Coconut-Caramel Braised Tofu Recipe (2024)

Very tasty & easy! Excellent effort:outcome ratio. Made tonight, will definitely make again. After browning tofu I moved it to a plate and made sauce in pan, then when thickened I added tofu back in just to warm. Would be great with chicken instead of tofu too. Next time might dial back the salt a bit (reduce soy sauce to 1-2 tsp and go from there). Didn’t look especially beautiful but tasted awesome. Next time will add slivered jalapeños and cilantro on top.

I like to use cashew cream instead of coconut milk.

Subbed fish sauce for soy, added cilantro, chopped jalapeños and crushed peanuts. Yum.

This was very tasty and was really easy for a quick meal. I too cut the soy sauce to 2 teaspoons and did not add salt it at the end. Even then it was too salty for me. That said, I will make this again. Next time I will not use any added salt, cut the soy sauce to 1 teaspoon and the miso to 1 tablespoon and adjust the salt at the end if it needs it. I also added 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes near the end.

Air Fried the Tofu and the Green Beans. Air Fried tofu is considerably easier and healthier than frying. The green beans are marvelous out of the air fryer. Simply added both to the sauce. Next time I might try broccolini and perhaps a couple handfuls of spinach.

This was delicious! I increased the soy sauce because I felt it needed more flavor. I didn’t have miso so subbed with tahini. I take issue with the recommendation to cook the green beans for five minutes; unless you like them crunchy, they need three times as long. And I recommend to remove the tofu after browning, make the sauce, then add the tofu and green beans back in. Otherwise you’ll risk breaking up the tofu when stirring the sauce. Would be easy to swap in different veggies.

I learned from a close friend who is an excellent chef long ago to make a caramel as the base for these style dishes. You simply melt the sugar in the base of your pan, add your aromatics, top with your liquid and blend like crazy with a whisk or immersion blender. The overall recipe is pretty balanced, my natural instinct to season proteins and vegetables lightly as I go pushed this into salty food range. While still delicious, miso paste and soy sauce will salt this almost enough. Be careful!

This was easy and better than any take -out! My family loved it. I used lowfat coconut milk and 12 oz beans to up the veggie content.

This was great! I tossed the tofu with a tbsp of cornstarch and roasted for 40 mins at 425, and threw in the green beans for the last 15 mins. Used the whole can of coconut milk, and added the green beans in for the 5 min braise.

I really liked this one. Made it with broccoli and skinny eggplant. Added a little hot sauce as a topping to give it a little extra kick. Agree that a bit of crunch would nice and next time would add peanuts or cashews and definitely cilantro and a little more lime.

I made this last night and it was very good. I will opt for more sauce next time and will definitely try with chicken.

Disappointed in this dish. I followed the recipe as written, but it was bland land and lacked complexity. Won’t make it again.

Turns out that getting your toddler interested in green beans is to be cooking them right when he gets home from daycare and is hungry and fussy. He ate so many of the green beans that I sauteed some extra cauliflower florets and baby corn to keep the veg content up in the finished dish. They were great additions and I'll make it again the same way the next time!

This is a great recipe and I’ve made it 4 times since finding it here. But what brand of tofu are you using that gets browned and crispy in just 5 minutes? It takes 20 minutes for me, and that is drained, pressed, and patted dry.

I only had red miso paste on hand so I used that insteadGave a strong umami flavor and darker color but it was delicious

So quick and really delicious. Started the rice before cooking. I also followed another person's suggestion and threw the tofu and the green beans in the air fryer while I chopped, prepped and cooked the sauce. Everything was ready in 20 minutes. I didn't have a shallot or limes. Garnished with chopped cilantro, cashews, and scallions. Flexible recipe - could use with any vegetables and/or protein. Base sauce is a keeper.

I used 3/4 tbsp of dark miso and added basil and red pepper flakes. I added salt and used water to thin it out so it was more of a soup. Very delicious!!

I use the whole coconut milk can. Substituted green beans with frozen kale, which made it even quicker and easier. Soooo perfect with Cholula hot sauce. This one is an all time fav.

I have been making a version of this for years - but I bake or fry the tofu separately with a coating of cornstarch & coconut shreds. Add gochugaru to the caramelized sauce and pour it on at the end to keep the tofu’s bite.

Needs cumin and coriander

Works with one bunch of kale, but might be even better with two bunches.

This was fine, but if you want a tastier version of this try the coconut gochujang chicken with broccoli. Can easily swap into tofu for the chicken (which I have before) and the sauce is much more scrumptious.

Easy, quick, & got rave reviews from my tofu-loving 3 year old. Great weeknight dinner.

So...this is delicious. I've made it twice. This time I played around with the recipe just a tad. I reduced the oil to a total of 2 tsps because I have brand new slick-as-a-whistle non-stick skillet. I also eliminated the sugar from the sauce. I doubled the quantity of green beans and skipped the rice. Still delicious!

Definitely took longer than 20 minutes. I had to add more coconut milk to dilute the salty sauce. With lime, hot sauce, and some crunchy almond slices it was tasty.

My husband raved about this! I just used the whole can of coconut milk and I didn’t have any green beans so used carrots, cabbage, and broccoli. Very yummy. Definitely will make again.

I thoroughly enjoyed this coconut caramel braised tofu recipe! It's a truly delicious and comforting meal. I followed the recipe closely, but heeded notes about reducing soy sauce and miso due to saltiness. Using regular miso worked well, and adjusting salt at the end suited my taste. Agreed with others on extending bean cooking time for a softer texture. Considering air frying the tofu next time for added crispiness. Overall, I'll be making this again—it was just soooo good!