If you have trouble marinating your tofu so it’s seasoned throughout, try freezing it! Learn this traditional Chinese method of freezing tofu, making seasoning tofu easier and giving you a denser texture; in this recipe, I’ll show you how to make flavor-packed marinated baked tofu.
Types and brands of tofu to use
I use organic, firm tofu blocks for this marinated baked tofu recipe. Note that I haven’t tried freezing other types of block tofu, so I can only tell you this recipe works specifically for firm block tofu. You can buy organic firm tofu at almost any local grocery store, like Albertsons, Mother’s, Sprouts, H Mart, or almost any Asian grocery.
Why and how to freeze tofu
Freezing tofu is an age-old method of cooking tofu since the Ching Dynasty in China when they used to place blocks of tofu in the snow and called dòngdòufu.
When you freeze tofu, the water within the cells solidifies and breaks the cell walls, causing irreversible structural changes once the tofu is thawed. After defrosting frozen tofu, the texture will be more spongy regardless of whether you use soft, firm, or extra firm. Freezing also makes it easier to press out water. Frozen tofu is also more yellow in color after freezing. Since you can press out a lot of the water in frozen tofu, it becomes great at soaking up the marinade and giving you a chewier consistency after baking.
To freeze tofu, drain the excess liquid in the package and transfer the tofu into a freezer-safe container with a lid or a reusable silicone bag. Some people just chuck the entire tofu package into the freezer, but I don’t like freezing plastic since it can introduce more BPAs into the food. One block of tofu takes about six hours to freeze fully. Once solid, move the food container with tofu into the fridge to defrost overnight or place it on the counter for about six hours to thoroughly defrost.
Do we need to press the tofu?
After thawing out the frozen tofu, it will be spongy and wet. We want to remove a lot of the water inside to replace it with a flavorful marinade. I wrapped the tofu in a kitchen towel and used a bamboo tofu press to remove water for 15 minutes.
If you don’t have a tofu press, you can also sandwich the tofu block in the middle of a cutting board lined with hand towels (or paper towels) and place another set of towels and a cutting board on top. I like to add 6 (15 oz) cans evenly across to weigh down the cutting boards and wait 15 minutes.
Some people also use their hands to squeeze out the water for frozen tofu, but I don’t want to accidentally break the block and prefer using a tofu press.
Marinade ingredients
The marinade ingredients for this baked tofu recipe are Asian-inspired and have a slight spiciness that you can adjust. Here is what I add:
- low sodium soy sauce: adds salt and a good base for the marinade.
- ponzu: adds a tangy saltiness to the marinade. If you don’t have any on hand, you can also use a 1:1 ratio of lemon juice and soy sauce.
- spicy chili crisp oil: this adds a little kick but totally adjustable if you want more spice or less. You can also add other hot sauces in your pantry too, like sriracha or chili paste.
- rice vinegar: adds acidity and balances out the savory soy sauce and ponzu. You can also add apple cider vinegar if you don’t have this.
- peanut butter: adds a savory nutty flavor to the marinade and slightly thickens it. You can also use other nut butter if you have allergies.
- agave: this balances out the acidity and savory flavors. You can also use honey or maple syrup.
- fish sauce: for umami flavor and savoriness.
- roasted sesame oil: adds a hint of nuttiness.
What to serve with baked tofu
Top your marinated baked tofu with sliced green onions and roasted sesame seeds for a bite of texture and freshness. The seasoning in this marinated baked tofu is super savory and flavorful, so I like to pair it with simpler side dishes like plain rice or more mild vegetables:
- How to Cook Perfect, Fluffy Jasmine Rice
- Easy Onion & Garlic Bok Choy Recipe
- Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce (Gai Lan Recipe)
- Veggie Kabobs (Grilled Vegetable Skewers)
Tips for making marinated baked tofu
- Freeze tofu for a chewier consistency and better marinade soaking. I like to freeze the tofu the night before and defrost it on the counter the morning I want to prepare dinner.
- Drain the liquid from the tofu package and use a silicone reusable bag or glass container to freeze the tofu. Removing the excess liquid cuts down on freezing and defrosting time. A silicone reusable bag makes transferring the tofu onto a rack-lined sheet pan easier.
- Bake and then broil for evenly heated tofu with a caramelized crust on top.
- Don’t marinade for too long; otherwise, you’ll end up with overly seasoned tofu. Frozen and thawed tofu soaks up seasoning and marinade much easier and faster than blocks of tofu that haven’t been processed in this method. Unlike most marinated tofu recipes, you only need 30 minutes to marinade this full block of tofu because it’s frozen and thawed.
Marinated Baked Tofu
Ingredients
- 14 oz firm block tofu
- ¼ tbsp water
- 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp ponzu
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp chili crisp
- 2 tsp peanut butter
- 1 tsp agave
- ½ tsp fish sauce
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- sliced green onions topping
- roasted sesame seeds topping
Equipment Used
- freezer-safe container or silicone reusable bag
- mixing bowl
- Spoon
- measuring cups and spoons
- cutting boarding and knife
- tofu press
- paper towels
- sheet pan
- parchment paper
- fish turner or tongs
Instructions
- Remove the 14 oz firm block tofu from the packaging and drain the liquid. Place the tofu in a freezer-safe container with a lid or a reusable silicone bag. (Tip: I like to wash and use the tofu’s original packaging to use as a marinating container later on)
- Freeze the tofu block until it’s frozen solid. I prefer using a glass food container or silicone bag. This takes about 6 hours or until the tofu is frozen solid.
- Once solid, defrost the tofu in the container in the fridge overnight, on the counter for about 6 hours, or until fully thawed (tofu should feel soft and spongy when you gently squeeze it, not hard).
- Press the tofu to remove excess water for 15 minutes. Pat dry with a paper towel.
- Carefully make a ½-inch deep crosshatch pattern on the top of the tofu block without cutting through the entire block. Make a crosshatch pattern by cutting five parallel diagonal lines from the bottom left corner to the top right corner. Turn the tofu 45° and repeat the same diagonal cuts from the bottom left to the top right. You should end up with a criss-cross pattern.
- Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl: ¼ tbsp water, 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce, 2 tbsp ponzu, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tsp chili crisp, 2 tsp peanut butter, 1 tsp agave, ½ tsp fish sauce, and ½ tsp sesame oil. Make sure the peanut butter is incorporated.
- Add the tofu to a container (I like to use the original packaging because it fits the tofu and marinade perfectly), and pour the marinade over the tofu. Marinade the tofu with the seasoning for no more than 30 minutes on the counter.
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
- Place the tofu on a parchment-lined baking sheet and the middle rack and bake for 6 minutes.
- Broil on high for 3 minutes or until the top begins to caramelize but not burn.
- Sprinkle with sliced green onions and roasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
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