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–+ servings
Bowls of tofu cubes marinating.

The BEST Tofu Marinade (6 flavors!)

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Tracy Halasz

Ingredients

Spicy Maple Mustard Tofu Marinade (the best!)

  • 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2-3 teaspoons sriracha
  • black pepper to taste

Asian Tofu Marinade

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 1 ½ tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 ½ tablespoons mirin
  • 1 tablespoons maple syrup / brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons ginger, grated/minced
  • 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Nashville Hot Tofu Marinade

  • 2 tablespoons hot sauce (eg. Valentina, sriracha)
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or vegan honey
  • 1 teaspoon smoky paprika
  • 2-3 tablespoons pickle juice (or vinegar)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon butter (optional - see recipe note)

Smoky BBQ Tofu Marinade

  • ⅓ cup bbq sauce, bold smoky
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice (more to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup (if needed)

Greek Tofu Marinade

  • 3 - 4 tablespoons white (or red) wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon sweet paprika powder
  • 1 tablespoon oregano, dry (or fresh to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon shallot, chopped
  • 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper (to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup (more to taste)
  • red pepper flakes
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil (skip if oil free)

Vietnamese Lemongrass Tofu Marinade

  • 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons shallot, chopped
  • 1 stem lemongrass (white part only), minced
  • 2 tablespoons orange/tangerine juice (freshly squeezed)
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 4 teaspoons soy sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil (more or less to taste)

Instructions

  • Press the tofu: First press the tofu by wrapping the block in a kitchen towel or paper towels then stack some heavy cookbooks on top. Or use a tofu press if you have one (15 - 30 minutes).
  • Mix up the marinade: While the tofu is pressing, mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl or jar.
  • Cut the tofu: Cut or break the pressed tofu into bite size pieces (1" cubes) or any desired shapes ie. slabs, slices or triangles.
  • Marinate the tofu: Add the tofu cubes to a zip top bag, pour in the marinade then gently massage to coat each piece thoroughly. Halfway through, massage again and flip the bag to make sure the tofu is evenly soaking up marinade.
  • Cook the tofu: Remove the tofu pieces from the bag (save the remaining marinade for drizzling). Shake off any excess marinade before cooking.
  • To Pan Fry: Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the marinated tofu pieces in a single layer with space between. Fry the tofu until golden brown, flip using a fork or slotted spoon and fry the other side (~5-6 minutes total or until golden). See recipe post for other cooking methods.
  • To Store: Store any leftover cooked tofu in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. The texture and flavors are amazing the next day (hot or cold!).

Notes

Pressing Tofu: In my complete guide to tofu, you'll find a deep dive into selecting, pressing, and cooking tofu that tastes good. However, the basic steps are to wrap the tofu in some paper towels or a kitchen towel. Then stack a few heavy cookbooks on top to extract excess water (or use a tofu press) for 15 minutes or more. Choose firm or extra firm, organic, tofu if available.
Tofu Marinade: The marinade recipes are all simple to make, oil-free and gluten-free friendly, and super flavorful. Some use fresh garlic and herbs while others use dry spices; however, feel free to use whichever you have in the pantry and fridge. Sub in your favorite hot sauce or vegan sweetener as desired.
Nashville Hot Marinade: Don't add the butter to the marinade sauce. Once the tofu is baking, stir 1 tablespoon of melted butter into the remaining marinade and use it to baste the tofu or drizzle it over the tofu before serving. A traditional Nashville hot style sauce is MUCH hotter than this recipe - add cayenne pepper to your taste!!!
Pro Tip to stop tofu from sticking: Place tofu pieces into a hot skillet and then don't touch until the water has cooked off and the tofu has formed a light crust. Then flip it and repeat on the other side. This takes only a few minutes per side. If you start moving it around too early, the tofu will stick - give it time to naturally release.
How to cook the crispiest tofu: If you are going for super crispy tofu, use the pan-frying method (oil heats to a very high temperature which in turn forms a crispier crust on the tofu than its oil-free counterpart).
Cooking the tofu: Bake, pan fry or air fry. See the post above for all the cooking methods!
Leftover marinade: Most of these tofu marinades are on the thicker side so can be used as is for basting or drizzling the tofu during or after cooking. If the marinade is thin, heat it up in a small saucepan with a cornstarch slurry over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes until thickened. Cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch + 2 teaspoons water).