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    Home Β» Main Courses

    Baked BBQ Tofu

    Published: Aug 8, 2020 by Sherri Hall Β· This post may contain affiliate links.

    front view of tofu over rice on a white plate

    This flavor-packed baked BBQ tofu is first marinated in a mixture of vegan barbecue sauce, tamari, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika before being oven-baked and then smothered in more barbecue sauce. Perfect alone, over rice or quinoa, on a salad or grain bowl or in a wrap. Delicious hot or cold and great for meal-prepping! Super satisfying and easy to make with less than 10 ingredients! 

    Jump to Recipe
    close-up of bbq tofu pieces on a white plate with sauce dripping off of them.

    I have a confession to make.

    I think I am addicted to tofu.

    Like, seriously.

    I am constantly being caught popping some of these leftover Buffalo tofu bites in my mouth right from the fridge.

    And now I find myself doing the same thing with this BBQ tofu.

    front view of tofu over rice on a white plate.

    I suppose there are worse things than eating too much tofu, right?

    Anyway, what do you expect when it just tastes so darn yummy? 😉

    So, get out your tofu press (or a large pot or heavy book) and a sheet pan and let's make some tofu!

    Why you'll love this barbecue tofu recipe

    • Deliciously addictive BBQ flavor, hard not to eat the whole batch
    • Great recipe for parties, potlucks, and get-togethers
    • Goes with just about any game day main dish
    • Easy to serve either hot or cold
    • Only requires 10 ingredients
    • Easy to scale to make more servings or to use with other things for meal prepping
    overhead of tofu over rice on a white plate with a fork on the plate.

    Ingredients you'll need

    • organic extra firm tofu
    • store-bought barbecue sauce (check label to ensure ingredients are vegan and also gluten-free if needed; use homemade bbq sauce if preferred)
    • gluten-free, reduced sodium tamari (can substitute with soy sauce if you are not gluten-free)
    • apple cider vinegar
    • olive oil
    • nutritional yeast
    • garlic powder
    • onion powder
    • smoked paprika

    How to make baked BBQ tofu

    Step 1 - Press the tofu

    Open the package of tofu and drain any excess water. If you have a tofu press, press the tofu for 20 minutes.

    pressing tofu with a tofu press

    If you do not have a tofu press, place the block of tofu in the center of a clean, absorbent kitchen towel on a sturdy plate or baking sheet. Wrap the tofu with the towel.

    Place a heavy object, such as a large pot, heavy pan, or some books on top of the tofu and press for 30 minutes.

    pressing tofu with a large pot

    Step 2 - Make the marinade

    While the tofu block is pressing, whisk together barbecue sauce, tamari, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika in a mixing bowl.

    marinade ingredients mixed together in mixing bowl

    Step 3 - Marinate the tofu

    Cut the tofu into cubes, approximately ΒΎ"-1" thick.

    Add the tofu pieces to the marinade.

    Tofu pieces added to the marinade in the mixing bowl

    Carefully use a silicone spatula to evenly coat.

    Tofu pieces coated with marinade in the mixing bowl

    Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

    While the tofu is marinating, preheat your oven to 400° F.

    Step 4 - Bake the tofu

    Place the marinated tofu on a parchment-lined sheet pan in a single layer.

    Uncooked tofu pieces on parchment-lined baking sheet

    Rinse out the mixing bowl and set it aside for future use.

    Bake for 30 minutes at 400° F, carefully flipping once halfway through. I used tongs to flip each piece of tofu individually.

    Tofu on baking sheet after being cooked

    Step 5 - Coat the tofu

    Add barbecue sauce to the mixing bowl.

    barbecue sauce added to the mixing bowl

    Carefully use tongs to place each piece of hot tofu into the sauce.

    Tofu added to the barbecue sauce in mixing bowl

    Use the silicone spatula to coat the cooked tofu with the sauce.

    Cooked tofu coated in barbecue sauce in mixing bowl with silicone spatula

    Enjoy!

    What's the best tofu to use?

    Extra firm tofu works best for this recipe. Some of my favorite brands of extra-firm tofu are Nasoya, 365 Everyday Value and Greenwise.

    What's the best BBQ sauce to use?

    You can use your favorite BBQ sauce from the store, but be sure to check the label to ensure the ingredients are vegan as well as gluten-free, if needed.

    Some of my favorites are Annie's Original, Annie's Sweet & Spicy, Primal Kitchen Classic, Tessemae's Matty's style and Tessemae's Diggy's Sweet and Spicy style.

    If you prefer, you can opt for a homemade barbecue sauce instead. Here are some options for basic vegan barbecue sauces from some of my favorite bloggers:

    • Healthy BBQ Sauce from My Quiet Kitchen
    • The Best Vegan BBQ Sauce from MOON and spoon and yum
    • Easy Homemade Vegan BBQ Sauce by Veganosity
    • Maple Chipotle BBQ Sauce from Thyme & Love.

    And if you'd like to change up the flavor, try this Blueberry BBQ Sauce from Make it Dairy Free or this Strawberry BBQ Sauce from Vegan Yack Attack.

    Primal Kitchen also has a mango jalapeno as well as a Hawaiian style.

    holding a fork with a piece of tofu on it up over a white dish with more tofu on it.

    Can I omit the oil?

    Yes, you can leave out the oil, but please note that it does help to balance out the flavor of the marinade and to crisp up the edges of the tofu during the baking process.

