When was the last time that a block of tofu was simply irresistible to you? This glazed tofu roast didn’t even make it off of the cutting board. We ate it all.
The general idea for this tofu, which I maintain is some of the best tofu I’ve ever made, is to press all of the excess water out of it, and then marinate it for 24+ hours in a sweet and smoky marinade. Use a narrow dish and flip the tofu several times, so that the marinade thoroughly soaks it.
Then, cut a criss-cross pattern on the top, stick some adorable little cloves in the junctions, plop the tofu on a bed of orange slices, and wait an hour. Top with a homemade orange-whiskey glaze (yep) and roast just a little bit longer to set the glaze onto the tofu bake. And then, dig in, and don’t be surprised if you can’t stop going back for more slices.
It’s only fair for me to show you the inside. Yes, it looks like regular tofu on the interior but I assure you… while the color may not have changed much, every cubic inch is juicy and delicious with flavor of the marinade.
I won’t take credit for the idea to cross-hatch tofu and then bake it with a vegan ham esque glaze. That genius creation comes from Isa Moskowitz’s book, The Superfun Times Holiday Cookbook. It’s an amazing book. I highly recommend picking up a copy! The recipes are organized by holiday theme but they’re generally transcendent and great any time of year.
Something I didn’t like about Isa’s tofu ham? The recipe calls for so. much. sugar. I get it – holiday hams are usually sweet, so it’s not unreasonable for a baked tofu centerpiece to have some of that same sweetness. But considering the very real risk of eating the entire thing in a short period of time, I knew I needed to reduce the sugar somewhat. By cutting the sweetener and augmenting some of the other flavors, I came up with an updated glazed tofu roast that I’m really happy with.
I also found that it was pretty essential to marinate it for much longer than the original recipe suggests, in order to ensure that the entire block of tofu is flavored (4 hours is not quite enough for this beaut). Plus, I added more whiskey, because I don’t get the chance to cook with whiskey very often but I adore the flavor.
This tofu roast is a beautiful main dish that would be perfectly at home on your Sunday supper table, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and more. It’s more healthy than the traditional meat based roast and while it takes a little bit of waiting, it’s a breeze to make. Let’s do this! Detailed instructions included to help make your tofu roast a delicious, sticky, messy, scrumptious success!
Holiday Tofu Roast
Ingredients
- 14 oz extra-firm tofu
- 1 orange sliced
- 16-24 whole cloves
For the tofu roast marinade:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp liquid smoke
- 1 tsp prepared mustard
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder (or use 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced or grated)
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
For the glaze:
- 1.5 tbsp whiskey
- 1/4 tsp orange zest
- 1/2 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
- 2 tbsp apricot jam
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger (optional)
- 1/4 tsp smoked salt (or regular salt)
- 1 tsp paprika (regular or smoked)
- 1/3 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- The day before you want to eat the tofu roast, open the tofu, drain excess liquid, and then press it. I strongly recommend using a tofu press (mine is linked in the notes). If you make tofu with any regularity, it's totally worth owning. Otherwise, wrap it in a clean towel and stack some heavy objects onto it, like textbooks or a cast iron pan. For this recipe, it's really important to press the tofu very well, so if you're using the towel method, after 15 minutes, replace the towel with another dry one, and repeat. With a tofu press, 15-20min should do the trick.
- Whisk together all of the ingredients for the marinade. Place the block of tofu in the smallest dish that it fits in with room around the sides. A loaf pan or smaller is best. This allows the marinade to go up around the sides of the tofu and saturate its interior the most. Pour all of the marinade over your tofu block and cover it. Marinate for 24-36 hours. Flip over the block of tofu about halfway through this time, or more frequently if you can manage it. Each time, also spoon some of the marinade from the sides over the top. The goal is to get as much of the marinade into the tofu as possible.
- When the tofu has marinated and is ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and line a small baking dish (9x13 or smaller) with parchment paper. I recommend using excess parchment paper to go around the sides a little bit, for the easiest cleanup later. Line the orange slices on the bottom and place the marinated tofu block on top of them. Take a small, sharp knife and score the top of the tofu in a diamond pattern. Place the individual whole cloves, round side up, in the intersections between the lines.
