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Teriyaki Tofu

Crispy baked or air-fried bites of tofu coated with a homemade teriyaki sauce for an easy, quick, and flavorful dish. Perfect served with rice or vegetables. 
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Keyword: tofu
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Priyanka

Ingredients

Tofu

  • 1 (14 oz) block extra firm tofu
  • 1 tbsp corn starch
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • oil, if baking/pan frying

Teriyaki Sauce

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, or tamari for gluten-free
  • 3-4 tbsp pure maple syrup or agave, to taste
  • 2 tsp ginger, minced or paste
  • 1 tsp rice wine vinegar

Slurry: to thicken sauce

  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp cold water

Instructions

  • Press the tofu for at least 15-20 minutes, and then cut into 1 inch cubes. If baking, preheat oven to 375F.
    To press, I wrap the tofu in a clean dish towel and place a large cast iron skillet over it until the excess liquid is absorbed by the towel. 
  • Add the cornstarch, salt, and pepper to a bowl and stir. Toss the tofu cubes in the mixture and coat all sides.
  • Lightly spray coated tofu cubes with oil. Place tofu in the air fryer basket or preheated oven at 375F for 15-20 minutes, shaking/flipping tofu halfway through. See note for more details and for pan frying option.
  • In the meantime, add all the ingredients for the sauce in a pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
  • In a small bowl or cup, mix and dissolve the cornstarch and water together to create the slurry. Add the slurry to the sauce, and whisk 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. Add more water to thin sauce if needed. 
  • Once tofu is done, stir it into the sauce. Serve and enjoy over rice or vegetables of choice.

Notes

Cooking tofu:
Air fryer temperatures can vary depending on the make and model, so I recommend checking for doneness at the 10 minute mark, and then adding more time as needed.
Pan frying: Add about two tbsp of neutral flavored oil to a pan over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add tofu cubes. Try not to overcrowd the pan as this can lower the cooking temperature. Cook tofu on each side until golden and crispy.