This Sticky Miso Tofu will turn any tofu skeptic into a tofu lover! Crispy air-fried, oven-baked or pan-fried tofu with a salty-sweet miso maple glaze is addictive and surprisingly easy to make.
This delicious way of serving tofu is the quick and easy lunch or dinner recipe you need up your sleeve pretty much all year round. Packed with protein and umami flavour, it makes a great addition to a rice bowl, or serve with noodles and veggies.
Make this Miso Tofu recipe and serve it up with some Japanese style Sesame Gomae Green Beans and a simple rice or quinoa mix. Or use my Black Bean Tofu Noodle Bowl as inspiration and serve it over your choice of noodles for a quick and easy meal.
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🥢Ingredients
Miso paste, some seasoning and firm tofu are key to making this sticky tofu recipe delicious.
- Firm Tofu- Make sure you have bouncy firm tofu- the kind you get in the fridge section- for this recipe. In the UK the brand Tofuu or the brand Clearspot make the best versions. If you can't get extra firm tofu, it will need pressing a little longer. Do not *I REPEAT* do NOT get silken tofu (even if the packet says extra firm silken tofu) Silken tofu is not suitable for this recipe.
- Potato Starch- you can also use corn starch. Potato starch creates the best crispy exterior for the tofu.
- Salt- to season the crispy coating
- White Pepper- also to season the crispy tofu coating.
- A little spray vegetable oil (if using the air fryer or oven baked method) OR neutral oil such as sunflower oil to shallow fry if pan frying.
For the Sticky Miso Sauce:
- White Miso - White miso is the mildest form of miso. It's a soft brown (rather than actually white) colour and is the miso I use again and again in recipes. Miso is generally made by fermenting soy beans, with kōji ( a type of fungus) and salt. It is also sometimes fermented with rice, barley, wheat or seaweed. If you need this recipe to be gluten free, please double check the miso you purchase is not made with wheat.
- Maple Syrup- Maple syrup provides the sticky sweet contrast to the miso, balancing out the savoury flavours. You can substitute brown sugar or agave if you like.
- Sweet Chilli Sauce- use your favourite sweet chilli sauce brand, or use a dash of sriracha sauce. This adds a little heat to the sauce but you can omit it if you like.
- Rice Vinegar- to balance the sweet and savory sauce. You can use apple cider vinegar if you can't find rice vinegar.
- Ginger- freshly grated ginger is essential for its gentle heat and tangy flavour.
- Garlic- freshly minced garlic is always delicious with ginger and miso.
To Serve
- Green Onions- also known as scallions or spring onions. A few chopped up and sprinkled over the tofu to serve is delicious.
- Sesame Seeds- toasted white and/or black sesame seeds to finish the dish. Again optional, however I like the nutty flavour they bring to the overall dish.
See recipe card for quantities.
👩🍳Instructions
Follow along with these step by step instructions for the perfect crispy bites of tofu with a yummy sticky miso sauce.
- Cut the tofu into slices, then pat dry. If the tofu isn't super firm you can put it between two tea towels and press to remove more moisture.
2.Chop the tofu into 2cm/1" square pieces, toss with the salt and pepper
3. Toss the tofu pieces in the potato or corn starch, ensure that they are well covered.
4. If air frying, spray with a little vegetable oil then put into the air fryer at 180C/350F for 10 minutes (for oven-baked or pan-fried, see the method in the 'variations' section)
5. When cooked, the tofu should be crispy on the outside but tender in the middle.
6. While the Tofu is cooking, mix up the sauce. Grate the ginger, finely mince the garlic.
7.Mix the sauce together.
8. Toss the cooked tofu and sauce in a non-stick pan. Cook to warm through the sauce and coat the tofu in the sauce. Serve warm with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and green onion slices.
Hint: You don't need to add oil to the tofu and sauce in the pan, you just need to heat the sticky miso maple sauce through and toss the crispy tofu in it.
🌶Substitutions
The key to this miso tofu recipe is the quality of ingredients. Here are some ideas of how you could change them according to what is available to you:
- Corn Starch- I think potato starch is superior in terms of how crispy it makes the food, however you can use corn starch instead if that is what you have available.
- Spicy- add extra sriracha sauce in place of the sweet chilli sauce.
- Soy Free Miso- There are miso pastes available made from rice and chickpeas, so you can choose to use those instead.
- Soy Free- Pumfu or Chickpea tofu- choose chickpea tofu or Pumpkin seed tofu in place of the tofu.
- Tempeh- Cubes of tempeh would work well in place of the crispy tofu. See this similar Teriyaki Tempeh recipe for inspiration how to make it.
