The key to the best tasting tofu is a good marinade. I have curated a list of the 13 best tofu marinade recipes that will give you flavor-packed tofu the whole family will love.
Nobody likes a bland tofu dish. I know I don’t.
My family and I have been having tofu for years now. And although I experienced many failed attempts along the way, I have learned the tastiest combinations through experience.
And that is exactly what I will be sharing with you today!
You can easily try any of these 13 tofu marinade recipes for the best tofu you have ever had.
If you are on the hunt for the most delectable marinated tofu recipes, I am sure you will find your next favorite recipe here.
The best part is that you can make deliciously crispy tofu with any of these marinades and I am sure you will fall in love with it.
And if you are interested in experimenting with even more recipes, I highly recommend checking out my ultimate tofu recipes collection.
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Tofu marinade tips and tricks
- The size of the tofu matters: The smaller you cut the tofu, the easier it will be for the marinade to seep through. This teriyaki tofu is cut especially thin compared to this tofu steak, so there is no surprise why the flavor is much deeper in the first one and why you need an accompanying sauce for the steak.
- Quick or overnight: If time permits, leave it to marinate overnight in the fridge. However, don’t sweat it if you are pressed for time, because even 15-30 minutes of marinating does wonders. You can always reduce the left-over marinade to make a glaze and brush your tofu with it before cooking, baking, or grilling.
- Thin vs thick marinade: Thin tofu marinades (soy sauce-based ones) go deeper, while thick tofu marinades (milk or yogurt-based ones) tend to remain more of a coating. Therefore, how you cut your tofu can mean a huge difference.
13 Best tofu marinade recipes
1. Harissa Tofu Marinade
This marinade focuses on the spicy and aromatic flavors of the North African chili paste called harissa.
You can make this tofu marinade with a combination of 5 other ingredients freshly chopped mint leaves, ginger powder, lime juice, soy sauce, and maple syrup.
This marinade will turn the tofu into sticky, sweet, and savory. I love using this marinade to make baked harissa tofu.
2. Buffalo Tofu Marinade
To make this spicy buffalo tofu marinade you need Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, soy sauce, vegetable broth, cashew nuts, maple syrup, white wine vinegar, garlic powder, and onion powder.
The maple syrup is a neat touch to mellow out the spices and helps in achieving a crispy sweet glaze on your tofu.
Check out these yummy grilled buffalo tofu skewers, where the leftover marinade is the perfect dipping sauce to make it even more flavorful.
3. Chili Miso Tofu Marinade
This miso tofu marinade is a simple recipe that requires only a few ingredients!
You will need some miso paste, soy sauce, sriracha (or other hot chili paste), white rice vinegar, sunflower oil, sesame oil, garlic powder, and onion powder.
The tofu will fully absorb its flavors, resulting in a balance of spicy, savory, and aromatic.
I especially love marinating torn tofu in it to make my baked chili miso tofu.
4. Teriyaki Tofu Marinade
This teriyaki sauce is made from a combination of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin.
It is a rather thin and sticky sauce, but with a balance of savory and sweet flavors.
Since it is thin, the tofu can absorb it perfectly, meaning you get a flavorful tofu all the way through.
If you pan-fry them on high heat with a bit of maple syrup and vegetable oil, as I do in my fried teriyaki tofu recipe, you will get a crispy, sticky tofu dish.
5. Thai Curry Tofu Marinade
This rich Thai red curry tofu marinade contains a blend of spices to make a delicious Thai red curry spice blend.
I also added tomato paste, vegetable oil, freshly squeezed lime juice, and a bit of water.
It is aromatic and lightly spicy, making the tofu taste spicy but not too hot.
While you can fry or bake curry-marinated tofu easily, we love adding it to our creamy Thai red curry.
6. Sweet and Sticky Tofu Marinade
This sweet and sticky marinade is a gentle balance of sweet, savory, and aromatic flavors.
The maple syrup balances the soy sauce and smoked paprika for a delicious combination of flavors you will not be able to get enough of.
Plus, all the ingredients work together to create a combination that will remind you of the sweet and sticky flavor of charcoal grill. Use it to make the best marinated tofu you have ever had.
7. Steak Tofu Marinade
Try my steak marinade for tofu! It is perfect for those looking to add a rich and savory flavor to their tofu dish.
The marinade is made with simple ingredients, including soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, onion powder, and garlic powder, to give the tofu a meaty and satisfying taste.
Give it a try and you will be surprised at how delicious tofu steak can be!
8. Maple Mustard Tofu Marinade
This delicious tofu marinade is packed with sweet, savory flavors that are so tasty.
You only need simple ingredients such as maple syrup, molasses, Dijon mustard, and some spices to make it.
Marinate the tofu in it and then bake it for the tastiest marinated baked tofu.
9. Easy Asian Tofu Marinade
This Asian tofu marinade will transform how you look at tofu.
It is packed with Asian flavors and is incredibly easy to make from scratch using ingredients such as hoisin sauce, BBQ sauce, and light soy sauce.
Oven bake or air fry it and enjoy Asian marinated tofu with your favorite sides like rice and veggies.
10. Mongolian Tofu Marinade
If you love the flavors of Mongolian beef stir fry, then use this tofu marinade recipe to enjoy those same flavors with tofu.
It is sweet, salty, and incredibly easy to make for that classic flavor but in the perfect vegan form with tofu.
