How to Cook Tofu

This Marinated Tofu recipe will make you fall in LOVE with tofu with LOTS of great tips! It's great for baking, pan-frying, grilling, in the air fryer and so much more! Perfect for a multi-purpose simple marinade and makes your tofu so flavourful.

Prep time: PT30M

Cook time: PT10M

Total time: PT40M

Rating

5 stars (91 reviews)

Keywords

best marinade, best tofu recipe, how to cook tofu, marinated tofu, tofu marinade

Ingredients

1 lb block of tofu (pressed for at least 30 minutes and cut into 1-inch pieces)
1/4 cup light soy sauce (don't use regular soy sauce (you can always used liquid aminos, tamari or coconut aminos)
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
4 teaspoons agave
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika ((preferably smoked))
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons oil ((any oil))
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Cuisine

American
Asian
Universal

Steps

In a medium-size bowl place the pressed and cubed tofu. Add the soy sauce and toss to coat. Add in all of the other marinade ingredients (rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, agave, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, paprika and water) and toss to thoroughly combine. Ensure all the pieces are coated and let the tofu sit in the marinade for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 days.
Rest of the Recipe
- In a pan over medium high heat, add the oil. Once hot, scoop your tofu out of the leftover marinade (do not toss your marinade) and add into the pan. Crisp up your tofu on each side for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until all sides are crisped up and browned.
- While your tofu is cooking, add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to the marinade and whisk vigorously to combine.
- Once tofu is finished cooking. Turn off the heat. Immediately add in your marinade and stir to combine. The residual heat will heat through the sauce and cook off the cornstarch. Stir to combine and let it all sit together for at least 2 minutes. Remove from the stove, serve and enjoy!

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 179 kcal
Carbohydrates: 13 g
Protein: 12 g
Fat: 9 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Trans Fat: 1 g
Sodium: 816 mg
Sugar: 7 g

Reviews

Baka Dade on 2026-06-29 (5 stars):
Your website is ez to navigate & attractive. Your succinct writing style adds to the pleasure of reading. Thk u for explaining tofu A-Z. After 30 years, I learned the value of & how to press, why cornstarch beats flour and why tofu is cooked on high heat and more! Thank you. Thank you!
ADNANE SARSOUT on 2026-01-16 (5 stars):
wonderful, so yummy. thanks.
Kimberly on 2025-12-07 (5 stars):
Very easy and packed full of flavor. I apologize, I didn't use tofu, I used Soy Balls (I bought bulk and really need to use them up). It was amazing. I soaked them first to soften, then squeezed out all the water, and finally marinated them with your magical blend.