How spicy is the sauce?

Pretty spicy. Too spicy for my kids. You can scale the amount of sauce down even further if you'd like a less spicy sauce! Or, you can try this mayo-based gochujang sauce which is quite a bit milder and still really delicious.

Can you use regular tofu (not vacuum-packed)?

You can, but a) you need to press it more to remove the moisture, and b) it'll take a bit longer in the oven to get crisped up. Maybe closer to 40 minutes.

If you have a peanut allergy, is there a substitute for peanut butter?

I would use this gochujang sauce instead!

Could I make this with meat (like chicken)?

Yes! This sauce would be delicious with chicken meatballs , air fryer chicken , sauteed shrimp, any and all.

Could I make this with gochujang paste (not sauce)?

Yes, but I'd suggest starting with much less. I think 1 tablespoon will be plenty. I would also add a bit more garlic or other seasonings to round out the flavor.

Sticky Gochujang Tofu with Herbs and Peanuts Recipe

Name: Sticky Gochujang Tofu with Peanuts and Herbs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Korean-Inspired
Ingredients: 1 16-ounce block extra firm tofu – ideally the kind that comes vacuum-packed; 1 tablespoon avocado oil; 2 teaspoons cornstarch; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper to taste; 3 tablespoons gochujang sauce (see note 1); 2 tablespoons sesame oil; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 2 tablespoons peanut butter; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1-2 tablespoons water as needed; Rice; Cilantro, green onion, and/or peanuts as a garnish; Cucumber, or other veggies for the bowl

Description

Max flavor, minimal effort! This Gochujang Tofu is a beauty. Crispy golden tofu bathed in a 5-ingredient sauce that is spicy, sweet, tangy, and so delicious.

Ingredients

Scale

Tofu

1 16–ounce block extra firm tofu – ideally the kind that comes vacuum-packed
1 tablespoon avocado oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper to taste

Gochujang Sauce

3 tablespoons gochujang sauce (see note 1)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1–2 tablespoons water as needed

Serving

Rice
Cilantro, green onion, and/or peanuts as a garnish
Cucumber, or other veggies for the bowl

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Instructions

Prep: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Press the tofu a few times with paper towels (if you use the vacuum-packed kind, this is hardly necessary at all – yay!). Tear the tofu into rough chunks.
Tofu: Put the tofu chunks in a nonstick square baking dish, or a sheet pan lined with parchment. Add the oil, cornstarch, salt, and pepper directly to the pan; shake or toss to coat.
Bake: Bake tofu for 15 minutes. Give it a shake or stir to rotate the pieces. Then bake for another 10 minutes. (Total bake time: 25 minutes.)
Make Sauce: While baking is happening, shake up the sauce ingredients in a jar until smooth.
Sauce on Tofu: Pour just enough sauce over the tofu to coat; toss to combine. Return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes, checking every so often to prevent burning, until golden brown.
Done! Remove the pan from the oven and toss with a fresh drizzle of sauce. Serve with rice and a vegetable, and top with chopped peanuts, cilantro, green onion, and any remaining sauce. SO GOOD!

Notes

Note 1: Gochujang is a spicy Korean fermented red chili paste fermented paste. I use gochujang sauce for this recipe and I love the Bibigo brand! Gochujang sauce tastes like gochujang but it also has flavors of garlic, sesame, etc. – it’s more of a condiment. You can also use proper Korean gochujangpaste in this recipe, but it will be thicker, spicier, and have less added flavors. If you do this, use less (1 tablespoon would be plenty) and add a bit of extra flavor like brown sugar, garlic powder, ginger, etc.

Note 2: You don’t have to use a nonstick square baking dish, but I like that it has higher sides and makes it easy to toss everything around all in one pan. Here’s the one I have. (affiliate link)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Oven
Cuisine: Korean-Inspired

Keywords: gochujang sauce, baked tofu, gochujang tofu, spicy tofu, tofu bowl, rice bowl, vegetarian dinner, vegan dinner