Use it to make a delicious Mongolian tofu stir fry that you and your family will love. The best part is that it is ready in less than 30 minutes.
11. Sweet Garlic Tofu Marinade
If you love sweet and garlicky flavors, then you have to try this tofu marinade recipe.
It is a sweet, sticky Japanese glaze that is perfect for a marinade and caramelizes beautifully using ingredients like soy sauce, mirin, sake, brown sugar, and rice vinegar.
Use it to make a delicious Japanese sweet and garlic tofu and serve it with some rice.
12. Sticky Miso Tofu Marinade
This sticky miso tofu marinade truly takes tofu to the next level with savory flavors you will love.
This marinade will easily turn any tofu skeptic into a tofu lover and uses ingredients like white miso paste, maple syrup, sweet chili sauce, and rice wine vinegar.
You can easily air-fry, bake, or pan-fry after marinating for the most delicious sticky miso tofu that can be served with rice.
13. Hoisin Tofu Marinade
This hoisin tofu packs the sweet and savory flavors you are all too familiar with and I am sure you crave enjoying them in a vegan recipe.
If that sounds like you, then you will fall in love with this delicious hoisin marinade that has become our go-to tofu marinade recipe.
Make a delicious hoisin tofu dish using it to have one of the tastiest quick and easy vegan meal you have ever tried.
Four ways to cook marinated tofu
Baking, stir-frying, air frying, and grilling are all great options for cooking tofu. Which you choose depends mainly on the textures you are hoping to achieve.
- Stir-fried tofu is super crisp with golden edges and a chewy center. Use a wok, skillet, or simple frying pan on medium-high heat. For example, teriyaki tofu.
- Baked tofu, on the other hand, is crispy on the outside with a soft, almost creamy center. We recommend using a silicon baking mat or parchment paper on a baking sheet. For example, harissa tofu or chili miso tofu.
- Grilled tofu is similar to stir-fries in a sense that it can get a crispy crust. It is also charred with lovely stripes. For example, tofu steak.
- Cooked tofu is usually soft and spongy with no crispy edges. For example, Thai red curry tofu.
Tofu marinade FAQs
The primary function of a marinade is to add flavor to the tofu. It also impacts the texture and tenderness of the tofu. A tofu marinade is intended to seep through the tofu. The acid in the marinade, like vinegar or lemon juice, makes the tofu tender, which allows the flavors to percolate inside with ease.
Soft or silken tofu is ideal for spreads, stews, and sauces. Not suitable for marinating. Firm tofu is what is better suited for heavy handling like stir-frying, grilling, and pan-frying. It is also the kind that holds marinade and seasoning flavors the best. Extra-firm tofu and super firm tofu have the least water content, but absorbing marinades is not their strong suit.
To make a tofu marinade, you can mix and match flavors to suit your taste preferences. However, to balance the flavors, a general rule of thumb is to pick at least one of the following ingredients from the flavor groups: oil, acid, salty, sweet, and spices.
Yes. The main reason is to remove the excess liquid to help the tofu absorb the marinade and seasoning better, resulting in yummy, thoroughly marinated tofu. There are many ways you can do that. Read our guide to pressing tofu.
Freezing tofu will alter the texture from spongy to chewy and gummy. We recommend freezing raw tofu only if you want a meat-like texture. Otherwise, it is not necessary, since you can make crispy tofu without freezing it first by cutting it smaller and frying it on high heat.
We recommend using a glass container or airtight container with a lid to marinate and store tofu instead of a freezer bag. It is more eco-friendly.
Other ways to enjoy tofu
- Vegan Egg Salad
- Tofu Cream Cheese
- Vegan Spinach Lasagna (with tofu ricotta)
- Thai Pineapple Scrambled Tofu Fried Rice
- Crispy Rice Paper Spring Rolls (with shredded tofu)
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13 Flavorful Tofu Marinades
Ingredients
- Harissa Tofu Marinade
- Buffalo Tofu Marinade
- Chili Miso Tofu Marinade
- Teriyaki Tofu Marinade
- Thai Curry Tofu Marinade
- Sweet and Sticky Tofu Marinade
- Steak Tofu Marinade
- Maple Mustard Tofu Marinade
- Easy Asian Tofu Marinade
- Sweet Garlic Tofu Marinade
- Sticky Miso Tofu Marinade
- Hoisin Tofu Marinade
- Mongolian Tofu Marinade
Instructions
Preparing tofu
- Use firm tofu and press it. Pat it dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen cloth.
Making a marinade
- Take a glass bowl and mix all ingredients you need for the marinade. Most tofu marinade recipes are thin sauces, so you only require a spoon or spatula to mix them thoroughly. In other cases, the marinade may contain chunky ingredients (like the buffalo one), and you need a blender to make it smooth.
Marinating tofu
- After you press the tofu, cut them into cubes, triangles, or thin strips. You can tear it with your fingers into bites, or only cut it in half horizontally once to make tofu steak.
- Add the cut tofu into the glass bowl with the marinade. Use a spatula, a spoon, or a silicone brush to mix them gently. If you have a lid, close it and shake the bowl to cover the tofu with the marinade on all sides.
- Let the tofu marinate for at least 15-30 minutes. The longer you marinate the tofu, the more flavors can be absorbed. You can also marinate tofu overnight. However, 15-30 minutes will likely be enough if you have thin slices or small cubes.
- You can bake, pan-fry, air fry, or grill marinated tofu. Choose your favorite cooking method to get them ready.
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