Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Crispy Tofu with Honey-Sesame Glaze
Tender, caramelized Brussels sprouts with extra crispy tofu and brown rice, topped with an irresistible sweet-and-spicy glaze. Gluten free and easily vegan.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on January 2, 2025
You’re looking at roasted Brussels sprouts and crispy baked tofu over brown rice, drizzled with an irresistible honey-sesame glaze that brings it all together. This recipe features a few staple Asian ingredients, but it’s not one you’ll find on a takeout menu.
Have you made this recipe already, by chance? It’s one of my favorites from four years ago, but I was afraid the photos weren’t doing it justice. Over the weekend, it got some new beauty shots, and I’m sharing it again with some new notes!
This dish reminds me of one of the Annie’s frozen meals that I used to take into my office job when I was starting this blog, the broccoli teriyaki one. Maybe you know it. This is its homemade counterpart, which would coincidentally pack great for an office lunch.
While this recipe requires making several components, I love how the recipe comes together. You can bake the Brussels and the tofu in the oven at the same time, which might seem complicated at first glance, but it’s absolutely not! While those bake, the rice and glaze will be simmering on the stove. Then, it’s assembly time and dinner time.
In fact, I love this recipe so much that it inspired one of the recipes in my cookbook—the Roasted Broccoli, Bell Pepper, and Tofu Bowl with Peanut Sauce on page 175. I get hungry just looking at its photo. So good!
Change It Up
This recipe is quite versatile! I’d suggest making it as-is the first time, and then you can play around with these ideas.
- You can easily change up this recipe by choosing to use different vegetables (broccoli and bell pepper were fantastic in my cookbook recipe).
- You could also drizzle the recipe with peanut sauce instead of the honey-sesame glaze.
- Or, increase the sprouts to 2 pounds, omit the tofu and rice, and you’ll have an irresistible Brussels sprout side dish (better yet, follow my Kung Pao Brussels sprouts recipe).
Please let me know how the recipe turns out for you in the comments! I’m always so happy to hear from you.
Watch How to Make Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Crispy Baked Tofu with Honey-Sesame Glaze
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Crispy Baked Tofu with Honey-Sesame Glaze
Tender, caramelized brussels sprouts with extra crispy tofu and brown rice, topped with an irresistible sweet-and-spicy glaze. This meal requires some prep work, but once you’re ready, you can cook the rice, sprouts and tofu in about 30 minutes, while making the glaze in the meantime.
Ingredients
Brown rice
- 1 ¼ cup brown rice, preferably short grain
Roasted brussels sprouts
- 1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Fine grain sea salt
Extra crispy baked tofu
- 1 block (15 ounces) organic extra-firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari* or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch or cornstarch
Spicy honey-sesame glaze
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium tamari* or soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 to 3 teaspoons chili garlic sauce or sriracha (depending on how spicy you like it)
Garnish
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (I used black sesame seeds but regular white are fine as well)
- Big handful fresh cilantro leaves, torn by hand
Instructions
- Prep work: Position your oven racks in the lower third and upper third of the oven.Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup (and to prevent the tofu from sticking). Bring a large pot of water to boil for the rice. Rinse the rice in a fine mesh colander under running water and set aside.
- Drain the tofu and use your palms to gently squeeze out some of the water. Slice the tofu into thirds lengthwise so you have 3 even slabs. Stack the slabs on top of each other and slice through them lengthwise to make 3 even columns, then slice across to make 5 even rows (see photos).
- Line a cutting board with an absorbent lint-free tea towel or paper towels, then arrange the tofu in an even layer on the towel(s). Fold the towel(s) over the cubed tofu, then place something heavy on top (like another cutting board, topped with a cast iron pan or large cans of tomatoes) to help the tofu drain. Let the tofu rest for at least 10 minutes while you prep the Brussels sprouts.
