Quick Baked "Chicken" Tofu

Emily Palamara
Aug 22, 2019
2 min read

When I first went vegetarian all those years ago, tofu and I had a sort of interesting relationship. I was still in high school so eating dinners with my family every evening. Most of the time, I just had sides, and sometimes I added in pan-fried tofu. It was okay, never a perfect replacement for meat (not that I was looking for one!). Fast forward to college and I honestly couldn't afford tofu. My diet consisted mainly of beans, potatoes, rice, and frozen vegetables. The occasional Chinese take-out definitely included tofu - the tasty deep fried tofu with the amazing texture! I tried cooking it, and just no.

Now that I am vegan, feeding a vegan husband, and trying to keep boredom out of my kitchen, I need to live off a little more than rice and beans. Pan frying tofu just never worked. It ALWAYS stuck to the pan, and never crisped up like deep fried tofu. I ventured into tofu scramble and honestly, was very happy with using tofu in that way for a long time!

And then, I saw someone bake it.

Honestly, it is a major failure on my part to have never thought to bake tofu before. The high consistent heat, ability to use a non-stick mat or parchment paper (CRUCIAL), and hands off cooking is perfect for delicate tofu!

This recipe is so easy that it has taken me forever to even think to write a blog post for it! But then I realized I can't be keeping this baked tofu revelation to myself! Its barely a recipe and more of a method - but still deserves its place here either way! I'm giving you my "chicken" flavor tofu recipe here - but you can mix it up with honestly any spice, or none at all!