This marinated grilled tofu recipe is here for all of your summer grill nights! Brush on the barbecue sauce or serve sans sauce with grilled vegetable skewers and your favorite vegan summer sides.
This post is sponsored by EZ Tofu Press.
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It’s not summer until you fire up the grill! One of my favorite vegan dishes to make on the grill is grilled tofu. With or without BBQ sauce (don’t forget the corn and coleslaw), it’s a classic summer meal!
Grilled tofu is an incredibly versatile dish—you can change up the marinades and sauces depending on the theme of your meal or side dishes. Once you know how to grill tofu, you can make any tofu recipe on the grill!
This grilled tofu is served with grilled tofu kabobs on the side, which are grilled at the same time as the tofu. Round out your meal with Vegan Potato Salad, Cucumber and Onion Salad, fruit, and corn on the cob.
🧀 Ingredients
- Tofu
- Vegan “chicken” broth
- Soy sauce
- Olive oil
- Onion powder
- Garlic
- BBQ sauce (or other sauce)
- Vegetable oil
- Vegetables
- Red wine vinegar
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
Tofu
I like to use firm or extra firm tofu for grilling so it holds up in the grill. Pressing out some of the water using the EZ Tofu Press is important to help it absorb the marinade and retain its shape.
BBQ Sauce (or other sauce)
While grilled marinated tofu is delicious as is, brushing it with BBQ sauce or another sauce like teriyaki or Buffalo sauce makes it extra tasty! The sauce is brushed on in the last minute of cooking on the grill.
Vegetables
I used bell pepper, onion, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes for the grilled vegetable skewers, but you can use any kind of vegetables you like, such as another summer squash, mushrooms, eggplant, or hot peppers.
🍽 Equipment
- EZ Tofu Press
- Grill
- Skewers
EZ Tofu Press
To get nice grill marks on your tofu and the perfect mix of crispy and tender, it’s super important to press your tofu. And during grilling season, every minute outside enjoying the weather counts, so I’m always looking for ways to simplify meal prep.
I use the EZ Tofu Press to press my tofu before grilling to remove the excess water and allow the tofu to absorb the flavors of the marinade.
The EZ Tofu Press has an intuitive design that presses the water out of the tofu with plastic plates and tension knobs. You can place it in a bowl to drain, or my personal favorite method of placing it in a shallow dish, which I then rinse and use for marinating the tofu.
The EZ Tofu Press is made in the USA with BPA-free, USDA-approved plastic, and here to assist you throughout the grilling season! Every extra minute counts
Get your own EZ Tofu Press today for grilled tofu and all your favorite tofu recipes!
Skewers
You’ll need skewers for the vegetable skewers, either reusable metal skewers or bamboo skewers.
If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least an hour, or overnight before grilling so they don’t burn in the grill.
Grill
You can use a propane or charcoal grill for grilling tofu. Either will work perfectly fine for this recipe and give the tofu some nice grill marks, but the charcoal grill will give it more of a “char” flavor.
With a propane grill, you can set the temperature on the grill, whereas with a charcoal grill, you can control the temperature with the air dampers and monitor it with a grill thermometer. Grilled tofu calls for a temperature of 400°F, or medium heat. Learn more about setting the temperature of a charcoal grill.
🔪 Instructions
For the tofu:
Press the tofu using the EZ Tofu Press, tightening the knobs every few minutes, until it’s about ⅔ its original size, about 10 minutes.
Combine the vegan “chicken” broth, soy sauce, olive oil, onion powder, onion powder, and garlic in a shallow dish.
Slice the tofu into 4 equal slabs and place in the marinade. Marinate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
For the vegetables:
If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 1 hour or overnight before using.
Chop the bell pepper, onion, and zucchini into large 2” pieces.
Thread the vegetables onto the skewers, starting with a cherry tomato, then alternating pepper, onion, and zucchini, then ending on the other side with a cherry tomato.
Place the skewers in a shallow dish with a lip, then drizzle with red wine vinegar and olive oil, rotating to coat.
Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then set aside.
To grill:
Preheat the grill to 400°F (see note if using a charcoal grill or other grill without a temperature setting).
Drain the marinated tofu completely, pat dry, and transfer to a plate. Brush both sides of the tofu with oil.
Brush the grill with vegetable oil.
Place the tofu slabs and vegetable skewers on the prepared area.
Grill the tofu for 5-7 minutes on each side, until golden and crispy, and grill the vegetables for 10-12 minutes, turning every 3-4 minutes.
Remove the vegetable skewers from the grill and transfer to a plate. Set aside.
If using a sauce, brush onto the tofu and grill for 30 seconds more on each side.
Transfer to a plate and serve immediately.
🧊 Storage
Store leftover grilled tofu in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Heat in the microwave or on the stovetop before serving.
🌯 How to Use
Grilled tofu can be eaten as is on your dinner plate, but it also makes an excellent addition to a sandwich, salad, and more!
