Six vegan, gluten-free tofu marinades for grilling, baking, frying, or stir-fries. Use them on any vegan protein that you want like tempeh and seitan as well.
For the marinades with granulated sugar: (Thai Chili and Teriyaki)
Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves completely.
Allow to cool before pouring over tofu.
For the marinades without granulated sugar: (Balsamic, Cornell, Sweet Asian)
Add all ingredients to a small bowl and stir with a whisk or fork until well blended.
Cilantro Lime
Put all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until everything is chopped up very small.
To cook the tofu after marinating
Bake on an oiled cookie sheet at 400°F for 30 minutes flipping cubes every 10 minutes. You can also pan-fry or deep-fry it.
Notes
Pro Tips for perfect marinated tofu
Use extra-firm tofu. The extra firm tofu (that comes in a plastic tub filled with liquid) is spongy and will soak up a lot of the marinade.
Soak the tofu longer if using high protein tofu. (This is the best type for grilled tofu). The high-protein tofu is super dense, so you can't squeeze as much liquid out, allow it to soak longer to absorb more flavor.
Freeze your tofu. Tofu that has been frozen solid and then rethawed is spongier and you can squeeze out a lot more liquid. Doing this before marinating means that it will soak more of the marinade. It's not necessary, and it does give your tofu a slightly different texture, but some people really like it this way.
Use a marinade with an acid like vinegar or lime juice. This acidity breaks down the protein and allows the marinade to infuse deeper into the tofu.
Marinate your tofu for at least 24 hours. Tofu will have a nice flavor after marinating for about 30 minutes, but if you want very flavorful tofu, allow it to at least sit overnight in the fridge. (Make sure to keep your tofu refrigerated while marinating)!
Marinate your tofu in a sealable plastic bag. This allows the whole piece of tofu to be submerged in the marinade. This way the whole piece soaks up the flavor, not just the bottom. (I know that many people avoid plastic, so if you do, simply use any shallow glass or ceramic container with a flat bottom).
Baste the Tofu. While the tofu is cooking, brush on some more marinade to allow it to absorb more flavor.