Baked Tofu Teriyaki Buddha Bowl

This finger-licking delish baked tofu teriyaki is SO easy and makes for a perfect weeknight dinner recipe. The homemade sticky teriyaki sauce has a perfect sweet and salty balance of flavors and is made within 10 minutes while the cubes of tofu crisp and roast in the oven. Vegan, simple and great for the whole family!

Drenching tofu in the BEST teriyaki sauce is definitely the way to go if you are still figuring out how to love tofu more.

I know many people that are telling me that tofu just isn’t for them. Then, I tell them that's because they haven’t tried teriyaki tofu yet! ❤️

No kiddin. This stuff is good.

The baked tofu is crispy and chewy and super satisfying and then comes the sauce: a sweet and salty sticky sauce that's loaded with umami flavors and overflowing with ginger and garlic yumminess. It is so so good I bet you won't be able to stop eating the sauce by the spoon.

Similarly to my baked cauliflower teriyaki, I built up this recipe with a bigger ratio of sauce/baked tofu, so you have plenty of tasty teriyaki sauce to drizzle over the rest of the bowl. There is not such thing as "too much sauce"!

I like to make my bowl also with shiitake mushrooms, broccoli, edamame and pineapple: it was absolutely perfect! But I'll give you tons of other ideas for inspiration.

Actually, you don't even have to make a buddha bowl. Simply use the baked tofu with teriyaki sauce to serve over noodles, especially udon or ramen, with a side of veggies. So versatile!

But I LOVE buddha bowls (especially this peanut butter tofu buddha bowl) for the abundance of good things you can just pile up together in a bowl, so this is my favorite way to serve this baked tofu teriyaki!

And the most important part is how easy this recipe is. Easy enough for a quick weeknight dinner without much prep required. I'll show you how to prep the tofu in minutes! Then, you can pretty much forget about it for the next 30 minutes while it bakes in the oven. This gives you plenty of free time to make the teriyaki sauce and prep the rest of the bowl's ingredients.

(Psst, I'll also share my fav trick to have a last minute brown rice for your bowl ready-to-eat in no time).

I hope you give it a try!

Highlights of this recipe

• Very tasty recipe with a huge punch of flavor
• Filling, high in plant-based protein and super satisfying
• Crispy tofu recipe without deep frying
• Better (and healthier) than takeout!
• Versatile with so many ways to serve the saucy tofu
• Easy recipe and simple enough for the unexperienced cook
• 100% vegan and can easily be made gluten-free

Ingredients you'll need

For the baked teriyaki tofu

• Tofu: choose extra firm tofu if you can, which will give you a crispier tofu, although firm tofu should be ok too if that's all you have.
• Cornstarch: used to cover and help crisp the tofu, but also to thicken the teriyaki sauce.
• Oil: this is optional and I often don't use any, but you can spray some oil over the tofu before putting it in the oven to make it crispier.
• Soy sauce: feel-free to use low-sodium soy sauce if you prefer. Also, gluten-free tamari may be used in place of regular soy sauce if needed.
• Maple syrup: I love using maple syrup when making a teriyaki sauce. It adds a nice flavor to the sauce! I haven't tried it yet, but agave nectar might work too.
• Rice vinegar: balances the umami and sweet flavor with a little extra tang.
• Sesame oil: I used only a small amount to bring a deeper flavor that's a little nutty. For an oil-free recipe, simply omit!
• Fresh garlic and ginger: you will need fresh and not powdered for best flavor.
• Green onion: I love to add a sliced green onion for flavor, but also to give more texture to the sauce.

For the buddha bowl

There is a lot of variations possible to make a buddha bowl, but here are my favorites to pair with this baked teriyaki tofu (see below for more ideas):

• Brown rice
• Steamed broccoli
• Roasted shiitake mushrooms
• Edamame
• Green onions and sesame seeds (toppings)

How to make baked teriyaki tofu

You can get everything done by the time the tofu is done baking! I like to start with the grain (especially if cooking brown rice), then get the tofu in the oven. While the tofu is baking, I make the teriyaki sauce and steam/cook my veggies.

Bake the crispy tofu

Pre-heat the oven to 400º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Drain the block of tofu and wrap it in a few layers of paper towel (or a clean hand towel). Remove as much moisture as you can (but I do not do a tofu press!). Then, cube the tofu in about one inch pieces.

