Description
This Brown Sugar Glazed Tofu recipe offers a flavorful and textured vegetarian dish, featuring marinated extra firm tofu baked to perfection and glazed with a sweet and tangy brown sugar mustard sauce. Ideal for a hearty meal, the tofu is infused with a blend of spices and nutritional yeast, baked with aromatic cloves, and finished with a caramelized glaze that adds a delightful depth of flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Marinated Tofu
- 1 block extra firm tofu, pressed and drained
- 3 tbsp gluten free soy sauce or tamari
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 tsp chili garlic sauce
- 1 tsp brown mustard
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/2 small onion, minced
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 30–35 whole cloves (the spice)
Brown Sugar Glaze
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
Instructions
- Press the tofu: Remove block of tofu from container and drain excess liquid. Place tofu on a shallow plate and apply a heavy object to press out as much water as possible over 3-4 hours using a tofu press or heavy weight.
- Prepare tofu surface: On a clean cutting board, poke holes halfway through the tofu all over the surface using a toothpick or needle, then cut shallow crosshatch patterns on the top and bottom surfaces.
- Make marinade: In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, lemon juice, chili garlic sauce, brown mustard, thyme, maple syrup, minced garlic, minced onion, smoked paprika, and nutritional yeast.
- Marinate tofu: Place tofu into a large resealable bag or airtight container. Pour marinade over tofu, seal, and gently shake to coat completely. Refrigerate and marinate overnight.
- Preheat oven and prepare tofu: Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Remove tofu from marinade, shake off excess, and place on a lined baking sheet. Insert whole cloves at each crosshatch intersection on the top.
- Bake first round: Bake tofu for 20-25 minutes until edges brown and marinade dries.
- Prepare brown sugar glaze: Combine brown sugar and spicy brown mustard in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 15 seconds, then stir until sauce forms.
- Baste and continue baking: Carefully baste tofu with the brown sugar glaze and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Remove cloves and baste again: Take tofu out, remove cloves with a fork, and baste tofu again with remaining glaze on all exposed surfaces.
- Final bake: Return tofu to oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes until the glaze caramelizes around the edges.
- Serve: Using a sharp knife, slice tofu into pieces and serve as desired.
Notes
- If you don’t have time to press tofu, use super firm tofu but expect slightly less marinade absorption.
- Do not pour excessive brown sugar glaze; baste periodically to ensure sauce stays on tofu and does not burn.
- Use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari to keep this dish gluten-free.
- Marinating overnight enhances flavor and texture.
- Carefully remove cloves before serving to avoid biting into whole spices.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/3 block of tofu (approx. 150g)
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 550mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