- Trim the nubby ends and any discolored leaves off the Brussels sprouts, then cut the sprouts in halves lengthwise. Toss the sprouts with a light, even layer of olive oil. On a large baking sheet, arrange the sprouts in an even layer, flat sides down, and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Transfer the pressed tofu to one of your prepared baking sheets and drizzle with the olive oil and tamari. Toss to combine. Sprinkle the arrowroot starch over the tofu, and toss the tofu until the starch is evenly coated, so there are no powdery spots remaining. Arrange the tofu in an even layer across the pan.
- To cook the rice: Once the water is boiling, add the rice. Let the rice boil for 30 minutes, then remove from heat and drain the rice. Transfer the drained rice back to the cooking pot and cover for 5 minutes. Remove lid, add a dash of sea salt and use a fork to fluff the rice. Set aside, partially covered, until you’re ready to serve.
- To bake the sprouts and tofu: Transfer the pan of Brussels sprouts to the lower oven rack, and the pan of tofu to the top rack. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing the contents of each pan halfway through cooking, until the sprouts and tofu are deeply golden on the edges.
- To make the glaze: In a small saucepan, whisk together the glaze ingredients (start with 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce or sriracha and add more to taste). Bring the glaze to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring often and reducing heat as necessary. Simmer until the glaze is reduced by about half (about 5 to 10 minutes; it’s about done when it starts bubbling up substantially). Remove the glaze from the heat and set aside.
- To assemble: Divide the rice onto four plates. Top each plate with sprouts and tofu and drizzle with glaze. Finish each plate with a very generous sprinkling of sesame seeds and a small handful of chopped cilantro.
Notes
Tofu adapted from The Kitchn.
*Tamari note: Definitely use reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce. Otherwise, this dish will taste too salty.
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey.
Make it gluten free: This dish is gluten free as long as you use gluten-free tamari, which is a variety of soy sauce that is usually (but not always, check the label) gluten free. I always use tamari instead of soy sauce because I prefer the flavor of it! Look for tamari next to the soy sauce in the Asian aisle of the grocery store.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Hey Kate! Loved this meal! This was my first time preparing tofu and my husband and I both loved it! I substituted 1/2 the brussels with roasted mushrooms and would recommend. Thank you!
Sounds really good, Courtney!
I really tried to follow the recipe but my tofu turned out really hard and dry once it came out of the oven. Anyone else have this problem? Tips for next time?
Hmmm, did you maybe slice the tofu into smaller pieces than I did? And/or maybe your tofu got overbaked—try baking it for a shorter amount of time next time. Sorry to hear that you didn’t love the results!
Yes mine did not work out. Not sure why I followed the directions exactly. But the glaze was amazing.
Delicious! I roasted some beetroot, too, and the red just went so well with the rest. Husband and son really enjoyed this meal – me, too!
Beets sound like a great addition, Wendy.
I’m not a vegetarian but trying to have more meat free days throughout the week. This was SO GOOD!
The crispy tofu, sprouts and glaze were to die for. And the combination of coriander and sesame seeds was an unexpected delight! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Asako! I’m so glad his helped you cut back on meat without sacrificing flavor.
Tried this last night, and both my husband and I agreed that it tasted like a great dish from a restaurant — the glaze was delicious, and the combination of everything worked so well! I did use a little less honey than the recipe called for (about 2T), and it didn’t seem to sacrifice flavor at all. Thanks for another terrific recipe that’s surely going in our regular rotation!
Hooray! Thanks a million, Janey.
Hi.I’d just like to voice my concern about your dog doing tricks for kale?
don’t feed your dog kale. it can cause kidney stones.
Thanks.
Hi, I’ve heard that eating loads of kale can cause kidney stones in humans, but I haven’t found it listed as a danger on any resources for dogs. I don’t let her have much at any given time and it doesn’t seem to cause her any distress, but thank you for watching out for us!
My hubby LOVES Brussels Sprouts & Tofu but is allergic to Sesame Oil (oil, seeds, tahini, etc) can I substitute a different oil in this recipe?
Thanks,
Rebekah
the sesame just gives a bit of xtra flavor, but you can just do peanut or olive?