Add the cubes of tofu to a bowl and sprinkle a little salt (optional) and the cornstarch over. Use your fingers to toss them around and be sure each side is covered with the cornstarch.

Transfer the tofu over the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Make the teriyaki sauce

While the tofu is baking, make the teriyaki sauce.

Simply add all the sauce ingredients to a small pot (soy sauce, maple syrup, water, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, green onions, rice vinegar and cornstarch) and whisk well.

Then, turn up the heat to medium and bring to a simmer while whisking often. Once it is simmering, the sauce will thicken very quickly. Remove from the heat after simmering for about one minute and set aside.

Prep the rest of the buddha bowl

If you are cooking grains from scratch, then start with this as it can take up to 40 minutes to cook. Quinoa or noodles cook quicker, which is something to consider if you are in a rush or forgot to start the grain ahead.

First, steam or roast the broccoli as you wish. I often like to bake broccoli in the oven at 400º for about 15-20 minutes, but I also cook it using my microwave when there is a lot going on in the kitchen. To make it that way, simply add the broccoli florets to a bowl and cover with water. Then, place a plastic cling over and cook in the microwave for 5-7 minutes or until done to your liking. Careful when removing the cling, it will be steamy hot!

While the broccoli is cooking, cook the shiitake mushrooms in a large non-stick pan with a little oil spray (or not) until browned.

Also, thaw the edamame in hot water until ready to serve and dice the pineapple.

Assemble

When the tofu is done baking, then add to the pot with the teriyaki sauce and stir.

Serve the tofu teriyaki over the cooked grain or noodles and add the broccoli, shiitake mushrooms, pineapple and edamame. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Enjoy!

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Watch how to make it

Helpful tips

• If you are not following an oil-free diet, then I recommend to spray some oil over the cubes of tofu once they are on the baking sheet to help crisp them in the oven.
• Spread out the cubes of tofu on the baking sheet so they don't touch to each other with some extra space in between: this will help crisp them better!
• I usually cook brown rice in my instant pot, but this takes some time. So, if I want brown rice quicker to boost a salad or use to make buddha bowls last minute, then I enjoy these cups of single-portion brown rice (ready in 1 minute using the microwave). There is also frozen brown rice that you can just heat up in a few minutes before serving. It is very handy to always keep these in the house!

Variations

You will need quite a bit of soy sauce to make the teriyaki sauce, so you can use low-sodium soy sauce to try keep the salt lower (although this recipe will still remain a little high-in-sodium).

Also, if you are watching your sugar intake, then you can use a little less maple syrup when making the sauce (maybe ⅓ cup instead of a ½).

Serving variations

You can serve the saucy baked tofu teriyaki in so many ways!

You can simply use it to make a stir-fry: there is plenty of extra sauce to include more veggies! Check out my vegetable stir-fry for inspiration, but you can try roasting onions, colorful peppers, mushrooms, asparagus, green beans, carrots and cauliflower. You can also include tons of leafy greens such as spinach, kale, Chinese broccoli, cabbage, bok choy or gai lan. This would make for a yummy nutrient-dense meal!

When serving it as a buddha bowl, then you can include shredded carrots (or beets), peanuts, avocado, any steamed veggies such as cauliflower or carrots, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, shredded purple cabbage and all the greens (raw or cooked).

I also like to include fruits in buddha bowls, which especially works well with a sweet and salty teriyaki sauce. Pineapple is my number one choice here, but try swapping for chopped oranges, mango or peaches.

Storage tips

This recipe is best when enjoyed right away since the tofu will be crispier when freshly baked. BUT, it also makes for amazing leftovers!

Keep them in an air-tight container for up to 3 days and reheat the teriyaki tofu using the stove or the microwave. Keep all the bowl toppings apart and build your bowl at the last minute.

FAQ's

Similar recipes to try

• 20-min sticky tofu
• Vegan fajita bowl
• Sweet and sour tofu
• Bok choy tofu stir-fry
• Easy pan-fried marinated tempeh
• Sesame soy dressing
• Orange cauliflower
• Gochujang tofu
• Portobello poke bowl
• Teriyaki cauliflower
• Peanut butter tofu buddha bowl
• Thai carrot and cucumber salad

I hope you like this baked tofu teriyaki recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

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