This heavenly marinated tofu is infused with a rich coffee and rosemary marinade, taking your tofu from drab to fab in 30 minutes!

So the boyfriend-tulip-man is Dutch, which means he tells things like they are. No sugar-coating. No fluff. And as an American, this took a lot of getting used to on my part. Like “I know I’m having a bad hair day, but just say it looks good, dangit!”
But his habit for Dutch directness has a flip side; when he does give a compliment, its sincere. Enter this Rosemary Coffee Marinated Tofu.
Upon first bite of this marinated tofu last night, the tulip-man uttered…a compliment. He, the man of meat and cheese and more meat, could not stop complimenting the marinade. And insisted we make it again tonight. And I mean, I was already way excited to share this with you all but now I’m SO EXCITED!
Ingredients
- 1 14-oz block extra firm tofu 396 g
- 1 cup coffee 236 mL
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the tofu into about the size and thickness of a deck of playing cards. You should get 4 pieces to 6, depending on your tofu block. Lay the tofu slices on a few layers of paper towels, and place a few more paper towels on top. Set a baking sheet on the tofu and top it with a heavy plate or pan. Allow the moisture to be squeeze out for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine coffee, rosemary leaves, garlic, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Place tofu in a sealable dish or ziploc bag, then pour in the marinade. Set in fridge for anywhere from 30 minutes to 6 hours.
- Set tofu on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F (204 C), flipping halfway through.
- You can finish these off on a grill/panini grill or in a saucepan.
For grill, place tofu on medium/high heat and cook 2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.
For saucepan, heat a splash of oil over medium/high heat and add tofu. Cook 2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.
Bella B (xoxoBella) says
My friend would love this. I will pass this on to her.
Sarah says
Thanks for sharing, Bella! 🙂
Mica @ Let's Taco Bout It Blog says
I love the use of coffee in this recipe! I will share this with my veggie pals!
Sarah says
Thanks, Mica! Coffee is so great as a savory flavor! 🙂
jacquee | i sugar coat it! says
My hubs is vegetarian and makes a lot of tofu. I love that it takes on whatever flavour you add to it. This flavour combo sounds amazing!
Sarah says
Yea it definitely does! And between baking to dry it out and grilling, this tofu take on a really great texture!
Annemarie @ justalittlebitofbacon says
I love the addition of coffee in this marinade. What a great idea! And you know you have a winner when your meat-eating other half asks for more tofu. 🙂
Sarah says
Thanks so much, Annemarie! I never would have thought coffee would be good in a savory dish but booooy was I mistaken!
Ali @ Home & Plate says
Wow what a great marinade. I have meat eaters in my family and think they would love this flavoring. Perfect for Tofu or meats.
Sarah says
Yes definitely! It goes well with darker meats because the marinade itself has a really strong flavor. 🙂
Sara | Life's Little Sweets says
Pinning this to my Coffee Love board! This is a way to have tofu that I have never seen before, so tasty and creative, love it! Thank you for sharing!
Sarah says
Aw thanks so much, Sara!
Susan Kolb says
Coffee and rosemary! What a gorgeous combination. Thanks for this beautiful site!
Keith @ How's it Lookin? says
Looks so good. Coffee marinated sounds awesome, thanks a lot
GFK says
I marinated the tofu, got occupied so left the thing overnight… well, after 12 hours, the coffee would not leave the tofu alone… :/
Sisters, cook in 6 hours! lesson learned
Sarah says
Thanks for the tip! 😀