Grilled Buffalo Tofu Skewers

Tofu cubes are marinated in homemade vegan buffalo sauce, thread on skewers, and grilled until they get a crispy caramelized crust. If you want to enjoy an easy-to-make flavorful tofu dish, try making these Buffalo Tofu Skewers. We give you tips on how to grill tofu 4 ways: grill pan, in the oven, on a gas grill and on a Blackstone.

You might think it is not easy to enjoy a flavorful tofu dish, but on the contrary we have some super yummy recipes you can try. One of the most flavorful tofu dish we have ever made are these Copycat Chipotle Sofritas. We also spiced up or Crispy Rice Paper Spring Rolls with some delicious shredded Hoisin tofu. Check out all of our vegan tofu recipes.

What to expect from this tofu recipe?

Some people don’t like this comparison, but meat and tofu is the same when it comes to seasoning. Nobody likes meat au naturel or only with salt and pepper, right? Well, nobody really likes plain raw tofu too. There are an abundance of spice mixes to use so meat tastes good at the end. It is the same with tofu. It is essential for you to pick a flavorful marinade to like your tofu dish at the end. Here is a list of the 6 Most Flavorful Tofu Marinades (coming soon!) that will turn you into a tofu lover.

In this recipe we used a hot, piquant vegan Buffalo sauce, which we have already perfected to make Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip and Vegan Buffalo Chicken Wings. You grilled tofu skewers will be:

• Sweet and savory at the same time
• Hot and spicy
• Crispy caramelized crust
• Soft, but not dry inside

How to make Buffalo Tofu Skewers?

Vegan Buffalo sauce as marinade

You can make a homemade vegan buffalo sauce in 5 minutes using a blender, immersion blender or food processor. We have our trusted Vitamix*, which makes an extra smooth sauce. These are the ingredients you would need:

• Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
• Vegetable broth
• Soaked cashew nuts
• White wine vinegar
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Maple syrup
• Soy sauce (or choose from these 5 gluten-free soy sauce alternatives if you need GF)

Marinating the tofu

1. After you pressed the tofu cut them into cubes of approximately 0.5 * 1 * 1 inches (1 * 2 * 2 cm). If the cubes are too small, the skewer can split them. If the cubes are too large, they will remain too soft.
2. Take a shallow bowl and layer the tofu cubes in one layer (picture #1).
3. Pour the buffalo sauce on them and gentle mix them. If you use a bowl with a lid, you can close the lid and shake the bowl gently.
4. Let the tofu to marinate for 15 minutes (picture #2). You can use any leftover marinade for dipping sauce.

TOP TIP: Even if tofu appears to you as something spongy, it is usually quite wet. Hence the reason you need to press it. However, being it wet to begin with means that thick marinades will not be soaked up completely. If you use a thin marinade like soy sauce, you can expect the tofu to be soaked all the way through. However, with thicker marinades, like this Buffalo marinade, the trick is to cut the tofu small so that the marinade can surround it with every bite. This marinade would not be ideal for tofu steaks as the flavor will not be enough, but perfect for skewers.

Which skewers to use?

Take your skewers and pierce the tofu cubes in the middle. Leave a bit of room in between them so they can be grilled from all sides. You have 3 options to choose from:

1. Wooden skewers* (or bamboo skewers) – You need to soak them in water for 10-20 minutes if you plan to use them on a gas grill. No soaking is needed for oven or stovetop. 
2. Metal skewers* (usually made of stainless steel) – Zero waste alternative. 
3. Herb stems as skewers (rosemary is one of the sturdiest) – Tofu cubes can be quite heavy especially with a marinade on. These ones are better for soft veggies like cherry tomato or bell pepper. Not recommended for a gas grill at all!!!

Grilling tofu in 4 ways

In a grill pan

1. Heat the grill pan over medium heat and add a bit of oil or dairy-free butter.
2. Place the tofu skewers on it leaving a small space in between them.
3. Grill both sides for approx. 2-3 minutes.

Under the broiler

1. Pre-heat the oven on 400 Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
2. Take a baking tray with a grill rack and spray or sprinkle the grids with a bit of oil.
3. Place the tofu kabobs on top. Leave some space in between.
4. Place the tray close to the broiler.
5. Grill them under the broiler for 8-10 minutes, turning them half time.

On a gas grill

1. Our little trick is to use aluminum foil drip pans* or grill mats*. This way you can be sure they don’t fall down even if you have large space between grids.
2. Spray or sprinkle the drip pans with a bit of oil. Grill mats are supposed to be non-stick.
3. Pre-heat your gas grill on 400 Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) and grill your tofu kabobs for 8-10 minutes, turning them half time.

On a blackstone or griddle

1. They can be super hot super quick as they have a completely flat surface unlike the grill racks. So pre-heat your blackstone on 300 Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius).
2. Spray or sprinkle it with a bit of oil. If you have a non-stick griddle, you don’t need to do that.
3. Grill your tofu kabobs for 4-5 minutes, turning them half time.

What else can you add to your skewers?

You can see several grilled tofu kabob recipes with additional vegetables, but I think they are better stand-alone. If you want to add something, here you can find our detailed recipe for Easy Grilled Vegetable Kabobs. In this recipe we share all of our tips on how to grill the different veggies, which veggies are good to use in kabobs, which ones are not. It will help you mix and match and decide what you want to add. However, we do believe that tofu only kabobs are just perfect.

This Tofu Skewers recipe is vegan so meat-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. It is not suitable for a nut-free or soy-free diet. However, it is gluten-free. This recipe is not WFPB-friendly (whole foods plant-based) as Frank’s Red Hot Sauce has canola oil in it.

More vegan grilling recipes

• Grilled Vegetable Kabobs (with 3 marinades)
• Fajitas Portobello Mushroom Burger
• Smoky Vegan Beet Burger
• The Meatiest Vegan Burger
• Chinese BBQ Tofu Burger