Barbecue Tofu Recipes

BBQ TOFU: A VEGAN RECIPE YOU'LL LOVE

Steps:

• Press your extra firm tofu in a tofu press for 15 minutes. If you don't own a press, wrap your tofu blocks in clean, dry kitchen towels. Place the blocks between two cutting boards and place something heavy on top. Wait 2-3 hours and then remove the towels.
• Slice the tofu into six 1-inch thick blocks.
• Mix all of your sauce ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
• Place the tofu pieces in a shallow baking dish. Add in ¾ cup of your barbecue sauce. Keep the rest of your sauce for brushing on the tofu during and after grilling time.
• Using a pastry brush, evenly coat the tofu pieces with the sauce.
• Allow the tofu to marinate in the BBQ sauce for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the grill to medium heat. Oil the grates with vegetable oil.
• Place your tofu on the oiled grates. Grill for 6-7 minutes per side, brushing the tofu on BBQ with the leftover sauce periodically.
• Brush the grilled tofu with one final coat of the barbecue sauce. Serve warm, straight from the grill.

"BARBECUED" TOFU

Steps:

• Cut tofu cake horizontally (slicing parallel to work surface) into 4 rectangles and press.
• Cover the bottom of a small pan with half of barbecue sauce. One by one, rub both sides of each tofu rectangle with chile powder; place in a single layer on sauce. Top with remaining sauce. Let stand for 30 minutes.
• Preheat broiler with rack 6 inches from heat. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; place a baking rack on top. Spray rack with cooking spray. Take tofu slabs out of the barbecue sauce and place on rack with space between pieces. Reserve leftover barbecue sauce. Broil until top of tofu is browned and bubbly, about 5 minutes.
• Turn tofu over and brush with reserved sauce. Broil until browned and bubbly, about 5 more minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature, on bread with coleslaw if desired.

CRISPY BARBEQUED TOFU SLICES

Steps:

• Drain tofu, and slice into strips. Place in a plastic bag or container, and freeze overnight. This will give the tofu a meatier texture. Thaw tofu strips, and blot with paper towels to dry.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg white and 1 tablespoon of barbeque sauce. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl. Dip the tofu slices into the egg mixture, then into the flour mixture, shaking off excess flour. Fry in the hot oil for about 1 minute on each side, until golden brown. Just fry enough at one time so they are not crowded. Remove from the oil to paper towels to drain and cool.
• Preheat the oven's broiler. Brush tofu slices with additional barbeque sauce, and allow to marinate while the broiler heats up. Arrange them on a broiler pan, or wire rack set over a cookie sheet for best results.
• Position the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source. Broil for 5 minutes on each side, or until browned and crisp, watching closely so as not to burn them. Serve warm with the remaining barbeque sauce for dipping.

BARBECUE TOFU

Steps:

• Rinse and pat the tofu dry, then slice it horizontally into 5 long rectangular slabs. Wrap in a dishtowel and press GENTLY all over to remove excess moisture.
• Stack up the tofu slabs again and slice them in half diagonally so you now have 10 triangular slabs. NOTE: If you are planning to grill them, you may want to leave the tofu in rectangles and slice them in half last thing, so they'll be easier to flip on the barbecue.
• Mix all other ingredients together and pour into a 9-by-13 baking dish. Spread the tofu slabs in the dish and turn them carefully, using a basting brush to make sure all sides are coated with sauce.
• Let rest for 15 minutes. NOTE: If time permits, you can prepare this a few hours early (even the night before) and let it marinate for stronger flavor.
• Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F, turning halfway through.
• If grilling, it's basically the same as anything else, but you have to be more careful about burning tofu than meat! Just grill till it reaches your desired done-ness (my crazy family likes it burned), basting occasionally with leftover sauce.
• Serve with baked potatoes, fries, steamed/grilled veg, salad -- endless possibilities! Leftovers taste GREAT crumbled in a sandwich with a little mayonnaise (or vegan version :-)!

DOWN HOME BARBECUED TOFU

Steps:

