The best marinated tofu recipe uses firm tofu marinated in simple ingredients like soy sauce, lemon juice, and maple syrup! If you’ve struggled to find any tofu recipes you love, you need to give this one a try!
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Tofu haters stick around. This recipe is guaranteed to make a lover out of you.
It took me a long time to get on the tofu train. Mashed soy bean curd? I’m not so sure about this.
Pretty much anything new can be scary, and tofu was no different. No one wants to feel like a fool messing up dinner because you just didn’t know what you were doing.
Whether you’re new to this or not, you’re in luck. You’re about to learn what you need to know to not only rock an easy tofu recipe, but rock it good.
How to press tofu
The first thing you need to do is drain the water. Not just from the box, but also from the block of actual tofu.
To do this you can use a tofu press(<- affiliate link), or go the cheap-o method like me and press your tofu without a press. Slice it in half (like a book). Place a clean kitchen towel or a few paper towels on a plate or cutting board, place one of the tofu slabs on top, top with a couple more paper towels, the other tofu slab, and a few more paper towels.
Then place something heavy on top to squeeze out all the water. I put the big jar of sugar that sits on my kitchen counter inside a large skillet and set it on top. Let it press for 30-60 minutes.
If you’re in a rush you can get away with 10-30 minutes. I usually do 30 minutes, I’m just letting you know this is a flexible scenario, you’re doing great, and I think you’re really attractive. Let’s keep going.
Next you have to marinate the tofu. Now that the water is gone, your tofu is free to soak up all sorts of flavor!
I’ve included my favorite marinade below, or you can find another to change up the flavor for different purposes.
How long to marinate tofu
Cut the tofu into squares, then let them rest in the marinade inside a shallow bowl or baking dish for 15-20 minutes, flipping once.
How to cook tofu
Tofu is safe to eat raw, but the texture improves greatly with frying, so cook it to desired crispiness without worrying about getting to a safe temperature. Woo hoo!
See, tofu isn’t as crazy as you may have thought. My kids will even eat it from time to time.
The best tofu recipe is marinated in simple pantry ingredients and also happens to be vegan and gluten free. It's so easy to make and is sure to make you fall in love with tofu!
In a medium bowl, combine tofu, tamari, lemon juice, maple syrup, sriracha, and garlic powder, stirring gently to coat. Let marinate 15-20 minutes, stirring gently once or twice.
Heat coconut oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add tofu and fry 2-3 minutes per side until crisp and golden. Add any leftover marinade to the pan and cook, stirring, one minute more.
Remove tofu from the pan and serve as desired.
Notes
How to press tofu
Use a tofu press, or slice the tofu in half like a book, then stack on a plate with a few sheets of paper towels around both halves. Place something heavy like a cast iron skillet on top and let press 10-60 minutes. The longer you press, the more firm the tofu will be.
Tips for customizing
Add more sriracha to the marinade or drizzle it on when serving for extra heat
Serve with brown rice and oven roasted broccoli or snow peas for a healthy, balanced meal
Serve with Mai Fun noodles and finely shredded carrots, radishes, cucumbers, romaine lettuce, cilantro, and chopped peanuts
After marinating toss with cornstarch to make the best crispy tofu
Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds before serving
Use it to make a tofu wrap for an easy, healthy lunch!
Press tofu and cube it. Coat it in garlic, black pepper, salt (plus more of your favourite seasonings), liquid aminos and some olive oil. Then mix it into some cornstarch and toss it all together, then bake for about 20 minutes. Cornstarch also helps to draw out excess moisture so it really gets the tofu crispy.
Removing water by pressing tofu will allow it to absorb flavor from marinades, sauces, and other flavors you might add. If the water isn't removed, the tofu lacks the ability to soak in flavor, and it will turn out bland and spongey. The exception to this is if you plan to cook tofu in a soup.
What to not serve with tofu? According to studies, a high volume consumption of tofu and spinach together can increase your risk of kidney stones. Tofu and spinach contain calcium and oxalic acid respectively and the combined can form kidney stones.
Marinade Ingredients: For this recipe, we use a classic and simple marinade of soy sauce, maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Cornflour: To make the tofu really delicious and crispy, we coat the marinated tofu in cornflour before cooking with it. This is the secret to super crispy tofu!
It sticks, and the crispy bits end up sticking to the pan, which is a tofu tragedy. Plus, it requires more oil, and you don't need to use a lot of oil to get crispy tofu. When you bake your tofu, you give it time to develop crispy edges and warm, pillowy insides.It's simply the best.
Many cooking experts champion a quick soak as a way to give the protein more texture and flavor. “Simmering cubed tofu in salted water for 60 seconds pulls out excess moisture and tightens the proteins on its surface,” Lukas Volger told Bon Appétit in 2021.
Mix the cornflour, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Unravel the tofu from the paper, cut in half through the centre, then cut into triangles, cubes or strips. Toss the tofu pieces in the spiced cornflour to coat all over.
The key to crispy tofu is to heat the oil in your pan before adding tofu cubes. Coating the pan-fried tofu in corn flour helps create a crispy coating as the cubed tofu cooks in the oil. Another key to getting uber-crispy tofu is removing excess liquid/moisture from it before you cook tofu.
Incorporating tofu into your daily meals and snacks can bring several health benefits. Those benefits include brain health promotion, ease of menopause symptoms, and heart disease prevention. However, eating tofu has some risks, as it might lead to digestive issues or interact with certain medications like MAOIs.
- It is said that tofu cannot be eaten together with spinach at the same time. As tofu and spinach contain calcium and oxalic acid respectively, the combination of the two will form kidney stones. But in fact, only prolonged and volumionous consumption of tofu and spinach at the same time will pose this risk.
While people with inflammation should generally avoid dairy, soy protein products like tofu and tempeh have been found to reduce pain in joints according to a study from Oklahoma State University. An easy way to add soy to your diet is using soy protein powder. Spices.
If it darkens in color, begins to smell, or feels slimy, it should be thrown away. Bottom line: Open packages of tofu are good in the fridge for up to five days, provided you change the water daily.
Drain the water from your tofu block. Place a cooling rack over a baking tray (to catch the excess water). Pop your tofu block on the cooling rack and place your heaviest chopping board over the tofu. Leave for 20-30 mins to press with no need for paper.
The flavor profile is even more mild than store-bought tofu and it works perfectly in any tofu dish. If you have some time on your hands and want to try a neat food project, try making your own homemade tofu!
A: Marinating tofu in a rich umami marinade and then searing on high heat will make it taste like meat. The longer you can marinate it for, the more meaty it will taste.
Heat, however, helps the flavours to permeate. Boiling tofu to obtain a more reliably solid texture and to impart flavour is not a new method, but it's not commonly used in Western styles of cooking. This method of seasoning tofu is suitable for varying levels of firmness, but not for silken or soft tofu.
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