Crispy baked tofu cubes tossed in a sticky, irresistible homemade honey garlic sauce, this honey garlic tofu is an easy and delicious dish perfect for any meal! Sweet and savory, this recipe has the perfect combination of flavors and texture and you’ll love how well it pairs with grains, vegetables, and more!
These honey garlic tofu bites are one of my favorite ways to enjoy tofu! They’re perfect on their own with a side of rice and a veg but they also make for a great side dish to a larger meal. It’s a versatile dish that you can whip up with kitchen staples!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- There’s something so satisfying about biting into the honey garlic coated tofu cubes. The exterior is so delightfully crisp, the sauce is sticky, and the center is warm and soft.
- You don’t need a lot of ingredients to make honey garlic tofu at home! A lot of these ingredients are pantry staples. Also, I always try to keep a block of tofu in the fridge for last minute meals as it’s a protein that doesn’t require me to plan ahead to thaw!
- It’s pretty easy to make and it’s a great recipe if you’re not super familiar with tofu.
Ingredients You’ll Need
extra firm tofu — make sure you use extra-firm tofu. I’d even avoid swapping the extra firm tofu for firm tofu, as extra firm tofu has less water than firm tofu. Extra firm tofu also holds its shape much better and is excellent for slicing, cubing, baking, frying, etc. Make sure the tofu has been pressed beforehand. I highly recommend not skipping this step, as it will help release excess moisture from the tofu. This way, the tofu can get crispier and stay crispy! The linked post will show you how to press your tofu without using a tofu press. I’m using Fontaine Sante Tofu, which is 400 grams per pack.
oil — I use olive oil, but feel free to use another neutral oil of your choice, such as avocado oil.
cornstarch — coating the tofu with cornstarch helps create a crispy crust. You can also use potato starch.
salt & pepper
sesame oil — some pure sesame oil to cook the garlic a little and add a bit of nutty flavor.
garlic — the more, the merrier. See how I process and freeze minced garlic, so I always have some on hand without having to mince garlic for every recipe.
honey — I use a runny honey. You can swap for vegan honey to make this recipe vegan-friendly.
soy sauce — I recommend using low-sodium soy sauce. Soy sauce can be swapped with tamari to make this gluten-free.
mirin — mirin is a Japanese sweet rice wine, if you are unable to find it, you can try rice vinegar with extra honey.
How to Make Honey Garlic Tofu
- Heat the oven to 425F.
- Add the pressed and cubed tofu to a bowl along with olive oil, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Toss well to combine.
- Spray the sheet pan with non-stick spray and place the coated tofu evenly across a sheet pan (skip the non-stick spray if lining with parchment paper).
- Bake the tofu in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping the tofu with tongs at the halfway point.
- Meanwhile, as the tofu bakes, heat the sesame oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring throughout.
- Then, add the honey, soy sauce, and mirin. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring throughout. Remove from the heat (or continue to cook if you prefer a thicker sauce. Keep in mind that the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools).
- Add the tofu to the sauce and toss until well coated.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- You can cube the tofu into whatever size you prefer. Sometimes I like small bite-sized pieces, sometimes I prefer larger pieces, and sometimes I slice them thinly (like I do for my teriyaki tofu recipe). It’s up to you how you’d like to enjoy your honey garlic tofu! For a meatier texture, you can hand tear the tofu.
- The honey garlic sauce is very similar to my spicy honey garlic chicken recipe. So you can very easily add some sriracha to the sauce to add some heat to the honey garlic sauce.
- You can also make this honey garlic tofu on the skillet. Instead of baking, simply pan fry the tofu bites with some oil on a skillet over medium heat. Cook each side evenly using golden and crispy.
Make Ahead Tips
- Meal prep: store the cooked crispy tofu in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. Be sure to let the tofu cool before storing it in the fridge, as it can get soggy if you place the container lid on too early. You can also store the tofu and honey garlic sauce separately if you plan on meal prepping this and want your tofu to stay extra crispy. Simply skip tossing them together and only do so before serving.
- Reheat: I reheat mine in the air fryer to ensure the tofu stays crispy as it reheats.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many ways to serve this honey garlic tofu recipe! The most simple way is serving the crispy tofu with some jasmine rice, Korean purple rice, or Japanese corn rice.
It’s also great with greens such as smashed broccoli or air fryer broccoli. Bok choy stir fry, yu choy, maple balsamic brussels sprouts, and vegetable stir fry are a tasty option as well.
And if you’re in a soupy mood, I love enjoying this tofu recipe with miso soup! Let me know in the comments below what you like to serve with this honey garlicky tofu recipe.
Crispy Honey Garlic Tofu Recipe
Ingredients
For the Tofu
- 1 block extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed (400g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, or potato starch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- non-stick spray, optional if not using parchment paper
For the Honey Garlic Sauce
- 1½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, low sodium
- 1 teaspoon mirin
Equipment
- small saucepan
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425F.
- Add the pressed and cubed tofu to a bowl along with olive oil, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Toss well to combine.
- Spray the sheet pan with non-stick spray and place the coated tofu evenly across a sheet pan (skip the non-stick spray if lining with parchment paper).
- Bake the tofu in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping the tofu with tongs at the halfway point.
- Meanwhile, as the tofu bakes, heat the sesame oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring throughout.
- Then, add the honey, soy sauce, and mirin. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring throughout. Remove from the heat (or continue to cook if you prefer a thicker sauce. Keep in mind that the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools).
- Add the tofu to the sauce and toss until well coated. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
More Tofu Recipes to Try
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