Is it even summertime without a skewer?! We think not. These teriyaki tofu skewers are full of savory sweet goodness, and when grilled, they develop a subtly crusty exterior and perfectly smoky taste. It’s safe to say this recipe’s a winner, friends!
We love these skewers alongside a cold sesame noodle salad or stir-fry for a protein-packed, plant-based summer meal! Just 9 ingredients required for these super flavorful tofu skewers. Let us show you how it’s done!
How to Make Grilled Teriyaki Tofu Skewers
We start this tofu party off by marinating cubes of tofu in a teriyaki-inspired sauce made with tamari (or soy sauce), coconut sugar, garlic powder, rice vinegar, and toasted sesame oil. The result is super flavorful cubes of tofu.
Some of that flavorful marinade gets whisked in a saucepan with arrowroot starch and water to create a thick teriyaki glaze to brush on at the end. Can you tell we like flavorful tofu?
Next, we layer the marinated tofu onto skewers with red onion for bites of sweetness and to help hold the tofu in place.
Then, it’s grilling time! If you don’t have an outdoor grill or BBQ, you can use a cast iron grill pan on the stovetop.
Grill for a few minutes on each side, allowing the skewers to develop grill marks all around. Lastly, brush the grilled tofu with the teriyaki glaze, and enjoy!
We hope you LOVE these teriyaki tofu skewers! They’re:
Savory
Smoky
Salty-sweet
Super flavorful
Easy to make
& Perfect for grilling season!
They pair well with other Japanese-inspired dishes including our Creamy Sesame Noodle Salad (30 Minutes!), 30-Minute Portobello Mushroom Stir-Fry, or a simple salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing. You could also keep the meal simple by serving with rice and steamed broccoli or cauliflower.
More Plant-Based Grilling Recipes
- Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad with Herbed White Beans
- Jamaican Jerk Grilled Eggplant (30 Minutes!)
- Veggie Skewers with Chimichurri Sauce
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Grilled Teriyaki Tofu Skewers
Ingredients
SKEWERS
- 1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari (ensure gluten-free as needed)
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or sub brown sugar)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 ½ tsp rice vinegar
- 3/4 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp arrowroot powder
- 1 (14-oz.) package extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 medium red onion, sliced into 1-inch chunks
- Avocado oil (for greasing grill)
FOR SERVING optional
- Sesame seeds
- Thinly sliced green onion
Instructions
- In a wide, shallow bowl or glass container, whisk together soy sauce or tamari, coconut sugar, garlic powder, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Remove about 1/3 of the marinade (~2 ½ Tbsp if making the default number of servings) and reserve for making glaze.
- Add the cubed tofu to the dish with the marinade, stir (or cover with a lid and shake) to coat well, cover, and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to marinate.
- While the tofu is marinating, whisk together the arrowroot and a splash of water in a small saucepan, then add the reserved marinade. Bring to a simmer, whisking frequently until thickened to a glossy glaze — about 2-3 minutes. If it thickens too much, add a little water to thin. If it’s too thin, whisk more arrowroot with water, then add to the saucepan and cook to thicken.
- Once the tofu has finished marinating, lightly oil a grill pan or grill grate and preheat to medium-high. Thread cubed tofu and red onion onto skewers, alternating with 1 piece of red onion in between each tofu cube and ending with a piece of red onion. There should be ~8 tofu cubes per skewer.
- Next, grill! Make sure as many tofu cubes as possible are making contact with the pan, and turn every 3-4 minutes, until browned and beginning to char in spots — about 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer to a serving plate, brush the reserved glaze over the tofu, and sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced green onion (both optional). These skewers are delicious served with rice and steamed broccoli or alongside our Creamy Sesame Noodle Salad.
- Leftover grilled tofu keeps stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Katelyn says
I made this as one of my dishes for a big bbq we hosted so that we would have a veggie option. And it was the party favorite among vegetarians and meat eaters alike! I couldn’t believe it. 10/10
Only difference was I marinated over night to help with prep time and used cornstarch as the sauce thickener.
Whoop! We’re so glad the skewers were a hit at the party. Thank you for sharing, Katelyn! xo
Kelsey says
I LOVE that you give recommendations on what to pair this with – thank you!!!
We’re so glad that’s helpful, Kelsey! Thank you for letting us know! xo
Melissa GC says
Excellent! I found this recipe to find a main to accompany grilled veggies. I am not sure how I missed this recipe when it was added to the collection. Easy and DELICIOUS! I will definitely make this again.
Whoop! We’re so glad you found it and enjoyed, Melissa! Thank you for sharing! xo
Blake Spencer says
This was incredible! I doubled the sauce and used half to make the glaze which I drizzled generously on the skewers and the brown rice and roasted broccoli I served on the side. I used a BBQ to cook so the clean up was a cinch! We will definitely be adding to the regular rotation!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Blake! Thank you for sharing!
Kathy says
Grilled these tonight – delicious! I didn’t have skewers so just cut the tofu into squares – 6 in total so they were easy to flip. Worked out just fine. Definitely benefits from adding the glaze. I did press the tofu for about 30 minutes and the tofu ended up in the marinade longer than 30 minutes.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Kathy! Thank you for sharing! xo
Irma says
I made this alongside the creamy sesame noodle salad and it was a fantastic combination.
I don’t have a BBQ, so we grilled it on our stovetop cast iron pan, and it was delicious! I also did double the red onion, and subbed all-purpose flour for the arrowroot powder that I didn’t have in my pantry.
To help with getting a sense of how filling this is , with the noodle salad, the two of us ate two servings each of this meal – it was so good! Filling, and it satiated that desire for wanting meat for sure.
We’re so glad you enjoyed the combo, Irma! Dinner at your place sounds like the place to be ;) xo
KitKat says
Making these for the second time tonight and noticed few ratings. Definitely a 5 star recipe. My hubby added some wood to the BBQ and it had a great smoky quality. In fact my vegan teen said it reminded them of ribs! (Not the texture but overall flavor.) We’ve eaten plant based for a few years and this is one of the few recipes I’ve found that uses the BBQ which is so much fun in the summer. Love it!
We’re so glad you and your family are enjoying the recipe! Thank you for sharing! xo
Anisha says
I don’t have a grill, can I bake these in the oven instead?
Hi Anisha, you could use a grill pan or try searing them in a cast iron skillet.
Natalie says
These are DELICIOUS!!! Absolutely loved them!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Natalie. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Sarah says
The tofu wasn’t pressed to remove some water content? Did you test it with/without pressing? I’ve never used tofu right out of the box.
Thanks!
Hi Sarah, for this recipe we found that the extra-firm tofu was delicious without pressing, but either way would be good.
Nikki says
This looks amazing! Wondering if you recommend pressing the tofu before putting it in the marinade?
Hi Nikki, with extra firm tofu we think you can skip pressing, but it wouldn’t hurt if you have the time! Let us know how it goes!