Grilled tofu with lemon & rosemary

Name: Grilled tofu with lemon & rosemary
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 6 Tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed); 1 1/2 Tablespoons tamari; 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or your preferred cooking oil); 1 heaping Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 heaping teaspoon dried rosemary crushed between fingers); 4 to 5 cloves garlic (finely grated, pressed, or minced); Few generous shakes of black pepper; 16 ounces super firm tofu (vacuum-packed, sliced into 10 even slices, roughly 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick)

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.

Lemon juice: Since lemon is a dominant flavor here, freshly squeezed really is best. Using a handheld citrus juicer makes quick work of it!

Tamari: This Japanese-style soy sauce adds salt and umami. Tamari can be replaced with your preferred soy sauce or liquid aminos.

Oil: Extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil works well here.

Rosemary: You can use fresh or dried rosemary for this recipe. Because dried rosemary has more intense flavor, you’ll only need a third of the amount as fresh.

Garlic: I recommend using a Microplane grater or garlic press, so that the garlic is fine and really seeps into the tofu. This Kuhn Rikon garlic press is my absolute favorite, because you don’t have to peel the cloves before pressing them!

Pepper: I like to use freshly ground black pepper, but pre-ground works fine too.

Tofu: Super firm vacuum-packed tofu is a great timesaver, because you don’t have to press it before using it. I buy it at Trader Joe’s, but you can find it at most grocery stores in the refrigerated section.

Step by step instructions

This section shows how to make this recipe at a glance with process photos of the steps. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

Rosemary, lemon, and garlic marinade in glass baking dish.

Combine the following in a shallow baking dish:

Lemon juice
Tamari
Extra virgin olive oil
Rosemary (fresh or dried)
Garlic
Pepper

Gadget tips: While you can just mince the garlic, I recommend using a garlic press or grater, so that it becomes almost like a garlic paste. That helps the tofu to really absorb that flavor.

Kitchen scissors are useful for chopping fresh rosemary. Remove the needle-like leaves from the stems, by grazing your fingers down the stem against the grain. Then use the scissors to cut them into small pieces.

Slabs of tofu in lemon and rosemary marinade.

Cut vacuum-packed, super firm tofu into about 10 evenly-sliced slabs (roughly ¼ to ½ inch thick).

Put the tofu slices into the marinade, and pop the dish in the refrigerator. Let the tofu slices soak for anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight. Flip the slices occasionally for even marinating.

For best results: The longer you let the tofu marinate, the stronger the flavor will be. I recommend marinating for at least an hour if possible.

Once you’re ready to grill, bring an outdoor or indoor grill to a medium heat.

Grill the slices for 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until they have nice, dark grill marks.

Remember: Tofu is already a fully cooked product. It can be eaten straight out of the package as-is. So the only thing you’re doing on the grill is warming it, adding grill marks, and some smoky flavor. Don’t feel like you have to cook it forever.

Serving ideas

Grilled tofu on plate with salad and grilled garlic bread.

Grilled tofu makes a terrific main course with any of the following side dishes:

Remember: Grilled tofu is terrific hot off the grill, but it’s also wonderful cold right out of the fridge. Enjoy it on its own, or slip it into salads, wraps, or bowls.

Storage instructions

Rosemary garnish on top of grilled lemon tofu.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for 3 to 4 days.

Eat it cold or quickly warm it in a skillet or microwave.

Slabs of grilled lemon rosemary tofu on plate with salad and grilled bread.

FAQ

Can I make lemon rosemary tofu without a grill?

Yes! I’ve made a simplified version that requires no marinating with this easy baked tofu recipe. Put it into tofu bowls and vegan wraps.

Can I use water-packed tofu instead of vacuum-packed?

Yes! If you don’t have access to vacuum-packed tofu, you can use water-packed tofu instead. However, you’ll need to press it first.

Because you will press the water out of it, use 1.5 or 2 (14-ounce) packages of water-packed tofu, and cut each block into 6 slices.

Can I reuse the marinade?

Yes! The nice thing about cooking with all plant foods is that you don’t have to worry about boiling a marinade to remove bacteria in it before reusing, like you would with a marinade used on raw meat.

If you have marinade leftover, you can use it on another batch of lemon rosemary tofu. Just use the marinade within a few days, and keep it stored in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.

Or pour the leftover marinade into a baking dish with quartered yellow or baby potatoes. (If there’s not quite enough marinade, add more lemon juice, oil, and tamari.)

Bake the potatoes at 425 degrees for about 35 minutes or until the marinade has cooked off & the potatoes are tender & browned.

Comments

5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)