Crispy Sheet-Pan Noodles With Glazed Tofu

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Published March 18, 2023

  • Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Media 1 of 2
Total Time
35 minutes
Rating
5(7,393)
Comments
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Contrasting textures are a signature characteristic of Cantonese chow mein, in which crispy fried strands tangle with tender noodles. Here, that is achieved with the help of a sheet pan and an intensely hot oven. To ensure optimal crunch, start with the pan on the bottom rack to crisp the underside of the noodles, then move it up to the highest to encourage crackly noodles on top, too. Instant ramen noodles are the perfect choice for this recipe because they crisp up flawlessly; just soak them in boiling hot water to loosen them up before sliding them into the oven. The hoisin-marinated tofu is subtly sweet and carries a lot of the flavor in this noodle dish. Quick cooking baby bok choy adds freshness, but you could also use leftover vegetables or seasonal produce. To get vegetarian recipes like this one delivered to your inbox, sign up for The Veggie newsletter.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

FOR THE NOODLES

  • 3 blocks instant ramen noodles (about 9 ounces), flavor packets discarded

  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil

  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or vegetable

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

  • 1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, patted dry and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices

  • 3 baby bok choy, trimmed and sliced vertically into 4 pieces

  • Handful of cilantro leaves

FOR THE MARINADE

  • 2 tablespoons hoisin

  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

  • 1 garlic clove, grated

  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

48 grams carbs; 482 calories; 9 grams monosaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 26 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 1645 milligrams sodium; 17 grams protein; 6 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 450 degrees and place one rack on the top and one on the bottom. Fill a kettle or medium pot with water (about 8 cups) and bring to a boil. Place the noodles in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 5 minutes, then drain. Set aside the bowl to use in Step 5.

  2. Step 2

    Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the hoisin sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, garlic and sesame seeds.

  3. Step 3

    Place the noodles on a sheet pan. Add the sesame oil, 1 tablespoon neutral oil, soy sauce and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Toss to combine, then evenly spread out the noodles.

  4. Step 4

    Dip each tofu slice into the marinade, coating both sides, then add them to the sheet pan, pushing the noodles aside so that the tofu touches the pan and doesn’t just sit on top of the noodles. Place on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reserve excess marinade.

  5. Step 5

    Place the baby bok choy into the reserved bowl, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon neutral oil and ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and toss to coat.

  6. Step 6

    Remove the sheet pan from the oven (the noodles should be crisp on the bottom and at the edges) and add the bok choy to the pan. Return the sheet pan to the top rack of the oven and bake for 4 to 7 minutes until the greens are vibrant with crispy edges, and the top of the noodles are crispy. Drizzle with the remaining marinade, top with cilantro leaves and serve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
7,393 user ratings
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Comments

Fun And Delicious

Made this almost as written. Had two large bok choy instead of baby bok choy, so they ended up mostly as individual pieces on top. Had ramen that was thinner than the usual type so only soaked for three minutes in the same pan as where I boiled the water. Made extra marinade for drizzle, there wasn't enough after tofu dipping. The crunchy/soft noodles are fun and the flavor great without being too salty. My 7 year old and 2 year old ate it all up, including the greens.

Badlands Bill

Make more marinade. Not enough to drizzle!

deborah

This dish was delicious! The teens absolutely loved it. That said, I made extra marinade and wished I had made even more. The noodles were a bit dry.

Bree

We liked it. Used half as many noodles and 1.5x the sauce and it came out as enough for the dish. Our oven is tiny so I think our pans were overcrowded and we got a steaming effect vs. crispiness — reheating smaller portions as leftovers had a better outcome. I feel like this method could work with any noodle/sauce/protein to similar effects.

HanTran

sauce is extremely sweet as written. added a little Gochujang to try to even it out. definitely helped.

Ellen GF

Made w gf ramen & had to substitute chicken thighs for ramen bc of the tofu averse. Partially cooked the chicken on the grill w some of the marinade first. Subbed green beans & zucchini for bok choy which didn’t look good at the store. Added scallions. Doubled the marinade as suggested. With all that, it was much enjoyed by the whole family from picky teens to adults.

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