Name: Tofu Marinade (6 ways!)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 14-16 ounce block of tofu; 2 tablespoons of olive oil; 2 tablespoon lime juice; 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup/ honey; ½ cup cilantro leaves chopped; 2 cloves of garlic minced; ¼ teaspoon salt; 14-16 ounce block of tofu; 2 tablespoons of olive oil; 1/4 cup favorite BBQ sauce; 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar; 2 cloves of garlic minced; ½ teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon paprika; ¼ teaspoon salt; Dash of liquid smoke (optional); 14-16 ounce block of tofu; 1 tablespoon of olive oil; 1/4 cup of soy sauce; 2 teaspoons of fresh grated ginger; 2 cloves of garlic minced; 3 tablespoons of maple syrup; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; 14-16 ounce block of tofu; 2 tablespoons of olive oil; 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar; 2 tablespoons of water; 2 tablespoons of maple syrup; 2 cloves of garlic minced; 1/4 teaspoon of salt

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Want to know the secret to truly DELICIOUS Tofu? It’s all about having a good marinade! I’ve got 6 different easy tofu marinades that are great for baked tofu, air fried tofu or really ANY way that you’d like to prepare it!

If you’re a tofu lover like me then you need to check out my Spicy Tofu Burritos (that got 15 MILLION views on Instagram!), this fun Garlic Butter Tofu, as well as Tofu Sofritas Recipe!

Collage image with 4 photos of tofu marinating and cooke with text tht reads "6 DIFFERENT TOFU MARINADES: perfect tofu every time!

Hopefully it goes without saying that I am a HUGE tofu fan. HUGE!

Ever since I started eating a more vegetarian diet about 6 years ago, it has become a beloved staple in my house. It took me a couple of years to figure out how to get tofu to truly taste delicious and I’m hoping to save you that trouble :)

I have over 80 tofu recipes on my blog at this point and always adding more!

6 different bags of tofu marinating labeled each with it's flavor including: cilantro lime, bbq, teriyaki, balsamic, fajita, peanut

I have SIX different marinades for you to try out today! I wanted to cover a range of different flavors so that you are prepared to cook and serve tofu with any kind of dish that you desire. If there are more flavor profiles that you want to see, let me know and I’ll work on adding to this list.

6 of the BEST tofu marinades

Cilantro Lime
BBQ
Teriyaki
Balsamic
Fajita
Peanut Sauce

6 small bowls with 6 different marinade flavors. fresh garlic, lime and ginger in the scene and tofu in the corner

Before we dive into the marinades, I want to go over a few important things first:

Why marinate tofu?

I went years without marinating my tofu and I’ve since learned what a HUGE difference it makes. Tofu itself has a very mild taste which makes it very versatile and great for absorbing the flavors you add to it. If you don’t think that you like tofu, it’s probably because it wasn’t prepared very well and marinating it first results in the BEST TOFU!

What kind of tofu to use:

This totally depends on the type of recipe that you’re making. In most cases when I’m making a curry, stir fry, grilling the tofu or anything like that, I almost always want firm tofu or extra firm tofu.

When in doubt, I suggest getting an extra-firm block of tofu to use when marinating and cooking to be served with a dish. I DO NOT recommend silken tofu in most cases where you’re marinating and then cooking it.

The brand doesn’t really matter as much. Trader Joe’s has my favorite extra-firm tofu AND even a SUPER firm tofu that is amazing because it doesn’t need to be pressed first.

tofu on a cutting board with some cut into triangles and some is cut inot cubes

How to Cut the tofu:

I have a guide on different ways that you can cut tofu in my guide to cooking tofu.

To cut it: Place the pressed tofu on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice it into cubes, triangles, strips or whatever shape you desire!

There’s really no right or wrong way to do this! You can cut it into squares, rectangles, triangles. You can even tear it into chunks like I did with my Orange Tofu recipe to really mimic the texture of chicken (if that’s something you want to do). When torn, the tofu pieces have lots of rough edges that get deliciously crispy and the flavoring really clings to all of the grooves.

large plastic bag filled with marinating tofu

Do I need to press the tofu?

In most cases, YES! Pressing your tofu before cooking with it makes a huge difference. Especially if you’re trying to get crispy tofu! It helps release the excess water, so there’s more room for the tofu to soak up the marinade.

I have a WHOLE guide on how to press tofu, with and without a tofu press, that you can check out HERE. In most cases, I suggest pressing the tofu for about 15 minutes before adding it to the marinade.

What about freezing the tofu?

I talk a lot about freezing tofu in THIS which I highly recommend checking out. Freezing tofu (when you have the time) is a GREAT way to add a nice bit of texture to your dish.

