Tofu Teriyaki

🍛 Why We Love This Recipe

• Crispy tofu perfection: Getting tofu to be crispy can be tricky, but the baked tofu in this recipe has an amazing crunch without frying in a ton of oil. It's also super easy and doesn't require much hands on work!
• Homemade teriyaki sauce: Our umami-rich teriyaki sauce is the perfect companion to crispy tofu. It coats every piece and adds a ton of sweet and savory flavor.
• Weeknight dinner hero: The crispy tofu takes a bit of time, but it's almost completely hands off. The homemade teriyaki sauce comes together in just a few minutes, so you can have this tofu teriyaki on the dinner table in no time!
• Vegan and gluten free optional: This tofu teriyaki is an excellent meal for just about any dietary needs. (To make it fully GF, use tamari instead of soy sauce!)

🥡 Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this tofu teriyaki:

📋 Ingredient Notes

• Cornstarch: This is the key ingredient that will make your tofu super crispy. It's naturally gluten-free and has zero taste, so it will only improve your dish. We would not recommend leaving it out or substituting it for anything other than arrowroot starch, which behaves very similarly.
• Tofu: Be sure to use extra firm tofu in this tofu teriyaki. Extra firm contains less moisture, which will help it get extra crispy and chewy in the oven. Firm tofu will work in a pinch, but don't use medium or silken tofu.
• Mirin: Mirin is a type of rice wine that's similar to sake but has a lower alcohol content. You should be able to find a bottle of it in the Asian section of your supermarket. If not, you can try substituting with sherry, sake, white wine, or rice wine vinegar.
• Brown sugar: It's essential for the characteristic sweetness of teriyaki sauce. You can also substitute with coconut sugar if preferred.
• Soy sauce: If you're gluten free, feel free to use tamari.
• Rice wine vinegar: You can also use rice vinegar.
• Oil: We love using toasted sesame oil for extra flavor, but regular sesame oil, vegetable oil, or another high-heat oil of choice will work well in this recipe.
• Garlic and ginger: Fresh is always best, but if you're in a pinch, you can sub in 1 teaspoon each of garlic granules/ginger.

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

PREP: Preheat the oven to 375˚F / 190˚C.

(1) Drain the tofu well, pat dry and slice the block in half lengthwise, then wrap in a clean tea towel (or several paper towels). Set something heavy on top, like a cast iron skillet and press for 30 minutes.

(2) Cube the tofu into 1 inch pieces. In a medium mixing bowl, toss the tofu gently in oil until well coated. Add in the cornstarch, salt, and pepper and toss until well coated.

(3) Spread the tofu out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until crispy and golden brown. 

(4) Meanwhile, add oil to a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add ¼ cup scallions, garlic, and ginger and sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring often to prevent the garlic from burning.

(5) In a small bowl, whisk together water, soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, rice vinegar, and cornstarch until smooth.

(6) Pour into the skillet and simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce starts to thicken.

(7) Add in the tofu, stir to coat and continue cooking for about 5 more minutes, until thickened. Serve with sesame seeds, rice, and vegetable of choice.

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

• Pan-fried vs. baked tofu: Although pan frying is typically quicker than baking, we try to avoid it for two reasons. One: it can burn easily (or cook unevenly), and often sticks to the pan, whereas baking on parchment paper cooks evenly and gets crispy on all sides. Two: it tends to make a huge mess of your stovetop! We promise, the 30 minutes of baking time is well worth it for this perfect tofu teriyaki.
• Don't skip pressing the tofu: Pressing for at least 30 minutes will help remove excess moisture, resulting in crispier (and more delicious) tofu.
• Using extra firm tofu, which has less moisture, will create a crunchier exterior and chewy interior.
• Don't skip the cornstarch! It really helps to create a super crispy outer layer on the tofu, and it's essential to thickening the homemade teriyaki sauce. Without it, this tofu teriyaki won't turn out.
• Serving suggestions: Turn this tofu teriyaki into a full meal by serving it alongside steamed white or brown rice, and a vegetable like broccoli, mushrooms, or peppers. It would also be great with this Carrot Sesame Salad, or a simple Sweet & Spicy Cucumber Salad.
• Use a fine grater or microplane for the garlic and ginger. This helps release the flavor, and makes it small enough that you don't get any huge chunks of garlic or ginger in your tofu teriyaki!
• Make the sauce ahead of time: You can make the homemade teriyaki sauce several days ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use!
• Storage: Although this tofu teriyaki is best served right away (before the tofu loses its crispiness), you can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

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