If you read my guide to tofu you probably know that marinating is a great way to take tofu from bland and flavorless to absolutely delicious. If you’re new to tofu cooking and struggling to make it taste good, marinating is the way to go! Another thing I love about marinated tofu is that you can cook it up any way you like. I’ve included instructions below for baking, pan-frying, and grilling.
What You’ll Need
Soy sauce. Or use gluten-free tamari if that’s how you roll!Maple syrup. You can substitute agave or another liquid sweetener if you’d like.Rice vinegar. White or apple cider vinegar will work in a pinch.Spices. We’re using powdered ginger, garlic, and onion.Toasted sesame oil. Look for this in the international section of your supermarket.Tofu. Firm or extra-firm works best for this recipe.High-heat oil. You only need this if you’re pan-frying or grilling your tofu. Canola, vegetable, or coconut oil will all work.
How to Marinate Tofu
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Press your tofu. This step is important to remove water, which you’ll be replacing with your super flavorful marinade. Never pressed tofu before? Read up on how to do that here.
Mix up your marinade ingredients in a small cup or bowl: soy sauce, maple syrup, vinegar, spices, and sesame oil.Cut your tofu into pieces. Whatever size and shape you like is fine! I diced mine, but triangles, strips or slabs work too! Tip: cutting your tofu into smaller pieces will give the marinade more surface area to penetrate.Transfer your tofu to a shallow dish or bowl and pour the marinade over it. Let it soak for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Give it a stir every so often to distribute the marinade. Be sure to cover and chill your tofu if you’re marinating it for more than 2 hours.
Cooking Marinated Tofu
Bake
Arrange the tofu pieces on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake them for 15 to 20 minutes on each side, until they darken and shrink. Optionally, spoon some excess marinade over the pieces when you flip them.
Pan-Fry
Heat up some oil in a skillet. Remove your tofu pieces from the marinade and gently shake or blot them dry before adding them to the skillet.Pan-fry the tofu pieces for a few minutes on each side, until they crisp and brown. You can find detailed instructions on how to pan-fry tofu here.Finally, spoon some excess marinade over your tofu. It will quickly bubble up and caramelize on the surface of your tofu.
Grill
Lightly oil your grill and build a medium flame.Place your tofu pieces on the grill and cook them for a few minutes on each side, until they darken and dry up a bit.Tip: Cut your tofu into larger pieces (like big slabs) for grilling. Smaller pieces can be grilled, but you’ll need something like a grill pan or cedar planks to support them.
Leftovers & Storage
Marinated tofu will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Tofu Recipes
Savory Lemon & Herb Baked TofuGeneral Tso’s TofuCrispy Baked Tofu NuggetsSesame Sriracha TofuCrispy Orange Ginger Tofu
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