Peanut Tofu with Coconut Rice is a delicious 30 minute meal, perfect for busy weeknights when you don’t have much time to cook! The peanut sauce is to die for; kids and adults alike will swoon over it. Skip the delivery; this tastes so much better!
I think this peanut tofu with coconut rice is going to be your new best friend. Not only is it easy to make with simple ingredients you probably already have, but it’s INSANELY delicious. This peanut tofu tastes so much better than anything you can order out! Oh, and it can be ready in just about 30 minutes. Are you with me yet?
I’ll show you the best way to make this dish. It goes like this:
- Get the tofu baking in the oven.
- Once the tofu is in the oven, get your rice cooking.
- Once the rice is cooking, make the sauce.
- Once the tofu is done cooking, add to sauce.
- Serve and devour!!
How do you make crispy baked tofu?
Here is my fool-proof method for making delicious, crispy tofu.
Start with pressed tofu, and slice into 2 inch squares/rectangles. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the tofu to a large bowl, then pour 3 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten free) and toss to coat. Sprinkle on the cornstarch and gently toss. I always use my hands. Be very gentle, or the tofu will fall apart.
Spray the parchment paper with oil. Place the tofu evenly on the parchment paper lined pan, spray the tops with oil and bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown. There is no need to flip the tofu halfway.
See how crispy the tofu gets? It amazes me every time!
Once the tofu is in the oven, make your rice.
For the coconut rice, you will use 1/2 cup of the canned full fat coconut milk. The rest of the milk will go in the peanut sauce (about 1 cup), so make sure to save it for the next step.
Rinse the rice, add to a pot with the coconut milk, water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 18 minutes. Fluff with a fork when done. (See recipe card below for full amounts and instructions.)
Once the rice is cooking, make your peanut sauce.
Add all the sauce ingredients to a large saucepan, and stir until smooth and creamy. The sauce is amazingly tasty, and made with coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, maple syrup, fresh ginger, garlic and lime juice.
When the tofu is done baking, add it to the peanut sauce and stir to coat. The rice should also be done by now.
Serve immediately with chopped cilantro, peanuts and perhaps some steamed kale or broccoli on the side, if desired. Enjoy!
Possible substitutions:
- Swap unsweetened cashew, almond or soy milk for the full fat coconut milk if you want a lighter, less rich dish.
- Use tempeh instead of tofu. For this, I would simply steam the tempeh on the stovetop, then add it to the peanut sauce.
- Use brown rice instead of white.
- For gluten free, make sure to use gluten free tamari.
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Peanut Tofu with Coconut Rice
Ingredients
Crispy Baked Tofu
- (2) 14-ounce blocks extra-firm tofu, pressed
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (tamari for gluten free)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- spray oil
Coconut Rice
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 1/4 cups water
- pinch of salt
Peanut Sauce
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (tamari for gluten free)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
Optional for serving
- chopped cilantro, peanuts
- steamed kale or broccoli
Instructions
- Press the tofu by wrapping in paper towels. Place a plate or pan on top of the wrapped tofu, and put a couple of heavy books on top of that. Let the tofu press for at least 30 minutes if possible and up to an hour. (Skip this step by purchasing firm tofu in a vacuum pack.)
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the tofu into 2 inch squares or rectangles and place in a large bowl. Drizzle on the soy sauce and toss gently to combine. Sprinkle on the cornstarch and toss to combine, gently (I always use my hands.)
- Spray the parchment paper with oil. Arrange the tofu pieces evenly on the pan, spray the tops lightly with oil and bake for 25 minutes until crispy and lightly golden brown.
- Once the tofu is baking, make the coconut rice: Rinse the rice, then add it to a medium pot, along with the coconut milk, water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 18 minutes. Turn off the heat, and fluff with a fork. You will use the rest of the coconut milk for the peanut sauce.
- Once the rice is cooking, make the peanut sauce: In a large pan, add all the sauce ingredients and turn the heat to medium. Stir constantly, until smooth and creamy, about 5-10 minutes.
