Bring the flavours of Japan to your kitchen with this Teriyaki Tofu dish. Enjoy tender tofu steaks pan-fried and covered in a tasty homemade teriyaki sauce. Serve it with rice and broccoli for the best teriyaki tofu bowls, which are delicious, satisfying, and sure to become a new favourite!
👩🏻💻 Reader Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Nathan says, “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.”
Teriyaki Tofu Rice Bowls: Your New Weeknight Go-To!
This Japanese tofu recipe is inspired by my mom’s teriyaki chicken and the teriyaki tofu donburi I enjoyed growing up. “Donburi” means “bowl” in Japanese, referring to a meal of rice topped with various ingredients. I’ve adapted these comforting flavours into this plant-based recipe.
I love making pan-fried teriyaki tofu for dinner as my go-to vegan protein. Pan-frying gives the tofu an excellent sear, offering the perfect contrast of crispy edges and a soft, tender center. This combination of textures makes the dish incredibly satisfying. 😋
The secret to this recipe is my ridiculously easy homemade teriyaki sauce. It’s sweet, sticky, savoury, and much more flavorful than any store-bought version you’ve ever tasted.
I like to call this dish “teriyaki tofu steaks” for fun because of its hearty nature. If you have yet to discover the fun of tofu, this is the perfect recipe. You can also explore some of my readers’ favourites, such as tofu egg salad, mapo tofu, and sticky sesame tofu.
📝 This recipe, previously titled Teriyaki Tofu Fish, underwent revision in June 2024 to accurately represent its content.
⭐️ Why You’ll Love This Teriyaki Tofu 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 it when meals can be made in one pan, with fewer dishes to clean. Yes, please!
- Mouthwatering. Homemade teriyaki sauce that is addictive; it’s sweet, savoury, and flavour-packed.
Ingredient Notes
Make this tofu slathered with teriyaki sauce using just 7 simple ingredients. Find the complete list of ingredients, amounts, and instructions in the recipe card below.
- 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 – Helps create a crisp coating around the tofu while providing a surface for the teriyaki sauce to adhere to.
- 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, vinegar, cornstarch, and fresh minced ginger.
- Garnish – Chopped fresh cilantro and sesame seeds are perfect for this.
How To Make The Best Teriyaki Tofu
Now that you’ve gathered all your ingredients, here’s an overview of how to make this recipe:
1. Mix teriyaki sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Slice the tofu into about 1/3-1/2-inch thick pieces. You should end up with approximately 4-6 slices; the exact number may vary depending on your brand of tofu.
3. I like to place chopsticks on either side of the tofu to guide your knife and prevent cutting too deeply (scroll down to the recipe card for a video tutorial on this step). Then, cut thin vertical slices on top of the tofu with a sharp knife.
4. Pat the tofu dry with a paper towel to remove excess water, ensuring it is as dry as possible. Gently coat the tofu in cornstarch using your hands.
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.
6. Pan fry for about 3 mins per side or until lightly golden brown.
7. 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.
8. Serve with rice and cooked broccoli. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped fresh cilantro. Enjoy while hot!
👩🏻🍳 Jazz’s Tips
- Start cooking the rice before the teriyaki tofu to ensure it’s ready when needed. I prefer using jasmine or sushi rice.
- Use a small cheese grater or microplane to grate fresh ginger.
- Dry your tofu well before coating it in cornstarch to achieve a crispier texture.
- Use a nonstick pan for best results; teriyaki sauce can get sticky during cooking.
Serving Suggestions
I enjoy pairing this Japanese teriyaki tofu with white rice to soak up the flavorful sauce, accompanied by your favourite steamed vegetables like broccoli or green beans. Garnish with fresh cilantro and sesame seeds, or try green onions and furikake seasoning.
You can also serve this alongside a simple salad like my Sunomono Cucumber Salad.
How To Store
To keep any leftovers, store the tofu in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for around 3-4 days. When reheating, make sure to warm it thoroughly in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can easily make gluten free teriyaki tofu by substituting the soy sauce with gluten free soy sauce or tamari.
It’s important to dry the tofu/remove any excess moisture to get a crispy texture. Another reason for the lack of crispiness could be the low temperature of the pan and oil. Allow your pan to heat up for 4-5 minutes before adding the tofu.
Absolutely! Teriyaki tofu is a great option for meal prep. Its flavour becomes even more delicious as it soaks up the teriyaki sauce overnight in the fridge. You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Teriyaki Tofu
Ingredients
- 350g block of extra firm tofu (drained)
- 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 or white vinegar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tbsp minced ginger
Instructions
- Mix teriyaki sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Slice the tofu into about 1/3-1/2-inch thick pieces. You should end up with approximately 4-6 slices; the exact number may vary depending on your brand of tofu.
- I like to place chopsticks on either side of the tofu to guide your knife and prevent cutting too deeply (scroll down to the recipe card for a video tutorial on this step). Then, cut thin vertical slices on top of the tofu with a sharp knife.
- Pat the tofu dry with a paper towel to remove excess water, ensuring it is as dry as possible. Gently coat the tofu in cornstarch using your hands.
- 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 about 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 cooked broccoli. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped cilantro. Enjoy while hot!
Video
Notes
- Start cooking the rice before the teriyaki tofu to ensure it’s ready when needed. I prefer using jasmine or sushi rice.
- Use a small cheese grater or microplane to grate fresh ginger.
- Dry your tofu well before coating it in cornstarch to achieve a crispier texture.
- Use a nonstick pan for best results; teriyaki sauce can get sticky during cooking.
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 tofu, 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 Tofu 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