Marinated Tofu

Marinated tofu, an easy recipe that makes tofu taste amazing. It’s low in fat, high in protein, and requires 8 ingredients and 20 minutes.

This marinated tofu is so easy to make! It is a super simple recipe perfect to enjoy for lunch or dinner. And it only requires 8 simple ingredients and just 30 minutes of your time!

I absolutely love to have it at least once a week, as it is delicious, flavorful, high in protein, satiating, and low in fat. Besides, you can customize it with the spices and herbs you prefer and serve it with your favorite ingredients.

Marinated tofu recipe – Short video

How to make marinated tofu – Step by step

• Mix all the tofu marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl until well combined (photo 1). Add the tofu cubes and let them marinate (photo 2), covered in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
• Drain the tofu but don’t discard the liquid (photo 3). Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a skillet (photo 4), and sautée the tofu over medium-high heat until golden brown (photo 5).
• Add the marinade liquid to a bowl along with the cornstarch (photo 6) and mix until well combined (photo 7). Pour the sauce into the frying pan and cook until it thickens (photo 8).
• Serve your marinated tofu immediately.

Ingredients and tips

• Firm tofu: firm or extra firm tofu work best for this marinated tofu recipe. Soft or silken tofu are not good choices as they will fall apart easily.
• Water: you could also use vegetable stock instead.
• Soy sauce or tamari: I use soy sauce, but tamari is a good gluten-free alternative. If you can’t eat soy, coconut aminos is a great substitute. You could also add the same amount of water or vegetable stock and add more salt.
• Apple cider vinegar: you could also use white vinegar or lemon juice instead.
• Maple syrup: feel free to use any other type of sweetener. Agave syrup is the best alternative, though.
• Garlic powder: you could also use fresh garlic and sautée it with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. However, I find garlic powder to be more convenient. Onion powder would also be a good choice.
• Cayenne powder: omit this ingredient if you’re not into spicy food and feel free to add more or less of it depending on how spicy you want your tofu marinade to be. You could also use cayenne pepper, chili powder, or any other type of spicy sauce. Keep in mind that you may need to add more or less of it if you’re using cayenne powder.
• Cornstarch: feel free to use any other type of starch instead. You could also omit it, but your sauce won’t have the same texture and it will be more watery.
• Extra virgin olive oil: I’m Spanish, so I use extra virgin olive oil to cook most of my dishes and I always use extra virgin oils when possible because they’re healthier. However, using any other type of oil is also okay. If you don’t consume oil, just use some vegetable stock or water instead.
• Feel free to serve it along with some delicious salads to easily incorporate more protein!

Looking for more tofu recipes?

• General Tso’s Tofu
• Fried Tofu
• Tofu Scramble
• Baked Tofu
• Sesame Tofu

Did you make this marinated tofu recipe?

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Marinated Tofu

• Author: Iosune
• Prep: 10 mins
• Cook: 10 mins
• Total: 20 mins
• 2 1x
• Main Dish, Tofu
• American
• Vegan

★★★★★ 4.8 from 52 reviews

Servings 2 1x

Scale 1x2x3x Tap or hover over number to scale servings

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Marinated tofu, an easy recipe that makes tofu taste amazing. It’s low in fat, high in protein, and requires 8 ingredients and 20 minutes.

Ingredients

• 12 oz firm tofu (340 g), cubed
• 1/4 cup water (60 ml)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne powder
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Mix all the tofu marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl (water, soy sauce, vinegar, syrup, garlic powder, and cayenne powder) until well combined. Add the tofu cubes and let them marinate covered in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. If you let them marinate for a longer period of time, they will have a more intense flavor.
2. Drain the tofu but don’t discard the liquid. Set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a skillet and sautée the tofu over medium-high heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the marinade liquid to a bowl with the cornstarch and mix until well combined. Pour the sauce into the skillet and cook until it thickens.
5. Serve immediately (I added some chopped chives on top, but this is completely optional).
6. Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days.

Notes

• The original recipe was made with 10 oz or 275 g or firm tofu.
• Feel free to use any type of vinegar, sweetener, or starch.
• Add or omit any spices you want.
• Water can be replaced with vegetable stock.
• If you’re not into spicy food, omit the cayenne powder or add less of it. You can also use chili powder.
• Prep time and cook time don’t include marinating time.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/2 of the recipe (without oil or chives)
• Calories: 145
• Sugar: 7.5 g
• Sodium: 1024 mg
• Fat: 5.8 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 12.4 g
• Fiber: 1.6 g
• Protein: 13.4 g

Update Notes: This post was originally published in March of 2018, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions, and tips in February of 2022.