Grilled Teriyaki Tofu Steaks (Vegan + Gluten-Free)

These grilled teriyaki tofu steaks are the perfect vegan barbecue food. Delicious, crispy, meaty, and gluten-free, they’re also great when pan-fried.

The marinade is sweet, savoury, salty, aromatic, and slightly sticky, with plenty of umami flavours to boot. Brush it over the seared tofu during cooking for some of that classic teriyaki glaze.

You can marinate the tofu for as little as 30 minutes, but for the best results I'd recommend doing it for several hours or even overnight. It'll then provide a main serving for two people, or can be a side to share around at your next barbecue get-together.

Looking for more vegan BBQ recipes? Check out this grilled teriyaki aubergine (eggplant), sesame-lime grilled tempeh, and these king oyster mushroom steaks.

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What is teriyaki?

Teriyaki – translating roughly as 'glazed and grilled' – is a Japanese cooking technique whereby food is grilled with a glaze or marinade that includes soy sauce, sake and/or mirin, and sugar. Aromatics like garlic, ginger, and sesame are popular additions.

While teriyaki refers to the technique as a whole, it can also describe a sauce or marinade comprised of the ingredients above. Whereas a teriyaki sauce is often heated to dissolve the sugar, this marinade uses agave syrup and so it's good to go without prior cooking – just like in this teriyaki tempeh stir-fry.

What is mirin?

Mirin is a type of rice wine and a key ingredient in Japanese cooking. It's similar to sake, but sweeter and with a lower alcohol content.

If you don't have mirin, you can swap this out for e.g. sake, dry sherry, marsala wine, dry white wine, or rice wine vinegar. If using any of these substitutes, you'll want to add an extra teaspoon of agave syrup or sugar for every tablespoon.

Note: Depending on the filtration process, alcohol such as wine and sherry may not always be strictly vegan.

Which tofu is best for grilling?

When it comes to grilling or frying, I always favour extra-firm tofu. It holds its shape well during cooking and doesn't require pressing – simply drain the water from the pack and you're good to go (just like with grilled tofu skewers, braised tofu, miso baked tofu, or tofu cream cheese).

For even more flavour, you can use a smoked variety of extra-firm tofu (pictured above). This is also what I use in my recipes for smoked tofu risotto and the ultimate vegan fish pie.

If you don't have extra-firm tofu, you may want to press it first. This gets rid of some of the water content, allowing the tofu to then soak up all the flavours from the marinade.

To do this, you can either use a tofu press or simply press between two plates over the sink for a minute or so. Once there’s no more water coming out, pat dry with kitchen roll and then it’s ready to use.

Is this recipe healthy?

Tofu is an incredible source of plant-based protein, containing all nine of the essential amino acids that make it a complete protein. It is also a good source of vitamins and minerals such as calcium and iron, and doesn't include the cholesterol and saturated fat found in animal products.

It's worth pointing out that the nutrition info for this recipe reflects the full amount of the marinade ingredients. Since you're not likely to consume all of the marinade when grilling the tofu, it means items like fat and sodium will be even lower than stated.

How to make the teriyaki marinade

In a large bowl, mix together the tamari/soy sauce, mirin, agave syrup, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Once combined, add the tofu slices and coat these well, gently turning them over once or twice. 

Note: You could also use a freezer bag for the marinade – just be gentle with the tofu slices as they may start to fall apart if you move them around too much.

Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 mins, but ideally for several hours or even overnight. Turn once or twice during this time to coat with the marinade.

Barbecuing / grilling the teriyaki tofu

Preheat the barbecue/grill to a medium heat (not scorching hot or else the tofu will quickly burn). Add the tofu slices and cook for approx. 5 minutes on each side, brushing regularly with the leftover marinade.

The tofu should be crispy on both sides with slight char marks. Remove from the grill and serve, adding a final brush of the teriyaki marinade.

Pan-frying the teriyaki tofu

In a frying pan or griddle pan, heat a small amount of cooking oil on medium heat. Add the tofu slices and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until crispy.

Once the tofu is crispy, add some of the remaining marinade to the pan and cook for a few more minutes, turning the tofu once or twice. This will help to add a little extra flavour, glaze the tofu slices, and create a sauce for serving.

Remove from the pan and serve, drizzling over any sauce left in the pan.

Serving suggestions

To serve this teriyaki tofu, remove it from the heat and brush once again with the marinade to add a final glaze. Serve the steaks either whole or sliced, with sides such as boiled rice or rice noodle salad, steamed veg, stir-fried cucumber, toasted sesame seeds, and sliced spring onions.

You could also enjoy it as part of a larger barbecue meal, or along with other sides including:

• Rainbow Slaw with Sesame Ginger Dressing
• Courgette and Carrot Salad with Peanut Dressing
• Asian-Inspired Cucumber Salad
• Vegan Raita
• Three-Bean Salad with Lemon, Mint and Parsley
• Mediterranean Couscous Salad
• Moroccan Couscous with Roasted Veg
• Easy Roasted Cauliflower
• Crispy Baked Potato Wedges

Recipe FAQ

Variations and tips

• Quantity: This amount of tofu is good as a main for two people, with sides such as boiled rice and steamed veg. If part of a larger barbecue meal, you can turn it into several servings as a side.
• Marinating time: I would marinate this tofu for at least 30 mins, but ideally for several hours or even overnight.
• Sear marks: If you want some fancy-looking criss-cross marks on your tofu steaks, position them at a 45° angle to the grill bars and then rotate 90° after a few minutes, before flipping over and doing the same on the other side.
• Cooking oil: If your tofu seems to be burning or sticking to the grill, reduce the heat and brush with a little cooking oil. 
• Agave syrup: If you don’t have agave syrup, you can replace this with maple syrup or sugar. If using sugar, you'll want to make sure that this has dissolved in the marinade mix.
• Salt/pepper/seasoning: I find that the salty tamari/soy sauce and other aromatics provide tonnes of flavour, but feel free to add any additional seasonings you like.

More vegan recipe ideas

If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy:

• Teriyaki Grilled Aubergine
• Grilled Tofu Skewers
• Grilled King Oyster Mushroom Steaks
• Spinach Couscous
• BBQ Asparagus in Foil
• Teriyaki Tempeh Stir-Fry
• Singapore Noodles with Tofu
• Vietnamese-Style Rice Paper Rolls

You can also check out my full list of vegan BBQ recipes.

Full recipe