It is important to remove that excess moisture, so it is firmer and drier. It will have a better consistency when it is cooked.
Taste the teriyaki sauce as it simmers. Since soy sauce is already salty, I do not add any salt, but make sure the seasonings are to your preference.
You can substitute the broccolini with broccoli florets. They are both good options to go with tofu and teriyaki.
Since soy sauce contains wheat, teriyaki is not gluten-free. Also made from soybeans, tamari is a good substitute to make it gluten-free. Of course always read the label make sure that brand of tamari does not have wheat.
No. You want the tofu and broccolini to make direct contact with the hot metal to encourage browning. Greasing the pan with non-stick cooking spray will prevent sticking.
Did you make this easy tofu recipe? Please leave a rating and comment below. Thanks!
Originally published February 3, 2020. Updated: February 20, 2023.
Made this for dinner tonight- I thought this was good, a little basic (but we eat a lot of teriyaki & veggies!) I think the sauce was a little salty even though I used low sodium soy. I also added some avocado for freshness. Overall, I’d make it again with some minor tweaks!
Thank you!!