Author: So here's the story: I originally made these baked tofu bites for my Vegan Cobb Salad recipe. I was trying to aim for a simple tofu recipe with a "chicken-ish / chicken nuggets" vibe. Vibe achieved. These bites were easy to make, needed only 5 ingredients, flavourful, and perfect for my Cobb salad. But I also discovered that they were more than just perfect for a Cobb salad. These cube are bursting with flavor and are delicious all on their own. I'm actually surprised any tofu even made it to the salad as I couldn't stop eating them directly baking sheet. There will be no leftovers.
I decided I needed to share this recipe as it's own post so that you too could experience the awesomeness of this baked tofu. These crispy tofu bites have such an amazing texture, are scrumptious all on their own and they are perfect on a salad BUT they are so much more than that. This is one of those easy vegan recipes that, once you make it, you start discovering all of the wonderful ways these tofu bites can be used. New to tofu? Check out my tofu 101 guide!
They are delicious served with buffalo sauce. They are delicious on top of pasta. They are delicious in a taco. They are delicious in a sandwich. They are delicious on nachos... I think you are starting to get it, these tofu bites are completely addictive and they are delicious EVERYWHERE!
I've been making large batches of these glorious tofu nuggets and storing them in the fridge in an air-tight container so they are ready to use whenever hunger strikes.
I like to make a big batch of these using two blocks of tofu at a time, but if you prefer you can cut the recipe in half and just use one block of tofu... But if you do decide to reduce the recipe, you might regret it. You have been warned.
Instructions on How to Make Baked Tofu Bites:
In a bowl (you can use a small bowl or large bowl depending on how many you want to make), mix together the nutritional yeast, olive oil, soy sauce and garlic powder. This is your marinade.
Drain excess moisture from the tofu block and then break into small chunks and add them to the bowl. (No need to press the tofu first).
Toss the tofu well to evenly coat in the sauce mixture. Spread the tofu evenly across the baking sheets and bake about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until lightly golden.
Serve hot or store in an air-tight container in the fridge to use later, or they freeze well too. Great as main, as nuggets, on salads, on stir-fries, in sandwiches, in tacos, on pasta, on nachos, the options are endless, use these everywhere! Be sure to check out the recipe card for both oven and air fryer cooking instructions.
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Baked Tofu Bites
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Ingredients
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, (gluten-free if preferred)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 blocks (12 oz/ 350 g each) extra-firm tofu, drained
Instructions
- Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.Air-Fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (180°C).
- Mix the coating: In a large bowl, combine the nutritional yeast, olive oil, soy sauce, and garlic powder.
- Prepare the tofu: Use your fingers to break the tofu into bite-sized chunks and add them to the bowl. (No need to press the tofu first.) Toss well to evenly coat each piece. The mixture will just barely coat the tofu, that’s exactly right. Don’t be tempted to thin it out. It’s not a marinade, but a light coating that clings to the tofu and helps it crisp up perfectly in the oven.
- Cook the tofu (choose ONE method):Oven: Spread the tofu evenly over the baking sheets and bake for about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until lightly golden.Air-Fryer: Add the tofu to the air fryer basket and cook for about 20 minutes, shaking halfway through, until lightly golden.
- Serve or store: Enjoy hot, or let cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕Bon appetegan!
Sam
Danielle says
So easy and delicious!
Breanna says
Make these every week! Has become a staple in our house. I press the tofu and marinate it in the sauce a couple of hours before I bake them. I find it holds on to the flavour more. Thank you for this great recipe Sam! Great on top of salads, as a snack or in veggie bowls!!! Yuhm
Jessica says
I just need to say how much I love this recipe. My husband swears he doesn't like tofu but begs me to make these. We add them to our Tofu bowls, tacos, salads... I just mix up the seasoning depending what kind of mood I am in. Thank you for this!
Mathilde says
I make these all the time, and today I used used Adobo seasoning instead of garlic powder. I strongly recommend!!!
I love eating these on the side of a baked sweet potato.
Kristen says
I love these! I ended up baking them for a little more time to try to dry them out and it worked well! My kids devoured these!
Emma says
Love these little bites! Been making them for a while, and this recipe has become my go-to when entertaining vegan guests. I just wanted to share my favorite variation here: use chili oil instead of evoo, and/or add 1-2 tsp korean chili paste for a spicy variation. I crank the oven up to 425 for extra crispy.
Laura says
I absolutely love this recipe. While it is delicious straight away (from the mixing bowl before cooking), they’re really amazing once crispy. This is a go to ingredient for our big salads we make with v ranch & tons of veggies, nuts & seeds.
