Simple Teriyaki Tofu

This easy teriyaki tofu recipe is made with fresh garlic and ginger for a better-than-takeout recipe! It’s ready in about 30 minutes, requires one pan, and uses 9 simple ingredients with minimal prep time. It’s the perfect easy dinner. 

For more quick dinner ideas try my baked BBQ tofu, vegan street tacos, or black beans and lime rice.

Teriyaki tofu is so easy and flavorful that you’ll want to skip the take-out and enjoy this homemade vegan version instead.

Bite-sized tofu pieces are pan-fried until crispy then cooked in a sweet and savory teriyaki sauce. No marinating needed!

And just like my vegan orange tofu, this recipe is so easy and delicious it will quickly become a weeknight favorite!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

You’ll need these 9 simple ingredients to make teriyaki tofu.

• Tofu – Use extra-firm tofu or super firm tofu (vacuum sealed) for the best texture.
• Soy sauce – I used regular soy sauce. For less salt use a low sodium soy sauce. For a gluten-free option use tamari.
• Water.
• Brown sugar – The brown sugar neutralizes the saltiness of the sauce. You can use coconut sugar or any granulated sugar as a replacement.
• Maple syrup – Any liquid sweetener will do. You can also replace the liquid sweetener with coconut sugar or any granulated sugar.
• Oil – I used refined coconut oil to pan-fry the tofu. Feel free to use any neutral vegetable oil you have on hand.
• Cornstarch – The cornstarch is tossed with the tofu for a crispy outside. It’s also used to thicken the teriyaki sauce. To substitute use arrowroot powder or potato starch.
• Fresh ginger and garlic – The sauce uses fresh ginger and garlic for the best authentic Japanese flavor.

How To Make Teriyaki Tofu

This pan-fried teriyaki tofu comes together in about 30 minutes. There is minimal prep work and no need to marinate the tofu first.

TO START:
Gather your ingredients so they're easy to reach.
Then mince the garlic and grate the ginger. To shred the ginger finely, use the smaller grate side of a box grater.
Or, check out this video on how to grate ginger for a visual guide.

Now, prepare the tofu by pressing out some excess water if you're using extra firm or firm tofu. You can either use a tofu press (affiliate link) or place it between two plates weighing down the top one with a slightly heavy object.
Super firm or high-protein tofu can be patted dry, there is no need to press it.

To Prepare The Teriyaki Sauce

Start by making the slurry that will thicken the sauce. In a small bowl, mix 3 teaspoons of cornstarch with 1 Tablespoon of water. Set it aside.

In a separate, larger bowl, make the teriyaki sauce by combining soy sauce, water, minced garlic, grated ginger, brown sugar, and maple syrup.

To Prepare The Tofu

Once the tofu has been pressed or patted dry, use your hands to break it into bite-sized pieces. Add them to a large non-stick pan or skillet. Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch over the tofu. 

Use a spatula to toss the tofu around the pan until there is no visible cornstarch left. Now add the oil.

To Pan-Fry The Tofu

Pan-fry the tofu over medium-high heat. Occasionally flip the tofu pieces to brown the larger sides.

Lower the heat, stir the teriyaki sauce, and then gently add it to the pan with the tofu. Let the sauce simmer on low for about 1-2 minutes.

To Thicken The Teriyaki Sauce

Tip: If the sauce becomes too thick add more water. If it’s too thin, mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 and ½ teaspoons of water and add it to the sauce.

How To Bake The Tofu

For a baked tofu option, skip the pan-fry steps and follow the instructions below.

1. Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Add the bite-sized tofu pieces to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 
2. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the tofu and toss until there is no visible cornstarch.
3. Lightly spray the tofu with oil, or if you don’t have spray oil, drizzle some melted coconut, avocado, or any neutral oil over it and toss again to coat evenly.
4. Bake at 375ºF for 15-20 minutes or until the tofu is cooked to your liking. Flip the tofu halfway through to ensure it browns nicely. Once done, transfer the tofu to a skillet and continue with the sauce.

Storage: Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Serving suggestions

Enjoy this delicious vegan teriyaki tofu recipe over a bed of your favorite rice, such as white Jasmine rice, basmati rice, or brown rice.  For a healthier version try it with quinoa.

Top with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

Add a side of steamed broccoli, carrots, cabbage, or any vegetable you like. You can also stir-fry some veggies, or oven-roast them.

