Explore the delightful flavors and exceptional versatility of tofu marinade in 7 ways including teriyaki, Thai Peanut, Cilantro Lime, and more!
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One of my all-time favorite recipes is this easy tofu marinade, which balances simplicity and deliciousness. It is impossible not to love something that is so quickly prepared and can be combined with numerous main dishes for lunch or dinner. You can make it in 7 different ways with easily accessible ingredients that you probably have at home right now!
If you’re looking for the best tofu marinade, you’ve come to the right place. With seven choices, you’ll find something sweet, tangy, savory, and nutty. In other words, with a few simple marinades, you get to explore a world of flavors while enhancing the taste of your dish. Tofu is a great tool to absorb flavors, and it’s a healthy option that can be added to many different diets and tastes.
💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only 10 minutes of cooking time
- Simple ingredients
- Various alternatives to the recipe
- Balanced flavors
- Versatile uses
- Vegan Friendly
- Gluten-Free
- Healthy option
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
Since I decided to share seven tofu marinade variations, I am sharing the ingredients you need for each variation, but pick and choose which one you would like to use based on the recipe you are making. For example, if you are making ramen, opt for the teriyaki marinade. If you are making fajitas, opt for cilantro, lime, etc. Try them all and see which one is your favorite, or meal prep them all to incorporate different flavors into your daily meals throughout the week. Each marinade requires one block of tofu.
Extra Firm Tofu: Tofu is rich in protein, and I like to use it plain in this recipe. However, you can also opt for tofu with some neutral flavors to intensify the taste.
Teriyaki Marinade
Soy Sauce: I add soy sauce to add a savory umami flavor to the marinade. Use tamari for a gluten-free version.
Sesame Seed Oil: I usually go for sesame seed oil because it gives a nutty taste to the marinade. Nonetheless, you can also go for olive oil if this is the option you prefer.
Grated Ginger: A little bit of ginger enhances the taste of tofu and gives it zesty warmth.
Garlic: I like to add garlic for aromatic notes in the marinade.
Sesame Seeds: Sesame seeds can make the marinade crunchy, so I like to include them in the recipe.
Cilantro Lime Marinade
Chopped Cilantro: I enjoy cilantro in this recipe because it gives a herbaceous flavor to the marinade.
Olive Oil: For added smoothness to the marinade.
Lime Juice and Zest: I like to add lime instead of lemon juice because the tofu marinade has zesty and refreshing notes. I also opt for lime zest because I like the citrus notes in the recipe.
Salt: Seasoning helps to intensify other flavors in the tofu marinade recipe. You can also opt for black pepper to make it stronger.
Garlic: Gives a savory and aromatic kick to the marinade.
BBQ Marinade
Olive Oil: For added smoothness of the marinade.
BBQ Sauce: I like BBQ because it provides smoky and tangy flavors.
Garlic: To enhance the overall taste of the marinade.
Chipotle Style
Olive Oil: Perfect coating that helps all the flavors blend evenly.
Water: Thins the marinade and gives it perfect smoothness.
Lime Juice: It is a nice addition to the marinade, acting as a refreshing element.
Chili Powder: I always want to add some spiciness without absorbing the other flavors, so chili powder is the perfect option.
Salt: Enhances the flavors and adds good balance.
Cayenne Pepper: An excellent twist of flavors for the marinade.
Thai Peanut Marinade
Soy Sauce: Brings salty and umami flavor to the marinade.
Creamy Peanut Butter: Intensifies the other flavors while giving nutty notes to the recipe.
Sesame Seed Oil: A good alternative to olive oil for a unique marinade flavor with nutty undertones.
Rice Vinegar: Brings out the tangy and sweet notes.
Garlic: For enhancement of the other flavors.
Fresh Ginger: Ginger is always a good and healthy addition to a marinade with a zesty kick.
Maple Syrup: Adds a touch of sweetness and compliments the nuttiness of the peanut butter. If you don’t have maple syrup, you could also use agave syrup or brown sugar.
Balsamic Marinade
Olive Oil: Provides a smooth and rich base for blending other flavors.
Balsamic Vinegar: Ideal match to olive oil with its sweet flavors.
Garlic: To enhance the overall taste of the marinade.
Salt: To enhance the notes of other flavors.
Buffalo Sauce Marinade
Hot Sauce: Provides a spicy kick a tofu marinade needs.
