Sheet pan tofu and Brussels sprouts and peanut sauce is a satisfying and healthy one-pan meal packed full of flavor. It's the perfect vegetarian meal for Meatless Mondays (or any day)!
This sheet pan tofu with Brussels sprouts and peanut sauce recipe is long overdue. Long, long overdue. I generally am a big fan of tofu, from all types of Asian-inspired recipes to "egg" scrambles...even silken tofu in an indulgent chocolate mousse pie I haven't had in years but am suddenly craving.
Besides its versatility, it's an inexpensive plant-based protein that stays for awhile in the fridge. More often than not I have a block or two on hand.
So when I received a comment asking about a vegan protein pairing for turmeric coconut basmati rice, I immediately thought of tofu. I went searching for a tofu recipe in my recipe archives to link her, but there were none!
Time to change that.
Recipe Ingredients
This tofu with Brussels sprouts recipe combines a few different favorites - roasted brussels sprouts (yum), peanut sauce (double yum), and sheet pan meals (🙌).
I go for a block of extra firm tofu here, but if all you can find is firm, that will work too. In that case you may wish to press the tofu for longer, but honestly I don't find it makes too much of a difference. Just don't use silken tofu! That variety will fall apart much easier than firm or extra firm tofu does.
The tofu marinates/roasts in a mixture including soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, maple syrup, minced or pressed garlic, grated fresh ginger, and sriracha. Using maple syrup keeps this dish vegan, but you can substitute in the same amount of honey if you prefer and that isn't a concern.
And while not 100% necessary, I love drizzling peanut sauce over the roasted tofu and Brussels sprouts to serve. The base of this peanut sauce clearly is peanut butter (I suggest creamy). Then in goes more soy sauce, maple syrup (or agave nectar, or honey), rice wine vinegar (or mirin), sriracha, garlic, and sesame oil. So, many of the same ingredients. All you'll need to add is a little bit of water to thin the sauce out.
Step-by-Step Instructions
There are several different components to this recipe, but the very first requires a bit of lead time: pressing the tofu.
With either firm or extra-firm varieties, you'll want to press the tofu to expel as much water and moisture from it as you can. Even with extra firm varieties, there's usually a more-than-immaterial amount of water that can be pressed out. Reducing as much water from the tofu as you can means it'll be that much more capable of absorbing the marinade and "crisping" up, and that means more flavor. Around a half hour will do the trick.
To conserve some time I stir up both the marinade and the peanut sauce while the tofu is being pressed. Once pressed, cut the tofu into one-inch cubes marinate for another half hour. Transfer the tofu to a large rimmed sheet pan (mine seen here is about 13" x 18" aluminum <--affiliate link), then dunk the Brussels sprouts in the excess marinade. Pour the sprouts and marinade out onto the sheet pan and arrange everything in a single layer.
One flip halfway through cook time and they're good to go.
As they bake, the Brussels sprouts will become roasted and soft, while the tofu cubes develop a golden brown exterior - especially the edges! Truly they're delicious as-is, but I spent a few minutes while they were cooking to mix up an easy peanut sauce that took this sheet pan recipe over the top.
Whisk together the peanut sauce ingredients, then dilute with water, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your preferred consistency. Drizzle over top before serving.
I can say with full confidence that this sheet pan tofu and Brussels sprouts with peanut sauce is one of those meals that will have you looking forward to enjoying leftovers for lunch the next day.
Serving Suggestions
Speaking of, if you like all things spicy, a drizzle of sriracha and a hearty shake of toasted sesame seeds make wonderful accompaniments to the peanut sauce when it comes to serving. If all you have are raw sesame seeds, you can see the easy steps on how to roast them yourself in this sesame spinach post.
As for other elements to this dish, rice, quinoa, or your favorite grain work well to add heft. Over the years my brown rice cooking method has evolved, from following package instructions, to preparing it in the Instant Pot, and now to boiling it, sort of like pasta. It gets super fluffy! If you're curious, you can see those instructions within this cilantro lime brown rice post.
Related Recipes
This recipe for oven fried tofu has a spicy ginger sauce for a twist on. This tofu gets pretty close to the texture of traditionally fried tofu!
For another Brussels sprouts + protein main dish made all in one pan (this time on the stovetop), you may like this balsamic peanut chicken stir fry. I am in love with this stir fry sauce, and if you're a regular blog reader it may look familiar as I've used it in several different recipes. Balsamic vinegar and peanut butter may be an unlikely pairing but OH MAN it's so good.
All of the elements of these maple bacon Brussels sprouts are also made in one pan, this time using both the stovetop and the oven. This roasted side dish is so hearty, it even works by itself as an appetizer or small plate.
Recipe Notes
- You may have extra peanut sauce leftover. I love to use it on grilled chicken (especially drumsticks), on noodles as sauce, or as a dipping sauce for dumplings.
Sheet Pan Tofu with Peanut Sauce and Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 24 oz Brussels sprouts large ones cut in half
- 1 14-oz block extra firm tofu or firm
- Rice for serving
For the marinade:
- ½ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ inch knob of fresh ginger, minced
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
For the peanut sauce:
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar or mirin
- 1 teaspoon sriracha, or to taste
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoon water or enough to thin to your liking
Instructions
- Open the tofu package and drain out the liquid. Put the tofu block on a plate on top of several layers of paper towels and place a few paper towels over top. Place a heavy sheet pan or skillet on top of the tofu block for 20-30 minutes.
- While the tofu is being pressed, make the marinade. Add all marinade ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together until combined.
- Once the tofu is done being pressed, slice the tofu block into cubes about 1-inch thick. Add the cubes to the bowl with the marinade and gently toss to coat them. Let them marinate for 25-30 minutes.
- While the tofu is marinating, wash and prepare the Brussels sprouts, removing any yellowish outer leaves and slicing off the stem. Cut any large Brussels sprouts in half. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
- After marinating, lift out the tofu with a slotted spoon or spatula and place them about equally-spaced on the prepared sheet pan. Add Brussels sprouts to the bowl with the marinade and toss to combine.
- Place Brussels sprouts on the sheet pan and drizzle excess marinade over top of the tofu and Brussels sprouts.
- Place the pan in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pan and flip over each tofu cube and Brussels sprout. Cook until the Brussels sprouts have softened and are roasted to your liking and the tofu is golden outside with golden-brown edges.
- While the tofu and Brussels sprouts are cooking, prepare the peanut sauce by whisking together all ingredients except for the water in a bowl. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time and whisk until the peanut sauce is thinned to your liking.
- Serve tofu and Brussels sprouts over rice or grain of your liking and drizzle peanut sauce over top. Can garnish with additional sriracha and/or sesame seeds if you like.
Notes
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
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Michelle says
yeah definitely salty...
Shelby L. says
It really was good. BUT I feel like it was way too salty, even with reduced-sodium soy sauce. I felt the soy sauce amount could have been cut in half. We also used Cauliflower rice to make it more low-carb friendly.
Alyssa says
I'm sorry this wasn't to your taste, Shelby. Thank you for letting me know your experience!
Lisa Weyand says
Delicious; that marinade is a great way to get tofu to be flavorful. We ate it without the peanut sauce and it was still yummy.
Alyssa says
So happy you liked it! Thanks for letting me know how it went.
Jenn says
This marinade is EVERYTHING! Love this easy peasy recipe!
Claire says
What a great idea being able to cook it all in a sheet pan!!!
Such a great vegan idea!