Spiciness: Mild
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Looking for a healthy, easy, and simple tofu marinade recipe?
This extra firm tofu recipe is marinated in tamari (gluten free soy sauce) and peanut or sesame oil. The tofu is pan fried until seared and crispy.
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This marinated tamari tofu recipe is perfect for days when you're craving a light vegetarian dish with simple flavors. Bonus - this tofu recipe is easy to prepare!
The tofu soaks up the soy sauce marinade and delivers a lot of punch, especially for the minimal effort that this recipe requires.
Serve pan seared crispy tamari tofu in wraps, on salads, in stirfrys, or as any meat substitute. Try myeasy peanut sauce recipeas a dip.
What Kind of Tofu For Marinating
Softer tofu holds marinade better than firm tofus. Marinades really pops with softer tofu. But, softer tofus are also harder to cook and keep their form. Pan searing extra firm tofu is much easier.
Now, I've cooked for a lot of different people in my time as a small business owner and personal chef. The general OVERWHELMING preference for tofu types is extra firm.
Tofu texture is a real deal breaker for people's tastebuds. Firm and extra firm tofu give a great "chew factor" that the softer tofu version lacks (and grosses some people out). Extra firm tofu is a total game changer for folks who think they don't like tofu.
Not all firm or extra firm tofu's are the same. Pick something that doesn't have a lot of squish or water in the packaging. Firm tofu's should not need to be pressed and do not leach out liquid.
Extra firm tofu generally holds it's shape much better when cooking. Some people swear by thetofu pressbut that's also just one more kitchen gadget sitting around in my opinion. Buy extra firm tofu and avoid having to press it at all.
Fermented Vs Unfermented Tofu
Tofu comes fermented or "regular" (not fermented). Mostly, tofu is sold not fermented, so the choice is usually made for you since there are no options.
The probiotics in fermented soy will have more gut friendly bacteria, boosting nutrient absorption and digestion. Having said that, most grocery stores just offer regular ole unfermented tofu so just grab that.
How To Cut / Slices for Marinated Tamari Tofu
Play with cutting different shapes and sizes of tofu. I like "sticks" for salads although they are the hardest to get a sear on.
The bigger wedges or triangles will take less time to sear on all sides, are "meatier", and are less fragile than the sticks. They also have a lot of flat surface area touching the pan which makes for a crispier seared tofu. Cubes are a fun "go-to" for stirfry's.
Use a a non-stick skillet to pan fry this marinated tofu recipe. Non stick pans generally help cooks to avoid using excess oil when pan frying. They are more forgiving then stainless steel and cast iron. They are also lighter in weight and easier to clean.
Simple Marinated Tamari Tofu Recipe FAQS
What is tofu?
Tofu is pressed soybean curd (think pressed ricotta or even cheese which is pressed coagulated cow milk). It's made by pressing the curds that form from coagulated soybean milk and forming blocks.
How do you make tofu taste good?
Usually when people say they don't like tofu it's because of the texture. Choosing extra firm tofu addresses a lot of people's texture issues. Most people general love tofu when it's marinated in soy sauce
What flavors go well with tofu?
Marinating tofu in things like soy sauce, sesame oil, peanut oil, sriracha sauce, or vinegars (lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, rice wine vinegar, etc...) makes tofu taste amazing. Any herbs or spices go well with tofu.
What is a good sauce to put with tofu?
Keep it simple and just use soy sauce, peanut or sesame oil, and a little bit of vinegar. Otherwise, branch out and use my favorite peanut tamari dipping sauce.
What is the difference between tamari and soy sauce?
Generally speaking they are the same but hold on! Having said that, classically, tamari is a Japanese sauce made using fermented soybeans only. It's supposed to be vegan and is generally gluten / wheat free. Check that label!
Soy sauce is traditionally a Chinese sauce made with soybeans and generally contains wheat / gluten and is usually saltier.
Serving Suggestion
Serve this Tamari marinated Tofu dish with a complementary recipe like a cabbage slaw and / or fried rice or noodles (or zoodles).
- Easy Cole Slaw Dip
- Vegetarian And Egg Leftover Fried Rice
- Soy Sauce Peanut Noodles
- Asian Inspired Raw Zoodles Stir Fry
You May Also Like
If you like Tofu, you may like these similar vegetarian dishes:
- Tofu Coconut Green Curry
- Easy Coconut Red Lentils And Rice
- Easy Shelled Edamame with Soy Sauce
- Fresh Healthy Vegetable Spring Rolls
Things In My Kitchen:
- 12" Non-stick Skillet- PFOA free, has a lid, and affordable. Your tofu ain't gonna stick to this.
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Easy Marinated Tamari Tofu
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5 from 1 review
EatSimpleFood.com
This tamari marinated tofu recipe is perfect for days when your craving a light vegetarian dish with the simple flavors of umami. The tofu soaks it up and delivers a lot of punch.
- Author: beckie
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 oz extra firm tofu
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce / tamari - regular or gluten free
- 2 Tbsp roasted peanut oil or sesame oil
Instructions
- Dry the extra firm tofu with paper towels and cut into slices, cubes, or wedges.
- Toss with soy sauce / tamari. Marinate for 30 minutes if you have time. If not, just go for it as is!
- Bring a large non-stick pan to medium high heat and add enough peanut oil to lightly cover the bottom of the pan.
- Pan fry the tofu until brown and crispy, turning /flipping to each side as needed (~3-5 minutes on each side). Turn down the heat if it starts to burn!
- Serve marinated tofu in wraps, on salads, in stirfrys, or as any meat substitute.
- Happy eating and thanks for trying more vegetarian food! Beckie
Notes
- Play with shapes and sizes of your tofu. I like "sticks" for salads although they are the hardest to get a sear on. The bigger wedges or triangles will take less time to sear on all sides, are "meatier", and are less fragile than the sticks. Cubes are a fun "go-to" for stirfry's.
- Choosing extra firm tofu addresses a lot of people's texture issues. It also holds it's shape much better when cooking.
- Use a a non-stick skillet if you want to avoid using excess oil.
- Pick a fermented tofu if available. The probiotics in fermented soy will have more gut friendly bacteria, boosting nutrient absorption and digestion.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Jeanlou saysAmazed at the “work required/enjoyment derived” ratio of this dish. Got it done in 20 minutes as claimed, skipped the marinating stage, and were still raving about it an hour after dinner! We used medium firm, not extra-firm but otherwise followed all instructions and it came out exactly as in the photo, down to just one or two of the sticks breaking during cooking. Plan to is slide all the tofu in the hot pan in one batch and quickly cover with a splatter screen. It’s our new favourite tofu fix now. Just do it!
Reply
- beckie says
Thanks for your comment Jeanlou! I skip the marinating sometimes too 🙂 . Just do it!
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