Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Crispy Tofu with Honey-Sesame Glaze
Tender, caramelized Brussels sprouts with extra crispy tofu and brown rice, topped with an irresistible sweet-and-spicy glaze. Gluten free and easily vegan.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on January 2, 2025
You’re looking at roasted Brussels sprouts and crispy baked tofu over brown rice, drizzled with an irresistible honey-sesame glaze that brings it all together. This recipe features a few staple Asian ingredients, but it’s not one you’ll find on a takeout menu.
Have you made this recipe already, by chance? It’s one of my favorites from four years ago, but I was afraid the photos weren’t doing it justice. Over the weekend, it got some new beauty shots, and I’m sharing it again with some new notes!
This dish reminds me of one of the Annie’s frozen meals that I used to take into my office job when I was starting this blog, the broccoli teriyaki one. Maybe you know it. This is its homemade counterpart, which would coincidentally pack great for an office lunch.
While this recipe requires making several components, I love how the recipe comes together. You can bake the Brussels and the tofu in the oven at the same time, which might seem complicated at first glance, but it’s absolutely not! While those bake, the rice and glaze will be simmering on the stove. Then, it’s assembly time and dinner time.
In fact, I love this recipe so much that it inspired one of the recipes in my cookbook—the Roasted Broccoli, Bell Pepper, and Tofu Bowl with Peanut Sauce on page 175. I get hungry just looking at its photo. So good!
Change It Up
This recipe is quite versatile! I’d suggest making it as-is the first time, and then you can play around with these ideas.
- You can easily change up this recipe by choosing to use different vegetables (broccoli and bell pepper were fantastic in my cookbook recipe).
- You could also drizzle the recipe with peanut sauce instead of the honey-sesame glaze.
- Or, increase the sprouts to 2 pounds, omit the tofu and rice, and you’ll have an irresistible Brussels sprout side dish (better yet, follow my Kung Pao Brussels sprouts recipe).
Please let me know how the recipe turns out for you in the comments! I’m always so happy to hear from you.
Watch How to Make Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Crispy Baked Tofu with Honey-Sesame Glaze
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Crispy Baked Tofu with Honey-Sesame Glaze
Tender, caramelized brussels sprouts with extra crispy tofu and brown rice, topped with an irresistible sweet-and-spicy glaze. This meal requires some prep work, but once you’re ready, you can cook the rice, sprouts and tofu in about 30 minutes, while making the glaze in the meantime.
Ingredients
Brown rice
- 1 ¼ cup brown rice, preferably short grain
Roasted brussels sprouts
- 1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Fine grain sea salt
Extra crispy baked tofu
- 1 block (15 ounces) organic extra-firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari* or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch or cornstarch
Spicy honey-sesame glaze
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium tamari* or soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 to 3 teaspoons chili garlic sauce or sriracha (depending on how spicy you like it)
Garnish
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (I used black sesame seeds but regular white are fine as well)
- Big handful fresh cilantro leaves, torn by hand
Instructions
- Prep work: Position your oven racks in the lower third and upper third of the oven.Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup (and to prevent the tofu from sticking). Bring a large pot of water to boil for the rice. Rinse the rice in a fine mesh colander under running water and set aside.
- Drain the tofu and use your palms to gently squeeze out some of the water. Slice the tofu into thirds lengthwise so you have 3 even slabs. Stack the slabs on top of each other and slice through them lengthwise to make 3 even columns, then slice across to make 5 even rows (see photos).
- Line a cutting board with an absorbent lint-free tea towel or paper towels, then arrange the tofu in an even layer on the towel(s). Fold the towel(s) over the cubed tofu, then place something heavy on top (like another cutting board, topped with a cast iron pan or large cans of tomatoes) to help the tofu drain. Let the tofu rest for at least 10 minutes while you prep the Brussels sprouts.
- Trim the nubby ends and any discolored leaves off the Brussels sprouts, then cut the sprouts in halves lengthwise. Toss the sprouts with a light, even layer of olive oil. On a large baking sheet, arrange the sprouts in an even layer, flat sides down, and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Transfer the pressed tofu to one of your prepared baking sheets and drizzle with the olive oil and tamari. Toss to combine. Sprinkle the arrowroot starch over the tofu, and toss the tofu until the starch is evenly coated, so there are no powdery spots remaining. Arrange the tofu in an even layer across the pan.
