Sheet pan suya tofu with peppers and onions
Tofu coated in Nigerian suya spice, a smoky, peanutty, gently fiery rub, roasted with peppers and onions and served over rice with fresh tomato and raw red onion.
- 55 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $2.44 a serving
- 690 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 2 packages extra-firm tofu, drained
- 1½ cups long-grain white rice
- ⅓ cup peanuts
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube, crumbled
- 2 green bell peppers, cut into strips
- 1 red onion, half cut into wedges, half thinly sliced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
- 1 lime, cut into wedges (optional)
From your pantry
- 2¼ cups water
- ½ tsp salt, divided
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
Each serving has about 690 calories, 34 g protein, 75 g carbs and 30 g fat, and costs about $2.44 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No extra-firm tofu? Firm tofu works.
- No long-grain white rice? Jasmine rice or basmati rice works.
- No green bell peppers? Red bell peppers or yellow bell peppers work.
- No red onions? White onions or yellow onions work.
- No limes? Lemons work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 425°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. While it heats, wrap the tofu in a clean towel and press it under something heavy for 15 minutes.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Timer: 15 min
Meanwhile, the rice and bring it in a with the water and ¼ teaspoon salt over high heat.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
High heat
Stir once, cover, and cook on low for 18 minutes. Take it off the heat and leave the lid on until you serve.
Low heatTimer: 18 min
Put the peanuts in a zip-top bag and crush them into fine crumbs with the bottom of a heavy pan. Mix in a bowl with the paprika, ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, bouillon cube and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Dolly’s tip: Suya spice should look like sandy, rust-colored crumbs. A few bigger bits of peanut are fine.the tofu dry, cut it into 1-inch , and in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons oil, then with the suya spice until every piece is coated.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Cube. Cubing means cutting food into chunky, even squares, usually three quarters of an inch to an inch. Same-size cubes cook at the same speed and brown on every side.
How you’ll know: Your pieces look like a handful of sugar cubes, a little bigger than diced, all close to the same size.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Spread the tofu on a . the peppers and onion wedges on a second sheet with the rest of the oil.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
both pans 20 to 25 minutes, turning halfway, until the tofu is deep and the peppers are soft and in spots.
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Char. Charring means cooking over very high heat until some spots turn black. Those dark spots add a smoky, slightly bitter flavor that balances sweet or rich food.
How you’ll know: You see black spots and blisters in places, while most of the surface keeps its own color.
Timer: 22 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: The peanut coating browns faster than plain tofu. Dark reddish-brown is right. Black is too far.Food safety: Tofu is safe to eat straight from the package; cooking is only for texture and flavor.
Serve the tofu and peppers over the rice with the sliced tomato, the raw red onion and lime wedges.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
More dinners like this
Instant Pot tofu biryani
60 min
Sheet pan BBQ tofu and sweet potatoes
60 min
Sheet pan gochujang chickpeas and broccoli
40 min
Instant Pot tofu and potato curry
55 min
One-pan dinners ›High-protein dinners ›What to make with rice and bell peppers ›What to make with rice and tofu ›What to make with rice and tomatoes ›