Tofu naturally has a lot of moisture in it and when you freeze it, that moisture crystalizes and creates these little pockets throughout the tofu. Once the tofu is thawed and and liquid is gone, the pockets are left in the tofu which results in a meatier texture that I really love. The pockets also works well to soak up flavor!

Can I freeze marinated tofu? Why YES you can! Follow the recipe as written and once everything is mixed together and the bag is sealed, place it in the freezer. It’ll keep for about 6 months in the freezer and is GREAT for lazy dinners. Take the bag out the morning that you want to enjoy it for dinner and let it thaw in the fridge throughout the day. Once thawed, cook as usual. SO GOOD!

How long to marinate tofu?

In an ideal world, your tofu will marinate for a few hours or even overnight. However, I’ve found that even just 30 minutes of marinating your tofu will make a big difference and result in a much more flavorful tofu dish.

How do I cook marinated tofu?

You can use these marinades in almost any recipe to cook tofu. But if you’re looking for various different ways to cook your tofu, here are some of my favorites that all result in crispy, golden brown tofu:

Baked Tofu – always a good option!
Sauteed Tofu – honestly, cooking tofu in a frying pan is my favorite way to do it!
Grilled Tofu – SO fun in the summer!
Tofu Skewers
Air Fryer Tofu
Fried Tofu

Hot to get deliciously crispy tofu:

I have a WHOLE guide on cooking tofu to get it as crispy as possible with very few ingredients! The ket is pressing it first and then simply having a good non-stick skillet!

Read that whole post HERE!

How to make the best tofu marinade

Marinating tofu is VERY simple especially for HOW MUCH flavor it adds to the food. Simply pick your flavor from below and add all of the ingredients to a plastic bag, stasher bag, or resealable container or choice. It’s important that the tofu is in a single layer!

If you’re going to be marinating the tofu for 12+ hours or freezing it, you can actually throw the entire pressed block into the marinade before cutting it.

Let sit for 30 minutes or even overnight and then cook as desired. One of my favorite things to do with the leftover marinade is to add it into a saucepan with a cornstarch slurry (2 tablespoons of water + 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch) and cook until thickened. It makes for a great sauce to put on top of the tofu!

Cilantro Lime Tofu Marinade

collage image: left image is tofu and cilantro lime marinade in a gallon size baggie. Right image: the cooked cilantro lime tofu on a plate

Marinade ingredients:

2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of lime juice
1 ½ tablespoons of maple syrup or honey
½ cup of cilantro chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
¼ teaspoon of salt

BBQ Tofu Marinade

collage image: left image is tofu and bbq marinade in a gallon size baggie. Right image: the cooked bbq tofu on a plate

What you need:

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 cup of BBQ sauce
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ teaspoon of onion powder
½ teaspoon of paprika
¼ teaspoon pf salt
Dash of liquid smoke (optional)

Teriyaki Tofu Marinade

collage image: left image is tofu and Teriyaki marinade in a gallon size baggie. Right image: the cooked Teriyaki tofu on a plate

What you need:

1 tablespoon of sesame oil
1/4 cup of soy sauce
2 teaspoons of freshly grated ginger
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons of maple syrup
2 tablespoons of rice vinegar

Balsamic Tofu Marinade

collage image: left image is tofu and Balsamic marinade in a gallon size baggie. Right image: the cooked Balsamic tofu on a plate

What you need:

2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons of water
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon of salt

Fajita Tofu Marinade

collage image: left image is tofu and Fajita marinade in a gallon size baggie. Right image: the cooked Fajita tofu on a plate

What you need:

2 tablespoons of olive oil
¼ cup of lime juice
2 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon of maple syrup
¼ teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 1/2 tablespoons pf chili powder
Optional: dash of liquid smoke

Thai Peanut Tofu Marinade

collage image: left image is tofu and Peanut marinade in a gallon size baggie. Right image: the cooked Peanut tofu on a plate

What you need:

¼ cup of peanut butter
1 ½ tablespoons of soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoons of lime juice
1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons of maple syrup
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons of freshly grated ginger

If you try any of these easy tofu marinades, or any other recipe on Food with Feeling, don’t forget to leave a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below to let others know how much you loved it. Happy syrup-making!! And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @foodwithfeeling!

Some of my favorite tofu recipes:

4.92 from 12 votes

28 Comments

Wendy says:

April 5, 2025 at 8:43 am

can these be made without using any oils? What would be a good substitute, or would it work without it?

1. Brita Britnell says:
  
  April 6, 2025 at 10:38 am
  
  I think you can get away with no oil! I would just be careful how you cook it- my best advice would be to airfry it if you can!