This recipe is SO GOOD!!! We’re really thinking of putting this on our rotation each week! I have never gotten the tofu to be so perfect. I will forever make tofu in the oven. (idk how i never thought of that.) I didn’t put enough soy sauce on the tofu, so its lacking flavor but the sauce gives it the flavor the tofu was lacking – due to my error.
Easy prep work. the only thing that you need to really worry about is draining the tofu. it always takes around an hour – for me at least. so you need to remember that. Other than that it was literally throw the sprouts and tofu in the oven and make the rice and glaze, which you can do while the things are in the oven.
Yes, the pressing process is probably the most intensive part of this. But, I’m so glad you love the recipe so much to consider putting it on weekly rotation! That’s such a compliment. Thanks, Sarah.
Fantastic recipe. Added fresh onion, garlic and ginger to the glaze. No leftovers!
My schipperke Nubz had a brussel or two in honor of Cookie.
Thanks for this wonderful website and recipes.
I’m so glad you loved this, John! Love to Nubz. :)
This recipe is perfect as is. I added tofu and used the suggested link as to how to baked and it was the best baked tofu I’ve ever made. It called for extra-firm but I only had firm on hand it was perfect.
Wonderful! Thanks, Char.
Oops. Put my review of Thai Red Curry with Vegetables here. Sorry! But looking forward to trying this one and signed up for your emails.
Thanks, Char! No problem.
Typed in Brussel sprouts and tofu, 2 items I had on hand, and found this recipe. I’m actually new to tofu, but now I’m a fan. The whole family enjoyed dinner – this recipe is delicious!
Perfect! I’m so glad you found this recipe, Diane!
So I may be a few years late to this recipe… but oh my is it delicious! Just made it for dinner tonight for the first time for me and the hubby. And it’s now on our “favorites” list. Thank you for the recipe!
Perfect! Better late than never. ;) So glad the two of you enjoyed this, Jacqueline.
Thank you, Kate!!!! I’ve been trying to cook with tofu for years always ending up with a mushy disappointment. This worked perfectly and tasted great.
Yes! Glad to hear it, Melina.
I love this recipe, I’ve just gone back to being veggie and I’m also coeliac so this ticks all of the boxes. I’ve cooked it twice in the last week and the second time I hadn’t got enough sprouts so I subbed in some chopped up cauliflower. One thing I would say is that I use your recipe from my phone and there’s an audio file that runs in the background and keeps draining my battery, even when I pause it.
My family loved this! And it’s really not as hard as it looks!
I made this with Maple syrup to make it vegan. I did make this with tofu and once subbed with butternut squash since I had some that needed to be eaten. Both were amazing.
Sounds delightful! Thanks, Cheyenne for sharing and for your review.
Can this recipe, roasted brussel sprouts and crispy baked tofu with honey sauce, be made a day ahead for a Thanksgiving dish and then warmed up? I have 2 vegans as guests and a couple others that just like this sort of thing. Thanks
You can make this ahead of time, for sure. However, the tofu may not be ask crispy if served right away. I recommend if you want to save some time to make everything, aside from the tofu, up ahead of time and then assemble all together when time to serve. Hope this helps!
Iam going to try this for my vegans friends at thanksgiving
We love this recipe- it’s so quick and easy! I’ve made it a couple times and the second time I made a couple substitutions. I subbed 2 tablespoons of lime juice rather than rice vinegar since my husband really doesn’t like the vinegar taste and I used short grain brown rice rather than long- made such a difference! Also, I garnished with green onion instead of cilantro (because that’s all I had) and I thought the flavor worked better for an added kick. Thanks for the great recipe!
I also subbed honey for maple syrup and it worked well!
Glad you were able to make some substitutes that worked well and liked by your family, Kaitlyn. You are welcome for the recipe! I appreciate your review :)
I LOVE this recipe. I’ve made it so many times, and often use the glaze recipe for other dishes. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful food with hopeless chefs like me! It must take a lot of time and hard work to perfect these recipes.
