Marinated tofu, a super simple recipe that makes tofu taste amazing. It’s low in fat, high in protein, and only 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 immediately.
Marinated tofu ingredients
- Firm tofu: firm or extra firm tofu work best for this 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.
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Marinated Tofu
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 10 mins
- Total: 20 mins
- 2 1x
- Main Dish, Tofu
- American
- Vegan
Servings 2 1x
Marinated tofu, a super simple recipe that makes tofu taste amazing. It’s low in fat, high in protein, and only requires 8 ingredients and 30 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
- 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.
- Drain the tofu but don’t discard the liquid. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a skillet and sautée the tofu over medium-high heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
- 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.
- Serve immediately (I added some chopped chives on top, but this is completely optional).
- 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 April of 2021.
Even though I grew up eating tofu (Chinese cuisine) I avoided it in my adult life. Now that I’m primarily plant-based it’s hard to ignore tofu so I gave this recipe a try and it’s a hit! I double the marinade for an extra flavour punch and it’s perfect! I like to add it to stir-fry dishes or Thai curry – superb!
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Hi Hazel! That sounds so good 🙂 So glad you liked our marinated tofu!
Loved this! easy and yummy. I have to eat low fat cuz of my gallbladder, and this recipe was SO yummy and easy to make, even my 4 year old liked it (it was just a tad spicy for her tho)
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Hi Keena! So glad you all liked our marinated tofu 🙂 It’s just amazing!
Excellent very tasty
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Hi John! So glad you liked it 🙂
My first tofu recipe and it was a hit with the whole family. We tossed it with cauliflower rice and veggies to make a stir fry that was less than 200 calories per serving.
We doubled up on this recipe to create a serving for 4 and used 16oz firm tofu. Followed the rest to a T. Happy to add this to our weekly menu!
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Hi! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Thanks for your kind words!
i loved this simple recipe. so good!
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Hi Claire! Thank you so much! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
One of my favorite recipes ever, and I’d recommend it to literally anyone trying to make tofu delicious with little to no effort. While the recipe involves pan frying the tofu, in my experience it also works perfectly fine if you deep fry or air fry the tofu (375 F for 15 minutes for the latter method, flipping halfway).
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Another good one! I stopped at the frying and kept the tofu marinating in a jar.
It is served with a couple of generous spoonfuls of my special Rice (brown, glutinous, and black) and Peas recipe. Heat up in the microwave and add dollops of Sweet Chili Sauce. Good at breakfast, lunch or dinner.
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Hi Frank! So glad you liked it 🙂
please take the time to learn about how microwaves affect the structure and frequency of the foods – if you value your health and longevity you’ll give it up as I did and thousands of people who’ve I encouraged to ask the questions and to responsibly seek the answers
Delicious appetizer recipe! I added garlic salt in the mix and taste great. Definitely keep this recipe handy.
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Hi Novem! Thanks a lot 🙂
I like fried tofu and bought an ‘air fryer’ to hopefully make it easier.
My first air-fried drained tofu looked and tasted like leather, so I found this and tried it by first draining the tofu overnight on a stack of paper towels, then cutting it up in the package and marinating it overnight in maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and soy sauce. Total difference! Tastes great!
Thanks for this great recipe.
Hi Ken! Thank YOU for your comment 🙂
I had to make a few alterations since I didn’t have some of the ingredients but it turned out really well! This is the first tofu recipe that has worked for me! (I think I usually just don’t have the patience to fiddle around with it, but this was super easy!)
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Hi Mary! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂 We have tons of tofu recipes on the blog, you should give them a try!
This is fantastic! We are vegetarian-curious so we’ve been trying to find protein-packed recipes online (we weight train, so protein intake is very important.) This was easy, fast, and delicious! We skipped the marinade, subbed out the syrup for multi-floral clover honey, and subbed the apple cider vinegar with rice vinegar instead. Definitely tastes amazing still.
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Hi Regina! Thanks a lot 🙂 SO glad you liked it!
Excellent recipe.. really enjoyed it. Even hubby could not believe it was tofu.. usually he does not like it! thanks
Hi Doraine! I’m so happy to read that 🙂
Was hungry for a quick snack and still had some tofu at home. Of coure I didn’t want to wait to long, so I barely let it sit in the marinade for 15 minutes and it’s already delicious. Must be even better after standing overnight. Love it.