Avocado Oil: I like to use it because it is neutral and does not disturb the other flavors.
White Vinegar: Brings an acidic taste to the marinade and blends perfectly with other flavors.
👩🏻🍳 How To Make Tofu Marinade
- Prepare the Tofu: Press the tofu to release extra water for 20 minutes. Dice the tofu into cubes or your desired shape.
- Prepare Marinade: Whisk together the ingredients for your marinade in a small bowl or glass container. If you choose to combine the ingredients in the container you plan to marinate the tofu in, this will save you from doing extra dishes.
- Marinate: Transfer the cubed tofu and marinade to an airtight container. Gently toss to coat the tofu on all sides. You can use a glass container with a lid or a large zip-lock bag.
- Store in a Fridge: Place the tofu in the refrigerator to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes. The longer you marinate the tofu, the more flavorful it will be.
- Cook Tofu: When you’re ready, cook your tofu in the air fryer, pan-frying on the stovetop, grill, or bake in the oven! Use medium-high heat, and cook the tofu cubes on all sides for the crispiest texture.
❓ Recipe FAQS
It’s best to marinate your tofu for a minimum of 30 minutes. But it’s even better if you have the time to marinate it overnight.
Yes, I recommend pressing the block of tofu before marinating. Pressing the tofu releases the excess water, allowing it to become a sponge to soak up the liquid and flavors of the marinade.
In general, it is possible to freeze tofu marinade. However, frozen ingredients such as garlic or ginger are not recommended. They will easily lose all of their nutrients as well as flavors.
📝 Expert Tips
- Marinate your tofu in different marinades for different weekly flavors. When you are ready, pull out the flavored tofu you want for dinner, and all the preparation work will already be done for you! Then you only need to heat it in a skillet with a small amount of oil.
- Use the extra marinade from the container to create a sauce on your tofu. Add the remaining sauce to a small saucepan with a cornstarch slurry of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch + 1 tablespoon of water. Cook over low heat until a thick sauce forms. Drizzle over top your tofu or vegetables for extra flavor.
🍽 How to Serve
There are endless ways to serve marinated tofu. Depending on your preferences, you can choose how you want to do and use it in your favorite tofu recipes.
- Tofu Fajitas
- Szechuan Tofu
- Spicy Air Fryer Tofu
- Orange Tofu
- Tofu Kebabs
- Teriyaki Noodles with Tofu
- Tofu Bibimbap with Baked Tofu
- Salads
- Stir-Fries
🫙 How to Store and Keep
Fridge: Place the marinated tofu in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freeze: I do not recommend freezing tofu because the moisture becomes trapped, and it loses some of the flavors that were enhanced by the marinades.
⚖️ Serving Size
Each block of tofu contains approximately four servings.
😋 More Tofu Recipes!
Recipe
Tofu Marinade 7 Ways
Equipment
- Zip-Lock Bags
Ingredients
Teriyaki Marinade
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- ½ cup soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
- 2 tablespoon sesame seed oil
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Cilantro Lime Marinade
Chipotle Marinade
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon water
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- dash cayenne pepper
Thai Peanut Marinade
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 tbsp sesame seed oil
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
Balsamic Marinade
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Buffalo Style
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- 1 cup hot sauce
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Instructions
- Prepare the Tofu: Press the tofu to release extra water for 20 minutes. Dice the tofu into cubes or your desired shape.
- Prepare Marinade: Whisk together the ingredients for your marinade in a small bowl or glass container. If you choose to combine the ingredients in the container you plan to marinate the tofu, this will save you from doing extra dishes.
- Marinate: Transfer the cubed tofu and marinade to an airtight container. You can use a glass container with a lid or a large zip-lock bag.
- Store in Fridge: Place the tofu in the refrigerator to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes. The longer you marinate the tofu, the more flavorful it will be.
- Cook Tofu: When you’re ready to cook your tofu in the air fryer, on the stovetop, grill, or bake in the oven!
Tara
Oh wow! I love the variety of options, especially the balsamic marinade. The flavors sound absolutely fantastic.
Ned
I had no idea you could make all these different types of tofu until now. They were amazing to try. We had a taste testing with my family and it was a lot of fun. Thank you!
Charla
So many amazing marinades to choose from, the Thai Peanut marinade sounds divine, I will try that one.