- To cook the rice: Once the water is boiling, add the rice. Let the rice boil for 30 minutes, then remove from heat and drain the rice. Transfer the drained rice back to the cooking pot and cover for 5 minutes. Remove lid, add a dash of sea salt and use a fork to fluff the rice. Set aside, partially covered, until you’re ready to serve.
- To bake the sprouts and tofu: Transfer the pan of Brussels sprouts to the lower oven rack, and the pan of tofu to the top rack. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing the contents of each pan halfway through cooking, until the sprouts and tofu are deeply golden on the edges.
- To make the glaze: In a small saucepan, whisk together the glaze ingredients (start with 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce or sriracha and add more to taste). Bring the glaze to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring often and reducing heat as necessary. Simmer until the glaze is reduced by about half (about 5 to 10 minutes; it’s about done when it starts bubbling up substantially). Remove the glaze from the heat and set aside.
- To assemble: Divide the rice onto four plates. Top each plate with sprouts and tofu and drizzle with glaze. Finish each plate with a very generous sprinkling of sesame seeds and a small handful of chopped cilantro.
Notes
Glazed brussels sprouts adapted from Greens and Chocolate. Tofu adapted from The Kitchn.
*Tamari note: Definitely use reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce. Otherwise, this dish will taste too salty.
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey.
Make it gluten free: This dish is gluten free as long as you use gluten-free tamari, which is a variety of soy sauce that is usually (but not always, check the label) gluten free. I always use tamari instead of soy sauce because I prefer the flavor of it! Look for tamari next to the soy sauce in the Asian aisle of the grocery store.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Have made this many times now and it’s always wonderful. I often switch out brussels for broccoli, just depending on what I have. I usually serve with chopped red cabbage instead of rice.
That sounds like a great way to change it up! Thank you for sharing, Bella.
I’m pretty sure that I commented on this recipe before but am not sure.
Anyway, this is definitely one of my favorite recipes on your website that I’ve tried and it’s very easy. Everyone likes it. I could probably eat this once every week.
I love it! Thank you for taking the time to review, Ken.
Another fantastic recipe! Thank you so much Kate! Your recipes are always trustworthy and delicious. Made this for my vegan brother-in-law’s birthday dinner and he LOVED it. You are my favorite! Keep up the great work….so appreciated. xo
This was soooo delicious and filling!
I added some sliced mini cucumbers and made some quinoa instead of the rice but everything else was outstanding!
The only thing I would add next time will be to make more glaze!! I love a good sauce! Thank you!!
You’re welcome, LeeCee! Thank you for sharing.
This was tasty, but too complex to make again. I felt like I dirtied a lot of different dishes and it only made 2 entree-sized servings for us.
I’m sorry you found it too complex to make again, but happy you enjoyed the taste. Thank you for your feedback, Claire.
Hi there! I am a long time follower but just wanted to pop in and let you know how much I love your recipes. This recipe is one of my favorites! My family makes either this recipe or the tofu broccoli bell pepper one from your cookbook at LEAST once a week! It’s loved by everyone including my two year old! This is hands down my favorite tofu recipe and I always recommend it to others. Thank you so much for all of your wonderful veg friendly recipes!!!
Thank you, Laura! That’s fun to hear you are enjoying so many recipes.
Hi there,
This recipe was excellent and I will make it again with different vegetables. I made it with brussel sprouts and red pepper this time. Loved it. It says it makes 4 servings but my husband and I embarrassingly gobbled up at least 3 servings. My only issue was not getting the glaze to thicken.
Great to hear, Carolyn! Thank you for your review.
Wow! I love the simplicity of the repetitive ingredients (soy sauce, olive oil), the fact that once the tofu and the Brussels sprouts are in the oven I can turn my attention to setting the table, getting the dogs in from the garden, making a salad or you name it.
And: I am a vegetarian, my husband clearly isn’t but he adores the way I cook (so he’s kind of a 75% vegetarian ;-)) and we both adored the full, beautiful flavor of this meal. Thank you!! Keep inventing
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed this one! I appreciate you taking the time to review, Sabine.
This site usually has great recipes and this one did not disappoint.
We added this to our Thanksgiving table. It was perfect.
Changes:
1. We used the pre-flavoured tofu that’s widely available nowadays (e.g. in Trader Joe’s or in a regular grocery store), e.g. Sriracha flavour, teriyaki flavour, sesame-ginger flavour, whatever is available. This saved effort in drying the tofu. Just toss it in a bowl with the cornstarch and seasonings given here and bake. Worked really well.
