Crispy And Sticky Baked Sesame Tofu Recipe
In this recipe, the tofu is first given a quick marinade of sesame oil and soy sauce, then coated with corn starch to help it crisp up while baking. Using extra-firm tofu allows you to skip pressing to extract excess moisture, and yields a meaty interior texture.
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups white rice
- 2 (16-ounce) blocks super-firm tofu
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon cornstarch, divided
- ¼ cup black soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
- ¼ cup mixed white and black sesame seeds
- Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- Fill a large pot with water, add the salt, and bring to a boil.
- Add the rice, stir, and bring back to a simmer.
- Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Fluff the rice with a fork and set aside.
- While the rice cooks, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pat the tofu dry, place on a cutting board, and cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Transfer the tofu to a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 2 tablespoons sesame oil.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup cornstarch over the tofu cubes and toss to evenly coat.
- Spread the tofu in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and crisp, stirring occasionally.
- Remove tofu from oven and set aside.
- While the tofu bakes, mix the remaining soy sauce, remaining sesame oil, black soy, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
- Combine the remaining cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl until smooth.
- Heat a wok or large saute pan over high heat. Add the avocado oil and heat until shimmering.
- Add the scallions and stir fry for 1 minute.
- Add the sauce and cornstarch mixtures, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly.
- Add the tofu and stir until completely coated and the sauce has become thick and sticky.
- Sprinkle in half of the sesame seeds.
- Serve the crispy and sticky baked sesame tofu over the rice and garnish with the remaining sesame seeds.
Gather the crispy and sticky baked sesame tofu ingredients
This recipe uses super firm tofu, which will yield the crispiest results for your dish. The tofu is marinated in regular soy sauce and sesame oil, then tossed with cornstarch which helps to create a crispy surface when baking. You will make the sticky sesame sauce from a mixture of more soy sauce and sesame oil, black soy, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes. The sauce is thickened with a bit more cornstarch, which helps create the delicious sticky texture. Scallions are stir fried in avocado oil before the sauce is added to the pan to thicken. A mix of black and white sesame seeds are used in both the sauce and for garnish (either color works if you don't want the aesthetic mix). Pick your favorite white or other varietal of rice to cook on the side and serve with the crispy and sticky baked sesame tofu.