Tips for Success

• This recipe can easily be doubled: Use a large pan or skillet to cook the tofu. If your pan isn’t big enough you can cook in batches or use the baking instructions instead. The sauce should be doubled as well as the cornstarch and water mixture.
• To grate the ginger: For the best results, use the medium grate side of a box grater (affiliate link) to finely shred the ginger.
• Tofu: Use super firm tofu or extra firm tofu for the best texture. If you’re using super firm simply pat it dry before breaking into pieces. For extra-firm tofu, use a tofu press or plate and heavy object to remove excess water.  

Recipe

Easy Teriyaki Tofu

prep time: 10 minutes minutes

cook time: 20 minutes minutes

total time: 30 minutes minutes

servings: 3 servings

This easy teriyaki tofu recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner. It's ready in about 30 minutes, requires one pan, and uses 9 simple ingredients with minimal prep time. And it tastes better than takeout!

5 stars (9 reviews)

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Ingredients

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For the tofu

• ▢ 1 14-ounce block extra-firm tofu, or super firm tofu
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• ▢ 2 Tablespoon refined coconut oil, or neutral oil of choice

Teriyaki Sauce

• ▢ 4 Tablespoons soy sauce, or tamari
• ▢ ½ cup water
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 2 teaspoons fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons brown sugar, or coconut sugar
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons maple syrup, or agave nectar

Thickening Slurry

• ▢ 3 teaspoons cornstarch
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon water

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Instructions

To Press the Tofu

• For super firm tofu or high-protein tofu, simply pat it dry.
• If you're using extra-firm tofu or firm tofu, you’ll want to press out the excess water for a firmer texture. You can use a tofu press or wrap it in a clean kitchen towel (or a few paper towels) and place a plate with a slightly heavy object on top.

To Pan Fry The Tofu

• Using your hands, break to tofu into bite-sized chunks and place them in a large nonstick pan or skillet.
• Sprinkle the cornstarch over the tofu. Use a spatula to gently toss the tofu around until there is no dry cornstarch visible.
• Add the oil to the pan. Toss the tofu to ensure all the pieces are lightly covered in oil.
• Pan-fry the tofu over medium-high heat. Allow it to sit and become crispy on the first side before flipping it, about 5 minutes. Stir and flip as needed until the tofu is browned and crispy on each side.
• While the tofu cooks, prepare the teriyaki sauce.

For the Teriyaki Sauce

• In a small bowl mix the slurry. Set aside.
  3 teaspoons cornstarch,1 Tablespoon water
• In a separate, slightly larger bowl, mix the remaining teriyaki sauce ingredients. 
• Once the tofu is browned to your liking, turn down the heat then pour the teriyaki sauce into the pan with the tofu. Bring the sauce to a low simmer for 1-2 minutes. Frequently stir the tofu.
• Turn the heat off and give the cornstarch and water slurry another mix to get up any cornstarch at the bottom of the bowl. Pour it into the pan and gently stir to disburse the slurry evenly. Turn the heat back on to medium-low. Simmer until the sauce thickens.

  Tip: If the sauce becomes too thick, add more water. If it is too thin, mix 3 teaspoons cornstarch with 1 and ½ teaspoon water and add only what you need.

To Bake the Tofu

• Instead of pan-frying the tofu, you can bake it. Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Add the bite-sized tofu pieces to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 
• Sprinkle the cornstarch over the tofu and toss until there is no visible cornstarch.
• Now lightly oil the tofu using a spray oil. 

  If you don’t have a spray oil, drizzle melted coconut oil, avocado oil, or any neutral vegetable oil over the tofu. Toss to evenly coat.
• Bake at 375ºF for 15-20 minutes or until the tofu is cooked to your liking. Occasionally remove the pan from the oven and carefully flip/toss the tofu to brown each side.

  Add the teriyaki sauce and baked tofu to a large skillet. Proceed with the teriyaki sauce steps above to cook and thicken the sauce.
• Serve with rice and steamed broccoli or vegetable of choice, or roasted veggies.

Notes

• This recipe can easily be doubled: Use a large pan or skillet to cook the tofu. If your skillet isn’t big enough, cook the tofu in batches or use the baking instructions.
• To grate the ginger: Use the small side of a box grater to shred the ginger finely.
• Soy sauce: Use a low-sodium soy sauce or tamari for less salt.

This recipe was originally posted in June of 2017. It has since been updated with new photos and a new and improved sauce recipe using fresh ginger and garlic.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 722mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g

**Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**

course: Main Dishes

cuisine: Asian, Japanese

author: Marlena Luna

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