This vegan teriyaki tofu is easy to make, full of flavor, and a perfect weeknight dinner. Throw some steamed rice, vegetables, and this tofu, and you have a delicious dinner.
This dish is just what the name says- Tasty Teriyaki Tofu. For real, though, it's good, and you should probably try it out if you're into tofu.
Tofu is one of those weird dishes where it can either be really good or really bad.
I guess any recipe can be like that, but I feel like tofu hits it hard in that department.
I like tofu because it takes on pretty much any flavor if you season it well.
But there are tricks to tasty tofu.
One of those tricks is, getting the water out.
It's a must; the tofu sits in a liquid bath and is full of liquid until you squeeze it out.
I use this (Amazon affiliate link), and it works pretty well, but you can put it between plates and heavy books to achieve the same result.
I just wanted another kitchen gadget, something to make life easier.
Another trick, but not one I did with this recipe, is; freezing your tofu.
Buy it from the store, chuck it in the freezer, once frozen, defrost it, use your press to squeeze the liquid out, and then marinate like you normally would, and bam, textures totally different.
You should try it.
You could do that for this recipe, but I didn't think about it in time.
Back to the teriyaki recipe.
I make my own teriyaki sauce for this, and it's pretty darn good and pretty darn quick. Both things I enjoy in a recipe =)
I used tiny heart shapes to cut this tofu up; it happened to be valentines day, so hearts are what we went for.
But you could just cut it up into little pieces, and although you may not have a heart staring back at you, it won't affect the flavor of this teriyaki tofu.
Vegan Teriyaki Tofu Recipe Q&A
What type of tofu should I use?
Extra-firm tofu or just regular firm tofu works best for this recipe.
Don't use something like silken tofu; it's too soft and won't be the right texture for this teriyaki tofu bowl or plate.
However, you're choosing to enjoy it.
How do you press tofu?
Pressing tofu is easy and important in getting good flavor in your tofu.
If you don't have a tofu press, that's okay. Here's how you do it.
- Remove your tofu from the liquid
- Wrap the block of tofu with paper towels, then a clean dishrag, and place on a plate
- Take a cutting board and place it on the covered tofu
- Place a heavy object on top of the cutting board above where the tofu is
- Let this sit for 30 minutes
- Remove the towel and paper towels, and your tofu shouldn't have much excess water left.
Can I make this gluten-free?
This can be made gluten-free by replacing the soy sauce with tamari.
What ingredients do I need for this teriyaki tofu recipe?
Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
Tofu
- 14 oz block extra firm tofu
Simple Teriyaki Sauce
- soy sauce
- Mirin
- white sugar
- fresh garlic, minced
- ginger, powder
- black pepper
- corn starch
- water
How do you make this teriyaki tofu recipe?
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, lightly spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Press your tofu with a tofu press; let this press for 10-15 minutes
Once pressed, you can get your cutting board out and a knife, cut the pressed tofu into tofu cubes and place them in the 8x8 pan.
Cook for 20 minutes in the oven.
While the tofu is cooking, make your teriyaki sauce recipe.
You can either do this in the microwave or on the stove.
Add all the ingredients, except for the cornstarch and water.
Mix the cornstarch together, and once smooth- add it to the rest of the ingredients and mix until smooth.
Either cook the teriyaki sauce in the microwave for 1 minute, stir, and do another minute until thickened, or cook it on the stove.
Stovetop directions; add the sauce to a small saucepan on medium-high heat and bring to a low boil, then switch to low heat until thickened a bit, set it aside.
After the baked teriyaki tofu is done, add the teriyaki sauce to the cooked tofu, mix and put it back in the oven.
Cook it for 15 minutes, stir and then cook an additional 10 minutes. Serve with rice and vegetables.
How do you serve this vegan teriyaki tofu?
This can be served in a variety of ways.
Our favorite is on a bed of rice (we like jasmine rice, but whatever you like is good; brown rice, basmati, fried.
You can also serve it with teriyaki rice noodles, cauliflower rice, quinoa, or whatever you prefer.
Here are some vegetables that go great with tofu teriyaki;
- red bell pepper
- snow peas
- broccoli florets
- bok choy
- cauliflower
- carrots
- green beans
If you want to throw some garnish on top, sesame seeds or green onions add some nice flavor and look pretty.
How do you store leftover teriyaki tofu?
These make great leftovers because they are not crispy teriyaki tofu; the tofu is more tender.
To store, let it cool to room temperature, then place it in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Reheat in the microwave.
Can you freeze it?
You can freeze it by letting it come to room temperature, then placing it in a freezer-safe container and freezing for up to 3 months.
You may need to add some more teriyaki sauce to this when reheating.
Want some other easy vegan weeknight dinners?.
Tasty Teriyaki Tofu
Ingredients
- 14 oz block extra firm tofu
Teriyaki Sauce
- ⅔ cup soy sauce
- 1 TB Mirin
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 TB cornstartch
- 1 TB water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, lightly spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Press your tofu with a tofu press; let this press for 10-15 minutes
- Once pressed, you can cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces and place them in the 8x8 pan. Cook for 20 minutes in the oven.
- While tofu is cooking, make your teriyaki sauce. You can either do this in the microwave or on the stove. Add all the ingredients, except for the cornstarch and water. Mix the cornstarch, and once smooth- add it to the rest of the ingredients and mix until smooth. Either cook it in the microwave for 1 minute, stir and do another minute (stove- get to a low boil, then switch to low until thickened a bit). Set aside.
- After the tofu is done, add the teriyaki sauce to the cooked tofu, mix and put it back in the oven. Cook it for 15 minutes, stir and then cook an additional 10 minutes. Serve with rice and vegetables.
Notes
Nutrition
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