Grilled Tofu marinated in a punchy lemony, noochy, garlicky marinade before heading to the grill (or skillet) to get golden and delicious! It's absolutely packed with flavour and really easy to make.
Want some accompaniments for the grill? Try my grilled potato packets or grilled baby potatoes, and then my grilled nectarines for dessert!
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I don't know about you, but one of my favourite proteins to add to just about anything is tofu, and I especially love it when it's grilled and full of flavour thanks to a fantastic marinade.
First, though, can we all admit that it can be a little difficult to grill tofu without it becoming tough, chewy, and a little lacking in flavour?
So today, in the AVV kitchen, we're going to talk about how to make really delicious grilled tofu with a banging marinade that gives it SO much flavour! Below you'll find my tips and tricks for achieving the best grilled tofu that stays flavourful and tender.
And while I do love cooking this marinated grilled tofu on the grill (summer, don't go!), it works just as well in a grill pan or skillet on the stovetop.
Time to get your grill on!
Mel x
🤍 WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS GRILLED TOFU
- Quick and easy to make.
- Punchy and packed with flavour.
- The flavour gets better and better while it sits in the fridge.
- The lemony, garlicky, noochy marinade pulls double duty: marinating before grilling gives the tofu great flavour, and the leftovers become a zingy, flavourful finishing sauce.
- So versatile! Good for cookouts and family dinners.
- Great for meal prep! Prepping this marinated grilled tofu recipe takes just a few minutes, and it can hang out in the fridge getting more and more flavourful until you're ready to throw it on the grill.
Ingredients
Here is what you need at a glance, along with some important ingredient notes & substitution ideas:
- Extra-firm tofu - It must be extra firm tofu and not any other type.
- Nutritional yeast - For umami flavour and to thicken the marinade.
- Lemon - You will be using the zest and juice so it needs to be a fresh lemon.
- Dijon mustard - I haven't tried it, but I'm sure stoneground would be just as nice. I don't recommend using yellow mustard as it will overpower the other flavours.
- White wine vinegar - You can use apple cider vinegar instead, but I don't recommend using any other type of vinegar.
- Garlic - Lots!
- Dried mint or oregano - Both are really delicious, although my preference is mint.
- Extra virgin olive oil - You can use regular olive oil instead or avocado oil. Oil is necessary because it carries the fat-soluble flavours, prevents sticking on the grill, balances the acidic lemon and vinegar, and helps with browning.
Let's Make Grilled Tofu
Can't wait to make it? The full printable recipe is below, but first, let me walk you through the steps to set you up for success in your kitchen. I recommend watching my recipe video if you're more of a visual learner.
1 - Mix up the marinade in a container big enough to hold the tofu.
2 - Cut the tofu into thin squares or rectangles.
3 - Coat the tofu and allow it to marinate for 2 to 72 hours. The longer you can leave it, the better it will be.
4 - Cook on the grill (or in a skillet) until golden with nice grill lines on both sides. Brush on more marinade as it cooks and again right before serving.
Leftover Marinade Hack
If you know me, you know I never waste anything, and even if you brush your tofu generously while cooking and serving, you will probably have some marinade left in the container by the time you've finished. Don't waste it!
Use it as a sauce on sides like rice or potatoes, or make an easy vinaigrette with it for your salad.
To do this, tip it out into an old jar. Add a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and white wine vinegar, and a dash of maple syrup to taste. Shake it up and boom - you've got a vinaigrette for your salad!
The leftover marinade (or the vinaigrette) will keep for a couple of days in your fridge so you don't need to use it immediately.
Serving Suggestions
This grilled tofu recipe is delicious with just about anything! Here are a few ideas:
- Over rice: Grill it up then serve it over rice with a side of steamed veggies. Drizzle the leftover marinade over the rice as a sauce.
- With all your grilling faves: like grilled baby potatoes, grilled potato packets, easy no-yeast flatbreads and a fresh salad.
- In a bowl: Serve over rice, quinoa, or any other grain of choice with avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers, or roasted veggies, etc, and your favourite sauce. It works great with my vibrant, herby green sauce.
- In a sandwich or burger bun: I love using the grilled tofu cold the next day in a loaded sandwich. Salad greens, tomatoes, avocado, pickles, garlic mayo, or sriracha mayo sauce, etc. It's so good!
- With a salad: Pair with a crisp green salad (using the leftover marinade to make a vinaigrette (see how in the tip box above).
Recipe
Really Delicious Grilled Tofu
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 1 block extra-firm tofu
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus a little extra for cooking
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried mint or oregano
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Optional ¼ to ½ a teaspoon dried red chili pepper flakes, adjust to suit your spice preference
INSTRUCTIONS
- Open the tofu packet and drain off any liquid. Cut the tofu into slices about ¼ to ½ an inch thick. Cut them on the thinner side for a greater flavour-to-tofu ratio. You can then cut them into squares or leave them in big rectangles. Don't waste your time pressing it. It makes absolutely no difference to the flavour and makes the tofu pieces more fragile when marinating/cooking.
- In a tub with a lid (big enough to fit the tofu), mix all the other ingredients (except the tofu) to make a marinade.
- Add the tofu slices to the marinade. With a clean hand, flip to coat them all, then put the lid on. Leave in the fridge for at least 2 to 4 hours, but overnight is best. Up to 2 or 3 days is fine. Give the tub a good shake, or flip the tofu to get it wet and coated at least a few times during the marinating time. I shake mine every time I go to, or pass the fridge for something.
- To cook, heat a griddle, grill, or skillet over medium heat. Brush with a little oil, then add the tofu slices. Brush the tofu with plenty of marinade and let it cook undisturbed until there are some nice dark grill marks. Usually about 4 to 5 mins each side. Flip and brush with lots of marinade and cook again until there are grill marks on the other side.
- Transfer to a serving plate and brush generously with marinade again before serving.
NOTES
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Suzy says
Odd, thought for sure it posted. I had a question about the thickness of the marinade. It's VERY thick. Was there supposed to be any water? It doesn't move when I try to flip the container as the recipe advised. Just wondering.... Thank you!
Melanie McDonald says
No, no water. You don’t want to dilute the flavours. It should be a little thick. Have a watch of my video to see the thickness. Obviously it will vary a bit depending on the exact amount of juice you get from your lemon but it shouldn’t make a huge difference as long as you use a measuring spoon to measure your nooch (using way too much of that could thicken it too much). The recipe was tested with all different lemon sizes to make sure we didn’t need an exact measurement of juice there. As long as the other liquids are added (olive oil, vinegar, mustard) it should be perfect. As it sits the moisture from the tofu will come out a bit and dilute it a little too.
You could add a drop more lemon juice or oil if you wanted to but it should be fine, assuming you don’t change or omit anything.
Hope that helps and enjoy!!
Suzy says
Hi Melanie. Well...I did add a little bit of water to loosen it up. And then I put in on my pre-heated grill pan. Only one word to describe it----- YUM!!!! I see all kinds of ways to use this recipe in the future! Thinner, larger slices on a sandwich? Why not!? I think I'll just double the sauce next time. I served with an ear of sweet corn. Plenty filling and very satisfying! Thank you, thank you!
Suzy says
Question: I put the tofu in the marinade and it's in the fridge. It's really thick? Is that right? I'm not sure how much flipping will distribute the marinade among the tofu slices. Did I do something wrong? Thank you!!