Miso Glazed Tofu (Tofu Dengaku) 

Are you bored of plain tofu? This miso glaze transforms your tofu into an umami-loaded, irresistible dish. The tofu soaks in all that delicious glaze, loading it with delicious salty, spicy, rich umami flavor. After a quick sear, the tofu develops a deliciously crispy and caramelized texture. Garnish it with some grated ginger, chives, sriracha, and pickled garlic if you have some on hand. This flavor-packed miso glazed tofu dengaku is a dish to enjoy.  

Ingredients for Miso Glazed Tofu: 

• Extra firm tofu
• Miso paste
• Rice wine vinegar
• Cane sugar
• Ginger
• Sriracha
• Sesame oil
• Neutral cooking oil 
• Optional: Chives
• Optional: Pickled garlic

I recommend using extra firm natural tofu. Extra firm tofu will hold up nicely when searing it, and it can absorb lots of delicious flavor from the miso glaze. 

Miso paste is the star of our glaze. You should be able to find it at a local Asian supermarket. It is a great thing to have in the fridge, as it adds a ton of umami flavor. It is also great for making broths. If you want a milder miso flavor, you can use white miso paste. I like the bold taste of red miso paste, which I am using today. You can also combine the two for something in between. 

To balance the flavor of the glaze, I am adding organic cane sugar. Sugar will also help our tofu caramelize when searing it. You can also use another sweetener of your choice. Maple syrup also works fantastically for this miso glaze. 

For some spice, I am adding freshly grated ginger and sriracha. You can vary the amount of spice by reducing or adding more hot sauce. You can also use another hot sauce of your choice. I find that sriracha brings a not-too-overpowering flavor to this miso glaze, which I enjoy. 

To balance the miso glaze, a bit of rice wine vinegar works perfectly. Also, I am adding sesame oil for a final kick of flavor. Lastly, some neutral cooking oil helps make a smooth glaze, and it will help the tofu sear nicely. I used peanut oil.

Miso Glazed Tofu Recipe.

Making the miso glazed tofu is super simple. Firstly, we will make our miso glaze. After preparing the tofu, we can marinate it in the glaze. Lastly, we can sear the tofu before enjoying it! 

Making the Miso Glaze: 

Firstly, let’s make the miso glaze. Making the miso glaze is super straightforward. Measure out the ingredients and combine them in a bowl. Mix well and dilute it slightly with hot water until you have a thick glaze. Check its flavor and adjust it to your liking by balancing the ingredients. 

Marinating the Tofu:

Next, you can marinate the tofu. Gently press out any remaining liquid from the tofu. Pressing out the tofu makes it easier to soak up all that delicious miso glaze flavor. Be careful not to break the tofu while pressing it. You can use two cutting boards to apply even pressure to the tofu. 

Now, you can cut the tofu into your desired shape. I went with slices today, but you can also cube the tofu. The best size will depend on how you want to serve the miso glazed tofu. I am having it as a little side dish today. For rice bowls, cubes might even be nicer! 

Marinate the tofu in the glaze for at least 1-2 hours, preferably overnight. The longer it marinates, the deeper the miso glaze will soak into the tofu. 

Cooking & Plating:

I seared the tofu evenly from both sides on high heat. I like to cook it until it turns nice and crisp on the outside. You can apply additional glaze during or after cooking, depending on how thickly you like the tofu to be coated. To plate it, I simply garnished it with a bit of additional freshly grated ginger, sriracha, and chives. And for these kinds of dishes, pickled garlic is the perfect addition. I added a few thinly sliced cloves. Super simple and delicious! 

And that is all there is to this simple miso glazed tofu recipe! Let me know what you think in the comments, and enjoy! 

Some more recipe inspirations: 

• Miso glazed cauliflower
• Vegan mushroom congee
• Oi Muchim – Korean cucumber salad
• Easy peanut sauce
• Miso glazed eggplant
• Vegan Banh Mi
• Tom Kha soup

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