Crispy Tofu Buddha Bowl

Name: Crispy Tofu Buddha Bowl
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup dry quinoa (or breadcrumbs); 14 to 16 ounces extra-firm tofu (pressed, and sliced widthwise into 8 equal-sized rectangles); 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour, rice flour, or gluten-free flour blend); 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste); 1/2 cup soy milk (or other unsweetened nondairy milk); 2 cups cooked rice ((or 1 cup dry rice, cooked)); 1 large cucumber (thinly sliced into batons); 2 green onions (thinly sliced (green and light green parts only)); Sesame seeds (for garnish (optional)); 1 lime juice; 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise; 1 teaspoon rice vinegar; 1 teaspoon sriracha (or to taste); Salt to taste

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Protein-rich Crispy Tofu Buddha Bowl. Vegan, and healthy with a gluten-free quinoa crust. Served with a delicious creamy dressing. Easy and budget-friendly.

Buddha bowl with two crispy tofu rectangles on black rice, cucumber batons, chopped green onion, and a creamy vegan dressing. — Quinoa-crusted tofu, black rice, cucumber, green onion, and a vegan spicy mayo dressing.

This protein-rich, quinoa-crusted tofu bowl is the most delicious combination of textures and flavors. Plus, it's versatile and easy to adapt. Serve the crispy tofu with a grain of your choice, and use veggies you already have on hand. The 4-ingredient dressing is quick to make and tastes amazing.

This recipe was inspired by my Sweet Potato Tofu Bowl on this site, as well as these Cashew Tofu Lettuce Wraps.

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👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients
🍞 Substitutions
📖 Instructions
💡 Expert Tips
🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipes FAQs
🍽 Related Recipes
👩🏽‍🍳 Made This Recipe?
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

Dry quinoa in a white bowl with vegetable broth, and a block of extra-firm tofu.

Crispy Tofu

Nondairy milk in a glass jar, slat, Italian seasoning, and baking powder in a small white bowl, and flour in a white ramekin.

Breading

One English cucumber, five scallions, dry black rice, vegan mayonnaise, rice vinegar, sriracha, and one lime on a white marble board.

Buddha Bowl and Dressing

Quinoa is a protein-rich, high-fiber seed. It is a complete protein, meaning that it contains all nine essential amino acids. Plus, it's naturally gluten-free and cooks in just 15 minutes. It gets crispy and golden in the oven, which is why it's the perfect healthy crust for this Crispy Tofu Buddha Bowl.
Extra-firm or super-firm tofu work best for this recipe. Its high level of protein makes tofu a good alternative to animal-derived meat. Nasoya's and Wildwood's super-firm tofu come pre pressed which is a huge time saver. Otherwise, press your tofu beforehand.
Use unsweetened nondairy milk for this vegan breading. The proteins in milk help the flour and quinoa adhere to the tofu, while the natural sugars provide extra browning.

See recipe card for quantities.

🍞 Substitutions

Quinoa - use breadcrumbs instead (gluten-free, panko, or regular) for the crispy tofu
Flour - use gluten-free flour (rice flour or gluten-free flour blend) for gluten free
Vegetable broth - broth adds more flavor but you can cook the quinoa in water instead
Nondairy milk - I prefer soy milk because of its higher protein content, but most unsweetened nondairy milks will work
Black rice - use brown rice, farro, leftover quinoa, or a grain of your choice for the Buddha bowl
Cucumber - substitute with any crunchy vegetable (celery, radish, iceberg lettuce, jicama, fennel) or use leftover roasted veggies instead
Green onion - omit or use chives, shallot, or white onion instead

You can also serve the crispy quinoa-crusted tofu with this Red Cabbage Salad to mix things up. Visit my Vegan Tofu Recipes page for more easy and healthy protein-rich dinner ideas.

📖 Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Quinoa cooking in vegetable broth in a white saucepan.

Step 1. Cook the quinoa (if using) in water or vegetable broth according to the directions on the packet. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.

One block extra-firm tofu cut into eight rectangles widthwise on a wooden cutting board.

Step 2. Press the extra-firm tofu and slice the block widthwise into 8 equal-sized rectangles.

Cooked quinoa in a bowl with a steel spoon and a tofu rectangle, with a bowl of nondairy milk, and flour.

Step 3. Dip all sides of the tofu rectangle into the nondairy milk, then into the flour mixture until evenly coated. Then dip it into the quinoa and use the back of a spoon to press the quinoa onto the front and back of the tofu rectangle until evenly coated. Repeat for the other tofu rectangles.

Eight crispy quinoa-crusted tofu rectangles on a steel baking rack.

Step 4. Bake the tofu for 15 minutes. Gently flip the rectangles over and bake for about 10 minutes more or until crispy and golden-brown.

For the Buddha bowl: Serve the crispy tofu with rice, cucumber slices, green onion, and a generous drizzle of spicy mayo dressing.

💡 Expert Tips

Use the back of a large spoon to press the quinoa onto the tofu. Do not use your hands as it will stick to them.
Air fry the tofu to get the quinoa extra crispy in less time.
For baking, spread the rectangles onto a large baking sheet without overcrowding. This will ensure even browning.
Storage: Refrigerate the crispy tofu in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat the rectangles in an oven or microwave. Add the cucumber for serving, and refrigerate the remaining Buddha bowl ingredients in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Serve this bowl warm or chilled.