Speedy Tofu Teriyaki Bowls

A bowl of Speedy Tofu Teriyaki with rice and broccoli ready to eat.

***Advance Prep Required to Make these SPEEDY!*** With a little meal prep, these Speedy Tofu Teriyaki Bowls come together with ease for a simple and flavor-packed weeknight dinner. gluten free + vegan | See blog post for more tips and notes. | Time below does not include time to press the tofu (about 30 minutes). See notes below**

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American, Japanese

Keyword How to Marinate Tofu, Teriyaki Tofu Recipe, Tofu Teriyaki Bowls, Vegetarian Rice Bowl Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Marinating Time 15 - 30

Total Time 45

Servings Servings

Calories 319kcal

Author Traci York

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

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.

**If time permits, freeze the tofu when you bring it home from the store. Something magical happens in the freezer. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, before use. Since tofu is packaged in water, we need press the water out of it to make room for flavor! 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. Press for about 20-30 minutes, up to an hour if you have time.

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