If you're looking for the perfect tofu marinade, then I have 15 ideas that will transform your tofu from meh to magnificent! Whether you want to bake, fry or air fry your tofu, these marinades will level up your tofu game.
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Tofu is one of the most versatile ingredients around; that's because it has the unique ability to soak up the flavors around it. Think of it as a blank canvas, waiting to be transformed with a delicious marinade.
Reasons You'll Love These Marinades
✅They're easy to prepare!
✅They're all 100% vegan.
✅You can marinate your tofu and serve it over rice, noodles, or even as a sandwich filling. The creative possibilities are endless.
✅Marinate your tofu overnight, and you're halfway to having dinner on the table.
Before we get to the tofu marinades, let's cover the basics of how to prep your tofu.
What Kind Of Tofu Is Best For Marinating?
You can marinated any kind of tofu, but the best choice, if you want your tofu to retain its shape (like cubes or triangles), is extra firm tofu.
Extra firm tofu has had most of the water content removed, so it has a denser, meatier texture than silken or medium tofu. You can use it in stir fries, cut it into slices for sandwiches, or crumble it into a mince. It's great and absorbing flavors, and is my top pick for these tofu marinade recipes.
How To Press Tofu
If you want crispy tofu, it's a good idea to press it to remove as much water as possible. You can do this with a tofu press, or by simply wrapping the tofu in some clean dish towels and resting something heavy on it (like a cast iron pan).
Press the tofu for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour. Halfway through, replace the dish towels with fresh ones as the original towels will be saturated with water. The tofu block should be noticeably smaller after pressing it.
How To Marinate Tofu
- If you want crispy tofu, press it for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.
- Cut the tofu into your preferred shape. You can cut it into triangles, cubes or steaks.
- Now pour your chosen marinade into a resealable bag or an airtight container.
- Add your tofu and gently move it around so that it's evenly coated in the marinade.
- For maximum flavor, you should leave your tofu to marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight. However, it you're in a hurry even 30 minutes will result in flavorful tofu.
- Now, all you need to do is cook your tofu according to your preference. You can bake it, fry it, stir fry it or even cook it in your air fryer.
Tofu Marinade (15 Ways)
Add a punch of flavor to your tofu or tempeh with this easy tofu marinade. It’s tangy, sweet and savory and super quick to make.
In this Tofu Tikka Masala, tofu chunks get marinated in a homemade spice blend and creamy yogurt, then broiled until charred and coated in a rich tomato-onion gravy. It's a plant-based spin on chicken tikka masala and one of the most delicious Indian dishes you'll ever taste!
An easy and delicious marinade for crispy, flavorsome tofu every single time. This recipe is perfect for noodle and rice dishes, but wouldn't be out of place in a wrap or salad either!
Orange chipotle tofu skewers are a step away from typical soy-based marinades, and the charred, caramelized cubes are just delicious in a soft taco or alongside your favorite salads.
The best part about this marinade is that it only requires a few simple ingredients: soy sauce, ginger, garlic and olive oil. So if you're looking for an easy way to add some flavor to your tofu, be sure to give this recipe a try.
This sesame ginger marinade is perfect on baked tofu. Serve with rice or noodles for an easy and satisfying dinner.
This marinated smoky tofu is super easy to prepare and perfect for sandwiches (BLT style), Buddha bowls or even with noodles. Made by soaking slices of tofu in a simple smoky marinade, then roasting in a pan until crispy and caramelized. It is SO flavorful and a much easier and accessible version compared to an actual smoked tofu recipe.
This brown sugar glaze pairs perfectly with the neutral taste of tofu to make this incredible vegan glazed ham recipe! Serve it as main course and use leftovers for sandwiches!
Made with balsamic vinegar and maple syrup, this marinade is both sweet and tangy, and it really brings out the flavor of the tofu. Plus, it's super easy to make - just mix all of the ingredients together and bake your tofu in the marinade.
If you are looking for a delicious sweet and spicy dinner, then this vegan chipotle mango BBQ tofu will hit the spot every time!
Fancy a dinner trip to Polynesia? Then make this sweet & sour macadamia tofu baked in a caramelized sweet & sour sauce and topped with a toasty macadamia nut crust.
If you love teriyaki, then this is the marinade for you. Simply press and cut your tofu and marinade it in this delicious sauce. Save some to drizzle over your noodles!
Here's four different tofu marinades to make dinner a breeze. Including jerk, cilantro lime, herb and citrus and Italian marinated tofu.
If you love a Bahn Mi sandwich, then you're going to love this tofu marinade. It even comes with a delicious pickle to heap on the side.
It only takes a few minutes to make this simple, homemade vegan hoisin marinade. This popular Cantonese sauce is the perfect partner for tofu and rice.
Craving More Easy Vegan Recipes?
Easy Aubergine And Chickpea Curry
15 Minute Vegan BBQ Sauce - No Ketchup
Marcellina
What a great round up of tofu marinades! There's something for everyone! I particularly love the Bahn Mi marinade - so good!
Natalie
What a treasure of delicious marinade recipes, Keri! Just what I needed, to have it all in one place, thanks!
Keri Bevan
Thank you Natalie!
Freya
I love that we have options here to marinade tofu to suit so many different dishes!
Jean
The vegan teriyaki sounds so tempting to try. I like thst you gave so many options to marinate tofu.
Luke
Fantastic round-up of tofu marinade; my favourite was Tofu Tikka Masala marinade; it was delicious, and the family loved it 🙂
Keri Bevan
Thank you, Luke! So glad everyone enjoyed it!x