Teriyaki Tofu

This Teriyaki Tofu recipe is easy to prepare but tastes like something you would get from a Chinese restaurant, without all the MSG and other additives. I love how the marinade bakes on into a wonderfully crispy crust. Make a Japanese meal night and serve my Vegan Sushi as well.

This is an update of the recipe that I first published on August 4, 2012. I wanted to take new photos and as I remade it I marveled at the ingredients and wondered why I chose to use the ingredients and process in making it. It is one of my best recipes and I have had much great feedback over the years and I understand why as I prepare it and took my first bite. Perfect texture, taste like it was fried instead of baked.

As always, I suggest you read the complete article for useful information included in the blurb. However, you can find the detailed recipe with exact ingredients and step-by-step instructions below.

Tofu!

A quick and simple method to increase your protein intake or make a light dish more satisfying is to add tofu to your meals. I frequently use tofu as a substitute for meat in vegan and vegetarian cooking. Tofu is also a fantastic flavor carrier since it tastes like a sponge and is so adaptable.

Why You’ll Like This Teriyaki Tofu Recipe?

Simple And Easy: You’ll be astonished at how quick and easy it is to prepare this delicious meal!

Perfectly crispy tofu: Tofu can be difficult to get crispy, but this recipe’s baked tofu has a fantastic crunch without frying it in a lot of oil. It’s also quite simple and doesn’t need a lot of effort from you.

Homemade teriyaki sauce: The crispy tofu goes great with our umami-rich teriyaki sauce. It coats each piece and imparts a delicious savory and sweet flavor.

Delicious and comforting: It is very tasty. Every time you bite into a piece, you’ll experience the tofu’s soft center and crisp edges coated with a delicious, savory, sticky homemade teriyaki sauce. A perfect comforting meal. 

Filling: It’s a filling and satisfying dinner specially when served over brown rice.

Protein-rich and nutritious: Tofu is an excellent source of plant-based protein. It provides your body with all of the important amino acids. It also provides carbs, fats, calcium, iron, and numerous other vitamins and minerals. Tofu’s high isoflavone content is credited with many of its health benefits.

Tofu can improve blood sugar control, bone health, and brain functioning, reduce inflammation, and protect against cancer.

Nice blend of spices: Spices are mild, however, they can be increased or decreased according to your taste buds.

Vegan and gluten-free: Almost any dietary requirement can be satisfied with this tofu teriyaki.

Perfect For Dinner: As it is very simple enough to prepare, it is perfect for weeknight dinner preparation. In fact, it is much better than takeout!

Friendly: It is kid-friendly and budget-friendly.

Highly adaptable: This recipe can easily be customized with whichever ingredients you like or have on hand (scroll down to recipe tips for various options).

Ingredients For Teriyaki Tofu

Tofu Marinade

• Extra-Firm Tofu: Condensed soybeans are used to make tofu. It is a well-known, high-protein vegan ingredient. Typically, tofu doesn’t have a strong flavor all by itself. The other spices or marinade are thus nicely absorbed.

Tofu is commonly available at any grocery store. It has a variety of textures, including firm, crumbly, and soft. We require extra-firm tofu that can maintain its shape because we’re going to bake this. Additionally, it shouldn’t include any water because otherwise, it’ll not hold the marinade well. Therefore, be sure to press, drain to release extra water, and then cut the tofu into cubes or triangles.

• Brown Rice Flour: For this recipe, I used brown rice flour. It is a nutrient-dense whole grain flour. Additionally, it is gluten-free and has a nutty flavor.
• Tapioca Flour: Tapioca flour is an excellent thickener that outperforms arrowroot and potato starches. It gives gluten-free baked items a crispy exterior and chewy texture.
• Bragg’s liquid aminos: Made from soya bean, this will fulfill the need for protein and add umami flavor. It is an integral ingredient in vegan meals, and I adore it. Tamari sauce or coconut aminos can alternatively be used in its place.
• Water
• Olive oil: I have used olive oil for this recipe. It is loaded with healthy fats and is a perfect choice. However, you can use your favorite or available one.
• Baking Powder: It is used to give baked products more volume and a lighter texture. It functions by releasing the gas carbon dioxide into a dough or batter via an acid-base interaction, producing bubbles in the liquid mixture to rise and ultimately leavening the mixture.
• Onion powder: Tofu will taste more flavorful when onion powder is added.
• Garlic powder: Garlic powder gives the tofu a richer flavor. It has a strong, savory flavor that is detectable.
• Chicken style seasoning: It is a unique mix of flavors aimed to give vegan dishes a chicken stock or bouillon-like flavor. Here’s the method of how you can make it at home. You can use vegetable bouillon instead.
• Sesame oil: Sesame oil is reported to provide several significant health benefits, including heart-healthy fats, anti-inflammatory properties, and UV protection for the skin.

Teriyaki Sauce

• Pineapple Juice or Fresh Pineapple: I used about ¼ cup of fresh pineapple blended with water because I was out of juice.
• Bragg’s Liquid aminos: It adds an umami flavor to the sauce.
• Maple Syrup: I absolutely love maple syrup’s sweet, caramel-like, warm flavor. If you don’t want to use maple syrup, sweeten non-dairy milk or agave syrup can be used instead.
• Coconut Sugar: I added 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar for a darker color. It tasted amazing. If you’d like, you may also use brown sugar as an alternative.
• Roasted Sesame Oil: Sesame oil is high in antioxidants. It also includes phytosterols, sesamol, and sesaminol in addition to vitamin E. These compounds aid in the body’s battle against free radicals, which may lower your chance of contracting chronic diseases.
• Garlic: Use fresh for greater flavor.
• Ginger: Add a nice flavor and helps digestion.
• Tapioca Flour: It works well to thicken this sauce.
• Spring onion: I feel like spring onion offers an umami flavor. It has a grassy and salty flavor combo. You need it here for garnish.
• Sesame Seeds: For garnish.

