How to make tofu taste good? The key to creating delicious tofu is a good marinade. We selected 7 rich-tasting tofu marinade recipes you can try. All of which can be used for baking, pan-frying, grilling, or air frying. The FAQs at the end will answer all your questions about marinated tofu.
Nobody likes a bland tofu dish. For sure, we don’t. We have been eating tofu for years now. While we experienced many failed attempts, we also found the most delicious combinations.
If you are on the hunt for the most delectable marinated tofu recipes, I am sure you will find your next favorite recipe here.
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Harissa Tofu Marinade
This marinade focuses on the spicy and aromatic flavors of the North African chili paste called harissa. With the 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. We love using this marinade to make baked harissa tofu.
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.
Chili Miso Tofu Marinade
This miso tofu marinade is a simple recipe that requires only a few ingredients like miso paste, soy sauce, sriracha (or other hot chili paste), white rice vinegar, sunflower oil, sesame oil, garlic powder, and onion powder. Tofu will fully absorb its flavors, resulting in a balance of spicy, savory, and aromatic. We especially love marinating torn tofu in it to make our baked chili miso tofu.
Teriyaki Tofu Marinade
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 we did in our fried teriyaki tofu recipe, and you’ll get a crispy, sticky tofu dish.
Thai Curry Tofu Marinade
This rich Thai red curry tofu marinade contains a blend of spices like lemon grass, paprika powder, coriander, cumin, Thai basil, lime leaf, garlic, pepper, and red chili packed in a Thai red curry spice blend. We 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.
Chinese BBQ Tofu Marinade
This Chinese BBQ marinade is a gentle balance of sweet, savory, and aromatic flavors. The molasses in the recipe squares off the sharpness of the Chinese 5 spice mix and also aids the caramelization process during baking or frying. Adding maple syrup, Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil will give this tofu marinade a distinct smoky, sticky flavor reminiscent of charcoal grill flavors.
Steak Tofu Marinade
Try our steak marinade for tofu, it’s perfect for those looking to add a rich and savory flavor to their tofu dish. The marinade is made with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, sweet smoked paprika power, dried oregano, cumin, salt, and black pepper that give the tofu a meaty and satisfying taste. Give it a try and you will be surprised at how delicious tofu steak can be!
How to make marinated tofu?
- 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.
- After you press the tofu, cut them into cubes (for example buffalo tofu), triangles (for example harissa tofu), or thin strips (for example teriyaki tofu). You can tear it with your fingers into bites (for example chili miso tofu), 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.
Marinating tips
- 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.
How 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.
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)
7 Flavorful Tofu Marinades
Ingredients
- 12 oz Tofu
Harissa Tofu Marinade
- 1 Tbsp Harissa paste
- ¼ cup Maple syrup
- 1+½ tsp Soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
- ⅛ tsp Ginger powder
- 1+½ tsp Fresh mint leaves
- 1+½ tsp Lime juice
Buffalo Tofu Marinade
- 1 cup Frank's Red Hot
- ½ cup Cashew nuts
- 1 Tbsp White wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Maple syrup
- 1 tsp Soy sauce
- ½ tsp Garlic powder
- ½ tsp Onion powder
Chili Miso Tofu Marinade
- 2 Tbsp Miso paste
- 1 tsp Sriracha or any other chili paste
- 1 Tbsp Soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tsp Rice vinegar
- 2 tsp Sesame oil
- 2 tsp Sunflower oil
- ½ tsp Onion powder
- ½ tsp Garlic powder
Teriyaki Tofu Marinade
- 6 Tbsp Teriyaki sauce
- 6 tsp Maple syrup
Thai Red Curry Tofu Marinade
- 1 Tbsp Thai red curry spice blend
- 1 Tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
- ½ tsp Lime juice
- 1 Tbsp Water
Chinese BBQ Tofu Marinade
- 1 Tbsp Chinese 5 Spice Mix
- 1 Tbsp Molasses
- ¼ cup Hoisin sauce
- ¼ cup Maple syrup
- 1 tsp Soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp Sesame oil
Steak Tofu Marinade
- 1 Tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp Balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup Olive oil
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- ½ tsp Sweet smoked paprika powder
- 1 tsp Oregano
- ½ tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Salt
- ⅛ tsp Black pepper
- ⅛ tsp Hot chili flakes
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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