Hi, my name is Lauren and I am obsessed with sheet pan dinners. This vegan sheet pan sesame pomegranate tofu and broccoli is my new favorite. Sticky, sweet, salty, sesame-y. And probably a lot of other s words. This is such a simple Asian-inspired meal. The tofu gets crunchy and firm without any breading. The sauce gets thick and delicious without any active cooking. The whole thing only takes about 20 minutes and is really incredible. I even impressed myself with this one.
What You Need For This One Pan Magic:
- Extra Firm Tofu: Obviously.
- Fresh Broccoli: Fresh is best.
- Sesame Oil: This is for function and flavor.
- Soy Sauce: For Saltiness.
- Pomegranate Juice: For Sweetness and that yummy rich flavor.
- Agave: For extra sweetness and that stickiness.
- Sriracha: It definitely needs a little spice.
- Rice Wine Vinegar: For some much needed acidity.
- Garlic and Ginger: All good sauces need garlic and ginger.
- Cornstarch: This is used as the thickener.
- Sesame Seeds: Because, sesame tofu needs sesame seeds.
For this vegan sheet pan sesame pomegranate tofu and broccoli, you just roast the tofu and broccoli together on the same pan. Tossed in sesame oil first. You then whisk the sauce together while the tofu and broccoli roast. You add the cornstarch to the sauce and combine. So when you pour the sauce over the tofu and broccoli, the sauce is very liquidy. Then you continue to roast in the oven. After just a few minutes the sauce becomes thick and sticky. Toss all that delicious sticky, sweet and salty pomegranate sauce with the tofu and broccoli and you have an amazing meal. Better and healthier than take out!
Why Should You Make This Better Than Take Out Meal?
- One pan, 20 minutes!
- Such an amazing flavor, like you won’t be able to stop eating it!
- Can very easily be made gluten-free.
- Just make some fluffy rice while the tofu and broccoli cook for a full meal.
- Seriously one of the best tasting tofu dishes of all time.
Love sheet pan and one pot meals? Try my Vegan DijonRosemary Sheet Pan Dinner or my Vegan One Pot Caprese Pasta!
This one pan, Asian inspired tofu and broccoli is sticky, sweet, salty, delicious and super fast,
- 1 Block(15oz.) Extra firm tofu, pressed or frozen and pressed*
- 1 Large Head of broccoli, cut into florets
- 3 Tablespoons Sesame oil, divided
- 1/3 Cup Low Sodium soy sauce or tamari for GF option
- 1/3 Cup Pomegranate juice
- 1/4 Cup Agave syrup, I used light agave
- 3 Tablespoon Rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha
- 4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
- 1 inch Fresh ginger, grated
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons Sesame seeds
- Rice for serving(optional)
-
After pressing or freezing, thawing and pressing(which is my favorite way to make this dish) the tofu, preheat the oven to 400 degrees(F).
-
Now, place the broccoli on one side of a large sheet pan that is lined with parchment paper, a silicone mat or sprayed with non-stick spray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and toss to coat.
-
Then either cut the pressed tofu into cubes, or break the previously frozen tofu into small chunks. Place the tofu on the other side of the sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and toss to coat. Spread the tofu out in a single layer.
-
Bake the tofu and broccoli for 15 minutes.
-
While the tofu and broccoli bake, make the sauce. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, soy sauce, pomegranate juice, agave, rice wine vinegar, sriracha, garlic and ginger.
-
I like to taste a little sauce now, before adding the cornstarch to see if I need to adjust anything. Make sure it is the salt, sweet, tang and heat level you want.
-
Now, whisk in the cornstarch until it has completely dissolved. Then stir in the sesame seeds.
-
Once the tofu and broccoli have baked for 15 minutes, take the pan out of the oven and pour the sauce over the tofu and broccoli. It will be very liquidy at this point, but toss everything as best as you can. It will thicken up a lot.
-
Carefully put the sheet pan back in the oven and bake for 5 minutes.
-
Remove the pan again, the sauce should be getting really thick now. Bring all the sauce together and toss the tofu and broccoli in the sticky sauce.
-
Bake for another 4-5 minutes or until brown and the sauce is super thick.
-
Serve with rice, green onions, extra sesame seeds and pomegranate seeds if desired.
If you need more info on pressing tofu, check out my TOFU COOKING GUIDE.
*I like to freeze my tofu for this meal because it changes the texture and makes it meatier. You just freeze the whole block, then thaw completely. Then press and then break into chunks.
I made this last night and it was SUPER delicious!! Your recipes never fail me. Thank you so much for sharing your creative juices with vegan food.
Thank you for your kind words!
Can I use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce?
Absolutely!
Really looking forward to making this but wondering what is meant by ‘pressing’ the tofu? Thanks so much 😊
In the recipe notes is a guide to pressing tofu!
I made this tonight with chickpeas instead of tofu and it was so delicious!! Next time I’ll add toasted cashews and some sliced scallions to the top. I can’t wait for my leftovers! Thank you for another brilliant recipe.
Hi! Love the idea of one sheet dinners. What do you recommend to sub for pomegranate juice? I am not a big fan, and it is pricey.
Do you recommend using juice from a fresh pomegranate or using the juice from POM?
Delicious. Just like take-out. My husband devoured it and couldn’t stop talking about how good it was. I used maple syrup instead of agave and cider vinegar instead of rice and it still worked great. Ill definitely make this again, maybe try it with orange juice instead of pomegranate as it’s easier to come by here.
Your recipes never disappoint!
We are a Chinese family and enjoyed this super simple alternative to stir fry. Ready to take out of the oven just as the white rice finished too! Would have never thought to use pomegranate juice, and I enjoyed it way better than orange juice or lime juice that is typically used by other recipe developers.
Does this keep for leftovers?
This was so wonderfully delicious! Fantastic flavors and so easy to make. We all loved it including our kids. Definitely making this again and soon!
This was so good! I was out of pomegranate juice so I subbed cran raspberry. Turned out great, especially with some fresh pom seeds on top.
So good!!!! I will definitely be making this again soon. It was the perfect mixture of sweet, sour, and spicy!
HO-LY SMOKES! This might be the easiest, most delicious tofu dish I’ve made to date! My meat-eating husband said “is this supposed to be some sort of “beef” dish? It’s so so good!” The texture turned out great and the sauce was DELICIOUS! I made zero adjustments to this perfection!