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How to get the BEST tofu!
Listen, I’ve had more bland, boring, and spongy tofu than I care to admit! I tried eating it for MANY years before I finally figured out how to prep and cook it properly and let me tell you: a good tofu marinade goes a LONG way in get the perfect tofu dish that you *actually* look forward to eating.
One of the biggest tricks: MARINATE IT! You can even do it a couple of days ahead of time so it’s perfect for meal-prep! Here are the 3 different flavors we’re making today:
- Nashville Hot Tofu
- Cilantro Lime Tofu
- Lemon Pepper Tofu
Let’s dive in!
In this post…
My tips for the BEST tofu
- Get extra-firm or super firm tofu. Trader Joe’s sells a super firm that I pretty much exclusively use at this point (and bonus- it doesn’t need to be pressed). Otherwise, I almost always get extra-firm tofu for most recipes.
- Press it! I have a WHOLE guide on how to press tofu if you need a refresher. THIS is the tofu press I use and love!
- When possible, TEAR the tofu into chunks instead of cutting it! This makes a world of difference, I promise! It provides lots of rough edges that crisp up when it cooks. It also offers lots of grooves for sauces to get stuck in.
- Marinate it! I have a guide on marinating tofu with 6 different flavors (ya know, for after you try these 3!).
- Air fry your tofu! OMG this is hands down the BEST way to get crispy tofu. I’ve tried pretty much every single method of cooking tofu and this one is my favorite. It’s quick and easy and results in tofu that is crispy and just so delicious.
How to make these marinades
These marinades are all super easy and come together all in one bag or Tupperware. I’ve been loving this tofu press lately because after you press the tofu and dump out the excess liquid, you can marinate your tofu directly in the container.
Cilantro Lime Tofu
I’m such a sucker for anything Cilantro Lime flavored and I hav no idea why it took me this long to get a Cilantro Lime Tofu recipe up on the blog. It’s so simple and so GOOD!
Here’s what’s in it:
- Olive oil
- Lime juice
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Salt + pepper
- Paprika
- Honey or maple syrup
Nashville Hot Tofu
I grew up in Nashville and once wrote a local article rating all of the best Hot Chicken in Nashville. This was a good 10 years ago so I’m sure it’s pretty out-dated by this point. But point being, I have a good pulse on the flavors of hot “chicken” and absolutely love how this one turned out!
Here’s what’s in it:
- Spice mix including: Cayenne pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder
- Olive oil
- Salt + pepper
Lemon Pepper Tofu
I always really loved Lemon Pepper wings growing up so of course I had to create a tofu version! This one is super light and just the epitome of summer to me!
Here’s what’s in it:
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Lemon juice
- Ground mustard
- Fresh dill (dried also works)
- White rice vinegar
- Honey or maple syrup
- Salt + pepper (lots of it!)
Can I freeze the marinades?
Why, yes! Yes, you can!
I suggest following the recipe as written and then putting it right in the freezer. Once ready to cook and eat, simply take it out 6+ hours ahead of time and let the tofu thaw in the fridge. Some people swear by frozen and then thawed tofu as it gives the tofu a meatier texture. Personally, it’s not my favorite but I do still love to freeze marinade like this for a rainy day.
My tofu recipes for you
See the video
Summery Tofu Marinades – 3 different ways!
Ingredients
For the Cilantro Lime Flavor:
- 1 block of extra-firm or super-firm tofu, pressed as needed*
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
For the Nashville Hot Tofu:
- 1 block of extra-firm or super-firm tofu, pressed as needed*
- 1 ½ tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Black pepper to taste
For the Lemon Pepper Tofu:
- 1 block of extra-firm or super-firm tofu, pressed as needed*
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, dried also works
- ½ tablespoon white rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey, or maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut or tear the tofu into bite sized chunks. I like to tear my tofu because it provides lots of rough edges that get crispy when you cook it.
- Combine all of the marinade ingredients for your selected flavor into a sealable container (bags or Tupperware both work well). Add in the tofu and toss to combine.
- Let marinate for at least 30 minutes but longer is better. Cook according to desired preferences. I love to air fry my tofu but you can also pan fry it, grill it or bake it! ENJOY!
