The holiday season is upon us, and while Thanksgiving is usually associated with turkeys, we’re here to rock the boat with this delicious plant-based alternative that’s sure to steal the spotlight on your holiday table.
This tofu dish has a bold and savory marinade that bursts with flavor. The crunchy macadamia nut coating adds a rich texture and a little Hawaii spin to your Thanksgiving meal. I love sage, so I also tossed in some fried sage to the mix.
So, move over Tofurkey. Tofu just got an upgrade and your Thanksgiving guests will be asking you for seconds.
Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients
1.) Start with your tofu. You will need 1 block of extra-firm tofu. I actually had a lot of marinade (and mac nut breading) left over that you might even have enough to use 2 blocks if you’d like more servings.
2.) Next, gather all your secret sauce marinade ingredients:
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Coconut aminos (I prefer Coconut Secret brand as it is the lowest in sodium)
- Maple syrup
- Dark brown sugar
- Liquid smoke
- Miso (if you don’t have miso you can do without, it just adds an extra punch of flavor)
- Smoked paprika
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
This sauce packs in so much flavor!
3.) Grab your macadamia nut breading ingredients:
- Macadamia nuts
- Panko
- Nutritional yeast
- Fresh sage, fried
To fry the sage, I heated 1-2 tsp of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. I added about 16-20 fresh sage leaves to the pan, tossed to coat and let the sage get darker green and slightly crispy (avoid letting it get brown). I then transferred it to a small plate covered with a paper towel and let cool before chopping.
4.) To make the mac nut breading stick, using a flax egg will help adhere the outer crust to the tofu:
- Ground flaxseeds (1 Tbsp)
- Water (3 Tbsp)
Mix the ground flaxseeds and water and let it sit for 5 minutes. If using 2 blocks of tofu I would use two flax eggs.
5.) Last on the list is your finishing sauce ingredients:
- Coconut aminos (1/4 cup)
- Smoked paprika (1/4 tsp)
- Ground ginger (1/4 tsp)
- Dark brown sugar (2 Tbsp)
Since the tofu marinade has so much flavor, the finishing sauce is really optional in my opinion but a nice added touch.
Now you’re ready to start preparing!
Step 2: Prepare Your Thanksgiving Tofu Recipe
Tofu
Drain and rinse your tofu. Wrap the block in paper towels or a hand towel and press it with a heavy object for about 20 minutes. If you prefer your tofu more moist inside you can skip the pressing and just pat dry.
After pressing, slice the tofu block into four 1/4 inch slices. If you’re wanting larger servings you can slice the block in half lengthwise to make 2 servings (as I did in the pictures).
Marinade
In a medium bowl, add all the marinade ingredients and whisk together. Then pour into a baking dish.
Arrange the tofu in the baking dish (single layer) with just enough room along the sides for the marinade. Stick it in the fridge and let it marinate for at least 4 hours (turning over half way through).
Macadamia Nut Breading
In a small bowl combine the ground macadamia nuts, panko, nutritional yeast and sage.
Once the tofu is done marinating it’s time to coat the outside of each slice of tofu with the flax egg. Then roll in the macadamia nut breading until covered.
Time To Bake!
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the tofu slices. Bake in the oven on the middle rack for 15 minutes. Turn over and bake for another 15 minutes. The edges should be a nice golden brown.
Finishing Sauce
While your tofu is baking, mix together the coconut aminos, smoked paprika, ground ginger, and dark brown sugar.
Enjoy!
Once the tofu is out of the oven, plate it and pour a little finishing sauce over it. This tofu pairs really well with this roasted kobocha squash recipe (although I would use only 1 Tbsp olive oil). So good!
If you tried it and loved it please leave a rating and let me know! If you need more holiday ideas refer to the blog Plant-Based Holiday Recipes.
Macadamia Nut-Crusted Tofu With Sage
Ingredients
Tofu
- 1 14 oz block of extra-firm tofu
Marinade
- 2 Tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp liquid smoke
- 1 tsp white miso (optional)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
Macadamia Nut Breading
- 1/2 cup ground macadamia nuts
- 1/4 cup panko
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 16 sage leaves Fried in olive oil, chopped
Flax egg
- 1 Tbsp ground flax seeds
- 3 Tbsp water
Finishing Sauce
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
Instructions
- Drain and rinse your tofu. Wrap the block in paper towels or a hand towel and press it with a heavy object for about 20 minutes. If you prefer your tofu more moist inside you can skip the pressing and just pat dry. After pressing, slice the tofu block into four 1/4 inch slices. If you're wanting larger servings you can slice the block in half lengthwise and make 2 servings (as I did in the pictures).
- In a medium bowl, add all the marinade ingredients and whisk together. Then pour into a baking dish.Arrange the tofu in the baking dish (single layer) with just enough room along the sides for the marinade. Stick it in the fridge and let it marinate for at least 4 hours (turning over half way through).
- In a small bowl combine the ground macadamia nuts, panko, nutritional yeast and chopped fried sage (see instructions for fried sage above).
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Once the tofu is done marinating it's time to coat the outside of each slice of tofu with the flax egg. Then roll in the macadamia nut breading until covered.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the tofu slices. Bake in the oven on the middle rack for 15 minutes. Turn over and bake for another 15 minutes. The edges should be a nice golden brown.
- While your tofu is baking, mix together the finishing sauce: coconut aminos, smoked paprika, ground ginger, and dark brown sugar.
- Once the tofu is out of the oven, plate it and pour a little finishing sauce over it. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Maria Tointon, RDN, LDN, CSR is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist with over 20 years of experience and a passion for helping others achieve their health goals through plant-based nutrition. Follow on Instagram @vegoutwithmaria.
Amazing!