With a little meal prep, Speedy Tofu Teriyaki Bowls come together with ease for a simple and flavor-packed weeknight dinner. I’m also sharing how to marinate tofu so its full potential can be realized! This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.
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A Little Meal Prep Makes Dinner a Snap
Quick vegetarian rice bowls are my idea of easy weeknight dinners. I find with a little advance planning or meal prep, dinners like this teriyaki tofu recipe come together with ease and make weeknights a little less crazy.
Packed with umami flavor and endless texture, this teriyaki tofu recipe has finally made its way into our regular tofu rotation after futzin around with a gluten free Ginger-Garlic Teriyaki Sauce recipe for way too long.
I hear people say they don’t like tofu, but this is before they’ve tried an approach that brings out the best of tofu’s potential! Like while my Ma was here, I made Tofu Tacos. The Mexican spices wafting from the kitchen drew her in, but she scrunched her nose up when I told her what we were having for dinner. Then she tasted the tofu… much to my delighted ears I heard mmmmmsss and ohhhs!
How to Prepare Tofu
- Freeze the tofu for texture and flavor. If time permits, freeze the tofu when you bring it home from the store right in its original packaging. Something magical happens in the freezer with the expansion of the freezing water. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, before pressing. Freezing creates a chewier, meatier mouth feel.
- Since tofu is packaged in water, we need press the water out to make room for flavor, so the water has got to go! To press thawed tofu, use a tea towel and place it under and on top of the tofu. Set it on a plate. Place something heavy on top, like a cutting board, another plate or a not-so-full box of wine to press the water out. We don’t want it too heavy or it will squash the tofu. Move the tea towel a few times to a dryer area of the towel so it can absorb more water. Of course you can use a tofu press, but I just use kitchen stuff I have on hand. It works! Press for about 20-30 minutes, up to an hour if you have time.
- Once pressed, the tofu is cut into cubes and baked for about 20 minutes to dry it out further to make way for all the goodness of the marinade. Doing this also renders the tofu more sturdy, otherwise it tends to crumble a bit.
- How to Marinate Tofu: Once baked, pour the marinade over the tofu stirring a few times throughout the marination to recoat the tofu. Marinate the tofu for up to three days! But at a minimum, for at least 15 minutes.
It sounds like a lot to prepare tofu in order for it to reach it’s full potential, but once you get the hang of it, it’s easy peasy.
How Do You Add Flavor to Tofu?
Marinade baby! This can be any marinade you choose. Once the tofu is pressed, it’s ready for slicing and baking (remember baking the tofu dries it out further), then marinating. Tofu is like a sponge, soaking up any marinade you slather it in.
How Long Does it Take to Marinate Tofu?
Tofu can marinate from 15 minutes up to several days. The longer the marinade, the more time it has to soak up all the deliciousness. It’s the marinade that gives tofu flavor, otherwise on its own, it’s pretty bland. Marinated tofu can be frozen for up to two weeks!
Can I Freeze Marinated Tofu?
Yes we can! Prepare it like I shared above in “how to prepare tofu”, then freeze the tofu. It’s ready to be cooked after it’s thawed in the refrigerator.
How to make Speedy Tofu Teriyaki Bowls
Once the tofu is marinated and the rice is cooked, dinner comes together fast. So, it’s important to have all the veggies prepared before the stir fry pan is warmed.
- Prepare the tofu by pressing, baking then marinating in teriyaki sauce. Marinating can be done up to three days in advance (or longer if frozen).
- While the tofu is marinating, cook the jasmine rice and chop the broccoli, red bell pepper and green onions.
- Once the rice is cooked, transfer it to a bowl and keep warm. Prepare a steamer basked for the broccoli and steam the broccoli in the same pot as the rice was cooked in.
- Steam the broccoli while lightly stir-frying the tofu and peppers.
- Pour teriyaki sauce over the tofu and peppers and warm through.
Spoon into bowls and garnish with all the goodies, vegetarian tofu teriyaki bowls are ready!
A Few Recipe Notes for Speedy Tofu Teriyaki Bowls
- This tofu teriyaki recipe can be easily meal prepped whether preparing the entire meal for lunch bowls, or for partially preparing the ingredients for a quick weeknight vegetarian rice bowl.
- For lunch prep: Prepare the the recipe as written, but reduce the steam time of the broccoli from 5 minutes to 2 minutes. They’ll finish cooking when reheated.
