Crispy Teriyaki Tofu Bowls (30g Protein)

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Tearing tofu instead of cubing it is the cheapest upgrade in vegan cooking. The ragged edges bake up craggy and crisp, and once they are tossed in teriyaki you get a bowl with 30g of plant protein. Edamame fills in the rest of the number, and the whole thing is oven work, not deep frying.

I make these on nights when the fridge has nothing but tofu and a bag of frozen edamame, which at my place is most nights.

Why this works

Two things. Torn tofu has more surface area than cubed, and surface area is where crispness lives; the cornstarch toss turns those surfaces into a thin shell in the oven. And the glaze only touches the tofu at the last second. Sauce a crispy thing early and you own a soggy thing. The teriyaki itself is the real four-ingredient version, soy, mirin, sugar, ginger, thickened with a tiny slurry so it coats instead of pooling.

Ingredient notes

Extra firm tofu is non-negotiable here, both for texture and because it carries nearly three times the protein of soft varieties. Mirin is in most supermarkets near the soy sauce; if yours is missing it, use 1 extra tbsp of sugar dissolved in 2 tbsp of water and a splash of rice vinegar. Frozen shelled edamame is one of the best protein-per-dollar items in the store, so buy two bags. I use the same homemade teriyaki on my teriyaki salmon bowls if you want the fish version.

Crispy Teriyaki Tofu Bowls

Torn, baked-crisp tofu in a real teriyaki glaze with edamame, 30g of plant protein per bowl.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4 bowls

Calories: 520

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 600 g extra firm tofu about 1.3 lb, pressed 10 minutes
• 250 g shelled edamame frozen is fine, about 1.5 cups
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water, for the glaze
• 600 g cooked short grain rice about 4 cups, for serving
• 2 scallions sliced, plus sesame seeds to finish

Method

 

1. Heat the oven to 220C (425F). Press the tofu between paper towels under something heavy for 10 minutes.
2. Tear the tofu into rough bite-sized chunks with your hands. Do not cut it. The ragged torn surfaces are what go crispy and grab the sauce; knife-cut cubes stay smooth and slick.
3. Toss the chunks with the oil, salt, and 3 tbsp cornstarch until coated and a little shaggy. Spread on a lined baking sheet with space between pieces.
4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, flipping once halfway, until deep golden and crackly at the edges. An air fryer does it in about 15 minutes at 200C.
5. Meanwhile, simmer the soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and ginger in a small pan for 2 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until it turns glossy, about 30 seconds. Take it off the heat.
6. Cook the edamame in boiling salted water for 3 minutes and drain.
7. Toss the hot tofu in the glaze just before serving, not earlier. Pile over rice with the edamame, then finish with scallions and sesame seeds.

Tips and storage

For meal prep, store the baked tofu, glaze, and rice separately and the tofu re-crisps in an air fryer or hot oven in 5 minutes. Glazed leftovers are still tasty, just soft. Sauced and refrigerated, everything keeps 4 days. If you like the crispy tofu format with more chili, the crispy sambal tofu bowls are the spicier sibling, and mapo tofu with extra lean pork covers the braised end of the tofu spectrum.

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