This crispy sesame crusted tofu is quick and super delicious! Tofu cubes are tossed in peanut sauce then coated in sesame seeds and baked until crispy. Serve on green vegetables dressed in peanut sauce, in a wrap or on noodles! Peanut-free and soy-free version included.
I’ve developed a real obsession with these sesame-coated tofu bowls!
I don’t know if it’s the crispy sesame and hazelnut crusted baked tofu for me or the totally addictive peanut sauce… it’s probably the combination of the two because I wouldn’t want to be without those additions.
I love that the sesame crusted tofu bakes and turns out super crispy without having to add flour or breadcrumbs to the coating.
Before coating the sesame tofu, we toss the tofu cubes in some of our peanut sauce to allow the seeds to stick to them properly. It works so much better than egg wash AND adds a whole lot of flavor to our baked tofu.
These bowls are great for meal prep, and the Spicy Peanut Dressing will keep in the fridge for an entire week.
More bowl recipes:
Berber bowl with chickpeas
Vietnamese-inspired caramelized pork bowls with lentils
Vegan pizza bowl
Maple Mustard Spicy Tofu Bowl with Sweet Potatoes
Bowl of Cajun Roasted Vegetables with Garlic Sauce
26 Vegan Bowl Recipes
Print recipe
Sesame Tofu Bowl with Peanut Sauce
These Sesame Tofu Bowls with Peanut Sauce are a real dinnertime lifesaver! Tofu cubes are tossed in a peanut sauce then coated in sesame seeds and baked until crispy. Serve on green vegetables dressed in peanut sauce, in a wrap or on noodles! Soy-free and peanut-free options included
Servings: 4
calories: 275calories
Ingredients
For the peanut sauce:
- 1/4 cup (64.5 g) smooth peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon soya sauce or use tamari for gluten free
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sambal oelek or other Asian chili sauce or use Gochujang
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste or use minced ginger garlic
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) Hot water
For the tofu:
- 14 ounces (396.89 g) firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed for at least 15 minutes
- 1/4 cup (59.15 g) peanut sauce from above
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch or tapioca starch
- 1/4 cup white sesame seeds
- 3 soup spoons black sesame seeds
For the bowl:
- Choice of greens or lettuce
- 1 pepper minced
- 1 cup Cucumber or carrots minced
- Optional additions: pickled radish or cucumber, other crunchy vegetables
- chopped peanuts optional
Instructions
-
Make the peanut sauce; In a medium bowl, add all the peanut sauce ingredients and mix well until combined and set aside. Add more hot water a tablespoon at a time if needed to make a drizzled sauce. (You can also blend them in a small blender. If using a blender, you can add a whole clove of garlic and 1/4 inch of ginger instead of chopping)
-
make sesame tofu: Press down on the tofu if you haven’t already and then cut it into rectangles or squares. In a small bowl, add 1/4 cup of the prepared peanut sauce and the cornstarch and mix well.
-
Add the tofu to the sauce and make sure all sides are coated.
-
In another shallow bowl, add the sesame seeds and transfer the coated tofu to the sesame seed bowl to coat all sides or just the top and sides. Repeat with all the tofu slices. You may need more sesame seeds depending on the size of the tofu slices.
-
Place the coated tofu on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 400ºF (205ºC). Bake the tofu in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Check after 18 minutes if the tofu is cooked, otherwise cook for another 2 to 4 minutes.
-
Remove the tofu from the oven and set aside.
-
Prepare your bowl by adding greens, sliced peppers, cucumber, peanuts, etc., as desired. Place the cooked tofu in the bowl. Drizzle with peanut sauce and serve.
-
Tidy: Refrigerate Sesame Tofu separately in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
Remarks
make wraps: , add green vegetables or lettuce to a tortilla and add the tofu and other vegetables of your choice as well as a good drizzle of peanut sauce and serve.
Peanut Free: use sunflower seed butter.
Soy free: Omit the soy sauce and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Use chickpea tofu or pumpkin seed tofu. You can see that half of the tofu used in the pictures is greenish. It’s pumfu (pumpkin seed tofu)
Nutrition
Nutritional intakes
Sesame Tofu Bowl with Peanut Sauce
Amount per serving
calories 275
Calories from fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
3g saturated fat19%
Polyunsaturated fat 8g
Monounsaturated fat 7g
Sodium 289mg13%
Potassium 261mg7%
Carbohydrates 16g5%
4g fiber17%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 16g32%
Vitamin A 958IU19%
Vitamin C 39mg47%
Calcium 265mg27%
Iron 4mg22%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Ingredients:
- For the tofu, I advise you to use firm or extra firm tofu and it will need to be pressed for at least 15 minutes
- for the sauce we mix smooth peanut butter with soy sauce, sesame oil, sambal oelek, ginger garlic paste and hot water to dilute it
- some of the peanut sauce is thickened with cornstarch or tapioca starch to coat the tofu
- the breading is gluten-free, made with a mixture of black and white sesame seeds
- For the bowl, use your favorite greens, then bell pepper, cucumber or carrots, quinoa, and any other crunchy veggies
Advice:
- You can also use tofu to make wraps, add greens or lettuce to a tortilla wrap and add tofu and other vegetables of your choice and a nice drizzle of peanut sauce and serve.
- To make it peanut-free, use sunflower seed butter.
- Do Soy free: Omit the soy sauce and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Use chickpea tofu or pumpkin seed tofu.
How to make sesame tofu bowls:
Make the peanut sauce; In a medium bowl, add all the peanut sauce ingredients and mix well until combined and set aside. Add more hot water a tablespoon at a time if needed to make a drizzled sauce. (You can also mix them in a small blender. You can add a whole clove of garlic and 1/4 inch of ginger instead of chopping)
Press down on the tofu if you haven’t already, then cut it into rectangles or squares. In a small bowl, add 1/4 cup of the prepared peanut sauce and the cornstarch and mix well.
Add the tofu to the sauce and make sure all sides are well coated.
In another shallow bowl, add the sesame seeds and transfer the coated tofu to the sesame seed bowl to coat on all sides. Repeat with all the tofu slices. You may need more sesame seeds depending on the size of the tofu slices.
Place the coated tofu on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 400ºF (205ºC).
Bake the tofu in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Check after 18 minutes if the tofu is cooked, otherwise cook for another 2 to 4 minutes.
Remove the tofu from the oven and set aside.
Prepare your bowl by adding the greens, sliced peppers, cucumber, peanuts, etc.
Place the cooked tofu on top of the bowl. Drizzle with peanut sauce.
Storage
Refrigerate sesame tofu and dressing and bowl ingredients separately. Reheat the tofu in the oven or microwave. Let the cold dressing come to room temperature to use. Or add hot water to dressing, mix and use