Great! Happy you love it. Thanks so much for your review. :)
I was looking for a gluten-free recipe and stumbled across this blog. I’m so glad I did. I made this recipe last night and it was incredible. This was my first time cooking both tofu and brussel sprouts so I was nervous, but this was so easy! I am planning on making this dish for my family’s Thanksgiving party. Thank you so much! I am so excited to have a new dish in my rotation.
I am glad you did as well, Heather! So happy to hear you enjoyed it. Thanks for the review!
I am on a roll – making all sorts of foods to send back with my daughter who is in grad school. This is probably my favorite so far (and you’ll note I have been generous with my previous comments). Really – this is exceptional. Easy to prepare – thanks for suggesting to bake the tofu and Brussels sprouts at the same time. I never thought I could make tofu so crispy!
I do really appreciate the generosity, Nita! Keep them coming. :)
Wow! Super easy *and* felt very fancy. My carnivorous husband was even a fan and excited for us to make this for vegetarian friends and to use the sauce on everything (:
That’s the best part! When it’s simple but feels so fancy. I appreciate the review!
Made this tonight and it was delicious!!! So much flavor…the whole family loved it! I toasted coconut and cashews with the sesame seeds to top the dish off and chopped up some green onions to add too. Will certainly make this one again! Love all of your recipes!!! Thanks so making vegetarian cooking a breeze!
Thank you, Kimball! I’m happy you find them a breeze. It’s a goal of mine to make them accessible!
This was so so good! I would never think to do Brussels sprouts with tofu. I’ve just recently found your blog and have been going far back in the archives and making a lot of recipes and not one has let me down so far!
It’s a great combination for sure! I love that you are doing that. Thanks for the review, Clare!
The best. Really. Make this tonight.
Let me know what you think!
Made it tonight. The tofu reminds me of the tofu at the Whole Foods salad bar and would be great in a salad. I used Japanese rice flour that I had around the house. Next time, I’ll try it with cornstarch. I love the combination of the tofu with the roasted brussel sprouts and brown rice. The sauce was sweet with a kick (I used two tsp of Siracha). Very good recipe! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Ann!
This looks so delicious and the comments seem to back it up! Question- I’m experimenting with some different vegitarian options and wondering how u think hearts of palm would work in place of the tofu?
Hey Elly! I haven’t ever tried baking hearts of palm. They definitely won’t turn out similarly to the tofu, but you might enjoy it nonetheless!
I almost never make a recipe exactly as directed. But this one I did, because I had just the right amount of every ingredient and it looked good. And, as my husband said, this is a keeper. Very, very good, nice combination of flavors (sweet, sour, sour, salty), and textures (soft – rice, crispy — brussel sprouts). The sauce was excellent — I will make that one again. Indeed, I will make the whole thing again. Thank you!!
I’m so glad to hear that, Margot! A lot of testing goes into making sure I love the flavors of these recipes. Thank you for your comment and star review!
Yummy! I made this recipe last week and love it! I couldn’t even have proper dinner conversation with my husband without getting interrupted with his praises for this meal. He was eating the last of the leftovers yesterday and was very apprehensive to give me a bite haha!
That’s great! Thanks for sharing, Allison.
Love this dish! Just made it for the first time tonight – we just moved not too long ago so we’re still figuring out the our oven (it seems to be MUCH hotter than what the temperature should be!) so our sprouts came out a little more brown than golden lol. I’ve never been one to marinate and bake my own tofu at home so this recipe hit it out of the park! So tasty and easy!
That stinks about your oven! So I hope you can figure out how to work with it.:) But, I’m glad it still worked out for you.
Hi – I love this recipe, but I’ve made it twice and I’m having a bit of trouble making the glaze thicken up as shown in the pictures. Any suggestions? Thanks! :)
Make sure you are simmering long enough so it reduces to about half for roughly 10 minutes. Are you simmering the sauce? Do you use honey or maple syrup?
I was using honey! I’ll try next time using a timer – Also, is it medium or low heat?
What cookbook does your “roasted Brussels sprouts and crispy baked tofu with honey sesame glaze” appear in?