2. We roasted at 450 deg F, because this dish was sharing space with another dish. The higher temp was a good option.
This dish is going into the regular rotation.
another hit! the only comment I would make is to do double the glaze!
other than that LOVED IT
I made this last night, used Brussel sprouts that I had in the freezer. Everyone in the house was like oh that smells so good, I know its going to be delicious. And it was!!! If you can believe it the guys were huge fans. Thank you Cookie and Kate for having such delicious, always tasty recipes. I ordered two cookbooks today, I can’t wait to see if my favorite recipes are in there. I LOVE COOKBOOKS!!!
This was delicious!! I did toss the Brussel sprouts and tofu in the glaze, but otherwise I made it exactly as directed. Thanks for a great recipe
Thank you, Sue! Thank you for your review.
Kate, I found this recipe a few years ago and I keep coming back to it… it’s so delicious! The glaze makes the whole thing crave-worthy and this remains one of my favorite recipes ^_^ Thank you for sharing!
This sounds so tasty!! Plan on making it this weekend. What would be good a vegetarian substitute for the tofu?
Thanks!
Hi! You could try some crispy baked chickpeas if you are looking for some more protein without the tofu.
That sounds like a great substitution! Thank you!
I am curious about the nutritional information. The calorie counts seem to be too high per serving, is it possible the count is for the entire dish instead of per serving amounts? For instance, in this dish, 557 calories for brussel sprouts and tofu with brown rice seems too high to me, what am I missing?
Hi Adele, All my nutritional information are estimates.
Absolutely delicious! We added some roasted broccoli in the mix – so good. Thank you for the recipe we will now add to our dinner prep!
You’re welcome, Jessie!
Hi Kate,
I just made this today and it was so delicious. This was my first time trying tofu and the dish goes so well with it. It’s a very easy recipe and I loved making it as well. Thank you for this recipe!
I loved this, it seemed like it was going to be complicated with so many steps but it’s just very informative. I just got a tofu press so I was excited to use it. I found a recipe for chili garlic sauce and made my own with red bell pepper, garlic and sriracha. The whole thing was great. Especially liked the sesame seeds.
I am a bit uninspired in the kitchen lately but I am forcing myself to try one new recipe a week. I made this based on your recent Instagram post and we loved it! It was really easy too, which is what I was looking for. I followed the recipe as is and will be adding it to my regular rotation. We eat vegetarian in our house and are always looking for main courses that have a healthy amount of protein. Thanks for this one!
I’m happy this recipe inspired you, Katie! Thank you for your comment and review.
Kate,
I have been cooking from your cookbook and blog for several years and love every recipe! This is one of our favorites. I have made this for friends who rave about it!!
Your baked tofu is a staple in our home as is the granola from your cookbook.
Thank you for all your delicious veggie recipes!!
Please let us know how Cookie is. That pup is one of the reasons I bought your cookbook:)
My Best,
Dee
You’re welcome, Dee! This one is a great one to have on rotation. Cookie is still herself! Hoping for the best with the treatments.
A little salty for me, otherwise delicious. (I did use low sodium soy sauce and tamari). Next time I’ll adjust for that. Definitely a recipe I want to put in my files!
I’m sorry you didn’t love it, but glad to know you will try to make it again!
We tried this one tonight and loved it; wish we would have made more! We didn’t have soy sauce so we subbed teriyaki, which made it very sweet with the honey too…and I actually really liked it that way!
This recipe is amazing. I can’t believe I made something that tastes this great! I added in whole carrots and followed the recipe. I make this every other week. It is perfect. Thank you.
I absolutely love this recipe!! It comes together very easily and is always delicious. I also love how much you can change it up!! I like to add broccoli or peas. Thanks, Kate, for all the amazing recipes
That’s great! Thank you for your review, Claire.
Very good!
This was so good! I’ve had this saved to Pinterest to try for a while and Brussels sprouts lately have been looking perfect so I got some and made this. Will definitely make again!
That’s great to hear, Hayley!
My sauce doesn’t turn into glaze! The first time I did it, it went perfectly but now I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong. It’ll be simmering for over 20 minutes and it just won’t thicken! Any tips?
Hi Audrey! I’m sorry to hear that. Did you bring it to a boil first, then reduce to a simmer?
This is our new favorite recipe! My husband couldn’t stop raving about it, especially that sauce. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Laurie! Thank you for your review.
Made this for dinner last night. It served four of us perfectly, and it was delicious. I pressed my tofu for about 40 minutes and it was incredibly crispy when it came out of the oven. The sauce ties the whole meal together. This will become a regular part of our dinner recipe rotation.