Instructions

• Whisk marinade ingredients and set aside. Drain and press tofu to release extra water. Cut tofu into squares or triangles and spread marinade on. Be careful, tofu is a bit delicate! Leave to marinate for 30 minutes at least, but feel free to let it stay longer, even overnight in the refrigerator will work.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slightly oil or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay tofu slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, turning to tofu slices after 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place all sauce ingredients including pineapple in a high-speed blender and process until smooth. Transfer sauce to a large saucepan or skillet on medium heat and bring to a boil stirring with a whisk until thickened. Add tofu to the sauce and gently stir to coat.
• Garnish with spring onion and sesame seeds. Deliciously served with brown jasmine rice.

How To Serve Teriyaki Tofu?

My preferred methods for serving teriyaki tofu are as follows:

• Over a bowl of boiled white or brown rice
• With a side of chopped fresh salad.
• With stir-fried noodles.
• On the side, some lemon wedges are also excellent.
• As a salad topping, particularly with romaine, iceberg, or kale.

Storage Suggestions:

Store Leftovers: Leftovers are usually kept in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Keep it in an airtight container. You can reheat it in the oven or the microwave.

The dish is freezer-friendly: It can be frozen for up to a month.

Make the sauce in advance: Homemade teriyaki sauce can be made several days ahead of time. Keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to use!

Tips For Making Teriyaki Tofu

• Extra-firm tofu is ideal for this dish since it will maintain its structure when cooked.
• Tofu can be replaced with tempeh, seitan made from vegan chicken, or soy curls.
• As much as I enjoy baked tofu, I discovered that baking it produced superior results. If you want to deep fry it, you can, but it will not be that much healthy.
• Instead of baking the tofu, you can fry it in the air fryer.
• You can replace the Bragg liquid aminos with tamari sauce.
• Although tapioca flour is gluten-free, I would always double-check the label.
• Whisk up your sauce ingredients ahead of time. If you try to multitask while cooking your tofu in a frying pan, it may quickly burn.
• After adding the teriyaki glaze to the pan containing the tofu, decrease and simmer the sauce until thick and glossy.

Other Tofu Recipes To Try:

And if you like tofu as much as I do, be sure to check out my following tofu-based recipes:

• Thai Coconut Curry Tofu
• Tofu Broccoli Skillet
• Tofu Peanut Noodles
• Curried Tofu Wrap
• Vegan Curried Tofu Skin
• Avocado Tofu Salad
• Sesame Tofu
• Cajun Tofu Salad Recipe

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does Teriyaki Tofu Taste Like?

It is salty and a little sweet.

How Long Should You Marinate Tofu?

Most recipes call for marinating the tofu for at least an hour to up to 24 hours. My Teriyaki Tofu requires half an hour to marinate because the sauce is so flavorful. If you leave your marinade for more than a day, the taste will be lost.

What Is Teriyaki Sauce Made Of?

Normally, teriyaki sauce is made using soy sauce, rice mirin, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and sugar blended with a slurry of cornstarch. But I have used pineapple juice, Bragg liquid aminos, maple syrup, ginger, garlic, coconut sugar, and Tapioca flour.

Is Tofu Better For You Than Meat?

Tofu is healthier than meat if we’re talking about whole soy because it has all the same nutrients as meat, including protein, fiber, minerals, and vitamins, but without cholesterol and saturated fats.

Thanks for reading this blog post on Teriyaki Tofu. I hope it has inspired you to try out a new dish. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below. And if you tried this recipe or any other from our site, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below! Thanks for visiting my Recipes, and I hope to see you again soon.

If you enjoyed this post about Teriyaki Tofu and would love to see more, join me on Youtube, Instagram, Facebook & Twitter!

Get discounted copies of my cookbook here.

Fortunately, because of the Ads on our website, readers and subscribers of Healthier Steps are sponsoring many underprivileged families. 

Want to Save This Recipe?

Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

Save Recipe

Email

SAVE

By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Healthier Steps.

Teriyaki Tofu

Amazing Teriyaki Tofu recipe made with simple ingredients, pieces of tofu marinated and baked to perfection, then smothered in a flavorful sauce, delicious served with brown rice and broccoli.

5 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: Teriyaki Tofu

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 216kcal

Ingredients

Tofu Marinade

• 1 package extra-firm tofu super-firm tofu, drained and pressed
• 2 tablespoons brown rice flour
• 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
• 2 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chicken style seasoning or vegetable bouillon
• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

Teriyaki Sauce

• 1/2 cup pineapple juice or 1/2 cup fresh pineapple
• 1/4 cup Bragg liquid aminos
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
• spring onion chopped for garnish
• sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

• Whisk marinade ingredients and set aside. Drain and press tofu to release extra water. Cut tofu into squares or triangles and spread marinade on. Careful, tofu is a bit delicate! Leave to marinate for 30 minutes at least, but feel free to let it stay longer, even overnight in the refrigerator will work.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Slightly oil or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay tofu slices in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, turning tofu slices after 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place all sauce ingredients including pineapple in a high speed blender and process until smooth. Transfer sauce to a large saucepan or skillet on medium heat and bring to a boil stirring with a whisk until thicken. Add tofu to sauce and gently stir to coat. Garnish with spring onion and sesame seeds. Delicious served with brown jasmine rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 177mg | Iron: 2mg