Silken or extra-firm? To press or not to press? This easy baked tofu recipe + my best tips and tricks will teach you how to cook tofu like a pro!
Everyone has an opinion on tofu, and here’s mine: I absolutely love it…when it’s prepared the right way. If you’ve never worked with it before, cooking tofu can be daunting. But once you learn a little about it, it couldn’t be easier to prepare tofu well! Below, you’ll find my best tips and tricks for how to cook tofu like a pro, plus my go-to sriracha baked tofu recipe!
What is tofu, anyway?
Tofu is a soy-based food that’s made from curdling soy milk and forming it into a solid block. It’s a good source of plant-based protein that can be used in all sorts of ways. It’s a great addition to vegetarian and vegan diets, but even if you’re a meat eater, I urge you to try it. In my tofu recipes, I don’t use it as a meat substitute, but rather as something unique and delicious in its own right!
How to Cook Tofu
Tofu can get a bad rap as a meat substitute, but it’s actually an incredibly versatile ingredient. When blended, it has a great creamy texture – you can use it in a vegan mousse or pudding, and it’s essential for making a creamy ricotta substitute in my lasagna and vegan stuffed shells. Most often, I bake it to add protein and hearty texture to bowls, noodles, and salads.
It’s easy to work with, but there are a few things you should know before you start cooking with it. Here are my best tips on how to cook tofu:
- Make sure you select the right texture. In grocery stores, it ranges from silken to firm and extra-firm. Soft silken tofu would be my choice for blending into desserts or slicing into miso soup, but if you’re serving it as a main dish or topping it onto bowls, extra-firm is what you’ll need. It has a heartier, denser texture and less water content than other types of tofu. Note: I prefer to buy organic tofu made without genetically modified soybeans.
- Press it. Tofu contains a lot of water, and you’ll want to squeeze most of it out, especially if you’re baking, grilling, or frying it. Tofu presses are available in stores, but having one isn’t necessary. You can use a stack of books, or just do what I do, and use your hands to press it lightly in a kitchen towel or paper towels. (Just make sure not to push too hard, or it will crumble!)
- Spice. It. Up. There’s a reason that tofu gets flak for being bland, and that’s because it is! Make sure you season it well. You can marinate it, or prepare it using the crispy baked tofu recipe below:
My Go-To Baked Tofu Recipe
Baking is my go-to method for how to cook tofu. It yields flavorful, firm cubes that are perfect for adding to a stir fry, salad, or bowl! Here’s how I do it:
First, drain the tofu and gently press it in a kitchen towel or paper towels over the sink. Many baked tofu recipes swear by pressing it for 30 minutes or more, but in my opinion, that step isn’t necessary. This method is SO much quicker, and the results are delicious!
Next, chop it into 1-inch cubes and spread them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toss the cubes with olive oil, tamari or soy sauce, and sriracha. If desired, you could also add cornstarch to make it extra crispy. It’s good both ways, but I like mine best without the cornstarch. The corners of the cubes get golden brown and caramelized, while the middles stay nice and chewy.
Finally, bake! Transfer the baking sheet to a 425-degree oven and cook until the cubes are browned around the edges. Enjoy!
More Plant-Based Cooking Basics
If you love this recipe, try one of these plant-based cooking components next:
- Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
- Marinated Baked Tempeh
- How to Cook Lentils
- Lemon Herb Couscous
- Herbed Farro
- Cauliflower Rice
- Zucchini Noodles
- Spaghetti Squash
- Vegan Bacon
- Jackfruit

How to Cook Tofu
Ingredients
- 14 ounces extra-firm tofu, patted dry and cubed
- 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablesoons tamari
- 1/2 teaspoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss the cubed tofu with the olive oil, tamari, and sriracha. For extra crispy tofu, sprinkle with the cornstarch and gently toss to coat.
- Spread the tofu evenly onto the baking sheet. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until browned around the edges. Remove and serve warm.
I made this- I like it but it’s way too salty. I will try again with a less salty, slightly more sweet marinade.
Love! Love! Love it!!!
I couldn’t send you a picture, but I made a yellow Thai curry with purple potatoes, egg plant, chicken thigh and the tofu. I add a little coconut to it.
Does it work it firm Tofu
Hi Regina, extra firm tofu is best, but it’ll work with firm tofu as well.
Sounds good
What an unwarranted comment. This woman does nothing but devise delicious recipes to make people’s lives a little better. Why on earth would you say something like that. Incredibly rude. I wish Jeanine would put a “report comment” button so she could take down trash like this. Disgraceful and disgusting behavior.
Apologies, I have a spam filter for comments but sometimes it misses a few!
So yummy! I used 1.5 tbsp of tamari instead of 2 and skipped the cornstarch and it still turned out great.
decided to bake some tofu — found this recipe amazingly simple and tasty. The tips here are great — unlike other recipes where you end up with dried, flat cubes! And the suggestion of adding a tad bit of cornstarch i think really helped give you the crispy look and texture!! this will be the way i bake tofu from now on!!
I’m so glad you loved it!
This was delicious and will be my go to recipe for tofu now, thank you!
Love the tofu recipes.
Hi Jeanine, Thank you for your recipe and knowledge on this wondrous ingredient. (I’ve been to your site before by the way and always come away pleased) Quick question though…I live with an oven that only goes to 300 (if I cross my fingers and it comes on at all) so most of my dishes either take hours in the oven or I use my stove top…so I am assuming your recipe would be okay for the stove top with my trusty cast iron pans but I wanted to check with you incase you had any tips. Thanking you in advance for your help. 🙂
can i pan fry the tofu???
How should I store the leftovers? Fridge?
yep, in the fridge.
I’ve never tried eating or cooking tofu. I don’t even know where to find the 2 ingredients you listed. I have evolved and soy sauce but don’t have a clue what the other 2 are. Can I use garlic powder and onion powder? What other spices could I use?
Hi Tawny, tamari is gluten free soy sauce, so you can use soy sauce if you want. Sriracha is a spicy chili garlic sauce, you can find it at any grocery store. You can use garlic powder and onion powder if you want to (maybe 1/4 teaspoon of each). A sprinkle of chili powder or smoked paprika would be good too.
Can you omit the olive oil? I avoid all oils. Thank you.
You can, it won’t have a golden brown color, but it will work.
Will try it for the first time!
I am a new pescatarian, which means I only eat seafood, fruits, veggies, etc. and I had tried a Pinterest recipe that had me press it and it was absolutely disgusting but I am trying this recipe and it turned out delicious I made it with soy sauce and I put it in some fried rice and it was Delicious
Hi Molly, I’m so glad you loved this one!
This recipe worked just as stated! Thanks for taking the time to figure it out and giving it to us!
Hi Teri, I’m so glad it was helpful!
Turned out perfectly. I added a squirt of lime on top upon serving *chefs kiss*
Would also be great over a bed of butter lettuce!
Hi Michelle, I’m glad you loved it!
Delicious! I have never prepared tofu before and your recipe turned out perfectly.