How to Make Marinated Tofu

I mention marinated tofu in a lot of my recipes and posts. There are about a million marinades out there to choose from, and almost as many techniques for using them. Here’s how I make my marinated tofu. Below the tutorial, you’ll find a list of recipes for making tofu in a bunch of different flavors.

How to Make Marinated Tofu:

1. If you have an option, choose extra firm or hard tofu. The best kind for this purpose will be in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.
2. Remove the tofu from the package. Place it in a dish with several layers of paper towel (or clean kitchen towels) below it, and several layers above. Place a flat, heavy object (like a cast iron fry pan) on top of the tofu, then let it drain for at least fifteen minutes. You can leave the tofu like this for up to an hour without any trouble, or you can put the whole contraption into your fridge and let it drain overnight, or while you are at work.
3. Slice the tofu into its desired shape. I usually cut my tofu into 1/2 inch slices.
4. Place the tofu in the smallest container possible. A tupperware, ziploc bag, or casserole dish would be perfect. Add enough marinade to cover the tofu.
5. Let the tofu sit in the marinade for at least thirty minutes, or as long as twenty four hours. The longer it sits the more flavor it will soak up. Too much flavor can actually make it taste bad, so try not to leave it in for more than a day.
6. Pat the tofu dry, then cook it however you like. My favorite way to cook marinated tofu is to grill it in a cast iron pan with a little bit of oil. Marinated tofu can also be steamed, deep fried, barbecued, saute’d, crumbled, or eaten as-is.

Marinated Tofu Recipes:

• Ginger Garlic Tofu (Mary Makes Good)
• Lemongrass Tofu (Mary Makes Good)
• Simple Marinated Tofu (Martha Schulman, NY Times)
• Sweet and Sticky Cashew Tofu (Olives for Dinner)
• Tofu Tikka Masala (Olives for Dinner)
• Sriracha and Peanut Butter Tofu (Olives for Dinner)
• Balsamic Agave Tofu (Olives for Dinner)
• Citrus Marinated Tofu (Bon Appetit)
• Smoky Baked Tofu (Chez Cayenne)
• Tofu and Mushroom Chimichurri Skewers (Cossepi Kitchen)
• Korean Marinated Tofu (So Hungry I Could Blog)
• Harisssa Marinated Tofu (Lite Bite)
• Mexican Marinated Tofu (What Dawn Eats)
• Miso Glazed Tofu (NZ Cooking Studio)
• Buffalo Tofu (Budget Friendly, Too)