8 Easy Tofu Marinade Recipes in Minutes
These Easy Tofu Marinade Recipes are perfect infusions for vegan meat substitutes like tofu, tempeh, and seitan. Great for grilling, baking, and stir-fries. All of them are vegan, oil-free, and can easily be made gluten-free!
Though on its own, tofu can be bland and a bit tasteless, when it is prepared correctly, every bite can be a flavorful masterpiece. As a matter of fact, it’s pretty easy to learn How to Cook With Tofu, and it can be made into just about anything. These sauces will take those healthy meals to a whole new level!
Use these marinades to make recipes like our tofu broccoli teriyaki stir-fry, this tofu stir-fry with sweet ginger sauce, or my amazing sweet and sour veggie oil-free stir-fry.
Reasons you will love these tofu sauces
- Flavor-Packed and Healthy: These oil-free marinades infuse tofu with bold, delicious flavors while keeping your meals light and wholesome.
- Versatile and Customizable: Whether you’re craving savory, spicy, or tangy, these marinades can be tailored to suit your taste and work for baking, grilling, or stir-frying tofu.
- Quick and Easy to Make: With simple, plant-based ingredients, these marinades come together in minutes, making meal prep a breeze.
Why marinate tofu?
It all comes down to taste. I used to think tofu tasted pretty awful, but the problem was actually that the tofu I had tried just wasn’t prepared and flavored well.
Tofu has a very bland taste on its own, but it quickly soaks up flavors from marinades and spices that can really liven it up.
There are many different marinades that can be used with tofu like this oil-free teriyaki sauce and my homemade Asian oil-free sauce. Whichever one you use, the tofu will need a little prep work first, so let me explain.
What kind of tofu to use?
For grilling, baking, and stir-fries, you’ll want to use a firm or extra firm Chinese tofu that is usually found in the produce or cold section of most grocery stores. If you aren’t familiar with the different types of tofu, our guide for cooking with tofu can help answer a lot of questions.
Basically, Chinese tofu is usually much firmer, whereas Japanese tofu is more soft and smooth and suitable for creams, sauces, and desserts. This article, Easy Vegan Tofu Recipes, has even more information about the different types of tofu and some great tofu recipes.
Tips & suggestions
- Press tofu for better absorption- Remove excess water from tofu by pressing it with a tofu press or wrapping it in a clean towel and placing a heavy object on top. This step allows the tofu to soak up the marinade more effectively.
- Use firm or extra-firm tofu- Firm and extra-firm tofu hold their shape better and are ideal for marinating, especially when grilling, baking, or pan-frying. Silken tofu is too delicate for most marinades.
- Marinate for enough time- Allow the tofu to marinate for at least 30 minutes, but for the best results, let it sit for 2-4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Longer marination means deeper flavor.
- Cut into smaller pieces- Dice, slice, or cube the tofu before marinating to increase the surface area, allowing the marinade to coat and flavor each piece more thoroughly.
Does tofu have to be pressed?
Tofu does need to be pressed for most recipes where it will be used as a main dish like when making Kabobs and Tofu Teriyaki.
Recipes that use silken tofu in creamy recipes like my Chocolate Tofu Mousse or in sauces like this Vegan Tofu Mayo are a different story and usually don’t need to be drained and pressed because they are made with soft Japanese tofu.
Before being marinaded, which is what we will be covering in this article, tofu must be drained and pressed to remove all the water it’s packed in.
Two options for draining and pressing
- The traditional way – Slit the package and drain excess water over a sink. Next, place the tofu block in a tofu press, if you have one, and allow it to sit for about 30 minutes. UPDATE: I recently purchased this tofu press and love it. No more cast iron pan pressing for me. This is much easier and cleaner!
- Homemade press way – Place the tofu block on an absorbent surface such as layered paper towels or a dishtowel. Use another dish towel or a few paper towels to place on top of the block and top with a heavy plate or cast iron pan. Continue to drain under pressure for approximately 30 minutes.
Freezing tofu
If you want to make it even easier, freeze your tofu ahead of time. When you’re ready to use it in a stir fry or other dish, defrost it completely by either placing it in the refrigerator for 24+ hours or submerging it in a large bowl of very warm water. If submerging, it will take an hour or so and will require changing the water a couple of times to make sure it stays very warm.
Once defrosted, open the container and drain out excess water. You will notice that the molecular structure of the tofu has actually changed. It is much firmer and sponge-like.
It can now be handled with ease and the water can be squeezed out of it using your hands, just like wringing out a sponge. Check out my cooking demo of Breakfast Tofu Scramble to see how easy it is.
How to marinate tofu
Once the tofu is drained and pressed, it’s time to get down to marinating it. You’ll want to slice it into cubes or larger chunks depending on the recipe being made.
Submerge the tofu cubes or pieces into the marinade of your choice. I have some of my favorites listed below.
The thinner the marinade the better because being thinner will allow it to be absorbed into the tofu more readily. If your marinade needs to be thinned a bit, simply add a little veggie broth or water.
I like to use a flat-bottom glass dish with a lid to marinate my tofu to provide even distribution of the sauce. Cover and place in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Oil-free tofu marinades typically use ingredients like soy sauce, tamari, vinegar, citrus juice, maple syrup, mustard, and a variety of herbs and spices. These create bold, delicious flavors without added oils.
For the best flavor, marinate tofu for at least 30 minutes, but letting it sit for 2-4 hours or overnight can enhance the taste even more. Pressing the tofu beforehand helps it absorb the marinade better.
Yes! Oil-free marinades work perfectly for baking or grilling tofu. The marinade helps the tofu caramelize and develop a rich flavor without needing added oil.
8 Tofu Marinade Sauces
These oil-free tofu marinades are perfect infusions for vegan meat substitutes like tofu, tempeh, and seitan. Great for grilling, baking, and stir-fries. They will take those healthy meals to a whole new level.
Sweet and sticky homemade Teriyaki Sauce is absolutely delicious when used in stir fry recipes or even as a marinade. It only requires a few ingredients and can be ready in minutes!
This is one of the easiest stir fry sauce recipes you’ll ever make. It is kind of like an all-purpose sauce that is delicious on stir-fries and even used as a dipping sauce.
I use this Asian Stir Fry Sauce with a lot of dishes besides just stir-fries including as a dip, marinade, topping for pasta, and much more.
This sweet ginger sesame sauce has so many uses. I like to use it in stir-fries and even to just season a bowl of rice. It can even be used as a dipping sauce or marinade. More recently, I found out it makes a great salad dressing as well.
Miso Sauce is a simple all-purpose sauce that is great to keep on hand for veggie bowls, salads, steamed or grilled veggies, and so much more. It even works great as a marinade.
Sweet and Sour Sauce is so versatile and easy to make with only a few ingredients. It’s perfect for livening up recipes and using as a dipping sauce. It also happens to be vegan, oil-free, and gluten-free.
This easy tahini sauce recipe takes less than 5-minutes to make with only a handful of ingredients. It’s delicious on pasta, salad, veggie bowls, falafels, and more!
This Orange Salad Dressing is deliciously refreshing when paired with a green salad, pasta, bean salad, or even used as a marinade! Five minutes and a few ingredients are all you need to make this tasty dressing recipe!
I hope you enjoyed exploring our list of oil-free vegan tofu marinade recipes and found a few you’re excited to try! These flavorful marinades are sure to elevate your tofu dishes and bring variety to your meals.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
