Tofu Marinade Recipe: How to Make Tofu Marinade

Tofu, also known as bean curd, is coagulated soy milk, a liquid made from soybeans. You can cook it in a number of different ways, pair it with a variety of ingredients, and camouflage it with other flavors. While tofu works in many different dishes, it is dairy-free and packed with protein, making it a great alternative for meat in vegetarian and vegan recipes. The tofu taste is neutral, allowing it to blend well into many recipes and take on a variety of flavors.

You can incorporate marinated tofu into a number of tasty vegan dishes or even alongside meat. Pay fry the tofu in olive oil or canola oil with veggies and the leftover marinade for a delicious tofu stir-fry. Bake marinated tofu in the oven for a golden brown baked tofu. You can even eat uncooked marinated tofu as is, topped with sesame seeds and green onion. You can use virtually any blend of oils, spices, and aromatics to make a tofu marinade, but these classic combinations are a great place to start.

1. 1. Traditional: The most traditional type of tofu marinade—like the one in the recipe at the bottom of this page—incorporates common Asian ingredients like soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and ginger.
2. 2. Spicy Tofu: Add some spicy chili sauce (like gochujang) to your traditional tofu marinade to make it a little bit hotter.
3. 3. Thai Peanut: Marinate your tofu in a combination of peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, fresh lime juice, garlic, and ginger for a Thai-inspired dish.
   
4. 4. Teriyaki: Recreate the flavors of a traditional teriyaki with a marinade of soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, fresh ginger, and minced garlic.
5. 5. Sweet Chili: Make a sweet chili–marinated tofu dish by mixing a marinade of soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, and cornstarch.
6. 6. Barbecue: Flavor your tofu with a BBQ-inspired marinade consisting of barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, minced garlic, minced onion, paprika, salt, pepper, and liquid smoke.
   

While crafting a tofu marinade is a simple, fuss-free process, these tips will help you make the most of your marinated tofu.

1. 1. Always press the tofu. You should always firmly press your tofu before you marinate it to expel any excess water. That water needs to be removed before cooking or the tofu won’t absorb other flavors and the dish will be soggy. For best results, use a tofu press or slice the tofu block into several layers and place them on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Place more paper towels on top of the tofu slices, followed by another baking sheet. Place a heavy object on top of it, like a cookbook, for at least an hour to squeeze the water out.
2. 2. Cube the tofu. Slicing your tofu into bite-sized pieces before you marinate it means that more surface area will be coated in the marinade. This allows the flavor of the marinade to thoroughly penetrate the soy product. Extra-firm silken tofu is the best choice for cubed marinated tofu recipes, as it will maintain its shape during the marination process.
3. 3. Play around with ingredients. Use this simple recipe as a springboard to create a marinade that suits your palate. Incorporate soy sauce alternatives, like coconut aminos and tamari, to make this dish gluten-free. Swap out the rice vinegar for white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar. Add in hot sauce, cayenne, or chili garlic sauce for some extra heat.
4. 4. Let the marinade sit longer for a stronger flavor. While it may be tempting to eat your marinated tofu as soon as possible, allowing the tofu to marinate overnight (or longer) will result in a much richer flavor.