Gochujang baked tofu is crunchy, spicy, and a little bit sweet and the perfect recipe to end bland tofu.
Ingredients
- Extra firm or firm tofu: This recipe requires either extra firm or firm tofu, which contains less moisture. Silk or soft tofu won't work due to the consistency. To further guarantee crispiness, press the tofu beforehand.
- Black or white pepper
- Cornstarch
- Olive oil
- Soy sauce: Use light soy sauce to control sodium levels
- Gochujang: A Korean spicy red chili paste, this is the key to flavor in this recipe
- Water
- Mirin: Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine often used in cooking to add sweetness and depth of flavor to dishes.
- Sesame oil
- Ginger (grated)
- Garlic (minced)
How does tofu absorb flavor?
There are a lot of different tofus-- silken, soft, firm, extra firm and each one serves a different purpose based on the dish you're cooking. Most silken and soft tofus are found in stew or soup dishes, while firm or extra firm tofu (which contains less liquid) are used in scrambles (in lieu of egg) and anything involving frying or baking.
To ensure that your extra firm tofu is able to absorb the gochujang mixture, you want to press out as much liquid as you can. Some people use a tofu press. I simply drain and place my tofu between two flat plates and wrap it with paper towels. Sometimes I'll put a couple cans of beans on the top plate to apply more weight/pressure to the tofu. I'm all about efficiency (or just call me lazy), but I only do this for about an hour and change the paper towel out once when its absorbed too much liquid.
A hack to ensure that your tofu is less liquid-y is to freeze it. Place your tofu in the freezer the night before, then take it out and defrost it. You'll notice that it holds less liquid, but it will also have a more sponge-like texture. I've honestly never noticed a difference in taste since the sauce does a lot of its magic.
Instructions
Once you've drained and pressed the tofu, slice into 1 inch cubes. Generously toss with oil and soy sauce. Make the dry mixture of cornstarch and black pepper, then toss with tofu until each cube is evenly coated. The smaller you cut the tofu, the more surface area is exposed to oven heat and the crispier it will be.
Lay out your tofu blocks on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake at 400F/205C for 40-45 minutes or until a golden brown. Halfway through baking, gently flip the tofu cubes so that each side is cooked evenly.
In the last couple of minutes your tofu is baking, start to make your gochujang sauce. Mix in a bowl and then transfer to a pan. Mix 2 generous tablespoons of gochujang, 2 tablespoons of mirin (sweet rice wine), 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, 2 cloves of minced garlic, grated ginger and some black pepper. Stir in half a cup of water. It will look very liquid-y.
Bring the sauce to a simmer and make a cornstarch slurry by mixing one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of water. You want to mix it well in a separate bowl before you pour it into the saucepan.
Once you pour in the cornstarch slurry, you'll want to mix it quickly and keep the heat low. It will thicken up within seconds. Immediately stir in the baked tofu and toss so each cube is generously coated with gochujang sauce.
Top with chopped scallions and white sesame seeds and serve with a side of rice. This spicy dish will have anyone thinking tofu is bland think again.
Variations
Less spicy: If you're unsure of your spice tolerance levels, reduce the gochujang by half and build up until you feel comfortable with the spice levels.
FAQs
Gochujang is a Korean fermented red chili paste, adding a spicy and savory flavor to dishes.
Gochujang is available in most Asian grocery stores and some well-stocked supermarkets. You can also order it online.
Yes, you can use regular tofu, but firm or extra-firm tofu is recommended for a better texture. However, you cannot use soft or silken tofu.
It's recommended to press tofu to remove excess water, ensuring a firmer texture and better absorption of flavors. Press for at least 30 minutes.
This dish pairs well with rice, quinoa, or noodles. Add a side of stir-fried vegetables or a fresh salad for a complete meal.
📖 Recipe
Korean Gochujang Crispy Baked Tofu
Ingredients
- 16 oz extra firm tofu sliced into 16 blocks sliced into 16 blocks
- 1 teaspoon black or white pepper
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Gochujang Sauce
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Cornstarch Slurry
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Toppings
- Scallions and white sesame to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F/205°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Drain and press firm tofu. Toss with oil and soy sauce. In a separate bowl, mix your white or black pepper and cornstarch. Toss in tofu and generously coat with dry mixture. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until crispy (if your tofu is too wet, it won’t crisp up!)
- Mix the gochujang, water, soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, grated ginger, and minced garlic in a shallow saucepan and simmer. Create a cornstarch slurry with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoon water. Pour into gochujang mixture and stir constantly until the sauce thickens.
- Throw the baked tofu in the sauce. Toss lightly so all the tofu is evenly coated.
- Serve with white rice and top with some chopped scallions and white sesame seeds.
Alexandra says
This is my new favourite way to enjoy tofu!! Love how flavoursome it is.
Sabrina says
So dang delicious! Great combination of flavours.
Kay says
Love tofu and this recipe is fantastic 😉
Sue says
What a great way to "flavor up" my tofu! Thanks!
Jessica Stroup says
We've been adding more plant-based meals to our diet and this one was a hit! Thanks for sharing!
Julia says
I'm so glad you liked it!
Ashlea C. says
I'm all about a good sauce and this gochujang sauce is sooo good! Tastes great on tofu but I'm wondering what else I should throw it on. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Laura says
This is so good. The sauce is spicy and so flavorful.
FOODHEAL says
This tofu looks yummy. Thank you for charing.
Kyleigh says
This was delicious!
Kristina says
Loved it.
Akasha says
I noticed in the sauce ingredients - when told to mix, the pepper is not listed. Of course I will add it, I love pepper. Eager to try this. Thank you.
Linda says
Hi, the sauce was nice.. but wanted a clarification about the amount of cornstarch. It says 1 CUP to coat the tofu. Is that a typo?
Casey says
Mixing the cornstarch, oil, soy and pepper together prior to tossing in the tofu is disastrous. The liquids and cornstarch become a paste and you cannot coat the tofu with it… I mixed white and black pepper which was nice.
Julia says
Thank you for the comment! I've updated the instructions. The tofu should be initially tossed in the oil and soy sauce. Then the dry ingredients (cornstarch and peppers) are mixed separately and then tossed to coat the tofu. Hope that helps!