• Wrap the tofu in several layers of a clean, absorbent kitchen towel and set a l-pound bag of dried beans on top. Set the tofu aside until you are ready to slice it. Line a broiling pan or baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside. Place the oven rack about 5 inches from the broiling element, and turn on the broiler. In a pie plate or large, shallow bowl, prepare the barbecue sauce by blending together the remaining ingredients. Unwrap the tofu and set the block on a cutting board with the longer side facing you. Cut the block crosswise into 9 slices, each slightly less than 1/2-inch thick. Dip the slices into the sauce to coat both sides heavily. Arrange the slices on the broiling pan as you work. (Reserve any remaining sauce.) Broil the tofu until flecked with dark brown spots, 4 to 6 minutes. (If your broiler cooks unevenly, rotate the broiling pan halfway through.) Turn the tofu over with a spatula and slather any remaining sauce on the second side with a pastry brush or knife. Broil until deeply browned on the second side, 4 to 6 more minutes. Serve with the darker side up.
• Wrap the tofu in several layers of a clean, absorbent kitchen towel and set a l-pound bag of dried beans on top. Set the tofu aside until you are ready to slice it. Line a broiling pan or baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside. Place the oven rack about 5 inches from the broiling element, and turn on the broiler. In a pie plate or large, shallow bowl, prepare the barbecue sauce by blending together the remaining ingredients. Unwrap the tofu and set the block on a cutting board with the longer side facing you. Cut the block crosswise into 9 slices, each slightly less than 1/2-inch thick. Dip the slices into the sauce to coat both sides heavily. Arrange the slices on the broiling pan as you work. (Reserve any remaining sauce.) Broil the tofu until flecked with dark brown spots, 4 to 6 minutes. (If your broiler cooks unevenly, rotate the broiling pan halfway through.) Turn the tofu over with a spatula and slather any remaining sauce on the second side with a pastry brush or knife. Broil until deeply browned on the second side, 4 to 6 more minutes. Serve with the darker side up.

BARBECUE TOFU SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Drain the tofu between paper towels until most of the water has been squeezed out.
• Slice tofu into 1/4 inch thick slices.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet, fry tofu strips until golden brown on both sides. Add onion and cook for a few minutes, until onion is at your desired consistency.
• Pour in barbeque sauce (use more or less, according to your taste). Cook the mixture for ten minutes on low and serve on buns.

BAKED BBQ BREADED TOFU

Steps:

• Place tofu block in an airtight container and put in the freezer until frozen, about 8 hours.
• Transfer frozen tofu to the refrigerator to thaw, about 24 hours.
• Place thawed tofu block onto a plate and place another plate on top. Set a 3- to 5-pound weight on top. Press tofu for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Drain and discard any accumulated liquid from the tofu. Break tofu into 1-inch chunks and place in a large bowl. Add barbecue sauce and bread crumbs and toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.

PERFECT GRILLED TOFU

Steps:

• Wrap tofu in a clean dish towel and weight it with something heavy such as a large can; leave it to drain for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix together remaining ingredients in a bowl.
• Cut each piece of tofu crosswise into 6 thick slices and put it all in a baking dish. Pour marinade over tofu, turning to coat, and chill, covered, turning occasionally, at least 30 minutes or up to 48 hours. Longer is better, but shorter is totally fine.
• Preheat a gas grill on high heat (450 degrees F to 650 degrees F) 10 minutes, then reduce heat to medium (325 degrees F to 375 degrees F)--or do whatever the equivalent is if you're using charcoal. Oil grate.
• Transfer tofu from marinade (letting excess drip off and reserving marinade) to grill with a spatula. Cover grill and cook tofu, turning once, until well browned but before grill marks get black, 10 to 15 minutes total. Transfer tofu to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
• Bring reserved marinade to a boil in a saucepan and boil until it reduces to about 1 cup, about 2 minutes. Pour over tofu and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

FOLAMI'S BBQ TOFU

Steps:

• Two and a half hours before serving, start drying out the tofu: Place the slices in a single layer between clean, dry dish towels or double layers of paper towels. Press to remove water from the tofu, and let stand for 2 hours, replacing the soaked towels once or twice, until there is very little water left in the tofu. (You can press and dry the tofu quickly, and use it immediately, but it will be less crisp.)
• Heat a broiler to its highest setting. Heat a large skillet over medium and add the oil and butter, swirling to cover the bottom. Pour the tamari into a small, shallow dish. Press the tofu one last time. Quickly dip both sides of a single slice in the tamari and place it in the skillet. (Be careful as the liquid may lead to hot pops from the oil.) Repeat with the remaining tofu slices and tamari.
• Cook until the tofu gets the same beautiful golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. While the tofu browns, spread half of the barbecue sauce on a small rimmed baking sheet. Transfer the tofu to the barbecue sauce on the sheet, then cover with the remaining sauce. Broil, turning once, until the sauce thickens and bubbles, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve hot.

GRILLED TOFU

Steps:

• Arrange sliced tofu in a single layer on a paper towel-lined plate. Press top with more paper towels to remove excess water. Arrange tofu in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, or any shallow dish that can hold the tofu in one layer.
• In a small saucepan, combine oil, garlic and ginger over medium; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and fragrant, 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, sugar, pepper and 1/4 cup water, and cook, stirring to dissolve the sugar, about 2 minutes.
• Pour hot marinade over tofu. Gently turn tofu slices to evenly coat, then cover dish tightly with plastic wrap to seal in heat. Refrigerate for 6 hours (or up to 8 hours), flipping tofu slices halfway through.
• Heat grill to medium and grease grates well (or heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium and lightly grease). Grill tofu over direct heat until golden and caramelized, about 3 minutes per side.
• Meanwhile, transfer marinade to a small saucepan over medium and warm through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in scallions.
• Transfer tofu to a serving plate and spoon over the sauce. Serve warm.