Korean tofu and vegetable skewers from the oven Recipe
Colorful skewers with marinated tofu, bell peppers and onion, baked in the oven with a slightly spicy, sweet-salty sauce. In Korea, similar skewers appear at street stalls, often with meat, but the tofu version works great for vegetarians. The flavor is reminiscent of grilled vegetables with teriyaki sauce, but with a Korean touch of chili and sesame.
These skewers combine the familiar comfort of oven-roasted vegetables with bold Korean flavors from gochujang, sesame and soy. The tofu soaks up the marinade beautifully, giving you a juicy, satisfying bite in every piece, while the colorful vegetables make the dish visually striking and perfect for sharing.
Chef's tips
Pressing the tofu well at the beginning is key—if you skip this step, it will release water in the oven and won’t brown as nicely. Don’t be afraid to taste the marinade before adding the tofu and adjust the balance of sweetness, saltiness and heat to your liking. If you’re using metal skewers, you can skip soaking, but still brush them well with marinade so nothing sticks.
How to serve
Serve the skewers on a large platter, sprinkled with extra sesame seeds and sliced spring onion. Add steamed jasmine rice, kimchi or a quick cucumber salad with rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar. As party food, you can make shorter skewers with just 2–3 pieces each so they’re easier to eat as finger food.
Ingredients
- tofu firm, drained - 400 g
- red bell pepper cut into larger squares - 1 piece
- yellow bell pepper cut into larger squares - 1 piece
- red onion cut into thick pieces - 1 piece
- zucchini cut into half-slices - 1 small piece
- soy sauce for the marinade - 4 tablespoons
- gochujang Korean hot chili paste - 1 tablespoon
- honey - 1.5 tablespoons
- sesame oil - 1.5 tablespoons
- garlic finely chopped - 2 cloves
- rice vinegar - 1 tablespoon
- sesame seeds for sprinkling - 1 tablespoon
- skewers wooden or metal - 8 pieces
Preparation
- Wrap the tofu in paper towels, place it on a plate, cover with another plate and weigh it down with something heavy (e.g. a jar) for 15 minutes to remove excess water.
- After pressing, cut the tofu into cubes about 2 cm on each side.
- In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, gochujang, honey, sesame oil, rice vinegar and chopped garlic until you get a smooth marinade.
- Add the tofu cubes to the marinade, gently toss so they don’t break, and set aside for at least 15 minutes. In the meantime, soak wooden skewers in water so they don’t burn in the oven.
- Cut the peppers, onion and zucchini into pieces similar in size to the tofu.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (top and bottom heat). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Thread tofu, pepper, onion and zucchini alternately onto the skewers until you use up all the ingredients. Reserve the remaining marinade.
- Place the skewers on the tray and brush them on top with the rest of the marinade.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes, turning the skewers halfway through, until the vegetables soften slightly and brown at the edges and the tofu is golden.
- After removing from the oven, sprinkle the skewers with sesame seeds and serve immediately.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
I like to double the amount of marinade and set some aside before adding the tofu, then reduce it briefly in a small saucepan to serve as a dipping sauce. It makes the skewers even more addictive and lets everyone adjust the intensity of flavor on their plate.
