Gochujang-Glazed Tofu and Bok Choy Traybake

By Courtney HillOctober 27, 2023

Makes
4 servings
Cook Time
45 minutes
Active time plus cooling
25 minutes active
Rating
4

This salty-sweet and subtly spicy traybake takes inspiration from the Korean gochujang-glazed tofu dish, dubu gangjeong. To start, we bake cornstarch-coated tofu in a ripping-hot oven to give it a crisp crust and flavorful browning. We then brush it with a gochujang-honey glaze, which concentrates and caramelizes. Leafy green baby bok choy joins the tofu midway through, its tender-crisp stems and lightly charred leaves offering lots of textural and flavor contrast to the tofu. Steaming-hot rice is a perfect match for this well-seasoned traybake.

Ingredients

2
tablespoons neutral oil
2
tablespoons gochujang
2
tablespoons honey
2
tablespoons toasted sesame oil, divided, plus more to serve
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
¼
cup cornstarch
14
ounce container firm OR extra-firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cut into ½-inch planks
12
ounces baby bok choy, halved lengthwise and patted dry OR green beans, trimmed

Step 1

Heat the oven to 475°F with a rack in the upper-middle position. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with the neutral oil. In a small bowl, whisk together the gochujang, honey, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; set aside.

Step 2

Put the cornstarch in a wide, shallow dish; add the tofu and turn to coat. Place the tofu in the center of the prepared baking sheet, shaking off the excess starch and spacing the planks about ½ inch apart. Bake until the tofu is lightly browned and releases easily from the baking sheet, 15 to 18 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss the bok choy with the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Step 3

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and lightly brush the tops and sides of the tofu with some of the gochujang mixture. Using a thin metal spatula, flip the tofu, then lightly brush with gochujang mixture. Arrange the bok choy around the tofu. Bake until the tofu and bok choy are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Step 4

Flip the tofu and bok choy, then once again lightly brush the tofu with gochujang mixture. Bake until the tofu is well browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the tofu with any remaining gochujang mixture. Transfer to a platter and drizzle with additional sesame oil.

Step 5