- Bake for 60 minutes. Start checking the tofu at 45 minutes and take it out sooner if the edges are getting too dark. It's normal for the oranges to burn; they won't be getting eaten.
- While the tofu is baking, add all of the glaze ingredients to a saucepan and stir to combine them and dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until reduced by about half, thick and glossy, with some of the raw alcohol flavor cooked out.
- Once the tofu comes out of the oven the first time, pour the glaze all over the top of it. Return it to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes longer, until the glaze is thickened onto the tofu roast and just starting to darken at the edges. Basically, just keep checking it until it looks like it's about to start burning. That's when it's done 🙂
- Let your tofu roast rest for about 15 minutes, then remove the cloves and burnt oranges, and feel free to dig in. I like to serve it on a new bed of fresh orange slices, but this is optional for serving, of course :).
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe originally comes from the Superfun Times Holiday Cookbook, by the amazing Isa Moskowitz; rewritten with my instructions and modifications.
Looking for another main to complement your tofu bake? May I suggest my (gluten-free) walnut lentil loaf:
And I highly recommend some classic vegan gravy to top it all off!
To finish your feast, try a slice of vegan sweet potato pie 🙂
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Shannon says
This might be a silly question but can I use Bourbon instead?
Charlene Ariew says
My husband loves Grand Mariner, do you think that would work as a whiskey substitute in this recipe?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Yes!
Melissa says
To marinate it fully and give it a ‘meatier’ texture, try freezing the tofu first. It will be easier to press afterwards and will absorb seasonings much better. (I am a chef 🙂 )
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I don’t recommend that for this recipe, freezing changes the texture a lot.
John says
My vegan teen has asked for this each of the last three christmases – Thanks! Only thing they don’t care for is the flavor intensity of the cloves. Any suggestions on what to use instead to add a similar complexity?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi John, I’m so glad to hear that! I remove the cloves before serving. If that is still too strong of a clove flavor for you I would simply omit them, perhaps adding another crack of black pepper over the top.
Lara says
Would this work with silken tofu instead?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
No I don’t think so, silken tofu is too tender.
Alison says
I made this for Thanksgiving and didn’t know what to expect. Everyone loved it. I will be making it again for Christmas! Thank you so much!
Kathy Maultsby says
Just saw your recipe now that Thanksgiving 2020 is over. We had a lentil, walnut, apple loaf that was delish! But this looks great and can’t wait to try it. I was wondering if using a skewer to poke lots of holes in the tofu, not quite all the way to the bottom, would let the loaf absorb more of the marinade. I think I’ll try that. Your pics are so pretty and show that this would make a great presentation entre.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Yes I think that’s a great idea!
TerriA says
This was AMAZING!!! I had to make a few modifications.
Our grocery store did not have apricot jam, so I used canned apricots in the glaze. I chopped the apricots fine and saved some juice to use with cornstarch to thicken the glaze just before using it.
I used a tiny bit less sugar and a little less smoke flavoring than what the recipe called for.
I used a freezer bag to marinate the tofu. Since it was very firm and dry, I pricked it with a fork before adding it to the baggie with marinade sauce. It was easier to just flip the entire bag a couple of times so the marinade could saturate all sides. I let it marinade for about 18 hours.
I paired this with mashed potatoes, bisque made with spinach and beet tops, roasted roots (turnips, sweet potatoes, carrots) and kale, and fresh cranberry relish (cranberries, apple, orange with zest).
….and Pino Grigio.
Really really good.
Annella says
This might be a silly question, but while marinating the tofu, should it sit on the counter in a covered dish, or in the fridge? Just thinking if it’s in the fridge the oil might solidify…
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I usually marinate mine at room temperature but you can use the fridge if concerned about food safety!
Amber says
Hm i do like tofu but not just plain and the majority of this loaf tasted like a warm version of the block that comes from the package…the marinade was delicous….the glaze was soso but it couldve been a knockout had this loaf been prepared in a way that crisped up more surface area and infused more of the marinade flavor that just the top and sides…hmm..will definitely keep the marinade recipe and use that for different preparations but it was mushy to eat and lacked flavor throughout…
Lori Christopher says
Can’t wait to try! Because I’m in a time crunch, can I bake the tofu earlier in the day and add the glaze before serving?
