Grilled Barbecue Tofu

An easy barbecue marinade makes these grilled tofu skewers a delicious, quick weeknight dinner. Fire up the grill and serve alongside your favorite summer vegetables!

We're always thinking up new ways to eat more tofu. It's a great source of plant-based protein, and it's the perfect blank canvas for just about any flavor. (We even use it in this amazing vegan chocolate pie!)

There's no reason to miss out on grilling season even if you're vegan. When prepared correctly, grilled tofu is tasty enough even for the meat-eaters in your house.

Take it from us. Everyone else in our family eats meat!

How to prepare tofu for grilling

Extra firm tofu is the best option for this recipe. Firm will work okay, but it might be more difficult when it comes to moving the skewers on and off the grill.

It's essential to remove as much moisture as possible from your tofu before grilling.

To do so, remove tofu from packaging and drain well. Pat dry. Slice the block of tofu in half width-wise. Wrap both halves in a clean towel or a few sheets of paper towel and set something heavy on top, like a cookbook or two.

Press for at least 30 minutes or up to an hour. If the towel gets too wet, switch it out with a dry one half way through.

To prep your tofu for the skewers, slice each block lengthwise into thirds. Then, slice each length into thirds so you have 9 equal-sized blocks (18 total).

Ingredients

Aside from the tofu, here's what you'll need to make the vegan barbecue marinade:

• Ketchup
• Tomato paste
• Apple cider vinegar
• Soy sauce or tamari
• Olive oil
• Sriracha (or another hot sauce of choice)
• Seasonings: coconut sugar, chili powder, dried mustard, smoked paprika, salt, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and turmeric.

Instructions

Once the tofu is pressed and prepared for grilling, all you have to do is whisk together all of the marinade ingredients.

Gently toss the tofu cubes in about ¼ of the marinade mixture, then arrange on skewers. Heat grill to medium and place skewers on grill. Brush the skewers with more marinade on all sides once or twice while cooking.

Grill for a few minutes on each side, until slightly charred and cooked to desired doneness. Serve with more barbecue sauce.

Serving suggestions

We love to serve these this grilled barbecue tofu with vegetable kebabs on the side. It's also fantastic with a simple side of fresh grilled corn (there's nothing better!).

Or, serve it up with a summery salad. Try this grilled corn & black bean salad or this strawberry quinoa avocado salad. For something super light and refreshing, this grilled peach caprese is the way to go.

For a complete meal, add in some kind of grain. Rice is always a great option, or go all out with some mac & cheese!

For a unique take on this recipe, try this tangy pomegranate bbq sauce instead!

More favorite tofu recipes

• Vegan Dan Dan Tofu Noodles
• The BEST Tofu Bacon
• Potato Chip Crusted Tofu Nuggets
• Rice Noodles with Crispy Tofu and Mushrooms
• Grilled Tofu Kebabs with Peanut Sauce

If you make this grilled barbecue tofu, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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📖 Recipe