Hi Sorina, I’m not sure what you are asking, sorry! This recipe appears on my blog, not in my cookbook. But, my cookbook is Love Real Food. This recipes was inspired by Taylor’s version I tried. http://www.greensnchocolate.com/2014/03/sriracha-honey-roasted-brussels-sprouts. Hope this helps!
Dear Kate,
I really love this recipe. I could lick the sauce from the plate–all by itself. Your recipes have almost made a vegetarian out of me! Almost… ;)
Thanks for posting this and the many other recipes my friends and I have enjoyed. Keep up the good work!
Thank you! That’s so kind. I appreciate the review.
This was fabulous- did veg skewers on the grill instead of Brussels sprouts – but I love love love the simplicity of the crispy tofu and the sauce. Easiest method to date! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Sherryn!
This is one of my family’s all-time favorite recipes!!! We sub roasted broccoli in for the brussels sprouts and gobble it up.
Wonderful, T!
Hello Kate,
This recipe looks amazing. Is there a better way to lessen the sodium besides using low sodium soy?
Thanks,
kathleen
That would be my recommendation, Kathleen. Or, reduce the amount of salt added or omit.
Currently drooling over this!
:) :)
This meal has been a regular on my dinner rotation for awhile! Everything comes together so easily and tastes so good! My meat eating husband also loves it.
Love it, CC!
I just made this recipe last week because I was looking for a recipe that brussel sprouts. It was absolutely delicious! Pretty easy to make and full of flavor! I was worried that there wouldn’t be enough sauce to coat the brussel sprouts and tofu, but the sauce is definitely very rich and was the perfect amount! Thank you Kate for sharing yet another fantastic recipe!
I’m happy you tried it! Thank you for sharing your experience.
I will try this with the peanut sauce- looks great. I use plain, salt and sugar free organic peanut powder. Have you ever tried it? All you have to do is add water- it’s lower in fats for those of us who that matters….makes a great peanut sauce!
I really prefer natural peanut butter that’s just crushed peanuts, but thank you for sharing your go-to!
we love this recipe and make it regularly…we end up using broccoli and bell peppers a lot because that’s what we usually have on hand. we make it vegan by subbing maple syrup for the honey. thanks for sharing!
I love that! Great substitutions. Thanks so much for your review!
Oh my gosh, this brussels sprouts and tofu recipe is unbelievable! I aactually added some chopped carrots to the sprouts, and served the entire thing over rice. It is my go-to comfort food!!! A co-worker (who is not a vegetarian, but loves brussells sprounts) had minor surgery, so I made it for her during her recovery. She also loved it!
Yours is my favorite recipe site; thanks for sharing such amazing and wonderful food with us!
Marci Ullery
Such a great combination, I agree! Thank you for sharing, Marci. :)
Oh my goodness, what a beautiful recipe! I just had air-fried tofu with peanut sauce, broccoli, and spinach for dinner today. Such a phenomenal recipe but I regret not adding Brussels sprouts, aka my favorite fall vegetable of all time!
Thank you!
I have been trying to adjust my eating to be whole food and well rounded and this the first recipe I made for my whole family (12yo, 13yo and meat loving husband) with my new eating focus. OMG, this was a amazing and got NO complaints from anyone, I was actually concern I wouldn’t get any. I will definitely make it again.
That’s a huge win it sounds like, Danielle! Thank you for sharing!
Followed your recipe exactly and it was delicious, I only had black rice so used that. Very tasty. Thank you.
Janelle, Sunshine Coast, Qld Australia
You’re welcome! Glad you loved it, Janelle!
This was totally worth the prep work, which really wasn’t as much as I was expecting. What a delicious and rich tasting recipe. Thank you Kate! Your recipes never fail to impress even the pickiest of eaters : ).
I’m glad you agree! Thanks for sharing, Caitie :)
This recipe is delicious! I just made it for lunch. I am sure this will become a staple at my house and I can see using this glaze for other dishes too. Might try subbing broccoli to mix things up. Thank you!
Fantastic, Katie! Thank you for your review.
Your crispy baked tofu recipe has become my go-to method for tofu. I just made this recipe tonight, and it is fantastic!