Hanne says
Hi Shannon, Whisky in your glaze? Genius! That tofu ham roast looks so beautiful! I am contacting you because we are in a funny little club together. The guardian wrote an article about 3 different Vegan Ham Roasts. They demo-ed yours, mine and Field Roast. They hated all three. It gave me a good chuckle. I’ll attach the link for you to see but feel free to delete it. All the best Hanne
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hilarious! I’ve come to accept that some people just don’t like tofu and/or seitan. I thoroughly enjoyed reading that, though. 😀 Thanks for your comment!!!
Bailey says
This was my second year in a row making your tofu roast for Thanksgiving. People request me to make it at other holidays now too! It’s just so fun and pretty compared to a typical tofu dish. I had some hickory syrup on hand from a visit to the south and I used it instead of the maple syrup this year. The smoky flavor complemented everything else well. I’m certain I will make this for years to come.
Maria says
I wonder if it would be possible to add beetroot juice to the marinade in order to achieve coloured tofu? Thoughts!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Sure, seems like that would work!
Lori says
I’m thinking about making this for Easter, but would have to marinate it on Friday and bake it on Saturday, as I won’t have time to bake it on Easter. Does anybody have any experience with baking it the day before and reheating?
Anne says
Made this for Christmas dinner and it was delicious! One thing I really like about the recipe is that it uses everyday ingredients and I had almost everything on hand already. It’s also not complicated to make but has wonderful flavor. We will definitive be making it again!
Leslie says
I made this for Christmas Eve dinner last night, and the tofu loaf was delicious! I found myself scraping off the glaze, though, because it was too sweet for me. Next time I will cut the brown sugar in half.
I can highly recommend the Tofu Xpress tofu press. That comes with a cover piece and you can squeeze out the excess water, then marinate in the same press. You can flip it over without spilling, and there is enough room for the marinade to cover the tofu, so no worries about the tofu not being properly marinated.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
The Tofu Xpress sounds great! Thanks for the tip. It’s possible the glaze over reduced a little bit if the glaze tasted too sweet. Or, maybe your oranges were sweeter than mine, but of course, adjusting to taste is the way to go.
Taylor says
Wow! I’ve never seen a tofu recipe quite like this. I’m so intrigued! Has anyone tried it without the oil? I’m thinking maybe I’ll sub veggie broth for the oil since I try to avoid processed oils. Thanks for the great recipe!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hey Taylor, hoping someone who has tried this can chime in. I felt the oil was necessary here – I worry that this dish would burn easily and not taste full flavored if the oil were omitted, but I hope that I’m wrong and would love to hear if you try it out.
Hannah says
That really is a thing of beauty! It sure beats the standard brown log of faux meat. I wish I had seen this sooner for a Thanksgiving feast.
banana says
It was so easy to make and I didn’t have to make any effort to make it look great and it still looked like I was an established cook, not to mention that it was very flavorful. Will definitely make it often.
Net says
How much sodium is in this recipe?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I didn’t present the sodium data because it varies a lot depending on which specific products you used. When I calculated it using the products that I happen to have, I was surprised that it was lower than I was expecting, per serving anyway
Pia says
Sounds and looks amazing. But I really don‘t like smoked taste. Any suggestion what to use instead of the liquid smoke? Or just skip it?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I haven’t tested it without the smokey ingredients so I can’t say for sure the flavors balance out, but I think you could probably just omit it. If you’re open to it, maybe increase the black pepper and use hot paprika or add some chili flakes. Add a little spice to make up for the lack of smoke. Just an idea 🙂
Melissa says
I’m so happy I made this! It was a great addition to the thanksgiving table, very popular! Minimal work involved too. I marinated for nearly 36 hours and used a few extra splashes of bourbon. Winner!
johanna @ green gourmet giraffe says
sounds amazing – I love the glazed criss cross – must try this at Christmas – and you have filled me with tofu press envy
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I definitely, definitely recommend a tofu press to anyone!!
Alicia says
I don’t use alcohol; do you have a suggestion for an alternative to the whiskey? This sounds and looks amazing!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hey Alicia, I tried it out using an equal amount of leftover marinade in the glaze instead of the whiskey and we thought it was still really tasty!