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Love this recipe! So easy and delicious. I make it nearly every week and change up the veggies. Great leftovers for lunch too! Thank you!
donna
These Tofu Bowls Are A Fan-Favorite.
If you asked me what I eat when I’m just being regular me in my regular life, like, not trying to make anything impressive for a blog or a brand partner or a cool Instagram picture, I would say PEANUT TOFU BOWLS.
This has been my real-life meal prep lifesaver over the last few months.
And it is complex in salty-sweet flavor and sticky-crunchy texture, and loaded with nutritious good stuff, but also quite simple.
There are just a few steps to move through – whisk (or blend) up a peanut sauce, bake the tofu and veggies, get some rice going in the rice cooker, and then assemble it all together in bowls.
My whole family loves this (the peanut sauce can do not wrong) and it makes for a really easy weeknight meal. Also: the leftovers are really delicious if you want to do some meal prep!
So easy, so low-key, SO VERY DELICIOUS! My favorite way to roll.
Hope you love this tofu bowl as much as I do!
How To Make Spicy Peanut Tofu Bowls
Step 1: Make a sheet pan of tofu (don’t wanna bake? other methods here).
Step 2: Make a sheet pan of veggies.
Step 3: Whip up a peanut sauce. If you love yourself, make a double batch so you can freeze some for later.
Step 4: Make rice. Assemble. And serve. Or pack away for lunches!
Swaps and Substitutions
Could you:
- use chicken instead? yes.
- try mushrooms or green beans or carrots instead? yes.
- air fry your tofu? yes.
- use cauliflower rice or quinoa? yes.
- use almond butter instead of peanut butter? yes.
- use a different sauce altogether, like any one of these sauces? yes.
Really, this is a recipe, but this is also a lifestyle. And I say that with only 5% facetiousness.
How To Make Tofu Crispy
If I’m going to make tofu, I need crispiness. I need CRUNCH. Here are some tips to make this happen.
- Press your tofu. Use paper towels and something heavy, or get a tofu press. (affiliate link) The less water, the more crispy it will be.
- Store tofu in the freezer. Thaw the day before in the fridge, drain, and press water out as usual. You’ll be able to get more water out that way, and you’ll be left with tofu that has a slightly drier, chewier texture.
- Use cornstarch. This recipe calls for cornstarch on the tofu, and it’s what helps it get a nice crispy crust on it. Highly recommend the extra step/ingredient!
- Use an air fryer. If you have an air fryer, this is a great way to use it! Follow the steps in this recipe (skip nutritional yeast and spice blend) to make the tofu.
- OR Turn on convection bake. If you have a convection setting on your oven, try it out! Just lower the temperature by about 25 degrees to ensure you don’t burn it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! I’d follow the chicken treatment in these peanut chicken noodle bowls to replace the tofu.
Yes! Mushrooms, green beans, and carrots also work beautifully.
Not too spicy! I’d rate it as mild. If you’re spicy-averse, just dial back the sambal / chili paste.
Yep! I would follow this recipe, but omit the nutritional yeast and spice mix.
You could use almond butter or cashew butter instead. It won’t taste quite the same, but it would be the best alternative to peanut butter!
Video To Make These Tofu Bowls
Spicy Peanut Tofu Bowls
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
These Spicy Peanut Tofu Bowls are a meal prep / weeknight dinner life-saver! Crispy tofu, roasted veggies, fluffy rice, and a spicy sweet peanut sauce all over top. YES.
Ingredients
For the Bowls:
- 2 blocks of extra firm tofu
- 1–2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 small (or 1 large) head of broccoli, cut into florets
- 2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
Peanut Sauce:
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil (toasted or dark)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sambal oelek or chili paste (this is where the “spicy” comes in, so add to taste)
- 2 tablespoons sugar, honey, or agave
- 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
- 1 clove fresh garlic, peeled
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Press liquid out of the tofu. Cube tofu and toss (gently) with the cornstarch until coated. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Arrange broccoli and peppers on another baking sheet. Drizzle all with olive oil and salt. Roast both pans at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until tofu is slightly crisped and broccoli is roasty and delicious.
- While the tofu and broccoli are roasting, cook the rice.
- Also, make the sauce by blending everything in a blender or food processor.
- Serve tofu and broccoli with rice and a good drizzle of peanut sauce. YUM!
