Quick and easy marinated tofu with 9 ingredients in just 30 minutes. Add a flavorful and healthy plant-based protein source to any dish!
If you're new to cooking with tofu, this recipe is a great place to start! It's easy to make and requires just a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
This tofu marinade adds a delicious flavor that complements the natural nuttiness of the tofu, and the texture becomes tender on the inside and crispy on the outside when cooked.
Looking for more ways to enjoy tofu? Check out the blog for a variety of delicious tofu recipes, including fan favorites like General Tso's tofu and baked tofu.
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🌟 Why you'll love this recipe
- The marinade adds a delicious flavor to the tofu, making it much more exciting than plain tofu.
- The recipe is quick and easy, with only 9 simple ingredients and just 30 minutes of cook time.
- Tofu is a great plant-based source of protein, making it a healthy addition to any meal.
- It can be used in a variety of dishes, from stir-fries to tacos, salads to sandwiches.
- Tofu is a budget-friendly vegan protein source and an affordable alternative to meat, so it's great if you're on a budget.
🧾 Ingredients (with substitutions)
Tofu
This protein-packed ingredient serves as the base for this marinated tofu recipe, providing a satisfying texture and subtle flavor.
Firm or extra-firm tofu work best for marinated tofu. Soft or silken tofu is not a good choice as it will fall apart easily.
Water
I use water to thin out the marinade and help it coat the tofu evenly.
I always go for tap water, but any type of water will do, even sparkling water. Vegetable stock can also be a good choice.
Soy sauce
This umami-rich sauce adds a savory depth of flavor to the marinade, and its saltiness helps to balance out the sweetness of the maple syrup.
Instead of soy sauce, you can use tamari for a gluten-free alternative or coconut aminos, which is soy-free, or some salt to taste. However, I prefer to use soy sauce.
Apple cider vinegar
A splash of apple cider vinegar adds a tangy acidity to the marinade, which helps to brighten up the overall flavor profile.
Instead of apple cider vinegar, you can use another type of vinegar like white or rice vinegar, or even lemon juice.
Maple syrup
This natural sweetener lends a subtle sweetness to the marinade, which helps to balance out the salty soy sauce and tangy apple cider vinegar.
Other syrups also will do, like agave or coconut syrup, or even sugar. However, I prefer to use a liquid sweetener to get the best consistency for the marinade.
Garlic powder
The addition of garlic powder adds a delicious savory flavor to the marinade, making the tofu taste even more irresistible.
It can be replaced with onion powder. You could omit it if you want or even use minced fresh garlic.
Cayenne pepper
For those who like it hot, the cayenne pepper adds a fiery heat to the marinade that complements the other flavors.
Cornstarch
I use cornstarch as a thickener for the marinade, helping it to cling to the tofu and form a crispy crust when cooked.
It can be replaced with arrowroot powder, or pretty much any type of starch you have on hand.
Oil
The use of high-quality extra virgin olive oil when cooking the marinated tofu adds a rich and savory flavor to the dish.
However, you can use a different type of oil, such as vegetable, canola, sunflower, or avocado oil.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
📋 Variations
Here are some variations you can try with this marinated tofu recipe:
- Extra spicy marinated tofu: Add more cayenne pepper or some chili flakes to the marinade for a spicy kick.
- Asian-style marinated tofu: Swap out the apple cider vinegar for rice vinegar and add some grated ginger and chopped scallions to the marinade.
- Citrus marinated tofu: Use lemon or lime juice instead of vinegar and add some zest to the marinade for a bright, citrusy flavor.
- Smoky marinated tofu: Add some smoked paprika or liquid smoke to the marinade for a smoky flavor.
- Sweet and savory marinated tofu: Increase the amount of maple syrup in the marinade and add some chopped fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary for a sweet and savory combination.
🔪 Instructions
Step 1: Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a small mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
Step 2: Transfer the marinade liquid to a shallow dish, add the tofu cubes, and toss to coat. Let them marinate covered in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
Step 3: Drain the tofu but don’t discard the marinade liquid. Set aside.
Step 4: Add the marinade liquid to a small mixing bowl along with the cornstarch and mix until well combined. Set aside.
