How To Marinate Tofu (Ultimate Flavor Guide!)

This is the ultimate guide to marinated tofu, with 8 easy tofu marinades you’ll LOVE! Perfect for baking, sautéing, air frying, or grilling!

Tofu is a little sponge, soaking up whatever flavors you throw at it. I love to use marinated tofu in just about any tofu recipe. Think you don’t like tofu? This will change your thinking!

When people say they don’t like tofu, they are likely thinking of eating it straight up plain. While it does have its place in some tasty soups like that, really the entire purpose of that blank canvas is to add a simple tofu marinade!

No matter what flavor profile your dish is headed towards, nutritious tofu will slide right in. I like to think of it sort of like chicken – a really plain ingredient that lends itself well to marinades, and tofu is our vegan adaptation.

These easy tofu marinades come together quickly. Just measure everything out, dump it in a bag, add tofu cubes and toss. Then – just wait. It takes as little as an hour for these babies to soak up that goodness. And unlike raw meat, the remaining marinade is perfectly safe to then use to brush over the tofu while baking, or add more flavor to the final dish.

Tofu Marinade Ingredients

All the ingredients for this easy tofu marinade are equally easy to find, and likely in your pantry already. Keep a stash of freezer bags on hand – they make marinating proteins so much easier than a bowl!

• Tofu: This amazing protein is made from condensed soy milk. It’s kinda like pressing together the curds that separate out of the whey in cheesemaking!
• Flavors: We’ll jump into details below, but let’s just say we will travel the globe with our 8 varieties!

How to make the Best Tofu Marinade

Step 1: Press
Even with the firm and extra firm varieties, tofu contains a lot of water. You can press that out if you’d like, but you can skip it if you are “pressed” for time! There are special tofu presses you can buy, or just set something heavy on the tofu block and allow the water to run out. Pressing your tofu allows more flavor to be absorbed into it!

Step 2: Cut
Cut tofu into desired shapes. Slabs are perfect for pan frying or grilling, and cubes are most often used for salads and other dishes where you just want to scoop it up and not be cutting it on your plate.

Step 3: Mix
Select a marinade from the list below and mix it up! If it contains oils or other liquids, a whisk is really helpful. If it’s just spices, stir it up with your measuring spoon.

Step 4: Assemble
Add tofu to a bag or bowl. Use a spoon or squish the bag around to make sure every piece is coated in flavor. I like to give it at least an hour in the fridge before cooking. Feel free to start this in the morning to really let things absorb.

Step 5: Cook
Remove the tofu from the marinade and cook as directed in your recipe. Tofu is amazing whether it is baked, air fried, or sauteed.

Smoked Bacon Tofu Marinade

Smoked paprika and liquid smoke add that bit of kick you need (combined with maple syrup) to make a wonderfully warm bacon flavor. This is a great time to use skinny strips of tofu so it feels like bacon. It would be perfect served alongside Egg White Frittata or Egg Muffin Cups.

Sesame Ginger Tofu Marinade

Sesame oil is key to the perfect Asian marinade. This sesame ginger variation also contains ginger and brown sugar – you won’t be able to get enough. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh in Sesame Ginger Marinade would all be perfect on a Buddha Bowl. Try mixing it into Cauliflower Fried Rice for easy meal prep.

BBQ Tofu Marinade

BBQ marinade couldn’t be easier. I thin out my favorite barbecue sauce with vinegar and add some zing with fresh garlic. Keep your tofu in larger slabs here and you can grill it outside in summer. It’s the perfect vegan option for when you have a lot of guests over. Pair it with a light Summer Vegetable Salad, Strawberry Summer Salad, or a scoop of Egg Salad. This marinade would be great turned into tofu nuggets!

Herby Balsamic Tofu Marinade

It’s pasta night! This olive oil & balsamic combo will make your heart sing. Serve along with a caprese salad or why not pop it right into a Caprese Panini? You can also pick your choice of noodles and top both pasta and tofu with the Eggplant Vegetable Bolognese.

Fajita Tofu Marinade

Chili powder, lime juice, avocado oil – those all scream Mexican flavors to me, especially for Taco Tuesday! Obviously, since I’ve named this marinade after fajitas, it would be perfect to add to Vegetable Fajitas. Fajitas are one of the easiest meals to serve to a crowd because everyone can customize their plates. Cut your tofu into cubes and toss them into Spanish Rice and Beans.

Garlic & Herb Tofu Marinade

Yup, I put 6 cloves of garlic in this marinade! Paired with Italian seasoning, I’d love to cube this tofu up bite-size and whip up some Pizza Dough, and add all my favorite toppings. It would also pair well on this Goat Cheese Pizza.

Tandoori Tofu Marinade

Garam masala, garlic, coriander, and more all combine to make a really delightful Indian-inspired tofu marinade. Serve this up with a bunch of delicious textures and watch everyone dig in with delight:

• Homemade Naan
• Chipotle Copycat Cauliflower Rice
• Homemade Greek Yogurt

Cilantro & Lime Tofu Marinade

Just look at all that beautiful greenery! Fresh cilantro has to be my favorite herb of all time. I think cubed and seared cilantro lime tofu would be a great way to add protein to a bowl of Taco Soup. And of course, any protein can be swapped out for this tofu when you are making tacos or Vegan Burritos.

How to Cook Marinated Tofu

Tofu is really easy to cook! You can either just add it to a recipe where appropriate, or cook it on its own and then add to your plate or the rest of the dish (like saute, cool a bit, then top a salad).

Baking: I like to line a pan with parchment while the oven heats to 400°F. I find it takes about 30 minutes for tofu to cook up crispy. You can flip each piece over halfway through if you have slabs, or just jiggle the pan around if they are cubes. All the photos in this post have the tofu baked in this way!

Saute: Heat up a pan over medium-high heat and add a touch of oil. Then add your tofu pieces and flip them as each side toasts so they don’t burn.

Grill: As long as you oil your grill well, tofu slabs cook up nicely. Set a gas grill to 400°F and go for about 3 minutes per side, or until just charred. (Grab our full guide to BBQ tofu here!)

Air Fry: This amazing appliance lets the hot air circulate until every inch of your tofu is nice and crispy. I have got to say, this air fryer tofu might be my favorite method!

Pro Tip: Freeze then thaw your tofu before marinating it to create a firmer, chewier texture!