Stephanie says
I have made this recipe several times and I love it! Recently, I made the recipe with 1 block of tofu and 1 head of broccoli (cut up, of course). I mixed everything together and baked the broccoli and tofu together on 1 baking sheet. It was absolutely delicious! The marinade was fantastic on broccoli too. Thanks for your awesome recipes, Sam!!
Laura says
Hey Sam!
Was cobbling together a fried rice thing last night w an omnivore friend who isn’t into anything w pulses, so choosing a protein gets limited.
Whipped up some of these babies to toss in and whammo: new classic! Woohoo! Thanks 🙂
Blair says
Me again! I wanted to come back on here and say that I made these again today! I still don't have the nutritional yeast yet. I decided to try these without cornstarch. They still came out crispy with just the olive oil, soy sauce and garlic powder. SO good! I am trying not to eat them straight off the pan because I want to see how they are left over...but I'm not sure if I will be able to save any!
Blair says
These were AMAZING!!! I don't have nutritional yeast (yet!), so I used 1 tablespoon of cornstarch instead. I halved the recipe, using only one block of tofu. I'm kinda glad I didn't make a double batch because my older daughter and I totally would have eaten it all! Self control is completely out the window with these nuggets! There wasn't even a crumb left, they were sooo good!
My husband and youngest daughter hated them. But they, in general, do not care for tofu. I've just started ordering it at restaurants and cooking it at home. Newbie here!
But our house divided aside, I will definitely be making this weekly even if half our house won't eat it!
Thanks for a great recipe!! I'm going to be trying your orange ginger tofu next.
Angie says
SAM. OMG. I'm obsessed with these. They're absolutely perfect and I put them on everything. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Molly says
Seriously SO good! I've made tofu tons of ways over the years, and this is absolutely my new go-to. Outrageously easy to prep, and incredibly flavorful. Thanks for a great new favorite!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Molly!
Isabelle says
Wow Sam, you are definitely my hero.
I was looking for the perfect tofu recipe so I could introduce my (now adult) son to it. It had to be perfect, because 1. he is EXTREMELY fussy and 2. I am allergic to soybeans so I could not eat the leftovers if he didn't like it. I also wanted an easy recipe, because spending hours on something I cannot even taste is beyond cruel.
Of course I turned to your blog, and found this easy and delicious-looking recipe, and guess what? He ate the whole thing in one sitting. He LOVED it.
(I made only half a batch, because I didn't want to waste two tofu packages if it went the wrong way)
Once again you have delivered. Thank you for being there! 🙂
Nancy says
Just made this and it was delicious! i loved fried tofu.
Sheena says
I made these without oil and they were fantastic. My son, who says he doesn't like tofu, ate loads. Will definitely be making again!
Ren says
These are so much better than cubing and pan frying, which is what I usually do. And the little bits that get all soaked with marinade and crisped up, mmmmm!
Linda says
I have made these many times and today decided to use my air fryer . It cut the time in half -used same temperature for 15 minutes. As always, fantastic!!
Beata says
Wanted stir-fry last night but I've had a stir-fry with tofu before where the tofu was just cubed and cooked immediately in the stir-fry, and I didn't care for that experience, so I made a batch of the bites right before making the stir-fry. OMG - stir-fry game changer! I tossed my tofu with sesame oil and coconut aminos (I love the taste of coconut aminos) for baking to go with the stir-fry vibe.The dinner was a complete success both my boyfriend and I went back for seconds. 🙂 Thank you Sam!
Side question - do you have experience using super firm sprouted tofu? Searching your website did not return any recipes where super firm sprouted tofu was used... I see that this particular kind of tofu is now available at our local Wally World so was curious if you've used it, and if yes, how you liked it. Please let me know. Thank you in advance. 🙂
Dawn says
Hi Beata,
I use a variation of this recipe often with sprouted super firm tofu. My former housemate and I found it worked REALLY well.
Beata says
Great, thank you Dawn!
Annie says
I make these a few times a month and they're always delicious. This last time I did a variation: I pressed the tofu for 30 minutes and then marinated overnight it in some pickle juice (from hamburger dill slices) I saved from the end of a jar. I highly recommend this variation!
Peggy Does Cake says
Annie, yes! The pickle juice makes these taste like Chick-Fil-A!
Jamie Phang says
This stuff is soooo amazing, it really gives me the chicken nugget experience somehow. I'm Chinese and grew up eating tofu but not like this! I make this recipe like every time now.
Btw, for a more even coating (and to make it easier), I added a bit of water to the marinade and it tasted just as amazing 🙂