Savory marinated tofu is crusted with a simple coconut breading that transforms boring tofu into a delightful addition to a salad, dinner meal or party time appetizer! Serve up crispy baked tofu with your favorite sauce for dipping or on its own!
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Marinating and Pressing the Tofu 30 minutesminutes
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees about 10 minutes before you are ready to cook tofu.
Press the tofu for 15 minutes prior to marinating it. You can use a tofu press or make your own with the tofu wrapped in a towel and placed between two plates with a heavy object on top to weigh it down.
Marinate tofu
While the tofu presses, mix together the miso, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, garlic and ginger. Add a few drops of Sriracha or sambal oelek to marinade until it reaches your desired spiciness.
Slice the tofu into ¼ inch pieces and then into 1” squares.
Place into a container with a lid and pour the marinade over the tofu.
Allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes in the refrigerator. Turn container over several times while marinating to ensure that all the tofu gets coated.
Bread tofu
Place half the coconut into a blender or food processor and process until it is a finer consistency as this will make the breading process easier. Combine the coconut, cornstarch, panko and sesame seeds.
When tofu is ready, remove the tofu from marinade. Dip each piece of tofu in the coating. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
When all the tofu is coated, place into a 400 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes or until slightly browned turning over halfway during cooking time.
Notes
Expert Tips for Making Crispy Baked Tofu with Coconut:Don't skip the step of pressing the tofu. This presses out any excess water in the tofu so the marinade doesn't become watered down.For a less messy and easier way of breading, use one hand (either the right or left) to pick up the tofu from the marinade and use the opposite hand to apply the breading. This keeps the breading from sticking to your fingers, forcing you to need to stop and wash your hands frequently or waste the breading mixture.Save some time by pressing the tofu overnight or during the day (for a minimum of 15 minutes) in the refrigerator.