Name: Recipe for Sesame Baked Asian Tofu
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Entrees
Ingredients: 1 block of extra firm tofu, drained and pressed; 1 1/2 sesame oil; 2 rice vinegar; 1 sweet chili sauce; 4 honey; 1 granulated garlic; 2 1/2 sesame seeds, toasted; 3/4 whole wheat Panko bread crumbs

Two and a half crusted tofu steaks with herb and tomato garnishes

Entrees A Healthy Crunch of Plant-Based Protein

The complex whole proteins provided by tofu are an easy way to balance a diet that may go astray now and then. This recipe has a great combination of silky tofu, the airy, large flake crunch of Japanese panko breadcrumbs, and the nutty toothiness of sesame seeds. Tofu is a blank slate for flavors, soaking up the Asian influences of rice vinegar, the sweet heat of chili sauce and honey, and the unmistakable savory taste of sesame oil. A citrus-accented salad or sautéed spinach will make this dish a complete meal.

Recipe courtesy of

Chef Edwin Cabrera

Prep Instructions

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Recipe Ingredients

1 block of extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
4 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
3/4 cup whole wheat Panko bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
Cut tofu into 8 pieces.
Combine the whole-wheat panko and sesame seeds in a pan.
Whisk together the sesame oil, rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce, honey and granulated garlic to make a brine.
Baste each tofu steak in the brine, then coat each steak with the sesame-panko mixture.
Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.