Does the idea of tofu steaks sound kind of bad to you? It does to me, and I created this recipe! But don’t be fooled. These suckers are absolutely delicious and super indulgent. Do tofu steaks taste like actual steak (as in the meat kind)? Not at all! I’m calling them “steaks” simply because they’re cooked up in big slab form and served smothered in gravy. Feeling like some comfort food? These steaks are exactly what you need!
How It’s Made
The Gravy
This component of the recipe takes longer, so I recommend you get started on it first! You’ll need to caramelize some onion. Slice your onion super thin, then add it to a skillet with some oil, thyme, and a pinch of sugar. Set the skillet over medium-low heat and let the onions slowly cook, giving them a stir every so often. Make sure the heat stays pretty low — you don’t want the onions to start sizzling. After about a half hour the onions should be super soft and browned. Now raise the heat a bit and add some white wine. Let it simmer until most of the liquid has cooked off, then start sprinkling in a bit of flour, stirring all the while to coat the onions. slowly whisk in some broth and soy sauce, bring the liquid to a simmer, and let it cook until the gravy is thick and rich. Tip: For a quick and easy alternative to the caramelized onion gravy, try my super simple vegan gravy.
The Tofu Steaks
Start with a block of extra-firm tofu. Cut it into 4 equal-sized rectangular slabs. In one small bowl, whisk together a batter from some non-dairy milk, flour, flaxseed, vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic. In another bowl, whisk together a breading from some panko breadcrumbs, flour, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. Heat up some oil in a skillet. Grab one of your tofu slabs and dip in in the batter, followed by the breading. Place the slab into the skillet and cook it for a few minutes on each side, until golden and crispy. You can cook a few steaks at once if you can fit them in the skillet without crowding. Smother your tofu steaks with gravy and devour!
Be very gentle with the tofu steaks when frying and serving them. The coating is very delicate, although it should stay in place if handled with care. Storage and reheating: Store your leftover tofu steaks and gravy in separate sealed containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. The gravy can be reheated in the microwave or on the stove. The steaks are best reheated for a few minutes in a 400°F oven, followed by briefly placing them under a broiler to recrisp the coating. Can these be made gluten-free? Possibly, but I haven’t tried making a gluten-free version, so I’m not sure. I think your best bet would be to use gluten-free tamari in place of soy sauce, gluten-free panko breadcrumbs, and an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend. Can these be baked instead of fried? I’m sure they can, but I haven’t tried it. I’d try lightly brushing the steaks with oil and baking them on each side at around 400°F on each side until crispy. Keep in mind that they’re not likely to get as crispy as if you fried them though. Is there a substitute for the wine? You can leave it out if you prefer. If you do use the wine, check with Barnivore to ensure the brand you use is vegan. To switch things up, try serving these tofu steaks stuffed into rolls as sandwiches! I haven’t tried this, but it occurred to me that it would be delicious. Please let me know how it is!
Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!
