Crispy Sheet-Pan Noodles With Glazed Tofu

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Published March 19, 2023

Crispy Sheet-Pan Noodles With Glazed Tofu
Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
35 minutes
Rating
4(5,866)
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.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Noodles

    • 3blocks instant ramen noodles (about 9 ounces), flavor packets discarded
    • 2tablespoons sesame oil
    • 2tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or vegetable
    • 2tablespoons soy sauce
    • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
    • 1(14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, patted dry and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
    • 3baby bok choy, trimmed and sliced vertically into 4 pieces
    • Handful of cilantro leaves

    For the Marinade

    • 2tablespoons hoisin
    • 1tablespoon sesame oil
    • 1tablespoon maple syrup
    • 1garlic clove, grated
    • 1teaspoon sesame seeds
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

474 calories; 26 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 47 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 16 grams protein; 1642 milligrams sodium

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

4 out of 5
5,866 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.

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.

Badlands Bill

Make more marinade. Not enough to drizzle!

Jenny

Made more or less as written and it came out well, I like all the textures of this recipe and the fact that all these (mostly) healthy ingredients come together quickly for a weeknight dinner. The comments are helpful, I cut the sweetness a bit and made more marinade, though I found that the hoisin made the marinade pretty gloopy and so I removed excess marinade from the tofu slices before putting on the pan so I had plenty of marinade leftover. I finished it with scallions instead of cilantro bc I felt like it, but I think all that sweetness wants to be balanced with some acid at the end, like a squeeze of lime, or a little spritz of vinegar (rice or black?).

Markie

I make this weekly, in big batches. It’s so good. But you need like four times the sauce!!

Emily

This was a hit, will make again. We incorporated some of the suggestions, like using two sheet pans, brushing on the sauce, eliminating the maple syrup (this definitely was sweet enough without). Changed the proportions of noodles to veg (used about a pound of broccoli and a pound of green beans and only two ramen packets…6 oz). We definitely reduced the oil as well, using a spray bottle to coat the vegetables rather than a tablespoon and halved the oil for the ramen. I would maybe go even a bit lighter next time. Added quite a bit extra garlic to the sauce, made 1.5 the amount, which seemed about right. I suggest the high protein tofu, or to press/ freeze some extra firm or it will be too wet. Forgot to add the cilantro at the end but was still really good. I do recommend baking extra time for more crispy noodles and tofu and if you’re using heartier veg as well.

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