- When the tofu is done baking, carefully add it to the pan with the sauce, and stir to coat the tofu pieces. Serve immediately over the coconut rice, sprinkling peanuts and cilantro on top, if desired.
Recipe Notes
- May substitute unsweetened cashew, almond or soy milk for the full fat coconut milk, if desired. It won't be as delicious and creamy, but it will still taste good.
- For gluten free, make sure to use gluten free tamari instead of soy sauce.
- To avoid needing to press your tofu, buy the tofu NOT in water, but the extra firm tofu in vacuum sealed packs.
Nutrition
Jasmine
I made it and it tasted delicious! I just think there needs to be more sauce to cover the tofu.
Nora
Glad you enjoyed it, maybe double the sauce next time to make it “saucier”. Thanks!
Sequoya
Can you use flour instead of cornstarch?
Nora
I’ve never tried it, so I’m not sure. The corn starch is what makes the tofu nice and crispy, and I’m not sure that flour would replicate that.
Tricia
This looks great! I’m curious—why not light coconut milk?
Nora
You can certainly use light coconut milk if you would like to, it just won’t be as rich and creamy, but still plenty delicious! Thank you.
Lynne Kleinholz
Okay this was a great recipe. You have also unlocked the mystery to crispy tofu for me. Alone for that I’d give this recipe 5 stars.
I like the way the recipe was put together so everything was kinda effortless in prep and cooking and pretty much exactly done on time.
I have also longed for a super easy peanut butter sauce recipe for ages. I’m sure they are out there, but this super easy sauce recipe combined with the amazing tofu and then the coconut milk reis, so no leftover milk , well it’s just a real gem of a recipe.
My kids were super excited and we are all in love with it. This is a new “go to” recipe for us.
Thanks so much!
Louise
Delicious, I didn’t have enough PB so it was 50/50 with tahini, it was really good, thank you for the great recipe
Val
This recipe was incredible the one weird thing is that my sauce “curdled“ and I’m not sure why.
Nora
I’m glad you enjoyed it! If it looked curdled, you probably needed to stir the sauce more, or even whisk it. That’s usually how it looks before it turns smooth, and if your peanut butter was a little thicker instead of super creamy, that would be even more the case. Next time, whisk it well. Thank you!
Catherine
I found this recipe and it looked super good. I just made it and it tastes way better than I ever thought that it would. Thank you!
Nora
That’s so wonderful to hear Catherine! Thank you.
cheryl
Peanut sauce on anything is a favorite in our house and this one was a big hit. Love your recipes!
Nora
Thank you Cheryl!! Glad you enjoyed it.
Meredith
So, maybe I DO like tofu!
Wow. This was absolutely delicious! I’ve recently switched to a plant-based diet and i’m trying so hard to like tofu. I think this preparation was exactly what I needed. And the sauce is amazing.
DEFINITELY making this again. Thank you!
Nora
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed the tofu! I know it can be challenging when you first switch to a plant-based diet to try new foods, and sometimes tofu, if not prepared well, can just be really bland and boring. Glad you enjoyed this recipe, thank you!
Frances
Hello, I find your site very easy to follow & the recipes quite simple to make. I’ve made already a few & they have been a success! The ingredients you use are not difficult to find in my grocery store. I usually prepare these dishes for my daughter who is the vegan in the family but I now have the rest of the non vegans wanting to try these wonderful meals! 😊
Nora
Thank you so much! I’m happy to hear you find my site easy to follow and recipes that are simple to make. And that even the non vegans want to try the food, that’s wonderful!
Jen
Can this be done with brown rice?
Nora
Yes, absolutely! The brown rice will take longer to cook, of course, and I would use a little more water. So 1 cup brown rice, 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1 1/2 cups water. Simmer for about 40 minutes. Thanks!
Alan
Thanks! Very delicious.
Nora
I’m glad you enjoyed the Peanut Buddha Bowl recipe, it’s still one of my favorites! 🙂