Tofu Tray Bake

5 from 5 votes

This is a super delicious tofu tray bake with tender vegetables tossed in a delicious sauce. Bake and serve just as-is or in a wrap, over a bed of rice or quinoa, or over salad greens. Gluten-free Nutfree, option for soyfree. Sheet pan Jerk dinner.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: dinner, Main, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Jamaican

Keyword: tofu tray bake, tofu vegetable tray bake

Servings:

Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

For the Marinade

4 cloves garlic
1/2 inch ginger
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 or 2 whole green onions
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon maple syrup or use sugar
2 teaspoons oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1.5 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Or more all-purpose seasoning Or use poultry seasoning

Optional Add-Ins

1 hot green chili such as Serrano or scotch bonnet pepper
1/4 teaspoon lime zest

For the Veggies and Protein

14 ounce block firm or extra firm tofu, pressed for at least 15 minutes and then either cubed, torn into pieces, or sliced into fat triangle slices
1 small red onion chopped into inch size petals or fat slices
1 red bell pepper, chopped into inch size slices
1 green bell pepper chopped , inch size slices
1/2 cup cubed potatoes, 3/4 inch cubes or more

For Garnish

hemp seeds sunflower seeds, or chopped nuts
cilantro or parsley, black pepper, lime juice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the marinade.

Add all of the marinade ingredients, including any optional add-ins you’re using, to a blender, and blend. If the blender doesn't move along, then add in 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to help it move along, and then blend into a coarse puree. You don't want a super smooth puree, blend only till the ginger, garlic, and greens are broken down. Set the marinade aside and preheat the oven to 410° F (210° C). Grease a large baking sheet or sheet pan, or line with parchment

Make the veggies and protein.

Chop your veggies, if you haven't already. Press the tofu, if you haven't already, and then chop. I usually make fat triangular slices, like small chicken breasts, and then I score them on the top with a knife, so that the marinade soaks in really well.
Add a little more than half of the marinade to the tofu, tossing well to coat, then add the remaining marinade to the veggies, and toss well. (You can prep the tofu in the marinade ahead, and then refrigerate the tofu for a couple of hours or overnight for the best results. Add the marinade to the vegetables just before you're ready to bake, because otherwise the veggies will start losing too much moisture from the salt in the marinade.)
Once you're ready to bake, spread the marinated tofu out on one side of a greased baking sheet. Then, add the veggies on the other side, and spread them out, as well. You want the baking sheet big enough so that it can accommodate both the tofu and the veggies, spread into a single layer without overlapping, so that they crisp up a bit. I use 12x17” or similar-size baking sheet.
Drizzle a teaspoon or so of oil all over. Then, bake for 20 minutes. If the veggies are starting to scorch on the edges at this point, move them around a little bit, and then continue to bake for another 10 minutes or longer, until the potatoes are cooked and some of the tofu is getting crisp on the edges. This is a very moist marinade, so you're not going to get super crispy results, but they will be packed with flavor! We want the marinade to thicken and set on the vegetables and tofu.
Once everything is baked to preference, remove it from the oven. For extra crispiness, you can broil it for a minute or two, and then remove it from the oven. Serve this tofu tray bake any which way you like! See notes for suggestions.

Video

Notes

Serving Suggestions:

Add the tofu and veggies to a bowl with chopped herbs, some seeds, lime juice and hot sauce.
Serve over rice or quinoa or rice and beans with herbs and lime wedges.
Make wraps by adding to a wrap along with lettuce, sliced cucumber, a good squeeze of lime juice, and black pepper. You can also add a creamy dressing to your wrap, like ranch, tahini dressing, cilantro lime dip, or curry dressing.
You can also use these creamy dressings if you serve this in a bowl.

Make ahead, make the marinade and marinate the tofu in the fridge for up to two days, and then use them use them as you need. You can chop the vegetables and store them for two days, as well, but don't toss them in the marinade until ready to bake.

This tofu tray bake is naturally gluten-free and nut-free, as long as you don’t use nuts as an optional topping. To make it soy-free, use chickpea tofu, chickpeas, or soy-free vegan chicken. You can also use jackfruit that has been rinsed really well and then pressed to remove all of the brine.

Variations: use soaked and drained soy curls in place of the tofu. Use other vegetables, like zucchini, summer squash, cauliflower, and so on. Depending on the vegetables you use, your cooking time might vary by 5 to 10 minutes.
Add in pinched of allspice and cinnamon for more jerk flavor.

Nutrition