You know that moment when you say something at the same time your friend or spouse says the exact same thing? Those “same wavelength moments” are a little funny/spooky, right? Everyone involved giggles a little…maybe a little nervously. That’s how I ended up making these Asian Lettuce Wraps with Crispy Baked Tofu. I essentially texted Sol “Asian Lettuce Wraps?” at the same time he texted me “Lettuce wraps?”

These Asian Lettuce Wraps with Crispy Baked Tofu make a refreshing and satisfying meal, yet don’t feel heavy, which was just what I needed after indulging in a restaurant lunch.

The tofu in this recipe is baked instead of fried, but I promise it still gets wonderfully crispy. Sol teases me when I fry things on the stove  because I wear large oven mitts like some sort of fluffy quilted warrior wielding a pair of tongs. I do look fairly ridiculous. Of course, I don’t burn my hands and wrists, so who’s the real winner here? The bonus to baking the tofu for our Asian Lettuce Wraps instead of frying is two-fold – you can use way less oil, and there is way less mess (no sputtering, spitting hot oil attacking your hands while you tend it on the stove!)

I hope you enjoy these Asian Lettuce Wraps with Crispy Baked tofu as much as we did!

Step by Step for Asian Lettuce Wraps with Crispy Baked Tofu:

First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Press the tofu with TofuXpress. Squeeze, baby Squeeze!

Next, press your tofu, either by setting it in a pan with another heavy item like a cast iron dish on top of it, or using a tofu presser like this TofuXpress.  I use the TofuXpress in my kitchen, and I like it because it presses tofu more evenly and faster than the DIY pan pressing method. If you don’t get the balance just right with the pan presser, it will press the tofu at an angle, and consequently your cast iron pan may fall off the tofu entirely. Not that I’ve done that. At all. **shifty eyes**

Let’s roll!

While oven is preheating and tofu is pressing, add 1 T. soy sauce and 1 T. sesame oil into a zip lock bag., then chop your veggies, mince the garlic and ginger, and set aside.

Since a lot of water will be pressed from your tofu, you’ll want to pour the liquid out in the sink, then cube your tofu.

You can cube them smaller if you want to, or make them into little strips.

Add tofu to your zip lock bag, seal, and coat with the liquid. Then, add 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch to your bag, seal and toss again until tofu is evenly coated.

They’re going to crisp up nicely. Don’t worry.

Place tofu cubes on a baking sheet with sides, lined with a silicone baking mat, then bake in oven for 30 minutes.

I used a lot of Sambal Olek in this sauce and it still wasn’t as knock-your-socks-off spicy as I hoped.  However, your taste may be different. Feel free to keep adjusting, or add other spicy goodies like sriracha. I prefer my asian sauces to be blazin’ hot.

Making the Sauce

While your tofu bakes, let’s make the sauce. measure peanut butter into microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30-40 seconds – this will soften it so you can more easily stir it into your sauce. After it’s softened, add remaining sauce ingredients and whisk until combined. Taste and adjust spices accordingly.

Side rant: You know those “sealed for your protection” labels that come under the lids of condiment bottles and spices? WHY oh WHY do those NEVER seem to come away cleanly. The metallic layer separates from the plastic layer, or the pull tab breaks, so you are forced to resort to something like this:

For whose protection was this, really?

Stir Frying the Veggies

I may have mentioned this, repeatedly, but the smell of garlic and onions (and okay, yes, ginger too) cooking in a pan is one of my favorite things ever. Some people may assume the 8 cloves of garlic in my recipe is a typo, presumably because they hate flavor. (it’s not a typo. It IS however, delicious).

Next, heat a large pan on medium heat, add 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil, and add onions, ginger, and garlic. Let these cook for a couple minutes, then add the bell peppers and mushrooms.

I love it – so colorful! The texture you’re looking for on these is tender yet not mushy.

Sauté the veggies until the water they release has almost totally evaporated, then remove from heat.

You should treat the 30 minute cook time for the tofu cubes as a guideline because your oven may cook differently. Ultimately, you want them to have a golden exterior when you pull them from the oven.

Gorgeous, pleasantly crunchy Asian Lettuce Wraps with Crispy Tofu

Finally, spoon stir fry mix into lettuce wrap, and add a few pieces of tofu and the cucumber. Spoon the sauce into the wrap, then sprinkle with crunchy chow mein noodles and green onions.