This spicy, flavor-packed peri-peri sheet pan dinner is easy to make and delicious served with a creamy cilantro yogurt dipping sauce. Tofu, vegetables, and corn on the cob are marinated and baked together on one pan for an easy meal. (gluten-free and nut-free with soy-free options)
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time25 minutesmins
Total Time45 minutesmins
Course: dinner, Main, Main Course
Cuisine: African Inspired
Keyword: peri-peri dinner
Servings: 4
Author: Vegan Richa
Ingredients
For the Protein
15ounceblock firm or extra-firm tofupressed for at least 15 minutes, then sliced into 1/2” thick slices or torn into pieces
For the Veggies
1small red onionsliced into 1/4” thick wedges
2cupsYukon gold potatoespeeled and cubed into 3/4” to 1” cubes
1red bell pepperor a mix of red and green bell peppers, chopped into 1” slices
1ear sweet corncut into 1” pieces
1 to 2garlic bulbs
For the Peri-Peri Marinade
1/4cuproasted red bell pepperor fresh red bell pepper
3tablespoonsperi-peri sauceor more or less depending on heat level
Press the tofu, if you haven’t already. Slice it into squares, triangles, or tear into pieces. Slice all of the veggies. Slice the end of the garlic bulbs to expose the cloves. If there are small garlic pieces from trimming, add those to the veggies, so no need to discard those.
Add all of the peri-peri marinade ingredients to a blender. Add a tabespoon lemon juice, if you want extra tangy flavor, especially if using less peri-peri sauce. You can also add 2 to 3 sprigs of cilantro, if you like. Blend until smooth, and set aside.
Marinate the tofu by adding some of the peri-peri marinade to a bowl with the tofu and tossing well to coat. Let it marinate for about 15 minutes or longer, if you like, or proceed directly to baking.
Add the remaining marinade to the chopped veggies (leave out the garlic for now), and toss well to coat. Reserve about 1 tablespoon or so of the marinade and rinse out the blender with 1 tablespoon of water, and add that to the reserved marinade for basting later.
Grease a sheet pan with a little bit of oil. Add the marinated tofu to one side of the sheet pan and the marinated veggies, including the corn, to the other side. Spread everything in a single layer. Use a sheet pan large enough for everything, or use 2 sheet pans, if needed. Place the garlic bulbs on one edge of the sheet pan. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon oil over them, and cover the garlic with foil or parchment.
Bake at 415° F (215° C) for 30 to 35 minutes. At the 20 minute mark, flip the tofu, if using slices, and brush it with the reserved marinade. Move the veggies around, so they bake evenly, as the edges may cook faster and start to brown.
Continue baking for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked to preference and the tofu has a slight crisp on the edges. The tofu will not become very crisp because of the marinade, but it should develop a slight crisp around the edges and a nice thick layer of the marinade on top.
While the veggies are baking, make the yogurt dip.
Meanwhile, add the yogurt, lemon juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper to a bowl, and mix well. Taste and adjust the salt.
When the sheet pan is done, remove it from the oven. Check the garlic bulbs. If they are not fully cooked, return them to the oven for about 5 more minutes until the cloves are soft enough to squeeze out of the bulb. Let the garlic cool until it’s cool enough to handle, then squeeze the roasted garlic out of the bulb into the yogurt dip. Mash it well, and mix it into the yogurt dip. Alternatively mash the garlic in a bowl and then mix in. If you have another garlic bulb, you can add that, as well, or see the notes on how to use it to make an optional garlicky topping.
Serving Suggestions
To make bowls, serve the tofu and veggies in bowls topped with the yogurt sauce, any remaining marinade or extra peri-peri sauce, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper flakes, and fresh herbs. Serve on its own, or over rice. You can also spread the yogurt sauce onto a plate, then top with the tofu and veggies, then add the toppings.
You can also make wraps using the yogurt dip and the roasted veggies. Add crunchy vegetables, sprouts, or hemp seeds, if you like.
Video
Notes
To store, the veggies and tofu will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in a closed container. Reheat in the oven or microwave. You can also make the peri-peri marinade ahead and kept in the fridge for up to 4 days. The yogurt dip can also be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.If you don’t have peri-peri sauce, add 2 to 3 African bird’s eye chilies or other fresh red chili peppers, or use a serrano or other hot green chili. Blend them into the sauce with additional lemon juice and paprika for additional flavor. If you don’t want to use fresh chilies, add a combination of paprika and smoked paprika to the marinade instead.For a different flavor profile you can make a jerk marinade, like in my tofu tray bake. Or, make a roasted red bell pepper marinade and add Cajun seasoning, chili powder blend, garam masala, or Ethiopian berbere. All of these pair amazingly with the veggies and tofu.This recipe is gluten-free and nut-free, as long as you use a nut-free non-dairy yogurt. Make it soy-free by using soy-free non-dairy yogurt and substituting the tofu with chickpea flour tofu, pumpkin seed tofu, a soy-free vegan chicken substitute, or beans, such as butter beans or chickpeas.If you want to make a roasted garlic olive oil topping, squeeze the roasted garlic from 1 bulb, and mash it well. Mix with olive oil, salt, and pepper. This becomes a fabulous roasted garlic spread that you can serve with the sheet pan dinner or spread over toasted sourdough to make quick garlic bread to serve on the side.