Roasted tofu gets flavor from an easy ginger, garlic, lime, soy marinade. Then, it's baked in the oven or air fryer! This vegan, plant-based, oil-free recipe is delicious in sandwiches, banh mi, spring rolls or vermicelli noodle bowls.
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🧄 Ingredient notes
For this ginger garlic lime soy marinated tofu recipe, you'll need:
- tofu (see notes below)
- soy sauce (see notes below)
- fresh garlic
- fresh ginger
- lime juice
- sugar or other sweetener
Tofu
You'll need one 14 ounce package of extra firm or firm tofu, packed in water, from the refrigerated section of the grocery store.
Silken tofu is too delicate for this recipe. It is better for blending into desserts like this pumpkin pie or for delicate recipes.
Soy sauce
I recommend full salt soy sauce for this marinade, since we're trying to impart flavor into tofu, which is bland by itself.
The best soy sauce we've tried is Pearl River Bridge Golden Label Superior Light Soy Sauce. We find it at our well-stocked Asian supermarket. You can also find it on Amazon.
It has a much fuller flavor than more widely available soy sauces.
The "light soy sauce" title does not mean it is reduced sodium. There are many types of soy sauce. Light soy sauce is what you would typically be served in a Chinese restaurant.
Dark soy sauce is very dark and thicker than standard, light soy sauce. The dark stuff has some great uses, but for this recipe, you'll want your standard soy sauce (not reduced sodium).
🔪 Instructions
How to press and cut tofu
First, prepare your extra firm tofu by gently squeezing the liquid with a clean dish towel or paper towel.
I recommend using extra firm tofu here because it saves so much time! No need to press
If you're using firm tofu or if your extra firm tofu is very wet, consider pressing it to remove more of the moisture.
Here's how to press tofu:
- Remove the tofu from the container
- Place several paper towels on a plate
- Place tofu on top of paper towels
- Place another plate or small, flat cutting board on top of tofu
- Place a weight on top (like a large can)
- Let sit for 20-30 minutes
Now, cut your tofu into 12-16 pieces of your desired shape. My favorite shapes to cut tofu are:
- thin, flat rectangles - great for veggie sandwiches
- long, rectangular sticks or "fingers" - great for spring rolls and banh mi
- thin, flat triangles - so pretty in vermicelli bowls or rice bowls!
- cubes or nuggets - versatile for rice bowls, noodle bowls and snacking
How to make ginger lime marinade
Add all ingredients to a small bowl or cup and stir well.
Pro Tip: If you'd rather not mince or crush your garlic and ginger by hand, then add all ingredients to a small mini food processor or small blender and it'll do the work for you!
👨👩👦👦 Serving suggestions
This ginger lime marinated tofu works well as a meat substitute for sandwiches.
Wanna get fancy with your sandwich? Try a vegan Vietnamese-inspired banh mi.
These baked tofu slices can be added to vermicelli noodle bowls and fresh spring rolls, too!
🔄 Variations
Instead of slicing your tofu into 12 equal rectangle slices, try a different shape!
Thin, long tofu sticks work well in sandwiches, spring rolls and for snacking.
Tofu cubes or nuggets are perfect for topping rice and stir-fries or in noodle bowls.
If making your tofu pieces smaller, then you may need to reduce the baking or air frying time.
More tofu recipes
☕️ Tea pairing
The following teas would be delicious with this ginger garlic lime baked tofu, whether it's served in spring rolls, on a banh mi, in a vermicelli bowl or in a simple sandwich with lettuce.
- Oolong tea - light flavor with a slight astringency and mild boost of caffeine
- Jasmine tea - floral aroma and flavor
- Creamy black tea - big boost of caffeine
- Green tea with lemongrass - don't steep longer than 3 minutes, to prevent bitterness
💜 More recipes you'll love
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📖 Recipe
Ginger Garlic Lime Baked Tofu
Equipment
- Air Fryer or oven
Ingredients
- 14 ounces extra firm tofu sliced into 12 rectangle pieces
- 2 teaspoons crushed garlic
- 2 teaspoons crushed ginger
- ½ teaspoon sugar or sweetener of your choice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce gluten-free: use tamari
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
Oven Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (convection/fan oven: 400°F).
- Prepare the tofu by pressing it gently in a clean dish cloth to remove excess moisture, without crushing it. Alternatively, you can use a tofu press or place the tofu on a plate lined with paper towels and place a plate or small cutting board on top, then weigh it down with a can for 20 minutes to remove excess moisture.14 ounces extra firm tofu
- Then, arrange pieces of tofu on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Mix marinade ingredients in bowl, then brush half of marinade over pieces of tofu. You can also marinate the tofu slices up to 2 hours in the refrigerator, if you have the time.2 teaspoons crushed garlic, 2 teaspoons crushed ginger, ½ teaspoon sugar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice
- Bake for 20 minutes, then flip the tofu and brush the rest of the marinade on the other side.
- Bake for another 15 minutes.
Air Fryer Instructions:
- Prepare the tofu by pressing it gently in a clean dish cloth to remove excess moisture, without crushing it. Alternatively, you can use a tofu press or place the tofu on a plate lined with paper towels and place a plate or small cutting board on top, then weigh it down with a can for 20 minutes to remove excess moisture.14 ounces extra firm tofu
- Mix marinade ingredients in bowl. Place tofu slices on a plate or wide baking dish, then brush marinade over both sides of all the tofu. You can also marinate the tofu slices up to 2 hours in the refrigerator, if you have the time.2 teaspoons crushed garlic, 2 teaspoons crushed ginger, ½ teaspoon sugar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice
- Arrange pieces of tofu in air fryer basket in a single layer. (Do multiple batches, if they don't all fit)
- Air fry at 400°F degrees for 12 minutes, checking them halfway through and flipping, if necessary with your air fryer.
Claire Robert says