This Vegan Tofu Fish is super flavourful and comes together in less than 20 minutes. Covered in an easy homemade teriyaki sauce, this tofu fish turns out flaky, tender, and delicious everytime! I served it over rice and sliced cucumbers, making it a simple and healthy weeknight dinner.
This recipe is my take on teriyaki salmon that I grew up eating and ordering at Japanese restaurants. Veganizing seafood dishes can be tricky, but cutting thin slices 3/4 of the way on your tofu can achieve that flaky fish-like texture. And you’ll love this easy homemade teriyaki sauce; it’s way tastier than any store-bought teriyaki sauce you might find. 😉
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple & Quick. Easy weeknight dinner that only takes 20 minutes. No long marinating time is needed, so you get to eat sooner.
- One Pan Recipe. I love when meals can be made in one pan, with fewer dishes to clean, yes, please!
- Mouthwatering. Homemade teriyaki sauce that will leave you wanting more, it’s sweet, savoury, and flavour packed.
Ingredient Notes
- Tofu – Use extra firm tofu, this type of tofu already has most of its water already pressed out. Extra firm tofu also holds its shape better when cooking.
- Cornstarch – This helps give the tofu a crispy texture.
- Salt & Pepper – This is important and you must not skip it, since tofu is quite bland on its own. Seasoning with salt and pepper helps bring out the flavours even more.
- Cooking Oil – Use your favourite neutral flavoured oil like olive oil, canola oil, or avocado oil.
- Teriyaki Sauce – It’s made with a handful of pantry staples consisting of sugar, mirin, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, cornstarch, and fresh minced ginger.
- Garnish – Chopped cilantro and sesame seeds are perfect for this.

Step By Step Instructions
Now that you’ve gathered all your ingredients, here’s an overview of how to make this recipe:
1. Mix teriyaki sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Cut the tofu into 1/2 inch thick slices, you’ll need approx 4 slices. Pat dry with a paper towel to absorb any excess water.
3. Using a sharp knife, make thin vertical slices on top of your tofu, careful not to cut too far down. I like to lay chopsticks on either side to prevent your knife from cutting too far. (for a recipe video on this step, scroll down to the recipe card)
4. Using your hands, gently toss the tofu in cornstarch.

5. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add your tofu cut side down and season both sides with salt and pepper. Pan fry for 3 mins per side or until lightly golden brown.
6. Turn down the heat to medium-low and add the teriyaki sauce.
7. Using a spoon, coat the sauce all over the tofu. Cook until the sauce becomes bubbly and forms a thick glaze.
8. Serve with rice and cucumber slices, garnish with sesame seeds and chopped cilantro.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- You can easily double this recipe to serve more people.
- Use a nonstick pan for best results, teriyaki sauce can get sticky when cooked.
- Make sure your pan and the oil are hot before adding the tofu. This will help you achieve good browning.
How To Store
If you have any leftovers, this tofu will keep in the fridge for about 2-3 days in an air-tight container. However, I highly recommend eating it right when you make it since it won’t be as crispy once refrigerated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make sure that you use gluten-free soy sauce.
I don’t recommend making this recipe without oil. The oil is essential since it helps crisp/brown the tofu.
I love to serve this tofu fish with Japanese short-grain rice and cucumber slices. This dish is excellent served with fried rice or a noodle stir fry. Any steamed veggies like asparagus, broccoli, green beans, or bok choy are simple but also pair well with this dish.
MORE 20-MINUTE RECIPES
- Vegan Mapo Tofu with Beyond Meat
- Stir-Fried Garlic Chili Udon Noodles
- Vegan Japanese Egg Salad Sandwich
DID YOU MAKE THIS VEGAN TOFU FISH WITH TERIYAKI GLAZE?
I’d love to hear your feedback. Please leave a comment/star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. And, of course, be sure to tag me on Instagram, as I love seeing photos of the recipes you guys have made.
Vegan Tofu Fish with Teriyaki Glaze
Ingredients
- 175g – 350g block of extra firm tofu
- 1-2 tbsp cornstarch
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 tbsp cooking oil
Teriyaki sauce:
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp mirin
- 2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tbsp minced ginger
Instructions
- Mix teriyaki sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch thick slices (you’ll need about 4-6 slices). Pat dry with a paper towel to absorb any excess water.
- Using a sharp knife, make thin vertical slices on top of your tofu, being very careful not to cut too far down, or they will fall apart. I like to lay chopsticks on either side to prevent your knife from cutting too far. (see the recipe video below for visual instructions on this step).
- Using your hands, gently toss the tofu in cornstarch.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, add your tofu cut side down, and season both sides with salt and pepper. Pan fry for 3 mins per side or until lightly golden brown.
- Turn down the heat to medium-low, and add the teriyaki sauce.
- Using a spoon, coat the sauce all over the tofu. Cook until the sauce becomes bubbly and forms a thick glaze.
- Serve with rice and thin half-moon cucumber slices. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped cilantro.
Video
Notes
- You can easily double this recipe to serve more people.
- Use a nonstick pan for best results. Teriyaki sauce can get very sticky when cooked.
- Make sure your pan and the oil are hot before adding the tofu. This will help you achieve good browning.
Great recipe!
Thank you Anna! Glad you enjoyed it
Excellent homemade teriyaki sauce in this recipe – nice simple preparation of the tofu, too.
Thank you so much Christina!
Teriyaki is my favorite flavor all time but I never use it with fish, this came out wonderful!
Thank you Shelby! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe
A great recipe! I love that it only uses a small number of ingredients and is quick to prepare.
Thank you so much Judith!
Teriyaki Glazed Tofu Fish looks so delicious. I can’t wait to try it!!
Thank you Any! I hope you enjoy this recipe.
This is literally the exact recipe I was looking to cook tonight! Looks so good and I’m excited to make it
Thank you Nicola! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe is what you’ve been looking for, I hope you enjoy.
This was absolutely incredible. I am always looking for new tofu flavors, and this was just perfect!
So happy you enjoyed Katie! Thank you so much for the nice comment!
One of my all time faves. Incredibly delicious! Best teriyaki sauce ever. The sauce gets perfectly thick too which I love. And it’s a really fun recipe to make! Cutting the lil slits in the tofu is too funnnnnn