Grilled Tofu Kebabs with Peanut Sauce

Name: Grilled Tofu Kebabs with Peanut Sauce
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ⅓ cup low-sodium tamari or soy sauce; 3 tbsp sesame oil; 1 tbsp coconut sugar; 1 tbsp rice vinegar; 1 tsp sriracha; 1/2 tsp powdered ginger; 1/2 tsp powdered garlic; 1 14-oz package extra firm tofu, sliced into 1-inch cubes (drained and pressed dry); 1-2 zucchini/yellow squash, sliced into ½ inch rounds; 16 oz cremini mushrooms, stems removed; 1 red onion; 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter; 3 tbsp coconut milk; 2 tbsp low-sodium tamari or soy sauce; 1 tbsp rice vinegar; 2 tsp coconut sugar; 1/2 tbsp sriracha; ¼ tsp powdered ginger; ¼ tsp powdered garlic; 1/4 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

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These grilled tofu kebabs with a vegan peanut sauce are a super simple weeknight dinner. The tofu is marinated ahead of time in an umami-packed sriracha soy marinade, which packs tons of flavor. While the kebabs are on the grill, whip up our super easy peanut sauce in 2 minutes and you'll have dinner on the table in no time!

close up view of grilled tofu kebabs with vegetables on a platter with a bowl of peanut sauce.

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Why We Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Step-by-step Instructions
Expert Tips and FAQs
Related Recipes
📖 Recipe

Why We Love This Recipe

Well-rounded meal: We love pairing these grilled tofu kebabs with some vegetables, like summer squash, red onions, and mushrooms to create a delicious, complete meal. You can also serve with rice, rice noodles or another starch of choice.
Super easy and weeknight friendly: All of the cooking takes place on the grill, and the peanut sauce comes together very quickly, meaning there's almost no clean up and no stress involved!
Marinated, grilled tofu = tons of flavor: Tofu is bland by nature, but by marinading and then grilling it to perfection, you can create a ton of flavor and texture. This is a great way to get suspicious family member to try tofu!
Vegan and gluten free: these grilled tofu kebabs are completely plant-based and so easy to make gluten free with one simple swap. Perfect for just about any dietary needs.

Ingredients

Here are a few of the key ingredients you'll need to make these grilled tofu kebabs with peanut sauce:

Extra firm tofu
Mixed vegetables (summer squash/zucchini, red onion, mushrooms)
Peanut butter
Soy sauce or tamari
Coconut milk
Sriracha

close up view of grilled tofu kebabs with vegetables on a platter.

Ingredient Notes

Tofu: it's important to use extra firm tofu here, otherwise it may fall apart on the grill. To prep your tofu for grilling, be sure to drain well and pat completely dry using a bit of pressure to remove as much moisture as possible from the tofu. You'll be adding moisture back in via the marinade, but squeezing out moisture at the start will make these kebabs as firm as possible for grilling.
Choice of oil: We recommend using sesame oil for these grilled tofu kebabs because it combines a great sesame flavor with a relatively high smoke point. Peanut oil would also be an effective alternative and pairs well with the other ingredients here.
Rice vinegar: Please note that this is plain rice vinegar, not rice wine vinegar. If you don't have any rice vinegar on hand or can't find it at your grocery store, just add a pinch of sugar to other vinegars like apple cider vinegar, sherry vinegar, or white wine vinegar. This will work to replace the rice vinegar.
Tamari: We used tamari (essentially gluten free soy sauce) in this recipe, but feel free to use regular soy sauce if gluten isn't a concern for you.
Coconut milk: we use canned, full fat coconut milk to add richness and flavor to our peanut sauce, but if you don't have any, you can sub with an equal quantity of water.
Peanut butter: we use unsweetened creamy peanut butter in this recipe. Crunchy PB works well, too, as we love this sauce with a bit of texture! We actually add in a handful of chopped peanuts since we don't typically have crunchy PB in the house, but you can leave them out if you'd prefer a smooth sauce.

Step-by-step Instructions

Prep: If you're using wood skewers, be sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before skewering your tofu kebabs. This will prevent the ends of the skewers from catching fire on the grill.

(1) In a large bowl, whisk all of the marinade ingredients together: ⅓ cup low-sodium tamari or soy sauce, 3 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon coconut sugar, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sriracha, ½ teaspoon powdered ginger and ½ teaspoon powdered garlic.

(2) Pour ⅔ of the marinade over the tofu in a bowl. Toss very gently and let marinate for 1 hour. Reserve the remaining ⅓ of the marinade for the next step.

on the left: marinade for tofu in a bowl. on the right: cubed tofu tossed in marinade in a bowl.

(3) Prep the zucchini, onions and mushrooms. When tofu is ready, thread the tofu squares and vegetables onto skewers. Brush with remaining ⅓ of the marinade, making sure the vegetables are well coated. Save any of the leftover marinade from the tofu.

(4) Heat grill to medium and grill kebabs for 4-6 minutes on each side, until browned and crispy. Brush with remaining marinade 1-2 times while on the grill, and brush with any remaining marinade when you remove from grill.

before and after grilled tofu vegetable kebabs.

(5 & 6) Make the peanut sauce by whisking all of the ingredients together: ⅓ cup peanut butter, 3 tablespoon coconut milk, 2 tablespoon tamari, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 teaspoon coconut sugar, 2 teaspoon sriracha, ¼ teaspoon powdered ginger, ¼ teaspoon powdered garlic, ¼ cup chopped peanuts.

before and after whisking together ingredients for peanut sauce.

Expert Tips and FAQs

Soak the skewers: This step, though not completely necessary, will make life easier for you, as it will prevent the wooden skewers from catching fire on the grill.
Length of marinade: We've specified 1 hours for this recipe, but the longer you marinade for, the more flavor will penetrate the tofu and veggies. If you have the time, we'd recommend marinating the tofu and veggies overnight for maximum flavor.
Let excess marinade drip off: This is an optional step, but we'd recommend placing the skewers on a cooling rack set atop a baking tray for a few minutes before grilling. This will allow excess marinade to drip off, which will prevent excess flare ups. Once the skewers are done, you can just place them back on the cooling rack/tray combo to cool.
Grilling tips: Since there's oil in the marinade, your grill may flare up a bit when the skewers are first put on the grill. If you notice a flare up, use tongs to move the skewer to a different place on the grill. Otherwise, you may get some unpleasant burnt flavors.
Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in microwave or on stovetop.
Serving suggestions: serve these grilled tofu kebabs alongside a simple cucumber salad or this rainbow summer slaw. For a starch, consider simple white rice, rice noodles or potatoes.

Does soaking wooden skewers prevent burning?

Yes, we find that it does. A common issue when you grill with wooden skewers is that the ends will catch fire or burn. All that ash usually finds its way into your food when you're taking it off the skewer, so it's good to take steps to prevent that.

How long should I soak my wood skewers before grilling?

Soaking for 30 minutes in warm water would be perfect.

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