For an easy weeknight dinner, look no further than this garlic sesame tofu! It's so easy to make, requires only 10 minutes of prep time and is completely vegan and gluten free.
Recipe by Claire Cary on May 14, 2024
Prep time: PT10M
Cook time: PT30M
Total time: PT40M
Rating
4.85 stars (125 reviews)
Keywords
baked tofu, sesame tofu, sesame tofu recipe
Ingredients
1 tablespoon low sodium tamari or soy sauce
1 16 ounce block extra firm tofu
1 tablespoon corn starch
3 tablespoons gluten free breadcrumbs (can sub for regular)
5 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon oil (I used avocado oil)
1/3 cup low sodium tamari or soy sauce
2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2-3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon corn starch
4 tablespoons water (divided)
Categories
Dinner
Cuisine
Asian
Steps
Preheat the oven to 400 Fahrenheit.
Drain the excess liquid from the tofu and dry it off with a towel*.
Cut into 1 inch cubes and add to a large bowl. Toss with the soy sauce.
Toss with the cornstarch and the breadcrumbs until all pieces are evenly coated.
Add to the baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
During the final 10 minutes, prep the sauce.
Mince the garlic and saute with 1 tbsp oil in a small saute pan for 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned.
Add in the soy sauce, honey or maple syrup, rice vinegar, 2 tbsp of water and sesame oil.
Whisk together the cornstarch and other 2 tbsp of water in a bowl and add to the pan.
Heat over low heat for 3-5 minutes or until the sauce bubbles and thickens.
When the tofu is done, toss with the sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds if desired and serve over rice with steamed broccoli or enjoy as is!
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 252 kcal
Carbohydrates: 21 g
Protein: 12 g
Fat: 6 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Trans Fat: 0.01 g
Sodium: 934 mg
Sugar: 7 g
Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
Reviews
Ariel Moore on 2026-08-04 (5 stars): This is absolutely my husband’s favorite meal! I’m sensitive to fermented food so cannot use soy sauce so I sub in coconut amino‘s and it is super amazingly!!! The toasted sesame oil is necessary for flavor. Do not use regular sesame oil. I serve it over quinoa and steamed broccoli topped with the sauce and I serve it at least once a week. I have exchanged the tofu for chicken and it works. Love this recipe!
zidane on 2026-07-28 (5 stars): This guide is exactly what I needed because I always ended up overcrowding my baking sheet which makes the broccoli steam instead of getting that nice roast char.
Xavier on 2026-07-17 (5 stars): Super good! Whole household loved it with some steamed veggies and rice. Adding this to my rotation of dinner plans.
Heather on 2026-06-25 (5 stars): This is delicious! I love tofu and am always looking for a great recipe. This is easy, packed with flavor, and is my new favorite tofu recipe! YUMMY
Hettie on 2026-05-20 (5 stars): When I told my husband we were having tofu tonight he wasn't enthusiastic. But he's an agreeable guy, so he tucked in. WOW! He loved it. So did I.
An easy recipe we'll have again and again. Served it with rice, bok choy and spicy, honey-glazed carrots. Delicious! Thank you.
Lesley-anne Hatch on 2026-05-05 (5 stars): Wonderful and crispy!
Beth Martin on 2026-05-05 (5 stars): I am relatively new to cooking with tofu and have had pretty mixed meh results. I did make the time to give my tofu that extra squeeze. I also was a little short on soy so added a bit of Ponzu to make up the difference. It was perfect! I topped with chopped peanuts and sesame seeds, which I forgot to toast. I would have added green onions too, but didn't have any this time.
My husband liked it too, woot!
Elliot on 2026-05-02 (2 stars): Not my favorite :( I had high hopes for this meal, but there was a ways stronger garlic flavor and a way less sesame or sweet flavor than I had expected. I ate it all (possible with a ginger ale), but don't believe I will make it again.
Kristin on 2026-04-30 (5 stars): It was delish! I dry sautéed some peanuts and toasted some sesame seeds to mix into the sauce just before serving, then sprinkled chopped green onion over the top. Both my husband and I loved it. We paired it with some brown rice and a salad.
Alyssa on 2026-04-24 (5 stars): I absolutely love this! I just made it on a whim, and it was both easy and it turned out even better than I expected. Adding this to my rotation of recipe "regulars"!
