Recipe overview
Why you’ll love it: These buffalo tofu bowls are packed with crispy baked tofu, roasted cauliflower, and classic buffalo flavor, balanced by cool, crunchy veggies and creamy dressing. Foods that are healthy and make you want to eat them!
Time required: 1 hour 30 minutes (including time to press the tofu)
Tools needed: sheet pan, mixing bowl
Serving size: 4 servings
this is my lunch
If the tofu is soft and bland, it’s out. But what if it’s crunchy around the edges and covered in a flavorful sauce? Please count me in.
This recipe meets these criteria and even better, it’s a balanced meal in one bowl. Pair spicy roasted tofu and cauliflower with crispy cold vegetables and rice for a balanced meal that doesn’t need any garnishes.
What’s special:
Appealing buffalo flavor: Buffalo sauce is tangy and spicy, but not overly spicy, as anyone who’s ever made buffalo cauliflower bites in the air fryer will tell you. Adding ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing will also help cool it down. Crispy tofu without frying: Simply press tofu and sprinkle with cornstarch to get crispy tofu without frying. (I also use this method for this Common Tso Tofu Sheet Pan Dinner!) Meal Prep Friendly: If you’re looking for plant-friendly meal prep ideas to add to your rotation, you’ll love this one! I’m looking forward to the buffalo bowl because it’s a bit unusual. It also stores and reheats like a dream.
Ingredient memo
For tofu: Once the firm tofu is pressed, toss with olive oil, cornstarch, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. For the cauliflower: Separate the cauliflower head into small florets and toss with olive oil, garlic powder, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Buffalo sauce: As with wings, combine hot sauce (Frank’s RedHot is a classic!) and melted butter. Add a little apple cider vinegar for some acidity so the bowl doesn’t get too thick. Assemble: You will need cooked rice, romaine lettuce, carrots, celery, green onions, ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing, and optional blue cheese crumbles. You don’t need to include all of these if you don’t want to mess around. Choose the one that makes the most sense to you.
tofu press
Don’t forget to press the tofu! To make tofu crispy and delicious, it is important to remove excess water. If you eat tofu a lot, a tofu press is a good (small) investment. I purchased this and it is truly a game changer. It makes the process so much easier.
How to make buffalo tofu bowl
Press the tofu. Remove the tofu from its package (you can run water down the drain) and wrap it in several clean kitchen towels or paper towels. Place it on a cutting board and place a heavy frying pan on top of it. Leave this for 30 minutes. (I use a tofu press to make it even easier!) Press the tofu while cooking the rice.
Prepare for cooking. Preheat oven to 425°F and grease or cook a baking sheet with oil or cooking spray, or line with parchment paper. I like to use parchment paper. This is because the tofu doesn’t stick and gives you a crispy texture (and it’s easy to clean the pan!).
Coat the tofu. Cut tofu into cubes and toss with oil in a bowl. Add cornstarch, salt, and pepper and mix again. Spread the tofu evenly into one-third of the prepared pan.
Season the cauliflower. Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil and seasonings, then spread the florets over the remaining space on the baking sheet.
roast. Place the skillet in the oven and bake the tofu and cauliflower for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the tofu is crispy around the edges and the cauliflower is golden and tender.
Please put some sauce on it. Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup and pour over tofu and cauliflower. Throw it on the court. (You can do this step directly on the sheet pan, or you can use the same mixing bowl you used earlier for the cauliflower.)
assemble. Divide the rice between bowls, followed by the tofu, cauliflower, lettuce, carrots, and celery. Add green onions and blue cheese and drizzle with dressing or hot sauce if you like it spicy.
Other offering ideas
Try other grains: You can also add protein to your meals by substituting quinoa (or Instant Pot quinoa!) for rice. (If you’re looking for an easy way to cook rice, try Instant Pot White Rice or Instant Pot Brown Rice and it comes out perfect every time.) Make it low-carb: Add romaine to make it more salad-like. You can also omit the rice altogether and just use lettuce. Wrapping: Skip the rice and wrap lettuce, tofu, or cauliflower in tortillas or lavash, and add any other toppings of your choice.
Refrigerator: Store the components of this buffalo tofu bowl in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Tofu and cauliflower should be stored separately from lettuce to prevent them from wilting.
Reheat: Reheat the tofu and cauliflower mixture in the oven or air fryer to bring back the crispiness, or use the microwave.
Wrap tofu in a clean, lint-free towel and press in a heavy skillet for 30 minutes, or use a tofu press.
1 piece super-firm tofu
If you need to cook rice for a bowl, start before baking the tofu.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Generously spray a rimmed sheet pan with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray, or line it with parchment paper (I use parchment paper for baked tofu recipes because parchment paper tends to stick).
After pressing the tofu, cut it into 1/2 inch cubes. Wash the cauliflower and shake off the excess water. Cut into small bite-sized florets. You should have approximately 6 cup.
1 cauliflower
In a large bowl, fry tofu in oil until coated. Sprinkle with cornstarch, salt and pepper. Throw it on the court. Place in the prepared pan, arranging in a single layer so that the sides touch (as much as possible) one-third of the pan.
1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
In the same bowl, combine olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add the cauliflower to the bowl and toss until coated. Add to the other side of the prepared pan.
1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Roast for 30-35 minutes or until the cauliflower is golden brown and the tofu is crispy around the edges.
Meanwhile, make buffalo sauce by combining hot sauce, melted butter, and vinegar in a small bowl. Pour the sauce over the tofu and cauliflower on a baking sheet and toss to coat.
1/3 cup hot sauce, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Spoon the cooked rice into a bowl. Add tofu and cauliflower mixture, shredded lettuce, carrots, and celery.
2 cups of cooked rice, 2 cups finely chopped or shredded romaine lettuce, 1/2 cup shredded carrots, 1/2 cup celery, very thinly sliced
Garnish with sliced green onions and blue cheese, if using. Serve with ranch, blue cheese dressing, or extra hot sauce.
1/4 cup sliced green onions, 1/2 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing, 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
Homemade Dressing: You can easily make your own dressing! Try Healthy Ranch Dressing or Blue Cheese Dressing. Make it vegan: Keep it completely plant-based with vegan butter and dairy-free ranch. Tasty additions: Add avocado or sliced cucumber for a cooling kick. Storing and reheating: If you are making ahead for a meal, refrigerate the tofu and cauliflower mixture in a covered container (let it cool completely first to avoid it becoming soggy). Stored for up to 4 days. To reheat, we recommend toasting a dry skillet on the stove or crisping it up in the airfryer. You can also warm it up in the microwave, but the texture won’t be as good.
calorie: 424kcal, carbohydrates: 37g, protein: 12g, fat: 26g, Saturated fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated fats: 10g, Monounsaturated fats: 9g, Trans fat: 0.1g, cholesterol: 15mg, sodium: 1489mg, potassium: 596mg, fiber: 3g, sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 4971IU, Vitamin C: 50mg, calcium: 89mg, iron: 2mg
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should only be used as a rough guide.
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(Tag translation) Butter