That’s great to hear, Diane! Thank you for your review.
This was delicious! The tofu turned out so well (I often am not the biggest tofu fan but loved it this time) and the sauce was great. I doubled the sauce and I ended up using some cold leftover sauce as a salad dressing and I highly recommend that! Really tasty.
My family and I love this recipe! Even my meat-eating/loving husband!
That’s great to hear, Savannah! Thank you for your review.
You have hit the nail on the head with this one. It is now a permanent favourite. Recipes from the US usually don’t pass the test with us but this one certainly does.Would recommend using Jasmine Rice as the black sesame really does enhance it. This glaze over baked aubergine Japanese style is fantastic(add a bit of Saki to it).
Cheers from these other dog lovers.
About to make this for the third time tonight. As a matter of personal taste, I reduced the amount of honey between the first and second times and liked it even better, but either way, a very nice recipe for us brussel sprout lovers.
I’m glad you were able to adjust it to your tastes, Jay. Thank you for your review!
Great meal! We thought it was very tasty and easy to make. We served it a basil garnish ( that is what we had on hand ) and a side salad.
I’m delighted you loved it, Christine! I appreciate your review.
How do I print your recipes? I don’t see an option for that. The recipe was good and I want to add it to my files…
Hi Janet, I am working to resolve an issue and it should be back up soon. I apologize for the inconvenience.
This was superb. Even my husband – not a tofu fan – raved about it. I used coconut aminos bc that’s all I had but it worked great! I also used riced cauliflower bc it was faster, and sautéed with ginger. I didn’t think there would be enough glaze but there was plenty. Thank you!
Hooray! That’s great, Tracy. I appreciate your review.
This recipe has sprouts, tofu, a simple sauce, and almost no effort. Oh and is seriously delicious! Top notch!
Thank you, Jenna!
Ridiculously delish lunch! Gave this a whirl since I love every recipe you post! Had tofu and sprouts on hand and everything else too except the sesame seeds – – next time!
Thank you, Patti! I’m delighted you love my recipes.
how can I make this ahead of time
Hey there, I’m so looking forward to making this! Do you think the maple/honey can be substituted by orange juice?
Thanks!
Hi, I recommend to make this as is for best results. I hope you try it!
Made this dish a few times and it’s quickly become a household favorite. It’s also delicious with asparagus added in. Love this recipe!
That’s great, Kate!
Made this dish a few times and it’s quickly become a household favorite. It’s also delicious with asparagus added in. Love this recipe!
I only had regular tamari, but I didn’t put much salt on the brussels sprouts and I didn’t reduce the sauce, and it was totally fine. Definitely not a glaze, but I’ll probably thicken the leftovers with cornstarch.
I really enjoyed this meal too! Easy to make, not a lot of ingredients, healthy and delicious!
Thank you, Janelle! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
I made this tonight and it was delicious. I made the Brussels in a cast iron pan. Curious if you have any reheat recommendations for the leftovers?
Great to hear, Molly!
Love this! The glaze is terrific and my kids who didn’t think they liked Brussel sprouts found out that they do. I double the tofu since everyone really likes that and will sneak off with it before dinner. Doing tofu that way really makes it good. I’m adding more vegetarian recipes to our dinners because it’s good for us and a much more eco friendly way to eat. Your recipes are a hit!
I’m glad you hear this recipe was such a hit, Emily!
I’ve never been a huge fan of brussels sprouts…until I tried this dish. Amazing! The glaze was so tasty I even made it again a few days later to top a different stir fry type dinner.
Another hit from Cookie & Kate! I made this exactly and it is delicious. I used to look at recipes on this site and see all of the steps and think “way too much work”, but I was so so wrong. Thanks Kate for all the wonderful, EASY recipes! You’ve really elevated my recipe rotation!
I’m delighted to hear that, Katie! I appreciate your review.
The sauce! Oh my word this is delicious! We love it with farro!!
I’m happy you love it, Amy! Thank you for your review.
Because my meat loving husband is having heart related issues I’m trying to learn to cook vegetarian and it’s all new to me.
Some of these recipes sound like a lot of prep work is necessary. I’m willing to do whatever is necessary to make healthy meals that my husband will eat and hopefully enjoy.
I don’t know if it’s fair to rate this recipe since I haven’t made it yet. But it sounds really good so I’m going to give it 5 star’s.
I hope you love it, Linda! Thank you for your review.