Sweet, spicy, and sticky tofu is crispy on the outside and tender in the middle. This Asian-inspired dish is absolutely bursting with flavour and guaranteed to impress.
Cut your tofu into half-inch cubes. Then arrange some paper towels or a clean dish towel on a cutting board and place the tofu cubes in a single layer on top. Now add more paper towels on top of the cubes and place another cutting board, flat plate, or baking sheet on top. Finally, place something very heavy on top like a cast-iron skillet or a heavy book. Press like this for 15 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
For the tofu
Preheat the oven to 425°F/218°C convection bake and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Once the tofu is pressed, place the cubes in a medium mixing bowl with the 2 tablespoons of tamari and gently mix. Then add the 2 tablespoons of flour, and the onion and garlic powder. Mix gently to evenly coat the pieces.
Arrange the coated tofu cubes in a single layer on your baking sheet, leaving plenty of space in between each piece. Bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point. NOTE: If you do not have a convection oven, it may take a little longer to reach desired crispiness.
For the sticky tofu sauce
While the tofu is baking, combine all the sticky tofu sauce ingredients in a medium pan. Whisk to combine and simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Then turn off the heat.
Add the baked tofu to the pan with the sauce and gently toss to coat each piece.
Serve your sticky tofu with rice or noodles, and top with green onion or chives and sesame seeds.
Notes
Arrange the cubes of tofu in a single layer with space in between each piece. They shouldn't touch each other on the baking tray in order to get the maximum crisp level.If you don't have a convection oven, it may take an extra few minutes to get your tofu crispy. Bake until desired crispiness level is reached.For the best texture, plan to enjoy your Asian sticky tofu immediately. The longer it sits in the sauce, it will begin to lose some of its crispy exterior.This sticky tofu dish tastes best when freshly made. However, leftovers will keep refrigerated in a sealed container for 3-4 days. To reheat, add a splash of water to the pan of tofu to loosen the sauce.