🍳Cooking Variations
Crispy tofu can be achieved in several ways. I like to air fry mine (as in the main section) But here are two alternatives
- Oven-Bake- Treat the tofu in the same way, by tossing in corn starch then spraying with some vegetable oil. Place onto a lined baking sheet and bake the tofu at 180c/350F for 20 minutes, or until crispy on the outside.
- Pan Fry- Coat the tofu cubes in potato starch, then generously oil a non-stick pan. Pan fry the tofu until it is crispy, tossing it to ensure it gets completely cooked. You might need to do this in batches for the optimal result. Once cooked, remove the oil, wipe the pan and cook the sauce, tossing the tofu into the sauce.
🔪Equipment
I find that this tofu recipe is best cooked in an air fryer, in terms of speed and easyness to clean up. I love my Ninja Foodie Grill and Air fryer, so can personally recommend that!
🥫Storage
This recipe can be made ahead of time and added to lunch boxes or as part of a nourish bowl. The tofu loses it's crispyness after a while, but it does absorb some of the flavours of the miso sauce. Store for 4-5 days in the fridge.
You can also reheat this recipe, just pop it in a pan and warm through.
❗Top tip
Make sure the tofu is well coated in the potato starch. This creates the best crispy outer!
❓FAQ
Miso is a paste made with fermented soy beans (or other beans) whereas tofu is a soft or firm curd made from soybeans.
Yes absolutely. Most miso paste is completely vegan as it is made with soy beans, some kind of grain and salt, then fermented.
Yes it is. It is high in protein and calcium, gluten free and is very low carb. This particular recipe is air fried or oven baked so it is also low in oil.
📖 Recipe
Sticky Miso Tofu- Air Fryer or Oven Baked
Equipment
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
For the Tofu
- 300 g (10 ½ oz) extra firm tofu (1 standard packet (usually) Make sure this is the extra firm tofu, NOT silken tofu that also says extra firm. )
- 2 tablespoon potato starch
- 1 teaspoon flakey sea salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil (in a spray )
For the Sticky Miso Sauce
- 50 g (3 tablespoon) white miso paste
- 30 ml (2 tablespoon) maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
- 2 teaspoon ginger (grated fresh)
- 2 cloves garlic
To Serve
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoon chopped green onions (scallions/ spring onions)
Instructions
- Prepare the tofu by slicing it then patting it dry. If it is not the extra firm variety, lay it between two clean tea towels for half an hour with something heavy on top.300 g extra firm tofu
- Chop the tofu in to 2cm /1" cubes
- Toss the tofu in the potato starch along with the salt and white pepper2 tablespoon potato starch, 1 teaspoon flakey sea salt, 1 teaspoon white pepper
- Spray the tofu with vegetable oil, then put in the air fryer at 180°C/350°F for 10 minutes or oven bake at 180°C/350°F for 20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.1 teaspoon vegetable oil
For the Sticky Miso Sauce
- Finely mince the garlic and grate the ginger.2 teaspoon ginger, 2 cloves garlic
- Add all the sauce ingredients together and mix to combine.50 g white miso paste, 30 ml maple syrup, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
- When the tofu is cooked, remove from the air fryer or oven.
- In a non-stick pan, warm the sticky tofu sauce, until it starts to bubble a little. Add the tofu and toss in the sauce.
- Serve the tofu over rice and greens with the toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions to garnish.1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, 2 tablespoon chopped green onions
Notes
- Corn Starch- I think potato starch is superior in terms of how crispy it makes the food, however you can use corn starch instead if that is what you have available.
- Spicy- add extra sriracha sauce in place of the sweet chilli sauce.
- Soy Free Miso- There are miso pastes available made from rice and chickpeas, so you can choose to use those instead.
- Soy Free- Pumfu or Chickpea tofu- choose chickpea tofu or Pumpkin seed tofu in place of the tofu.
- Tempeh- Cubes of tempeh would work well in place of the crispy tofu. See this similar Teriyaki Tempeh recipe for inspiration how to make it.
- Oven-Bake- Treat the tofu in the same way, by tossing in corn starch then spraying with some vegetable oil. Place onto a lined baking sheet and bake the tofu at 180c/350F for 20 minutes, or until crispy on the outside.
- Pan Fry- Coat the tofu cubes in potato starch, then generously oil a non-stick pan. Pan fry the tofu until it is crispy, tossing it to ensure it gets completely cooked. You might need to do this in batches for the optimal result. Once cooked, remove the oil, wipe the pan and cook the sauce, tossing the tofu into the sauce.
Christine says
Full of flavour and so easy! I didn't have potato starch but subbed cornflour. Tofu came out of the air fryer nice and crisp. The sauce is "to die for". Highly recommended - thanks for the great recipe.
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
I'm so happy you liked the recipe! I love that sauce on other things too, it's such a winner. x