Hearty, chewy tofu marinated in a savory miso sauce and baked to crispy golden brown perfection. Perfect paired with rice and some greens for a wholesome, nutritious meal.
I started making this marinade 2 years ago in college and totally forgot about it until now! I’m so glad I saved the recipe on my laptop because it is delicious, easy, and great for meal prepping. I usually make a double batch (one block of tofu and one tempeh) when I’m cooking for my boyfriend too, but one serving of the marinade is enough for one block of tofu or tempeh.
Key Ingredients
This baked miso tofu requires just 8 basic ingredients:
- firm tofu ⟶ press to remove excess water, or you can also try using frozen (then thawed) tofu
- miso ⟶ Red or white will work. White miso is slightly sweeter, while red miso is more salty and savory.
- soy sauce ⟶ use tamari for gluten-free
- rice vinegar
- sake
- sriracha
- sweetener ⟶ regular sugar and maple syrup are my go-to’s!
How to Make the Best Miso Tofu
I like to bake mine to get it nice and crispy all around, but it does require about 30-40 minutes. So if you’re in a rush, you can pan fry it in a little oil to get it browned, but I’m not sure it will turn out quite as crispy. You can also air-fry it, just be careful as miso burns easily.
Press the tofu! ⟶ I highly recommend pressing your tofu first to let out excess water. It will soak up more of the marinade and crisp up better. To press tofu, I place a small bowl upside down in a bigger bowl, then wrap a block of tofu in paper towels and place it on the upside down bowl. Place a heavy object (like a container of protein powder, a bowl — just make sure it’s not so heavy that it crushes the tofu) on top of the tofu and leave for at least 30 minutes.
White vs Red Miso ⟶ I typically use white miso for marinades and sauces, and red miso for soup, since white miso is a bit sweeter. However, red will work as well if you don’t have white miso, just add extra sweetener to taste (you shouldn’t need too much though). Taste the marinade BEFORE adding sake, or else you’ll just taste alcohol.
More Tasty Tofu Recipes!
I hope I’ve inspired you to make this easy baked miso tofu! If you try it out, don’t forget to tag me in your photos on instagram @ellielikes.cooking, leave a comment/rating down below, and let me know how you liked it! I love seeing all of your tasty recreations 🙂 Happy cooking ♡
Baked Miso Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 block firm tofu, pressed**
- 1½ tbsp miso**
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- ½ tbsp sake
- ½ tsp sriracha
- 1 tbsp sugar/maple syrup
Optional
- 1 clove garlic, grated, or ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ginger, grated or ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Press tofu for at least 30 minutes to let out excess water (see notes).
- Mix all marinade ingredients together in a big bowl.
- Cut up tofu into cubes, and soak in marinade for at least an hour, flipping halfway through to coat both sides.
- After marinating, bake the tofu on parchment paper in an oven preheated to 375°F. Bake for 15-20 minutes on each side, checking occasionally to make sure it’s not burning.
**Notes
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