If you ever wondered how to make grilled tofu that's bursting with flavor and that won't fall apart on the grill, let me show you a few tricks. I've been grilling tofu for over 20 years and I've learned a few things along the way to make sure that it comes out perfectly every time! I'm excited to share my secrets with you to make sure you have success grilling tofu too! Whether you make tofu steaks or tofu skewers, you will have perfectly cooked flavorful tofu every time.
The key to perfectly grilled tofu is starting with dense firm tofu that won't fall apart, then flavoring the tofu with a good tofu marinade or BBQ sauce. Finally, a grilling mat will help support the tofu and keep it from sticking or falling through the cooking grate.
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🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Tofu - you will want the firmest tofu you can find. The high-protein tofu that comes in the vacuum-sealed pouches works the best on the grill. It holds together and won't break when you cook it. If you can't find this type of tofu, you can also use extra firm tofu and press it well.
- Marinade - a great tofu marinade is a key to getting flavorful tofu. You can marinate it in anything that you like, but these are my family's 6 favorite go-to marinades for tofu. You will want to marinate your tofu for at least 30 minutes, but it will be more flavorful if you marinate it overnight. (Be sure to save the marinade for basting your tofu when it's on the grill too). Many store-bought salad dressings also work well as tofu marinades. Use a shallow dish like a lasagna pan or a quart-size plastic bag to marinate the tofu. You want as much surface area as possible to be touching your tofu.
- Sauce for Basting - you can use your marinade to baste your tofu or use a thicker sauce or glaze like my teriyaki sauce, vegan buffalo sauce, or vegan BBQ sauce. (If you chose to use one of these thicker sticker sauces, add it in the last minute or 2 of cooking so it doesn't burn.)
🔪 Helpful tools
- Grill - Any grill will work for tofu.
- Copper Grilling Mats - We started using these copper grilling mats a few summers ago and they have totally changed the way we are able to grill! They give the tofu support so it doesn't crumble or fall through the grates of the grill! Although they are flat the tofu still gets those lovely charred grill marks too. (They are also awesome for vegetables and kabobs on the grill). Note: As a vegan, I also love these mats for camping or taking to barbecues where we need to use a grill that has previously been used to cook meat. This way our cooking surface stays uncontaminated!
- Spatula - for flipping the tofu. (Tongs will also work if your tofu is firm enough).
- Basting Brush - for brushing on extra marinade while cooking. (This isn't necessary, but it's nice to have).
🥄 Instructions
Prepare the tofu
- Drain the tofu and press it in a tofu press or simply between two plates or cutting boards with something heavy on top.
- Allow the tofu to press for about 15 minutes pouring off any excess liquid that has drained out.
- Pat the block of tofu with a paper towel or a very clean dish towel to remove any excess liquid.
- Cut the tofu into large squares or rectangles about 1/2 inch thick.
- Make the tofu marinade of your choice and marinate the tofu in a shallow dish or a ziplock bag for 30 minutes to up to 3 days.
Notes about the tofu: The high-protein super firm tofu, does not need to be pressed much. It is too dense to get much liquid out of it. You can just wrap a paper towel around it to dry it off a little. Since this tofu is not as porous as the type that comes packed in water, it will not soak up the marinade as easily.
Gill the tofu
- Place the copper grilling mat on your grill if you have one. If not, high protein tofu will hold together the best.
- Heat your grill with the lid on for about 5 minutes to get the grill hot.
- Place the tofu pieces on the grill and close the lid.
- Cook over medium flames for about 5 minutes and then flip over and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Brush the tofu with the marinade while cooking for extra flavor.
- Serve over rice on a bun as a sandwich, or just eat it plain.
👩🏻🍳 Pro tips
- Use the dense high protein tofu - the one that comes in a vacuum-sealed pouch. This tofu will not fall apart on you and holds its shape and has a firm texture.
- Marinate your tofu - pick one of my tofu marinades or use your favorite, but just be sure to season it well. It can get dry and tasteless if you don't marinate it well. Using a marinade with some salt or an acid like vinegar or lemon or lime juice helps to break down the protein and allows the flavor to penetrate the tofu better.
- Use a grilling mat - copper grilling mats are a lifesaver when it comes to grilling tofu, veggies, and other smaller more delicate ingredients. It allows them to get the same charred flavor without falling through the grates.
- Baste the tofu while it's grilling - use some extra marinade to brush on the tofu as it's grilling for extra flavor.
🍢 Grilled tofu skewers
- Press the tofu and cut it into 1-inch cubes.
- Cut up veggies like zucchini, yellow squash, and bell peppers into 1-inch long pieces. You can also use button mushrooms and cherry tomatoes, just leave them whole.
- Place the tofu and veggies in a large shallow pan with the tofu marinade of your choice and let sit for at least 1/2 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Pierce the tofu and veggies with a skewer.
- Grill for about 2-3 minutes on each of the 4 sides of the cubes for a total of 8-12 minutes of cooking time.
- Baste with the marinade after each time you flip them.
- Serve over rice or eat right off the stick.
🌟 More tofu recipes
- Baked Tofu
- Breaded Tofu
- Teriyaki Tofu with Vegetables
- How to Make Crispy Fried Tofu
- Tofu Fries
- Vegan Sour Cream Made with Tofu
- Pan-Fried Tofu
We love tofu in our house and prepare it in many different ways. I use it in both sweet and savory recipes and even use it to make vegan cheeses. You can check out my whole collection of tofu recipes here.
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
How to make easy marinated tofu on the grill. Grill flavorful tofu steaks or skewers in minutes.
- 1 16 oz block high protein tofu
- 1 cup tofu marinade chose between my 6 favorites or use your own.
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
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Drain the tofu and press it in a tofu press or between two plates or cutting boards with something heavy placed on top.
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Allow the tofu to press for about 15 minutes, pouring off any excess liquid that has drained out.
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Pat the block of tofu with a paper towel or clean dish towel to remove any excess liquid.
-
Cut the tofu into large squares or rectangles about 1/2 inch thick.
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Add all of the marinade ingredients to a shallow dish and stir well. Add the cut pressed tofu to the marinade for 30 minutes or up to 3 days if using high protein tofu. (You can also use any other tofu marinade of choice.)
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Place the copper grilling mat on your grill if you have one.
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Heat the grill with the lid on for five minutes.
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Place the tofu pieces on the grill and close the lid.
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Cook over medium flames for about 5 minutes and then flip over and cook for another 5 minutes.
-
Brush the tofu with the marinade while cooking for extra flavor.
-
Serve over rice on a bun as a sandwich, or just eat it plain.
- Use dense high protein tofu - the one that comes in a vacuum-sealed pouch. This tofu will not fall apart on you, holds its shape, and has a firm texture.
- Marinate your tofu - pick one of my tofu marinades or use your favorite, but just be sure to season it well. It can get dry and tasteless if you don't marinate it well. Using a marinade with some salt or an acid like vinegar or lemon or lime juice helps break down the protein and allows the flavor to penetrate the tofu better.
- Use a grilling mat - copper grilling mats are a lifesaver when it comes to grilling tofu, veggies, and other smaller more delicate ingredients. It allows them to get the same charred flavor without falling through the grates.
- Base the tofu while it's grilling - use some extra marinade to brush on the tofu as it's grilling for more flavor.
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