Fire up the grill because you’ll be making these all summer long!
Key Ingredients for marinades:
Tofu soaks up flavor like a sponge. For something that literally tastes like nothing, a simple marinade can turn tofu from drab to fab in 15 minutes. A typical marinade is made up of three essential components: acid, fat, and seasoning.
- Acid: lemon, lime, vinegars, and citrus will absorb flavor and retain the natural juices.
- Fat: olive oil, sesame oil, avocado oil, canola oil are used to prevent moisture loss.
- Seasoning: herbs and spices, salt, sugar, garlic, shallots, etc. will infuse flavor.
Best tofu for grilling
Extra-firm tofu is a great choice for marinating and cooking. It's firm, yet porous enough to soak up a lot of flavor. You will need to press it before marinating - and no, you don't need a tofu press! Then let it soak for at least 15 minutes before cooking.
How to press tofu
- Drain the liquid and give the tofu a little squeeze.
- Place tofu between two dish towels.
- Press it by using a tofu press or a flat, heavy object (books, cutting boards, plates).
- Sit for at least 30 minutes.
- Pat it dry and you're ready to go!
Three Easy tofu marinades
Tofu is so versatile. You can experiment with a variety of flavors and incorporate it into almost any dish. These foolproof marinades will blow your MF socks off… and are just as delicious as a marinade for meat.
Cilantro Lime
- Fresh cilantro
- Olive oil
- Lime juice
- Honey
- Fresh garlic
- Salt & pepper
Fajita
- Olive oil
- Lime juice
- Maple syrup
- Ground cumin
- Smoked paprika
- Chili powder
- Fresh garlic
- Salt
Honey Balsamic
- Olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Honey
- Fresh garlic
- Salt
Easy Tofu Marinade
Ingredients
- 1 block extra-firm tofu
Cilantro Lime:
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ lime, juiced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Fajita:
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ lime, juiced
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1-2 tablespoon chili powder
Honey Balsamic:
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
- Press the tofu for about 30 minutes or until completely drained. Cut it into your desired cubes or strips.
- In a small bowl, add all the marinade ingredients and whisk until fully combined. Add the tofu and marinade for at least 15 minutes or even overnight.
- Grill, bake, or pan fry until golden and crispy!
Did you try this? Let us know!