Grilled Tofu Wrap or Sandwich
Slice your grilled tofu into triangles or matchsticks (for a wrap) or keep it whole (for a sandwich) and add lettuce, tomato, vegan cheese, pickles, and your favorite sauce or dressing.
Grilled Tofu Salad
Top your favorite salad with grilled tofu! Slice the grilled tofu into cubes or matchsticks and top your salad.
Grilled Tofu Kabob
Slice your tofu into cubes instead of slabs when marinating, then slide the cubes onto a skewer with vegetables for kabobs. Grill your tofu and vegetable kabobs for 4-5 minutes on each side.
📋 Variation
Marinades
Mix and match your tofu marinade! The marinade in this recipe is easy to make and versatile so it goes well with all kinds of sauces, and tastes great without sauce.
Looking for something different? Try something new like Italian Garlic Marinade, Sesame Ginger Marinade, or Agave “Honey” Mustard Marinade.
Sauces
Rather than BBQ sauce, you could try teriyaki sauce (store bought or homemade), Buffalo sauce, or skip the sauce altogether. The marinade in this recipe would work well with any of these sauces.
Marinade and Sauce Combos
Try one of these marinade and sauce combos for your tofu, or come up with your own!
- Agave “Honey” Mustard Marinade + BBQ Sauce
- Italian Garlic Marinade + Buffalo sauce
- Sesame Ginger Marinade + teriyaki sauce
💭 Tips
- Make sure to clean and scrape the grill before cooking so the tofu doesn't stick or get coated in pieces of grill char.
- Make sure to thoroughly drain and dry pat the tofu before grilling. If it is too wet, it will stick to the grill and won’t turn golden.
- You can use metal or bamboo skewers for the vegetable skewers. If using bamboo skewers for the vegetables, soak the skewers in water for at least an hour, or overnight before grilling so they don’t burn in the grill.
❓ FAQs
Tofu is delicious on the grill, but has a bit of a learning curve! It’s super important to press your tofu (with the help of the EZ Tofu Press!), pat it dry, and brush it with oil so it doesn’t stick to the grill. You can even try patting it dry with a kitchen towel or paper towels before brushing it with oil to ensure it is dry, but retains the flavor of the marinade. Make sure the grill maintains a consistent temperature and start off with a “test” piece at first.
You should marinate your tofu for at least 2 hours for the best flavor, up to overnight. If you’re in a hurry, you can get away with marinating for just 30 minutes. Conversely, don’t marinate your tofu for much longer than 12-15 hours or the flavor will be too strong and salty.
📖 Recipe
Simple Marinated Grilled Tofu with Vegetable Skewers
This marinated grilled tofu recipe is here for all of your summer grill nights! Brush on the barbecue sauce or serve sans sauce with grilled vegetable skewers and your favorite vegan summer sides.
Ingredients
Tofu
- 1 pound firm tofu (1 block)
- 2 cups vegan “chicken” broth or prepared bouillon
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil (for brushing the grill)
- ½ cup BBQ sauce or other sauce, if using
Vegetable Skewers
- 8 bamboo or metal skewers
- 1 bell pepper
- ½ large yellow onion
- 1 medium zucchini
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the tofu:
- Press the tofu using the EZ Tofu Press, tightening the knobs every few minutes, until it’s about ⅔ its original size, about 10 minutes.
- Combine the vegan “chicken” broth, soy sauce, olive oil, onion powder, onion powder, garlic, and pepper in a shallow dish.
- Slice the tofu into 4 equal slabs and place in the marinade. Marinate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
For the vegetables:
- If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 1 hour or overnight before using.
- Chop the bell pepper, onion, and zucchini into large 2” pieces.
- Thread the vegetables onto the skewers, starting with a cherry tomato, then alternating pepper, onion, and zucchini, then ending on the other side with a cherry tomato.
- Place the skewers in a shallow dish with a lip, then drizzle with red wine vinegar and olive oil, rotating to coat. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then set aside.
To grill:
- Preheat the grill to 400°F (see note if using a charcoal grill or other grill without a temperature setting).
- Drain the marinated tofu completely, pat dry, and transfer to a plate. Brush both sides of the tofu with oil.
- Brush the grill with vegetable oil.
- Place the tofu slabs and vegetable skewers on the prepared area. Grill the tofu for 5-7 minutes on each side, until golden and crispy, and grill the vegetables for 10-12 minutes, turning every 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the vegetable skewers from the grill and transfer to a plate. Set aside.
- If using a sauce, brush onto the tofu and grill for 30 seconds more on each side.
- Transfer to a plate and serve immediately.
Notes
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 370Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1682mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 4gSugar: 18gProtein: 15g
All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on seitanbeatsyourmeat.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.
Thanks again to EZ Tofu Press for sponsoring this post. Order your own EZ Tofu Press on Amazon and get ready to fire up the grill!
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