Step 5: Heat the oil in a non-stick pan or a skillet and sautée the marinated tofu over medium-high heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
Step 6: Pour the marinade liquid into the pan or skillet and cook until it thickens. Serve immediately.
🍽 Serving suggestions
Here are some delicious serving suggestions:
- Serve over a bed of rice or quinoa with steamed or stir-fried vegetables.
- Use as a protein in a wrap or sandwich with avocado, lettuce, and tomato.
- Chop into small pieces and add to a salad for added protein and flavor.
- Serve as a side dish with roasted potatoes or other root vegetables.
- Use it as a filling for vegan tacos or vegan burritos with your choice of toppings.
❄️ Storage
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
- Freezer: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thaw: Transfer to the fridge to thaw overnight.
- Reheat: It can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. Add a little oil, water, or vegetable stock if needed.
💭 Expert tips
- I hardly ever press my tofu, but I know many people think this is a must if you want your tofu to absorb all the flavors from the seasonings or the marinade you're using.
- Pressing tofu is very easy, just wrap the tofu in paper towels or in a clean towel and apply a steady weight to squeeze out the moisture. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
- If you freeze the tofu and then defrost it, it will become more porous and it'll absorb flavors more easily. I don't do it very often to save some time and effort, but it's a great tip.
- Another good tip is to simmer the tofu in salted water briefly before cooking it, this will make the tofu hardier and less likely to crumble while cooking in the pan.
- Heat up the pan first and then add the oil. Wait for the sizzling sound before adding the marinated tofu. A hot skillet helps prevent sticking and makes flipping easier.
❓Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can! Just store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5-7 days.
However, it is best freshly made, so as it's ready in just 30 minutes, I would cook it just before serving it for the best results.
Extra-Firm tofu has the least amount of liquid and is a great choice for frying.
However, I find it too dry sometimes, so I prefer to use firm tofu because it has the proper amount of liquid without falling apart like silken or soft tofu, but it's not as dry as extra-firm tofu.
As I explained above in more detail, I hardly ever press my tofu and I'm so happy with the results.
But for extra crispy tofu and if you want the tofu to absorb all the flavors from the seasonings or marinade you're using, you should press it.
The easiest way is by using a non-stick pan, but a skillet is also a good choice.
If you’re using a skillet, or regular pan, preheat it on the stove for 1-2 minutes before adding the oil, and make sure to use enough to coat the bottom of the pan.
It's also really important to wait for the tofu cubes to release from the pan. As the marinated tofu cooks and gets golden brown, the cubes will un-stick from the pan.
Yes, it works well, but it won’t be as crispy as if you fried it.
First, preheat the oven to 400ºF or 200ºC. Then transfer the tofu cubes to a lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip each of the tofu cubes so they can cook evenly on the other side. Bake for 15 more minutes or until golden brown.
🌱 More tofu recipes
Did you like this recipe? Please leave a rating and comment below!
Marinated Tofu
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
Rest of the recipe:
- 1 block firm tofu, about 14 ounces or 400 g, drained, patted dry, and cubed
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon oil of your choice, I used extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a small mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
- Transfer the marinade liquid to a shallow dish, add the tofu cubes, and toss to coat.
- Let them marinate covered in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. If you let them marinate longer, they will have a more intense flavor.
- Drain the tofu but don’t discard the marinade liquid. Set aside.
- Add the marinade liquid to a small mixing bowl along with the cornstarch and mix until well combined. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a non-stick pan or a skillet and sautée the tofu over medium-high heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
- Pour the marinade liquid into the pan or skillet and cook until it thickens. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Firm or extra-firm tofu work best for this recipe. Soft or silken tofu is not a good choice as it will fall apart easily.
- I always go for tap water, but any type of water will do, even sparkling water. Vegetable stock will work as well.
- Instead of soy sauce, you can use tamari for a gluten-free alternative or coconut aminos, which is soy-free, or some salt to taste.
- Feel free to use any type of vinegar like white or rice vinegar, or even lemon juice.
- Other syrups also will do, like agave or coconut syrup, or even sugar, although I prefer to use a liquid sweetener to get the best consistency for the marinade.
- Garlic powder can be replaced with onion powder, or you could even omit it if you want. Using minced fresh garlic is also a good choice.
