The Best Easy Vegan Marinated Tofu Recipe creates tofu that’s crispy and full of flavor. Using pressed tofu is the key to making delicious baked tofu recipes, and I’m sharing tips on how to cook perfect tofu. Learn how long tofu should be cooked, and how long it lasts in the fridge. Are you reducing carbs? This vegan keto tofu marinade provides plant-based protein with low carb macros. If you’re looking for easy tofu recipes, this is the one for you!
If you were to stop by my house on any given day of the week, chances are you’d find this tofu recipe marinating in my fridge. That’s simply how much we love it!
How to Cook Tofu
There’s a couple of ways to go about cooking marinated tofu recipes such as this one. For example, you can make it as a marinated baked tofu. Baking tofu is a simple way to do it, requiring only the time it takes to heat up the oven and bake it.
Simply heat your oven to 400F and line a baking pan with parchment paper. Bake it for 30 – 35 minutes, until golden brown. For the best baked tofu marinade it in the recipe provided below.
I like cooking tofu in the skillet with some olive oil or sesame seed oil. See my recipe below for instructions.
How Long do you Marinate Tofu?
Pressed tofu should be marinated a minimum of 30 minutes, but if you have more time, marinating it an hour (or more) delivers even more outstanding flavor in the tofu.
How long does marinated tofu last in the fridge?
Once the tofu is cooked, transfer any leftover pieces to a sealed container and refrigerate. It will keep up to 5 -7 days in the fridge.
Love extra firm tofu recipes?
Be sure and check out my other tasty tofu recipes, like this Miso Tofu which is marinated in a miso-infused sauce. It’s amazing and relatively simple recipe to make. And don’t forget this Sesame Tofu recipe with a sweet, tangy sauce!
You should also try my 10-Minute Tofu Scramble! It’s such an easy recipe and is low carb and perfect for breakfast or any time of the day!
Would you believe that my Vegan Potato Salad is made with extra firm tofu? In the midwest we love adding chopped boiled eggs to our potato salad so I started using scrambled tofu instead. It’s SO good!
Finally, be sure and make my Vegan Egg Salad recipe. It’s another extra-firm tofu recipe you’ll love!
Of course, this Orange Tofu is an awesome recipe too!
Is tofu marinade healthy?
This recipe is so healthy, which is one of the reasons we love it so much! It’s a high protein, low calorie, low carb recipe that can be served for dinner, lunch, or even as a snack!
Per Serving nutrition estimates: Calories: 94 Fat: 5g Net Carbs: 3g Protein: 8g
I love this BBC article on why eating tofu is healthy!
How to Make Marinated Tofu
Knowing how to season tofu is both art and science. Follow these tips to get it perfect every time! This is a Chinese tofu recipe. You can change up the spices to create a thai marinade, or even an Italian marinade!
Step One: Press Tofu
If you’re wondering how to prepare tofu, the first step is to press it. I love using my tofu press, however, there are other ways to press tofu. Simply remove it from its package, drain the water, wrap it in a dish towel, and place something heavy on top, like small baking dish. Let it sit for 30 minutes to up to an hour.
Once the tofu is pressed, cut it into small, 1/2-inch cubes.
Step Two: Marinade Tofu
Prepare the tofu seasonings by combining these ingredients: tamari, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and dehydrated onions (or onion powder).
Tamari is basically a gluten-free soy sauce. If you don’t have issues with gluten, then go ahead and use soy sauce. You can use sesame oil in place of olive oil. Either will work here.
Place the flavored tofu cubes in the marinade and stir gently to coat.
Cover and refrigerate to marinate tofu for up to 30 minutes to an hour. If you have time, allow it to marinade even longer for more flavor.
This quick tofu tastes so good, I sometimes even eat it straight from the container. It’s great on salads like this!
How to Serve Marinated Tofu
You can serve this simple tofu recipe in a number of ways, including:
- Eat it plain with some dipping sauce or hot sauce
- Serve it with lettuce like these Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps
- Place it over a bowl of noodles with steamed broccoli
- Of course, having it as part of a stir fry with brown rice would be perfect too!
I hope you love this recipe as we do! Have you tried it? Be sure and leave a comment and a rating of this recipe below and then take a quick photo and share it with me using #namelymarly on Instagram. I love seeing your creations!
Marinated Tofu
Ingredients
- 15 ounces extra-firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Remove the tofu from the package and press the tofu to remove excess liquid.
- Slice pressed tofu into 1/2-inch cubes. Pat cubes dry with paper towels.
- In a lidded rectangle dish (like a small pyrex), stir together the tamari, oil, vinegar, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add the tofu cubes and toss gently. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to several hours.
- To bake tofu: When the tofu is ready, preheat oven to 400F. Cover a baking dish with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. Place the tofu in a single layer in the baking dish. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until golden brown.
- To pan-fry tofu: When the tofu is ready, place a skillet over medium heat. Add a teaspoon or two of olive oil (or sesame oil) and add marinated tofu. Cook for 5 – 7 minutes and use tongs or a spatula to flip tofu. Cook for another 5 – 7 minutes on each side.
Love your recipes here and would love to see more. Thank you.
Thanks, Elvira! There are plenty more on the way!
I’m confused. I’ve never made Tofu before and want to try your recipe but the list of ingredients don’t match the instructions on the recipe. What coconut aminos and sesame oil, and how much of each?
Thanks BarbBQ! I experimented so much with this recipe, trying to find the very best processes and ingredients! The recipe instructions have been updated to reflect tamari instead of coconut aminos. That said, if you don’t have an issue with gluten, soy sauce will work just fine.
Thanks for the clarification Marly. I can’t wait to try this recipe.
My tamari and Coconut aminos have sediment in the bottle. Should I throw them out? I keep Coconut aminos in fridge, but the tamari did not specify.
Hi Sharon! I’ve noticed this too and have done some research on it. I’ve found very little information but what I have found indicates it’s not problematic to use it as long as it smells ok. These are fermented products and so that sediment is just part of the fermentation process. Hope that helps!