Tofu Tray Bake (gluten-free, nut-free)

This is a super delicious tofu tray bake with tofu and vegetables tossed in a delicious jerk inspired marinade and roasted. Just marinate and spread on a pan and bake! Serve just as-is or in a wrap, over a bed of rice or quinoa, or over salad greens. Easy 1 Pan weeknight meal. Soyfree option

This tray bake dinner is super easy and it’s super flavorful. I make an easy blender marinade with lots of herbs and spices. Then the tofu and veggies are tossed in the marinade, spread on a baking sheet and baked! And that’s it. This tray bake can be served as is or over cooked grains or over a salad, or a wrap. The caramelized herbed veggies and the crisped up flavorful tofu are heavenly.

The marinade is inspired by Jamaican jerk marinade, but I changed it a bit, omitting some of the spices you find in jerk seasoning, like allspice and cinnamon. You can add those for even more flavor.  

This goes well with any kind of protein that you’re want to use. If you don’t want to use tofu, just add some chickpeas, chickpea tofu, soaked and drained soy curls, or your favorite vegan chicken substitute. 

You can add more veggies to your tofu tray bake, and you definitely want to double or triple the marinade to keep on hand, so you can toss it in whatever veggies and proteins you want, whether you want to bake or or pan fry them. The marinade is just amazing either which way, so let’s make it!

Why You’ll Love this Tofu Tray Bake

• easy 1-pan meal with almost no active cooking time
• flavorful jerk seasoning-inspired marinade is amazing on the tofu and the veggies
• versatile! Use your plant-based protein and veggies of choice.
• make-ahead up to 2 days
• naturally gluten-free and nut-free with easy soy-free options

Ingredients and Substitutions

• garlic – Flavors the marinade.
• ginger – Flavors the marinade.
• fresh herbs – Cilantro and green onion add more flavor to the marinade.
• lime juice – For acidity.
• maple syrup – A little sweetness brings out all of the other flavors.
• salt and dried herbs and spices – Salt, onion power, dried thyme, paprika, black pepper, and all-purpose seasoning round out the marinade’s flavor.
• optional marinade additions – You can add heat and more flavor by adding a hot green chili and some lime zest to the marinade. Add in dashes of cinnamon and allspice for variation
• tofu – This is your protein.  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. You can also use soaked and drained soy curls in place of the tofu.
• veggies – I am using red onion, red and green bell pepper, and potato. You can also 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.
• garnishes – Top your finished tray bake with nuts or seeds, fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley, black pepper, and lime juice.

How to Make a Tofu Tray Bake

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, just the ginger, garlic, and greens should be broken down. Set the marinade aside and preheat the oven to 410° F (210° C).

Chop your veggies, if you haven’t already. Press the tofu, if you haven’t already, and then chop it up. I usually make  pretty fat slices, like small chicken breasts, and then I score them on the top a little bit, 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 12×17” 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! You just want everything to just set on the vegetables and tofu and for veggies and tofu to have just some crispy edges.

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!

How to Serve Your Tofu Tray Bake

There are so many delicious serving options! You can serve the tofu and veggies on their own or topped with a creamy dressing, like ranch, tahini dressing, cilantro lime dip, or curry dressing. You can also serve them over rice, grains, or quinoa or over beans and rice with toppings of choice.

This also makes a great filling for wraps! Add to your wrap with  lettuce, sliced cucumber, a good squeeze of lime juice, and black pepper. If you want it saucy, add one of the creamy dressings listed above.