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Spicy Crispy Breaded Tofu Strips. Marinated Tofu breaded and grilled or baked. Flavorful and easy. Vegan Breaded Tofu, Holiday Recipe. Can be made gluten-free with glutenfree bread crumbs. Easily doubled.Ā Jump to RecipeĀ Ā
For the longest while I disliked Tofu. I think it was because of the way it was prepared. Too bland, too fried or what not. After transitioning to a vegan diet, I was faced with a challenge to figure out how to make tofu on my own so I could like it. In general, I donāt necessarily need to eat Tofu at home. There are enough beans, lentils, veggie dishes that make up our meals. But when I eat out is when the options get limited by my dislike of tofu (and broccoli). I mean think of something like a saucy Thai Cashew delight minus both, it would just be cashews and onions. ha!
So once I started cooking some at home, I warmed up to this silky gelly beany slab. We eat Tofu infrequently at home, but at least the warming up has helped me be open to tryingĀ moreĀ options at restaurants. My current favorite tofu dishes come from Wedgewood II Thai in Seattle (Capitol Hill).Ā
Back to todayās recipe. This easy crisped up tofu needs just a few minutes of active time. Brush the marinade on the Tofu strips and let it sit for a while, then bread and grill. Serve as side or main with a side of salad or pilaf. Pictures below with a flavorful Butternut Squash Pilaf.Ā The ketchup, spices, soy sauce make a great marinade, which also acts like a sticky coat to keep all those breadcrumbs on. Use other sauces like bbq, and spices and herbs of choice.Ā
More Tofu dishes from the blog
- Celery Black Pepper Tofu.
- Spicy Orange Tofu
- Tofu in Spinach Curry
- Peanut Butter Tofu Bowl with mashed potatoes
- 5 minute Tofu āeggā Salad Sandwich
- Mango Curry Tofu
Reading for the day:
- First Vegan school opens
- āThat one was definitely aliveā Ā An undercover video at one of the nationās biggest pork processors
Step by step photos:
Brush the marinate on the tofu and let it chill. Ā The marinade coating should not be too thick or too thin.
Prepare the breading mixture. Coat the tofu strips in the breading and grill.Ā
Grill over medium heat for 6Ā to 9 minutes each side.Ā
Slice and serve over salad, a roasted veggie and grain bowl with a creamy cooling dressing or over butternut pilaf.
Crispy Breaded Tofu Strips
IngredientsĀ Ā
Tofu Marinade:
- 14 oz extra firm or firm tofu pressed, (I usually use Nasoya Organic non gmo)
- 1 tbsp low sodium tamari/soy sauce
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp maple syrup or other sweetener
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce, optional
- 2 tsp oil
- 1/2 tsp garam masala, or 1/2 tsp ground cumin and 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp garlic
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch or tapioca starch, (optional, helps the breadcrumbs stick better during grilling)
Breadcrumb coating:
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs, , use gluten-free crumbs to make gf
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, optional
InstructionsĀ
- Slice the slab into 6 to 8 rectangles. Press the tofu for half an hour between kitchen towels and under a heavy weight to remove excess moisture. or use Tofu press (before or after slicing).
- Mix the marinade ingredients. (Add 1/2 tsp cornstarch to the marinade for extra binding). Dip the tofu in the marinade and coat all sides to make an even coating that is not too thick or too thin. Place the tofu strips in a container with a lid.
- Refrigerate for atleast half an hour or longer.
- Mix everything under breadcrumb coating. If the breadcrumbs are too large, pulse them a few times in a blender and use.
- Place each tofu strip in the breadcrumb mixture. Flip to coat all sides
- Heat a grill pan over medium high heat on the stove. Brush oil on the pan and place the breaded tofu on the pan. Cook 7 to 9 minutes each side or until brown strips appear.
- Serve with sauces of choice like vegan ranch or a dash of lemon, or slice and to salads, bowls, wraps, sandwiches, etc. Pictured with Butternut Squash Pilaf.
Video
Notes
You can grill the baked tofu over high heat to get grill marks.
For a stickier marinade, add 2 tsp flax seed meal and mix in. Let sit for 2 minutes, then coat tofu in the marinade. Nutritional information based on 1 serving
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Iām already a big fan of tofu but I made this recipe last night and WOW. I think this is my new favorite way of making tofu. It was absolutely delicious.
awesome!!
I donāt usually comment on recipes, but this one is deserving! This tofu turned out amazingly, and I will definitely be making it often. Thanks for sharing š
awesome!
Made this tonight ā so good! My partner says it is the best thing he has eaten all week. Loved the texture (I baked rather than grilled) and loved the marinade. Will definitely be making this again (soonā¦)
yay!
Made these on the George Foreman with sriracha instead of hot sauceā¦absolutely gorgeous. Will be making again
yay
Rmarlabky tasty! I was a little concerned that this might be bland. I marinated sliced and pressed extra firm tofu overnight, and grilled over a gas grill this evening: it was delicious! Just had a leftover slice in a sandwich. Home run! Iāll be making this again!
awesome!
Hi, and sorry about the necro-comment!
Frenchie vegan here. Just wanted to tell you that I tested your recipe tonight and love it to bits!
Thank you very much for posting.
Can I put the tofu pieces in a grill sandwich maker , close the lid and prepare?
Yes, that should work. Donāt press and lock the sandwich maker as that might squeeze the tofu too much, just rest the grill on the tofu slices.