Sticky Teriyaki Tofu Rice Bowl ⏤ Crispy pan-fried tofu smothered in sticky homemade teriyaki sauce served over fluffy rice! This quick and easy tofu dinner or lunch comes together in less than an hour, is naturally vegan & gluten-free!
Sticky Teriyaki Tofu Rice Bowl
Hey loves! Today I’m sharing with you my all-time fav tofu recipe!
It’s quick & easy to make and it goes perfectly with steamed veggies like broccoli & fluffy rice for a healthy & delicious weeknight dinner/lunch!
Note: serve your homemade Teriyaki tofu immediately or it will lose its crispiness!! 🙂
Wait… what is Teriyaki Tofu and what does Teriyaki taste like?
Quick recap for all my babes that aren’t familiar with tofu/teriyaki/asian-style food.
Teriyaki Tofu is basically just tofu with Teriyaki sauce. For the tofu, you can pan-fry it or bake it. I like to pan-fry my tofu on the stovetop because it’s quicker!
What does Teriyaki taste like? It’s savory, sweet, tangy & sticky. It’s bold. Your best bet is to make your own following this recipe & give it a try 🤡 . Look, it has *SO* much flavor that you can’t even taste the tofu anymore lol.
⭐️ Fun fact: the Japanese word Teriyaki refers to a method of cooking and combines the word “teri” (shine, luster) and “yaki” (grilled, broiled)!
How to make Teriyaki Tofu at home
As usual you’ll find the full recipe + ingredients in the recipe card down below but this is what to expect! 🙂
You’re going to need a block of firm tofu (semi-firm will work too but it’s a bit trickier to work with) & you’re going to cut it into cubes & toss the cubed tofu with the cornstarch, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper & obv salt! This literally takes 2 minutes.
Then you’re going to pan fry your tofu until nice & crispy. While the tofu is cooking you want to make your homemade Teriyaki sauce, all you have to do is all the ingredients to a bowl & mix until combined!
Once the tofu is crispy you just pour in your teriyaki sauce (we’ll make that too), toss & cook until the sauce starts to thicken a bit. I like it super thick & sticky so I usually cook it for about 2 minutes.
You can also use store-bough teriyaki sauce if you’re in a hurry but plz give homemade teriyaki sauce a try! It comes together in 2 minutes & it’s way healthier & it tastes SO GOOD!
Is Teriyaki Tofu Vegan or Gluten Free?
This specific recipe is Vegan & Gluten-Free but not all teriyaki tofu is.
So please be careful if you plan on using store-bought teriyaki sauce as not all brands are vegan/gluten-free & not all restaurants offer vegan/gluten-free options of this dish!
If you’re looking for a high-quality Gluten-Free soy sauce, I like this one! 🙂
How do you make Teriyaki Sauce from scratch?
Add brown sugar, minced ginger & garlic, soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, cornstarch and mirin to a small bowl.
Mix until combined & pour the mixture over your pan fried tofu, make sure the cornstarch has dissolved completely before adding the sauce to the pan or it won’t thicken & you’ll end up with lumps of cornstarch 🙁
If you don’t have all the ingredients needed to make Teriyaki sauce at home, here’s what you can use:
Substitutions:
Brown sugar → 2-3 tbsp maple syrup or honey.
Fresh garlic → 1 tsp garlic powder or 1/2 tsp garlic flakes.
Soy sauce → 2 and 1/2 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos (make sure your soy sauce is gluten-free if you’re gf!!).
Rice vinegar → 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon.
Mirin → 2 tbsp dry sherry or leave it out entirely!
HAPPY COOKING LOVES!! I hope you’ll love this Easy Teriyaki Tofu with Teriyaki Sauce as much as I do!
PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 🌈💘
STILL HUNGRY?
- Veggie Vermicelli Stir Fry (Vegan)
- Chinese Eggplants With Spicy Garlic Sauce (Vegan)
- Taiwanese Scallion Pancakes with Soy Ginger Sauce (Vegan)
- Russian Cabbage Soup (Authentic Shchi)
Sticky Teriyaki Tofu Rice Bowl
Ingredients
For the Tofu
- 1 block firm tofu (about 250 g drained)
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt or to taste
For the Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp minced fresh ginger
- 1 and 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 and 1/2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari or coconut aminos (make sure it's gluten-free for gf eaters)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar or freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp mirin or dry sherry or leave it out completely, this is optional
For Serving
- Rice or rice noodles
- Steamed or stir-fried veggies
Instructions
- Press the tofu. To do this, simply remove the tofu from the package, wrap it with a cheesecloth or paper towels then placed the wrapped tofu on a clean plate. Place a stack of cookbooks, coffee table books or 2-4 dishes over the tofu and allow to sit for 15-20 minutes.
- Unwrap the pressed tofu and cut into small cubes (about 1-inch each). Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and pour in the oil.
- In a shallow bowl, mix together the cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt. Add the tofu and stir until evenly coated on all sides. Immediately add the tofu to the hot oil in a single layer. Pan-fry for 4 minutes or until golden, then flip and fry for another 3-4 minutes or until golden. You can also fry each of the 3 remaining edges for about 1 minute each for extra crispiness, this is optional.
- While the tofu is frying, prepare the homemade Teriyaki sauce. Simply mix together all the sauce ingredients: brown sugar, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, cornstarch, and mirin (optional). Whisk until fully blended and smooth, then set aside.
- Once the tofu is ready, pour in the Teriyaki sauce and stir to cover the tofu with the sauce from all sides. Cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Serve over rice, rice noodles, or with steamed veggies. Top with sesame seeds, chives, or spring onions if desired.
Lori says
Best tofu I ever had! Thank you so much 🙂
Bianka says
Thank you, Lori! Happy to hear that you loved it!
Ramiah says
This was absolutely delicious!
Shelly says
This came out great!
Susan says
We’ve made this dish a couple of times … and always enjoyed for an easy Go To Dinner! Tonight we added peas & green onions after browning the tofu and that was a winner too! We love mixing it up with different veggies & adding anything we find in the refrigerator!
Todd Nuzum says
Made this for lunch. Fantastic!