Baked Teriyaki Tofu and Broccoli

A flavorful baked tofu and broccoli dish tossed in a creamy umami teriyaki sauce. This recipe is great for those looking for a healthy and filling meal in under 30 minutes!

Teriyaki sauce is a Japanese glaze, typically brushed onto proteins (such as tofu or fish) or meats that are being broiled or grilled. A common dish you might find at restaurants is chicken teriyaki. This flavorful glaze is a distinctly salty and sweet mixture and wonderful on otherwise more flavorless tofu and broccoli. Not only is this a great sauce for a veggie/protein stir-fry, but it's heavenly when served over a bowl of rice.

If you're looking to add more volume to your meal, try my Miso Soy King Oyster Mushroom (Vegan Scallops) recipe!

Ingredients

• Firm tofu: You must use firm or extra firm tofu. Soft tofu or silken tofu or your tofu will not hold its shape.
• Broccoli: It's easiest to buy the packaged broccoli florets that are pre-washed for the easiest prep.
• Soy sauce: Low-sodium soy sauce will be your best bet here.
• Brown sugar
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Mirin: Mirin is a rice wine, but has higher sugar content. You can sub with dry sherry or sweet marsala wine.
• Sesame oil
• Rice vinegar
• Cornstarch
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Sesame seeds (optional)

See recipe card for quantities.

What type of tofu should I use for baking?

When baking tofu, it's important to use firm or extra firm tofu. Both firm or extra firm tofu has a lower moisture content and a denser texture. You cannot use soft tofu or silken tofu because these will break apart too easily when pan-frying.

How do I prepare tofu for baking?

The tofu preparation is critical to the final texture and flavor of the dish. If you want the tofu to absorb the marinade, you will need to press the tofu to remove as much liquid as possible.

My favorite way of preparing tofu is by freezing the tofu block overnight. Remove the tofu from container, drain, and place in a Tupperware to prep for overnight freezing. By freezing the tofu, the liquid becomes ice crystals, which makes the tofu more porous, allowing more of the marinade to be absorbed.

The next steps is thawing. You can thaw the tofu in the fridge afterwards but this will take a much longer time. I sit the container holding the tofu in a bath of warm water or even briefly microwave the tofu for 30 seconds. Once defrosted, press the tofu between two heavy plates to remove the rest of the liquid.

Is this necessary? No! If you don't have time to freeze and thaw tofu, simply press the tofu between two heavy plates for 15 minutes to remove as much liquid as possible. If you have tofu often, it might even make sense to get a tofu press.

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F/204 C.

2. Prep tofu by freezing the day before, defrosting, and then pressing (see steps above). Slice tofu into 1 inch cubes. Toss tofu cubes in soy sauce and cornstarch so all the tofu is coated evenly.

3. Prep broccoli by tossing with salt and pepper. Place tofu on one-half of a sheet pan and the broccoli on the other half. Bake for 25 minutes, check halfway through and flip tofu and toss broccoli. Tofu should be light gold.

4. While tofu and broccoli are baking, make the teriyaki sauce by mixing together all the ingredients.

5. In a shallow pan, pour in teriyaki sauce and set to low-medium heat. When the mixture starts to bubble, add in cornstarch slurry and stir until sauce thickens. Take off heat.

6. Remove baked tofu and broccoli from oven and place in a separate bowl. Add all the sauce and toss to evenly distribute.

7. Serve over rice. Sprinkle over some toasted white sesame seeds (optional!).

📖 Recipe

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5 from 14 votes

Baked Teriyaki Tofu and Broccoli

A flavorful baked tofu and broccoli dish tossed in a creamy umami teriyaki sauce. This recipe is great for those looking for a healthy and filling meal in under 30 minutes!

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Japanese

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 4

Author Julia

Ingredients

Tofu Prep

• 14 oz firm tofu
• 2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Broccoli Prep

• 4 cups broccoli
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Teriyaki Sauce

• ⅓ cup soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 3 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoon mirin
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• ¼ cup water

Cornstarch slurry for teriyaki sauce

• 2 tablespoon chilled water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Toppings

• 1 tablespoon roasted white sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 400° F/204° C.
• Prep tofu by freezing the day before, defrosting, and then pressing (see steps above). Slice tofu into 1 inch cubes. Toss tofu cubes in soy sauce and cornstarch so all the tofu is coated evenly.
• Prep broccoli by tossing with salt and pepper. Place tofu on one-half of a sheet pan and the broccoli on the other half. Bake for 25 minutes, check halfway through and flip tofu and toss broccoli. Tofu should be light gold.
• While tofu and broccoli are baking, make the teriyaki sauce by mixing together all the ingredients.
• In a shallow pan, pour in teriyaki sauce and set to low-medium heat. When the mixture starts to bubble, add in cornstarch slurry and stir until sauce thickens. Take off heat.
• Remove baked tofu and broccoli from oven and place in a separate bowl. Add all the sauce and toss to evenly distribute.
• Serve over rice. Sprinkle over some toasted white sesame seeds (optional!).