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Hi Kirsten! So glad you liked it 🙂
We are not vegans or vegetarians, but we loved this dish. It was easy to make with items I already had around the house. I’ve printed the recipe and we will definitely make it again.
Hi Mike! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂
This recipe was so simple and so tasty! I will definitely be making it again!
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Hi Rachel! Thank you so much 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!
This is my go-to tofu marinade when I make Buddha bowls. Everyone loves it! I marinate the tofu right in the frying pan that I cook it in.
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Hi Andrea! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂 Have a nice day!
Love this recipe. I use it regularly for tofu and usually make a big batch, leaving the tofu marinating in the fridge – tastes even better after a day or so
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Hi ZJ! Thanks a lot 🙂 SO glad you like it!
Thanks. This is so easy to make, and delicious. I’ll be making it regularly.
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Hi Stacey! Great 🙂 You’re so welcome!
i bought medium instead of firm tofu can I still use for this recipe or start with a new block?
Hi Andrea! I’ve never tried it myself and I haven’t used medium tofu either. If it’s not too soft, you could try 🙂
This recipe is very easy to make! And quick, and very delicious!
Hi Celeste! Thanks a lot 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Its a delicious recipe simple and affordable and healthy. Thank you for sharing it
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Hi Analou! Thank YOU for your comment 🙂
Very nice indeed:) I substituted almond meal for the corn starch and it worked very well.
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Hi Judy! SO glad you liked it 🙂
Iosune, Thanks for this. I thoroughly enjoyed this; it is very highly health enriching.
I have no problem with the ads because I know they are needed. Though I am not speaking for our friend, Janelle. May be her problem is akin to mine – looking for the recipe for making tofu itself from wheat grains to start with. That is what I was looking for before I ended up in your website, which is a good thing, like Columbus going to India and ending up in America. I have been buying tofu from several sources for a long time. I want to be in a position I can make it myself, whenever I have the time to do so.
Please kindly help and I am so sorry to bother you. Thanks.
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Hi Adebayo! I’m so sorry, but I don’t have a recipe for making tofu from scratch and I haven’t made it myself. Have a nice day!
OMG! This is so good! Just started eating a plant based diet, and I was a little skeptical about tofu… I decided to try this recipe because it says ‘Easy’ (haha) and I loved it! My husband and son also loved it, and they’re not even as committed as I am to not eating animal based food.
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Hi Carolina! Thanks a lot 🙂 SO glad you guys loved it!
Thank you for this recipe! A few days ago I tried to make it and it was amazing! I like healthy food and it’s important for me that tofu is rich in protein.
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Hi Joshua! You’re so welcome 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Hey all,
I got medium tofu instead of hard
Do I drain it to make it hard of just try recipe as is?
Hi Andre! I would drain it carefully 🙂
Loved this! Very new to using tofu, still trying to figure it out. I did use oil, but think I will try without next time. Can you tell me-are you always supposed to drain/ dry the tofu before using, or can I rely on recipes to say so if needed?
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Hi Marion! Thanks a lot 🙂 I hardly ever press or dry the tofu, but it’s up to you…
These recipes are fantastic! Tofu can be tasty too 🙂 Thanks!
Hi Sagar! Thanks a lot 🙂
This was AMAZING! Tofu nation:) thank you for posting
Hi Sandee! Thanks a lot 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!
Not a big fan of tofu but marinade/sauce made it better. I´ll definitely try it again later.
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Hi Filip! So glad you liked it 🙂
Simply love this marinated version of tofu. Big eater of tofu lover.
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Hi Sophie! Thanks a lot 🙂 So glad you loved it!
I can’t find the recipe and content of your site due to all the ads that pop up/are dancing and jumping all over the content. I would like to visit your site to be inspired. But your inspiration is hiding under a barrage of consumerism.
Hi Janelle! I’m so sorry, but our blog is our job and we need the ads to continue our work. Besides, the content is free, so I think is pretty fair. However, we want to reduce the number, so thanks for your comment!