What We’re Cooking This Weekend: Easy Tofu Teriyaki
Before I went vegan, my favorite dish to eat was chicken teriyaki. Luckily, I can still enjoy the same tastes in a plant-base dish because chicken teriyaki is such an easy recipe to veganize! All you need to do is swap out the chicken for tofu; the sauce is already vegan friendly, for the most part-- watch out for teriyaki sauces that have honey in it and/or Worcestershire sauce, which are both not vegan. Here, we replicated the classic marinade with none of the animal products.
I love this recipe, because even though it is extremely easy to make it’s still very flavourful and delicious. If you like your teriyaki sauces a bit on the sweeter side just add a bit of brown sugar at a time until you get your desired sweetness. This recipe also calls for an ingredient called Mirin, which is a Japanese rice wine which is different from rice wine vinegar. If you don’t have this ingredient you can omit it and still get a delicious sauce.
Easy Tofu Teriyaki
Ingredients
Tofu
- 2 Blocks Extra Firm Tofu
- ½ Cup Cornstarch
- ½ Tsp Smoked Paprika
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Teriyaki Sauce
- ½ Cup Tamari or Soy Sauce
- ¼ Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Tsp Fresh Ginger, grated
- ½ Tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1 Tsp Sesame Oil
- 3 Tbsp Mirin (Japanese Rice Wine)
- ¼ Cup Water
- 3 Tsp Cornstarch
Instructions
- Drain and press your tofu to release some of the water. Cut your tofu in cubes and set aside. In a shallow dish or Ziploc bag, add your cornstarch, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined. Coat your tofu in the cornstarch mixture. If you’re using a Ziploc bag, all you need to do is put all your tofu in the bag with the dry ingredients and gently shake it until all your tofu pieces are coated.
- Heat up about 2-3 Tbsp of oil in a large pan. Tap off any excess cornstarch from your tofu, and fry your tofu for about 1 minute on each side or until golden brown on all sides. Remove your tofu from the pan and onto a plate. Set aside as you make the sauce.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, add all your teriyaki sauce ingredients and whisk until all combined. Bring to a boil then bring down to a simmer for 3-5 minutes or until you reach your desired consistency, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the saucepan off the heat and add your cooked tofu into the sauce. Toss your tofu in the sauce until each piece is coated.
- Serve with some rice, your favorite veggies, and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy!
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