Notes
For an exceptionally dry and chewy tofu, keep your tofu in the freezer! Thaw the day before in the fridge, drain, and press water out as usual. You’ll be able to get more water out that way, and you’ll be left with tofu that has a slightly drier, chewier texture that many people (myself included) find very very delicious.
To get your tofu a little browned, put it on the top rack of the oven, just a few inches from the heat source.
Keeps amazingly well as leftovers – I keep mine for a full 5 days!
I topped my bowls with black sesame seeds to make it extra pretty.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Keywords: tofu recipe, peanut tofu, tofu bowl, vegan meal prep, vegetarian meal prep
Three More Seriously Good Tofu Bowls
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This recipe is part of our collection of favorite peanut butter recipes. Check it out!
I don’t think I’ve ever left a rating on a recipe before, but I had to for this one. I love it so much and have been making it for years now. Spice girl I’m not so I do leave out the chili paste though.
Thank you so much for all your great recipes. You’re my favorite cook on the Internet!
Thank you for making the recipe!
Loved this recipe! Easy week night meal!
I didn’t realize I had no peanut butter and was on the last step making the sauce ha ha. I had tahini so I put a half a cup of that in and 1/4 cup roasted peanuts. Everyone liked it and said it wasn’t much different than with peanut butter!
I rarely comment on recipes but I just wanted to say this was so so tasty, healthy, and so easy to customise! I pan fried the tofu, and used whatever veggies I had in the fridge, and it was delicious, especially that sauce! Looking forward to tomorrow’s leftovers 😋
So glad you enjoyed it!
Hello Lindsay~ It says to skip the nutritional yeast & spice mix if opting to air fry the tofu, but I don’t see nutritional yeast, or a spice mix, in the ingredients. When/where would that be added to the tofu if baking it? Thanks, Betsy
So good! It’s in our monthly rotation!
Every recipe I have tried so far, has been nothing less than amazing. My husband is loving these for his lunches and brags to his coworkers.
I made this for dinner last night and it was so good! I’m excited to have the leftovers for lunch today.
Looks delicious! Would you please provide tofu amount in weight as I find blocks of different sizes at the store.
Thank you!
About 14 ounces!
So delicious! The tofu came out so crispy and I wanted to eat the peanut sauce with a spoon it’s so good! The broccoli and red peppers were a brilliant combination but you could use any veggie combo or a different protein and it would still be delicious.
It was very yummy, but I lost a lot of tofu due to it adhering to the parchment paper. Consider spraying the paper, foil, pan before putting the tofu and corn starch on it to bake.
This is one of my go to recipes for meal prep. Very easy to make and then toss into containers to take to work all week! Reheats well and feels healthy.
love your recipes
I think we will be adding this to our regular rotation! I served it to a friend and my husband, neither of which likes peanut butter and they both loved it and wanted more sauce.. my 13 month old also loved it! I added the sugar and soy at the end to keep some low sodium for baby. The tofu was a bit hard for baby to chew so probably will just keep some raw aside next time. Veggie wise I did the roasted bell peppers and an assortment of frozen veggies and it was all so delicious!
Glad you all enjoyed it!
Can’t believe I haven’t made this yet! Remedying that this week. For the PB – unsweetened natural or regular ‘ol Jiffy? Thank you!
Either works but this uses regular creamy peanut butter!
SO GOOD! One of our favorite meals.
I made this for dinner and it is so delicious. I loved the spicy peanut sauce – it has the perfect amount of heat for me, but not too spicy for others in my family.
The tofu baked up beautifully. I will be using this method in the future.
meh
sauce was good, might try with the seasoned air fryer tofu.
Delicious recipe! A keeper!
This is fantastic! I try every peanut sauce recipe I see looking for the best one and this is it! I can’t wait to use it on pasta with veggies! This bowl is so so good! I have only prepared tofu twice and I am happy to say it was delicious! Thanks Lindsay!
This is my favorite to make for lunchees!! I did swap out the broccoli and do only peppers so I don’t have to be THAT person using the lunchroom microwave. 🙂
i’m so excited to tey this,,,
Love love love. So easy, balanced and delicious.
Hadn’t made this one in a couple years and WOW. I forgot how tasty it is. I finished my bowl and told my husband I could eat four more and also HOW DO PEOPLE NOT LIKE TOFU?!?
This recipe is in our regular rotation, so good! We sometimes use red onion slices and/or snow peas in addition to the broccoli and red bell pepper.