This easy stir-fried teriyaki tofu bowl is a quick and easy, healthy, flavorful meal that the whole family will love! Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner but pretty and flavorful enough for a dinner party, this tofu teriyaki will impress! Plus, it's gluten-free, vegan, and packed full of veggies, a dish that you can feel good about serving!
Jump to:
❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- it's quick and easy to make.
- it's vegan, gluten-free, and packed with healthy veggies.
- works great for meal prep and make-ahead lunches!
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Tofu - you will need extra firm tofu or high-protein tofu. Soft tofu or silken tofu will fall apart when you cook it.
- Teriyaki Sauce - you can either use store-bought teriyaki sauce or easily make your own homemade teriyaki sauce.
- To make your own you'll need
- tamari or Bragg's Liquid Aminos (for gluten-free) or regular soy sauce if not gluten-free.
- water - to dilute the strong flavor of the soy sauce.
- brown sugar - to sweeten the sauce. (you can also use white sugar or maple syrup)
- vinegar - to give the sauce the needed acidity.
- sesame oil - for flavor and a little richness.
- ginger - to give the teriyaki the authentic flavor.
- garlic - for flavor.
- To make your own you'll need
- Sesame Oil - to stir fry the tofu and veggies and to give it an authentic Asian flavor. (You can use any oil that you like though).
- Vegetables - any veggies that you like will probably work well in the stir-fry.
- My favorites to use are...
- broccoli
- bell peppers
- mushrooms
- zucchini
- yellow squash
- carrots
- celery
- My favorites to use are...
- Rice, Grain, or Noodles - to serve the tofu and veggies over. Use your choice of brown rice, basmati rice, long or short-grain rice, couscous, quinoa, or even spaghetti noodles, rice noodle, or soba noodles.
🌟 How to marinate the tofu
I highly recommend that you marinate the tofu before you cook it to get the best flavor. You have two choices when marinating the tofu.
- teriyaki marinade - this is simply my teriyaki sauce recipe without the added corn starch that causes it to thicken. (I find that if I use the starch-thickened teriyaki sauce, the tofu doesn't crisp up as well. Using a thinner sauce allows it to soak into the tofu and doesn't burn or stick when you cook).
- soy sauce - this gives the tofu a nice flavor without the work of making another batch of teriyaki sauce. (This method is quicker and easier, and you don't lose too much flavor). You can use regular soy sauce or if you want it to be gluten-free use Tamari or Bragg's Liquid Aminos.
🥄 Instructions
- Make the homemade teriyaki marinade by putting all of the marinade ingredients in a small saucepan. (1/2 cup cold water, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp sesame oil, minced garlic, ginger root, garlic chili paste, and 1 tbsp corn starch) and simmer over medium heat until all of the sugar dissolves.
- Drain and press your extra firm tofu to get as much excess water out of it as possible.
- Cut the tofu into 1/2 inch cubes.
- Marinate the tofu in the teriyaki marinade for at least 15 minutes. (The teriyaki marinade is the same as the homemade sauce, but without the starch to thicken it. This way your tofu will be able to soak up the sauce.)
- Pour the marinade back into a saucepan. Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and stir it into the marinade. Turn on the heat and bring to a boil while stirring frequently to thicken the sauce.
- Stir fry the tofu in 1 tbsp of sesame oil on medium-high heat, flipping frequently until the tofu cubes become crispy on all sides.
- While the tofu is cooking, wash and cut about 3 cups of any veggies that you want to add to the dish.
- Remove the cooked tofu from the skillet, and add an additional tablespoon of sesame oil.
- Stir fry the veggies for about 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat until they are cooked, but not mushy.
- Add the tofu back into the skillet with the veggies and drizzle with about 1 cup of thickened teriyaki sauce.
- Mix well and serve over rice or noodles.
👩🏻🍳 Pro tips
- Make sure to drain and press your tofu well.
- Add the thickened teriyaki sauce after cooking to avoid it sticking and burning to the pan.
- Marinate the tofu for at least 15 minutes. You can marinate it a day or two in advance, but be sure to keep it refrigerated until ready to cook.
- To make spicy teriyaki tofu: Add 1 tsp of garlic chili paste aka Sambal Oelek to the teriyaki sauce.
🥡 Storing, reheating, and freezing
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheat in the microwave for 2-4 minutes depending on the amount that you are reheating. You can also reheat it on the stovetop in a pan with a few splashes of water to thin out the sauce if needed.
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat according to the directions above.
📖 Variations
Extra Crispy Teriyaki Tofu: You can use my recipe for crispy fried tofu and then pour the teriyaki sauce over top of it. This tofu is deep-fried in a light corn starch batter like the crispy tofu you may find at your favorite Chinese restaurant.
Baked Teriyaki Tofu: If you prefer to bake your tofu, simply place the marinated tofu on a cookie sheet and bake it at 400° F for about 40-45 minutes, flipping it every 10 minutes until it is as crispy as you would like it. Pour the teriyaki sauce over the baked tofu after it comes out of the oven. Pro Tip: Use the soy sauce method or the teriyaki marinade without the cornstarch added. A thickened sauce will get sticky and burn on the cookie sheet.
