The Best Grilled Tofu Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Which tofu is best for grilling? ›

Extra-firm only!

Don't try making it with soft or silken tofu (or even regular firm tofu, for that matter). All of them will be too soft and watery to hold up on the grill.

Press tofu and cube it. Coat it in garlic, black pepper, salt (plus more of your favourite seasonings), liquid aminos and some olive oil. Then mix it into some cornstarch and toss it all together, then bake for about 20 minutes. Cornstarch also helps to draw out excess moisture so it really gets the tofu crispy.

Removing water by pressing tofu will allow it to absorb flavor from marinades, sauces, and other flavors you might add. If the water isn't removed, the tofu lacks the ability to soak in flavor, and it will turn out bland and spongey. The exception to this is if you plan to cook tofu in a soup.

You should aim to marinate tofu for at least 2 hours in the fridge. To infuse more flavour, you can leave it to marinade for up to 2 days before cooking up. Top tip: Don't ditch the leftover marinade when you come to cook your tofu.

What to not serve with tofu? According to studies, a high volume consumption of tofu and spinach together can increase your risk of kidney stones. Tofu and spinach contain calcium and oxalic acid respectively and the combined can form kidney stones.

Tofu seasoning rub: Rub the pressed tofu with lots of spices like garlic or onion powder, salt and pepper, nutritional yeast or a spicy taco seasoning, KFC seasoning, Buffalo spice, etc. Tofu marinade: Soak the tofu cubes in your favorite chicken/meat marinade to infuse extra flavor.

For tofu, a crucial step is to press it before cooking to remove the excess water. If you are using soft tofu, you can drain it and blot it with a towel to dry it. If you are using medium, firm, or extra-firm tofu, you'll need to press the water out using pressure from a weighted plate or a tofu press.

2) Squeeze out as much moisture as possible.

Water-logged tofu never gets super crispy. The key here is to slice the tofu into pieces before pressing it. Have you ever tried pressing a whole block, or even two halves? They just sit in soggy puddles.

She encourages people to treat tofu in a similar manner to canned beans, which we are taught to drain and rinse before using. She finds that doing so can help eliminate any off-flavors from preservatives in the water for liquid-packed tofu.

What are the pros and cons of eating tofu? ›

Incorporating tofu into your daily meals and snacks can bring several health benefits. Those benefits include brain health promotion, ease of menopause symptoms, and heart disease prevention. However, eating tofu has some risks, as it might lead to digestive issues or interact with certain medications like MAOIs.

Press it. Tofu contains a lot of water, and you'll want to squeeze most of it out, especially if you're baking, grilling, or frying it. I recommend using a tofu press to do this, because it gives the tofu a delicious chewy texture and makes cleanup a breeze. But having one isn't necessary.

This difference in taste is largely due to one key ingredient: salt. In the culinary world, salt is a key flavor enhancer that unlocks and elevates the natural tastes of food. When it comes to tofu, which is naturally quite mild-tasting, salt becomes a critical component in transforming it into something delicious.

Using a batter for the tofu ensures that it stays crispy even after getting tossed in sauce. Cooking each component of the stir fry in stages and combining them at the end facilitates even cooking and browning.

For Eating Raw: Pretty straightforward. Soft and silken tofu are ready to go right out of the package (though, technically, any tofu can be eaten raw). Drain off the excess water, and eat up! Draining/Blotting: For block tofu, I like to slit the package and drain out the packing water.

Make sure you select the right texture.

In grocery stores, it ranges from silken to extra-firm. Soft silken tofu would be my choice for blending into desserts or slicing into miso soup, but if you're serving it as a main dish or topping it onto bowls, extra-firm is what you'll need.

As per usual, I highly recommend Super Firm tofu that's vacuum sealed, and doesn't need pressing. You can use Extra Firm, but you'll want to press it and / or bake it longer to dry it out in the oven (I'll explain in more detail below).

Regular tofu is pressed and has a somewhat spongy texture, and comes in several varieties distinguished by how much water is pressed out. Soft tofu has the least amount of water pressed out, while super-firm has a low moisture content and a dense texture.