I honestly don’t know how I’ve been sharing recipes for years and yet I don’t have a recipe for BBQ tofu on my website! When I went vegan over 10 years ago, there was a BBQ tofu recipe from one of my very first vegan cookbooks (Veganomicon by the amazing Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero) that I made all the time. I think it was the first way I enjoyed eating tofu. Now that I’ve had years of cooking with tofu, I’ve learned how to make it taste incredible every time. Trust me, I have had a lot of tofu flops in the kitchen! This BBQ tofu is crispy on the outside, a little chewy but still tender inside. It gets perfectly crispy in the oven, so no pan frying is needed. I find it so much easier to bake tofu than to fry it, especially because I have a big family and I make a lot at one time.
Pictured above in a Southern Soul Bowl with vegan cheese grits and collard greens. Recipes coming soon for each of them! Best bowl of my life, right here.
How to make it
First, press your tofu. Recently I purchased a tofu press which I do highly recommend, but you can also just wrap the tofu in paper towels and place something heavy on top of it, like a cast iron pan. About 30 minutes will do. Then slice the tofu into triangle shapes, or cubes, and place in a large ziplock bag with a little olive oil, cornstarch and salt. Seal the bag and shake gently to coat the tofu. (You can do this in a large bowl as well.)
Place on a lightly oiled sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F until golden.
Add your favorite bbq sauce and stir to coat the tofu pieces in the sauce, and bake for 10 more minutes. That’s it! Crispy, flavorful, delicious BBQ tofu is ready to eat.
Serving suggestions
Make a Soul Bowl! It goes so well with grits and collard greens. Serve alongside mashed potatoes and steamed green beans or brussels sprouts. Put it in a sandwich with vegan mayo and lettuce. Make a BBQ Tofu Burger, adding vegan mayo and coleslaw.
More vegan BBQ recipes
BBQ Cauliflower Wings 10 Minute Skillet BBQ Tempeh BBQ Jackfruit Pulled “Pork” BBQ Tempeh Sandwich Best Vegan BBQ Sandwich with Soy Curls
