BBQ Tofu (simple and easy!)
This delicious BBQ tofu recipe requires only two ingredients! Simple and easy, you’ll love this vegan BBQ tofu in sandwiches, salads, bowls and more.
Going back to basics today– another recipe for tofu to make you love tofu. This BBQ tofu recipe is similar to my air fryer tofu and crispy baked tofu recipe, a simple staple to enjoy in all kinds of meals. It’s great on it’s own as a main dish, thrown into pasta salad, or your favorite kale salad.
This BBQ tofu is saucy, chewy and packed with barbeque flavor. And the best part is that it’s only two ingredients! Your favorite barbeque sauce and tofu. Yes, that’s really it. This is the tofu recipe you will make again and again.
Ingredients You’ll Need for This Recipe
The reason this barbeque tofu recipe is so simple and easy is that it requires only two ingredients: your favorite bbq sauce and a package of tofu.
That means you can adapt this recipe to fit any style of barbeque sauce that you like. It works with mustard-heavy options, vinegar-based sauces, and classic, thicker Midwest-style BBQ sauces. As long as you like it, eat it; it will work on this BBQ tofu!
I prefer an extra-firm for this recipe, other types of tofu won’t work. As I explain in my how to cook with tofu post, the type of tofu you use does matter. You need a tofu that’s firm enough to bake and then pan-fried without falling apart. Extra-firm tofu is my go-to choice as it holds it shape while cooking.
How to Make BBQ Tofu
Press the tofu
Remove tofu from its package and press it either using a tofu press or wrapping it in a dish towel and placing something heavy on top. This removes the excess water the tofu was packed in and makes for a more flavorful tofu when the marinade is added.
Cube the tofu
Cube the tofu and place on a greased baking sheet, then spray with more cooking spray. This allows the tofu to crisp in the oven while cooking and prevents it from sticking to the baking sheet. Alternatively, you can use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Bake the tofu
Bake the tofu until golden brown and crispy, about 25 minutes.
Marinate with BBQ sauce
Place the baked tofu into a bowl and cover with BBQ sauce. Let marinate for 15 minutes.
Cook the Tofu
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add the marinated tofu and cook for 5-8 minutes, until hot and saucy on the outside.
Why this recipe works
This cook-twice-tofu approach is the same method I use in my popular peanut tofu buddha bowl recipe. If you don’t like tofu, you’ve got to try this method.
Cooking it first in the oven helps to dry out the tofu and create a chewy inside. Then, the tofu is able to soak up the bbq sauce marinade before being sauteed until hot and crispy.
How to make BBQ Tofu Nuggets
You can cube the tofu for use in salads, as a side dish or in pasta salads. However, if you want to enjoy the tofu as a nugget, I recommend tearing the tofu into bigger chunks, like I do in my tofu nugget recipe and tofu chicken salad sandwich recipe.
As with other nuggets, this craggy edge tastes more meat-like and helps to resemble a nugget. If you want a larger BBQ tofu nugget for eating as a main dish, I recommend preparing it this way.
Ways to eat BBQ Tofu
This one is great as a simple dish, but I often think of tofu like I do chicken. If BBQ chicken tastes good in a recipe, then BBQ tofu will often work the exact same way.
Toss it into salads, wrap it up in a flatbread with pickled onions, lettuce, tomatoes, and more BBQ sauce, or throw it on a bun and enjoy it as a vegan BBQ sandwich.
Enjoy as a main dish with your favorite vegetable side dishes and roasted potatoes or lemon potato salad like a classic BBQ meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
As long as you are using a gluten-free barbeque sauce, then this recipe is gluten-free.
You can grill the tofu if you prefer grill marks. In that case, I’d recommend slicing the tofu into slabs, par-baking before marinading, and finishing the tofu on the grill. It seems like an extra step, but I find that tofu baked and then marinaded this way has a chewier, more meaty texture than tofu straight onto the grill.
If you want to add in a BBQ spice rub to your tofu, then I recommend doing that before the tofu goes into the oven. Toss with spices of choice– typically smoked paprika, garlic powder, black pepper then bak and marinate as directed.
Store the BBQ tofu in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Yes! Like with the grill question above, bake and then thread on skewers before or after marinating. Or, enjoy this grilled bbq tofu recipe made especially for the grill.
More Tofu Recipes
- Cashew Tofu Stir Fry
- Vegan Tofu Feta Recipe
- Smoky Miso Maple Tofu
- Tofu Rice Bowls with Black Beans
- Tofu Scramble
- Crispy Honey Garlic Tofu Stir-Fry
If you make this recipe, make sure to come back to leave a rating and a review! Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day.
BBQ Tofu (simple and easy!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 14 ounce package extra-firm tofu
- 1 cup BBQ sauce of choice
- Olive oil or Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Remove tofu from the package, drain, and press. Cube and place onto a greased baking sheet. Lightly spray the cubed tofu with more cooking spray. Alternatively, toss the cubed tofu with olive oil before adding it to the baking sheet.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then remove and place into a large bowl. Add the BBQ sauce and toss until well-coated. Let sit for 15 minutes.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu and sauce and cook for 5-8 minutes until hot and sticky.