- For dinner prep: Up to three days in advance, marinate the tofu, cook the rice and chop the veggies. Store all in separate lidded containers in the refrigerator.
- Whip up a batch of my homemade, easy gluten free Ginger Garlic Teriyaki Sauce to pair with this tofu teriyaki recipe. It can be made up to a month in advance!
- There is a lot going on in this recipe, but it comes together with ease. Be sure to have all the veggies prepped before turning on the stir-fry pan or steaming the broccoli.
- Soybeans are a top GMO grown crop. Be sure to look for organic and non-GMO tofu. Two of my favorite brands are Nasoya and Wildwood.
More Tofu Recipes to Love
- Spicy Peanut Tofu Bowls with Coconut Forbidden Rice
- Grilled BBQ Tofu Vegetable Kebabs
- Roasted Chili Basil Lime Tofu Bowls – by Floating Kitchen
- Mexican Inspired Tofu Tacos
- Tofu and Kimchi Dumplings – by Healthy Nibbles
- Grilled Asparagus Tofu Spring Rolls – by The Bojon Gourmet
the recipe
Speedy Tofu Teriyaki Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 block (200g) Firm Tofu* (see notes) drained, pressed and cut into bite size pieces (about) 1" (2.5cm) cubes
- 3/4 C (165g) Jasmine Rice
- 1 1/4 C (297g) Water
- 1/2 C (145g) Ginger-Garlic Teriyaki Sauce divided + more for serving
- 1 1/4 lb (567g) Broccoli stems removed, florets trimmed
- 2 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1 Red Bell Pepper large, cut into 1/2" (1.3 cm) strips, then cut in half
- Share with: Sesame seeds, sprouts, lime wedges and green onions
Instructions
Bake the Tofu:
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Slice the pressed/drained tofu into (about) 1" (2.5cm) cubes and place on a parchment or silpat lined sheet pan. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden. This will dry the tofu out.
Marinate the Tofu:
- Place the warm tofu in a medium bowl and pour 1/4 C (73g) of Teriyaki sauce over the tofu. Gently stir to coat. Marinate for 15 minutes, stirring a few times to recoat or marinate up to three days(refrigerate if marinating longer than 30 minutes). Set aside.
Cook the Rice:
- While the tofu is marinating, to a medium sauce pot, add the water and Jasmine rice with a pinch of salt. Stir. Bring to a boil, turn to low, lid and cook for about 15-18 minutes. All the water should be absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and allow to sit, lid on for 10 minutes. Transfer to a covered container to keep warm.
Steam the Broccoli:
- In the same pot the rice was cooked in, add about 1/2" (1.2cm) of water. Insert steamer basket and bring water to a boil. Once boiling, add the broccoli to the steamer basket. Set a timer for 5 minutes and steam the broccoli. If meal prepping, only steam for two minutes because when reheating, the broccoli will cook further. Remove the broccoli from the steamer basket immediately to stop it from cooking further. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Set aside.
Stir-Fry the Tofu and Peppers:
- While the broccoli is steaming, in a large saute pan (non-stick is helpful here), add the oil and heat until it shimmers. Turn the heat to medium and spoon the tofu out of it's marinade, and transfer it into the pan. Pan fry the tofu for three minutes stirring and tossing frequently. To the pan, add the bell pepper, tossing and stirring the tofu with the peppers for about two minutes or until tender crisp. Remove from heat. Pour in 1/4 C (73g) of teriyaki sauce (use the residual from the marinade too!). Toss and stir to warm through off the heat.
Create the Bowl:
- Spoon rice into bowls, then add the broccoli next to the rice. Spoon the tofu and peppers over the rice. Garnish with sprouts, sesame seeds, a squeeze of lime (over the tofu and peppers), green onions and more warm teriyaki sauce as needed.
- Store in refrigerator for up to three days. The tofu and peppers may be frozen for up to two weeks. I do not recommend freezing the broccoli or rice (it's a texture thing for me).
Notes
- For lunch prep: Prepare the the recipe as written, but reduce the steam time of the broccoli from 5 minutes to 2 minutes. They'll finish cooking when reheated.
- For dinner prep: Up to three days in advance, marinate the tofu, cook the rice and chop the veggies. Store all in separate lidded containers in the refrigerator.
