This pineapple tofu recipe will rock your world. It’s a baked tofu recipe inspired by Indonesian flavors, and it is easy, low-effort and consists of only a few simple ingredients.
This is the entree for my Progressive Dinner Party Series, but it is also just a great staple recipe to have on hand. You can use it for meal prep, a weeknight dinner, or dress it up for a date night. The glaze is two ingredients, the pineapple adds an extra hint of sweetness, and everything is done on one-pan. It’s a total dream meal if you love easy cooking.
Table of contents
Ingredients for this glazed tofu recipe
Contrary to what you might think, this is a pretty small ingredient list! Like all my recipes, I want to keep it easy, innovative and doable. Here’s what you need for this pineapple tofu:
- 15 oz. firm or extra firm tofu – pressed
- 1 cup pineapple – chopped
- 1/4 cup kecap manis – This is an Indonesian condiment, if you can’t find it at your store any other sweet soy sauce will work
- 1/4 cup sambal oelek – Try not to sub this out, but if you need to, another chili garlic paste will work as well!
- 3 stalks scallions – chopped
How to make the baked tofu glaze
This glaze is inspired by Nasi Goreng – an Indonesian fried rice that relies heavily on kecap manis and sambal oelek. Put these two ingredients together and you will have the most addicting sauce of all time. I like to put it on everything – from tofu (case in point, this recipe) to even avocado toast. It truly is the best sweet & spicy accompaniment to any food.
How to make the pineapple tofu
This baked tofu recipe is essentially a slice it, toss it, bake it, eat it kind of recipe. But of course I have to get more specific, so here is everything laid out:
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Press all the liquid out of your tofu. I rarely do this, but when I do I put the tofu on a plate that has edges (so no liquid escapes) and then I place a paper towel on top, and then another plate and something to weigh it down (like a full tea kettle). I let the tofu press for 30-60 minutes. You can also buy a tofu press for this!
- Cut the tofu into 1′ cubes. Slice the pineapple into bite-sized pieces.
- Make the glaze by stirring together the sambal oelek and kecap manis until fully combined.
- On a well-greased or foil lined baking sheet, evenly spread out the tofu cubes and the pineapple pieces. Cover them with the glaze and toss until all the pieces are covered.
- Bake the tofu at 400F for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- The tofu is done with the glaze is thick and dark and the tofu has crisped slightly at the edges. Take out of the oven and toss one last time.
- Top the tofu with finely chopped scallions. Serve with rice or greens!
Serving Suggestions, Tips & Tricks
As you can see in the recipe photo, I definitely don’t like to serve this tofu naked! (I mean, sometimes I do, when I’m eating it directly out of the pan). You can serve this tofu with various different sides. Here are some of my favorite serving suggestions:
- Put on a salad with shredded red cabbage, carrots and snow peas
- Serve with sticky rice and seared bok choy
- Serve with avocado and grilled vegetables (slightly out of the ordinary, but such a good healthy meal)
- Or serve in lettuce cups! So easy and so so good.
And a few tips as you make the recipe:
- Don’t over crowd the pan – the tofu and pineapple can be close, but you don’t want them on top of each other. Since both components are moist, a crowded pan will cause them to steam instead of cook.
- Toss the tofu every 10 minutes – this will ensure the glaze gets thick and sticky on all sides of the tofu, not just the sides exposed to the heat of the oven!
- Let the tofu cool for 5 minutes before serving – this will help the glaze set on the pineapple tofu recipe.
FAQ for the Baked Tofu Recipe
It’s not imperative, but pressing your tofu does help with the texture. In this instance, removing the moisture from the tofu helps it dry out in the oven, leaving you with firm tofu and a thick glaze.
Absolutely! An air fryer functions the same way as a convection oven. So follow the recipe as written, but decrease the cooking time by about 15 minutes.
I choose to store this tofu in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
This tofu will last in the fridge for 5-7 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months!
Totally! If it’s a plant based protein such as tempeh or seitan, I recommend following the recipe as written, but skipping the “pressing” part. If it is a different animal protein, I recommend cubing the protein and cooking until it reaches the recommended temperature for that protein type.
You can, I just wouldn’t recommend it. Glass is a poor conductor of heat (it heats slowly, but retains the heat for much longer) so you might not get the desired texture. But if it’s all you have, it will definitely get the job done!
And that’s it for this baked pineapple tofu recipe! If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making <3
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Pineapple Tofu
Ingredients
- 15 oz. firm or extra firm tofu pressed
- 1 cup pineapple chopped
- 1/4 cup kecap manis or sweet soy sauce will also work
- 1/4 cup sambal oelek
- 3 stalks scallions chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Press all the liquid out of your tofu. I rarely do this, but when I do I put the tofu on a plate that has edges (so no liquid escapes) and then I place a paper towel on top, and then another plate and something to weigh it down (like a full tea kettle). I let the tofu press for 30-60 minutes. You can also buy a tofu press for this!
- Cut the tofu into 1' cubes. Slice the pineapple into bite-sized pieces.
- Make the glaze by stirring together the sambal oelek and kecap manis until fully combined.
- On a well-greased or foil lined baking sheet, evenly spread out the tofu cubes and the pineapple pieces. Cover them with the glaze and toss until all the pieces are covered.
- Bake the tofu at 400F for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- The tofu is done with the glaze is thick and dark and the tofu has crisped slightly at the edges. Take out of the oven and toss one last time.
- Top the tofu with finely chopped scallions. Serve with rice or greens!
This recipe was absolutely delicious!! Looking forward to eating my leftovers tomorrow thanks for the lovely recipe!
Omg I’m so glad you liked it!