- If you're not into spicy food, omit the cayenne pepper.
- Cornstarch be replaced with arrowroot powder, or pretty much any type of starch you have on hand.
- Extra virgin olive oil is my favorite oil for this recipe, but you can use a different type of oil, such as vegetable, canola, sunflower, or avocado oil.
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
- Freezer: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thaw: Transfer to the fridge to thaw overnight.
- Reheat: It can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. Add a little oil, water, or vegetable stock if needed.
- I hardly ever press my tofu, but I know many people think this is a must if you want your tofu to absorb all the flavors from the marinade.
- Pressing tofu is very easy, just wrap the tofu in paper towels or in a clean towel and apply a steady weight to squeeze out the moisture. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
- If you freeze the tofu and then defrost it, it will become more porous and it'll absorb flavors more easily.
- Another good tip is to simmer the tofu in salted water briefly before cooking it, this will make the tofu hardier and less likely to crumble while cooking in the pan.
- Heat up the pan first and then add the oil. Wait for the sizzling sound before adding the marinated tofu. A hot skillet helps prevent sticking and makes flipping easier.
sally says
yummy but I must love fresh grated ginger which I added for an added dimension of flavour!
Iosune Robles says
Hi Sally! Sounds so good 🙂
S says
I’ll definitely be trying this! What is the best way to follow you guys?
Iosune Robles says
Enjoy it 🙂 The best way to follow us is through the blog or IG!
Dani says
Just made this today! It is a very nice base marinade. I made half of the tofu after about 15 minutes and am letting rest steep for awhile in the fridge for later. Thanks so much for sharing!
Iosune Robles says
Hi Dani! Thanks for your kind comment 🙂
Jaimie-lyn says
This was very tasty. My husband hates ACV and was put off when I mentioned I had some in the recipe.
He had some anyways and said it was great tasting and he didn't really notice the ACV. Which makes this an awesome recipe.
Iosune Robles says
Thanks for your kind comment 🙂 I'm so glad you both liked it!
Peggy Lee says
I have made this recipe twice now . The only thing that I changed was reducing the vinegar to 1/2 tsp. An irresistible snack as well as an entree.
Iosune Robles says
Hi! I'm so glad you liked our marinated tofu 🙂
Mary says
I have been looking for a great tofu marinade for decades. This is so delicious and foolproof that my husband declared he could eat it every week. We are not vegan but trying to eat more plant based. This is a keeper for sure. Just an FYI- we are in our 60s.
Iosune Robles says
Hi Mary! Thanks for your kind comment 🙂 So glad you both liked it!
Lisa says
Will try this recipe this weekend. This says don't discard the tofu liquid but doesn't say what, if anything, to do with it. ???
Iosune Robles says
Hi Lisa! You need to use the tofu liquid in step 4 with the marinated liquid! Maybe, you can have a look at the video recipe. I'm sure it will help you a lot! Enjoy it 🙂
HEATHER RANAY MCCALL says
My favorite tofu recipe. I couldn't stop myself from eating the whole thing!
Iosune Robles says
Hi! That's good! I'm so glad you liked it 🙂
Tracy says
This is the best I have ever had. Yum👌🏻!!!!!!
Iosune Robles says
Hi! Wow, that's amazing 🙂 I'm so glad you liked it!
Mary Seale says
My first try at cooking tofu. This recipe was easy and delicious! I used sugar free maple syrup sweetened with monk fruit. This is a keeper!
Iosune Robles says
Hi! Thanks for your kind comment 🙂
Paola says
My favourite marinated tofu. I have tried many recipes, but none is so simple and tasty!!
Iosune Robles says
Hi Paola! Thank you so much 🙂 I'm glad you liked it!
Mari says
This is a keeper. I made it tonight and my husband and I loved it! I served it over rice with sautéed veggies which I dressed with sesame oil and rice vinegar. I also added a tsp of sesame oil to the pan when sautéing the tofu, and added some toasted sesame seeds on top for garnish. (I had chives but it was cold today so I didn’t go out to pick them!). We will be putting this in our rotation for sure!
Iosune Robles says
Hi Mari! So glad you liked it 🙂