This spicy, flavor-packed peri-peri sheet pan dinner is easy to make and delicious served with a creamy cilantro yogurt dipping sauce. Tofu, vegetables, and corn on the cob are marinated and baked together on one pan for an easy meal. (gluten-free and nut-free with soy-free options)
Recipe Snapshot
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 25 minutes
- Total time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: dinner, Main, Main Course
- Cuisine: African Inspired
Ingredients
For the Protein
- 15 ounce block firm or extra-firm tofu (pressed for at least 15 minutes, then sliced into 1/2” thick slices or torn into pieces)
For the Veggies
- 1 small red onion (sliced into 1/4” thick wedges)
- 2 cups Yukon gold potatoes (peeled and cubed into 3/4” to 1” cubes)
- 1 red bell pepper (or a mix of red and green bell peppers, chopped into 1” slices)
- 1 ear sweet corn (cut into 1” pieces)
- 1 to 2 garlic bulbs
For the Peri-Peri Marinade
- 1/4 cup roasted red bell pepper (or fresh red bell pepper)
- 3 tablespoons peri-peri sauce (or more or less depending on heat level)
- 2 tablespoons red onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh oregano)
- 1 teaspoon paprika (or a mix of paprika and smoked paprika)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 to 3 tablespoons water
For the Cilantro Garlic Yogurt Dip
- 1/2 cup non-dairy yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or more, to taste)
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- roasted garlic cloves from above
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or pepper flakes)
For Garnish
- lemon juice
- peri-peri sauce
- chopped cilantro (parsley, or basil)
Method
Make the peri-peri tofu and veggies.
- Press the tofu, if you haven’t already. Slice it into squares, triangles, or tear into pieces. Slice all of the veggies. Slice the end of the garlic bulbs to expose the cloves. If there are small garlic pieces from trimming, add those to the veggies, so no need to discard those.
- Add all of the peri-peri marinade ingredients to a blender. Add a tabespoon lemon juice, if you want extra tangy flavor, especially if using less peri-peri sauce. You can also add 2 to 3 sprigs of cilantro, if you like. Blend until smooth, and set aside.
- Marinate the tofu by adding some of the peri-peri marinade to a bowl with the tofu and tossing well to coat. Let it marinate for about 15 minutes or longer, if you like, or proceed directly to baking.
- Add the remaining marinade to the chopped veggies (leave out the garlic for now), and toss well to coat. Reserve about 1 tablespoon or so of the marinade and rinse out the blender with 1 tablespoon of water, and add that to the reserved marinade for basting later.
- Grease a sheet pan with a little bit of oil. Add the marinated tofu to one side of the sheet pan and the marinated veggies, including the corn, to the other side. Spread everything in a single layer. Use a sheet pan large enough for everything, or use 2 sheet pans, if needed. Place the garlic bulbs on one edge of the sheet pan. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon oil over them, and cover the garlic with foil or parchment.
- Bake at 415° F (215° C) for 30 to 35 minutes. At the 20 minute mark, flip the tofu, if using slices, and brush it with the reserved marinade. Move the veggies around, so they bake evenly, as the edges may cook faster and start to brown.
- Continue baking for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked to preference and the tofu has a slight crisp on the edges. The tofu will not become very crisp because of the marinade, but it should develop a slight crisp around the edges and a nice thick layer of the marinade on top.
While the veggies are baking, make the yogurt dip.
- Meanwhile, add the yogurt, lemon juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper to a bowl, and mix well. Taste and adjust the salt.
- When the sheet pan is done, remove it from the oven. Check the garlic bulbs. If they are not fully cooked, return them to the oven for about 5 more minutes until the cloves are soft enough to squeeze out of the bulb. Let the garlic cool until it’s cool enough to handle, then squeeze the roasted garlic out of the bulb into the yogurt dip. Mash it well, and mix it into the yogurt dip. Alternatively mash the garlic in a bowl and then mix in. If you have another garlic bulb, you can add that, as well, or see the notes on how to use it to make an optional garlicky topping.
Serving Suggestions
- To make bowls, serve the tofu and veggies in bowls topped with the yogurt sauce, any remaining marinade or extra peri-peri sauce, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper flakes, and fresh herbs. Serve on its own, or over rice. You can also spread the yogurt sauce onto a plate, then top with the tofu and veggies, then add the toppings.
- You can also make wraps using the yogurt dip and the roasted veggies. Add crunchy vegetables, sprouts, or hemp seeds, if you like.
Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note
Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.