Grilled Teriyaki Tofu: If you would like to cook your tofu on the grill, cut the tofu into large rectangles about 1/2 inch thick and marinate it in the teriyaki marinade. Grill it for about 4-5 minutes on each side. Pro Tip: Copper grilling mats work great for grilling tofu! They give it extra support so it doesn't fall through the spaces in the grill.
Teriyaki Noodles - If you don't want to serve your teriyaki tofu over rice, you can turn it into teriyaki noodles! It's delicious either warm or cold, so it's perfect for meal prep.
Chickpea Teriyaki Tofu - If you want to avoid soy and need a tofu alternative, you can use chickpea tofu aka Burmese tofu in place of the tofu for a delicious soy-free meal.
Vegan Kebabs - Swap out seitan for tofu in my grilled kebab recipe for grilled teriyaki tofu.
Want more tofu marinade ideas? Check out my family's 6 favorite tofu marinade recipes.
🌟 More tofu recipes
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
Tofu and veggies with teriyaki sauce served over rice or noodles.
- 16 oz extra firm tofu or high protein tofu
- 1/2 cup cold water (or Tamari or Bragg's liquid amino for gluten-free)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
- 2 tablespoon vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1-2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1-2 teaspoons fresh ginger (minced)
- 1 teaspoon garlic chili paste aka Sambal Oelek or Sriracha (optional for a spicy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 2 tablespoons water to mix with the corn starch
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil divided
- 3 cups mixed vegetables of choice
- 4 cups cooked rice or noodles
-
Make the homemade teriyaki marinade by putting all of the marinade ingredients in a small saucepan. (1/2 cup cold water, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp sesame oil, minced garlic, ginger root, garlic chili paste, and 1 tbsp corn starch) and simmer over medium heat until all of the sugar dissolves.
-
Drain and press your extra firm tofu to get as much excess water out of it as possible.
-
Cut the tofu into 1/2 inch cubes.
-
Marinate the tofu in the teriyaki marinade for at least 15 minutes. (The teriyaki marinade is the same as the homemade sauce, but without the starch to thicken it. This way your tofu will be able to soak up the sauce.)
-
Pour the marinade back into a saucepan. Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and stir it into the marinade. Turn on the heat and bring to a boil while stirring frequently to thicken the sauce.
-
Stir fry the tofu in 1 tbsp of sesame oil on medium-high heat, flipping frequently until the tofu cubes become crispy on all sides.
-
While the tofu is cooking, wash and cut about 3 cups of any veggies that you want to add to the dish.
-
Remove the cooked tofu from the skillet, and add an additional tablespoon of sesame oil.
-
Stir fry the veggies for about 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat until they are cooked, but not mushy.
-
Add the tofu back into the skillet with the veggies and drizzle with about 1 cup of thickened teriyaki sauce.
-
Mix well and serve over rice or noodles.
Recipe Video
- Make sure to drain and press your tofu well.
- Add the teriyaki sauce after cooking to prevent it from sticking and burning.
- Marinate the tofu for at least 15 minutes. You can marinate it a day or two in advance, but be sure to keep it refrigerated until ready to cook.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Leave a comment and starred review! I would love to hear from you!
Delicious! I used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar and it worked well. My 9 year old son wanted to eat the sauce by the spoonfuls!
I'm so happy that you guys liked the recipe! 🙂
Can I soak the Tofu overnight in Teriyaki Sauce?
Yes, you can use the teriyaki sauce as a marinade. When I do this I usually leave out the starch, so it's thinner and will soak into the tofu better. You can then take the marinade, add the starch, and cook it to make it a thicker glaze to pour over the cooked tofu.
Made this last night and it was delicious. How many days is this good for? It was my first time making tofu so I don’t know it’s shelf life after cooking.
I'm so happy that you liked it, Kelly! It will stay good in the fridge for 3-5 days. 🙂
Can I use the marinade teriyaki as the the sauce once the tofu is done? Or do I need to discard the marinade and make a new batch of teriyaki? Thanks!
You can save the marinade and simply add starch to it and thicken it into the sauce. Enjoy! 🙂
Made this tonight. Yum! Made it as directed except left out all the oil and used your alternate baking instructions. Put all over brown rice noodles and my husband said it’s a real winner:) thanks!
I'm so happy that you liked it, Diane! 🙂
This was easy and delicious! I made your teriyaki sauce as well. Thank you for a quick go to recipe. 🙂
So happy that you liked it, Carrie! You're very welcome! 🙂
I never know how to cook tofu. After making your Grilled Teriyaki Tofu last night I realized that I was doing it all wrong! It's so good! This was a big hit at my family get together. Thank you for posting!
I'm so happy that you tried this recipe and that your family liked it! 🙂
I thought eating vegan meant no oils? That’s what I hear anyway.
No, vegan means that you don't consume any animal products. Lard is an oil that would not be vegan, but nearly every other oil is vegan because there are derived from plants. There are some people who eat plant-based and avoid processed oils, but that is a diet people follow for health reasons, not ethical ones.