Baked Tofu With Peanut Sauce and Coconut-Lime Rice

By Yewande Komolafe

Updated March 11, 2026

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(8,494)
Comments
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A spicy, fragrant peanut sauce reminiscent of the groundnut stews that are popular across West Africa anchors this recipe. Any protein would be lucky to be doused and marinated in it, but tofu soaks up the peanut sauce’s flavors and chars up nicely upon roasting. The tofu’s neutral flavor allows the other flavors in the dish to break through. Red miso and fish sauce provide umami, honey lends a subtle sweetness and the lime zest in the coconut rice brightens it all. Finished with pickled peppers and fresh sliced scallions, this dish comes together to make an exciting but quick weeknight dinner.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil, plus more for brushing the pan and drizzling

  • ⅔ cup lime juice (from about 5 limes), and zest of 1 lime

  • Kosher salt

  • 8 baby bell peppers or 1 medium bell pepper (any color will do), stemmed and thinly sliced lengthwise

  • Black pepper

  • 1 cup long-grain rice like jasmine or basmati

  • ½ cup full-fat coconut milk

  • 1 cup smooth, natural peanut butter

  • 1 tablespoon red miso

  • 1 tablespoon grated ginger

  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)

  • 2 teaspoons chopped habanero pepper, stem and seeds removed, or 1 tablespoon sambal

  • 2 tablespoons buckwheat honey or molasses

  • 2 (14-ounce) packages extra-firm tofu, drained and sliced crosswise, ¼-inch thick

  • 3 cups peppery greens, like arugula, mizuna or baby mustard greens

  • 2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

42 grams carbs; 744 calories; 24 grams monosaturated fat; 13 grams polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 55 grams fat; 9 grams fiber; 1207 milligrams sodium; 35 grams protein; 21 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 450 degrees and lightly brush a large rimmed sheet pan with oil.

  2. Step 2

    In a small bowl, stir 4 tablespoons lime juice with ½ teaspoon salt until salt dissolves. Add the sliced peppers, a few cracks of black pepper and set aside.

  3. Step 3

    In a small pot, combine the rice with 1 cup water and the coconut milk. Season with salt and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over medium-low until the rice is just tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, until ready to serve.

  4. Step 4

    In a medium bowl, whisk 4 tablespoons lime juice with the peanut butter, miso, ginger, fish sauce (if using), habanero, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon honey and ¾ cup water. Stir until smooth and season to taste with salt.

  5. Step 5

    Arrange the tofu pieces in a single layer on the oiled baking sheet and season with salt. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the peanut sauce over each, covering the top and allowing the sauce to run down and coat the sides. Drizzle the tops with some oil, and roast until glaze is set, deep brown and caramelized along the edges, 18 to 20 minutes. Add the remaining lime juice and 1 tablespoon honey to the leftover peanut sauce in the bowl to make the dressing; set aside.

  6. Step 6

    Divide the greens among bowls. Add the lime zest and half the sliced scallions to the rice, then fluff with a fork. Top the greens with the rice, then the tofu. Spoon the peanut dressing over everything, and garnish with the drained pickled peppers and remaining sliced scallions.

Tip

  • Peanut sauce can be made 2 to 3 days in advance and stored refrigerated until ready to use.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
8,494 user ratings
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Comments

Ashley

Make the peanut sauce & peppers ahead of time to make this weeknight-friendly. PEPPERS: slice super thin. Add onion. PEANUT SAUCE: add 3-5 T of rice wine vinegar or ACV; add 3-5 T tamari. Thin with water. TOFU: toss with tamari, olive oil and lime juice, then coat with cornstarch. Bake at 400 for 30 min, flipping halfway. VEGGIES: add thin-sliced carrots to the baking sheet with tofu. Toss with same marinade. CHICKEN: marinade in peanut sauce in baking dish. Bake 400, 35 min. Top w cilantro

James

A fairly recent Times article said that the Time in an NYT recipe does not include the time to prep ingredients, e.g., no time is included to slice the peppers here or mince the ginger. Strange as a policy, but clarifying to know.

Sally

Sauce is good, but browns to a gloppy paste on the tofu. A soy marinade on the tofu, with the peanut sauce served on the side, would be more appealing, and the tofu would be more flavorful, too. And then the tofu could be fried, which would be more appealing. The pickled peppers were great. As someone else suggested, I added the peppers to the pickled onions already in the refrigerator, and they were fabulous. We will have them often.

STH

This was a “no” for me. The peanut sauce was too thick and lacked nuance when combined with the tofu. Needed more acidity and texture (crunch?). The pickled peppers were also uninspiring. I prefer the other NYT Sesame Tofu with Coconut Lime sauce recipe.

Kristina

I loved this recipe so much. I swapped bell peppers for raw cucumbers and added toasted white sesame seeds to the leftover dressing

Judy

Loved the flavors but added chickpeas to the rice for substance. Would add edamame or broccoli, etc. to the rice in future.

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