    Ideas for serving BBQ tofu

    A few of our favorite ways to enjoy this crispy baked tofu is over rice or quinoa with some steamed veggies on the side, as part of a salad or grain bowl, on a sandwich with some vegan coleslaw or in a wrap like this one I made with hummus, spring mix greens and tomatoes.

    tofu in a wrap with hummus, greens and tomatoes.

    You can also enjoy these by themselves or with some cut up raw veggies and some vegan ranch dressing.

    It's also great as a main dish with our:

    • Vegan Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
    • Air Fryer Asparagus
    • Air Fryer Carrots
    • Easy Frozen Broccoli on the Stove
    • Roasted Broccoli with Garlic
    • Vegan Potato Salad
    • Hummus Pasta Salad
    • Cucumber and Tomato Salad
    • Three-Bean Salad

    Storing and reheating

    You can store the tofu in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

    It's important to remember that these BBQ tofu bites are delicious both cold and warm. You don't have to reheat them.

    But if you want to, reheat the oven baked BBQ tofu in the oven for a few minutes, in the microwave, or transfer tofu to an air fryer to reheat for a few minutes until warmed through again. You may need to toss in bbq sauce again if desired.

    close-up of bbq tofu pieces on a white plate with sauce dripping off of them.
    Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    5 from 3 votes

    Baked BBQ Tofu

    This flavor-packed baked BBQ tofu is first marinated in a mixture of vegan barbecue sauce, tamari, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika before being oven-baked and then smothered in more barbecue sauce. Perfect alone, over rice or quinoa, on a salad or grain bowl or in a wrap. Delicious hot or cold and great for meal-prepping! Super satisfying and easy to make with less than 10 ingredients! 
    Course Dinner, lunch, Main Course
    Cuisine American, Gluten-Free, Vegan
    Keyword BBQ food, dairy-free, gluten free, tofu, vegan, vegetarian
    Prep Time 25 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 55 minutes
    Servings 3 -5
    Calories 220kcal
    Author Sherri Hall

    Ingredients

    • 1 (14 oz.) block organic extra firm tofu
    • ΒΌ cup plus 2 tbsp. store-bought barbecue sauce, divided (*check label to ensure ingredients are vegan and also gluten-free if needed; use homemade if preferred)
    • 1 tablespoon gluten-free, reduced sodium tamari (can substitute with soy sauce if you are not gluten-free)
    • 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
    • 2 teaspoon olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
    • Β½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • Β½ teaspoon onion powder
    • Β½ teaspoon smoked paprika

    Instructions

    • Open the package of tofu and drain any excess water. Press the tofu using a tofu press or the kitchen towel/heavy object method as described in the **notes below. Depending on the method used, the tofu will need to press for 20-30 minutes.
    • While the tofu is pressing, add 2 tablespoons of the barbecue sauce, tamari, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika to a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
    • Cut the tofu into cubes, approximately ΒΎ"-1" thick. Add the tofu to the marinade and carefully use a silicone spatula to evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
    • While the tofu is marinating, preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • Spread the tofu out on the baking sheet in a single layer. Rinse out the mixing bowl and set it aside for future use. Bake the tofu for 30 minutes at 400° F, carefully flipping once halfway through (I used tongs to flip each piece individually).
    • Add the remaining ΒΌ cup of barbecue sauce to the mixing bowl and carefully use tongs to place each piece of hot tofu into the sauce. Use the silicone spatula to coat the cooked tofu with the sauce. Serve as desired.

    (Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs and other helpful information for this recipe)

    Notes

    *See the post above for vegan BBQ sauce recommendations.
    **To press the tofu without a tofu press: Place the block of tofu in the center of a clean, absorbent kitchen towel on a sturdy plate. Wrap the tofu with the towel. Place a heavy object, such as a large pot or some books on top of the tofu. Please note that the item(s) you use will get wet.
    You can store the tofu in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
    The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Fiber: 2g

    ©Watch Learn Eat. All content and images are copyright protected. Recipes and images are not to be used or republished without prior permission. If you adapt this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, and link back to this post for the original recipe.

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Heidi | The Frugal Girls

      August 13, 2020 at 5:37 pm

      Oh wow... what a great recipe, and this marinade looks incredible!!

      Reply
      • Sherri Hall

        August 14, 2020 at 3:44 pm

        Thank you so much, Heidi! It's one of our favorite ways to eat tofu in our house! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    2. Christie

      August 10, 2020 at 9:06 pm

      5 stars
      It looks so good and saucy Sherri! I really love that you adding more seasoning with the paprika to truly elevate the flavour profile of this dish. Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe!

      Reply
      • Sherri Hall

        August 13, 2020 at 9:19 am

        Thank you so much, Christie! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    3. Healthy World Cuisine

      August 09, 2020 at 11:03 pm

      5 stars
      We are also huge tofu fans. Still do not have a proper tofu press but do the pan on top method and that works great too. Love how how crispy and saucy your delicious baked bbq tofu are. Need to make these soon. Pinned to all of our favorite boards.

      Reply
      • Sherri Hall

        August 10, 2020 at 5:49 pm

        Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it! πŸ™‚

        Reply

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    About Sherri

    Founder, Author, Recipe Developer, & Photographer

    With a lifelong passion for cooking, I specialize in creating easy meatless meals that are omnivore-approved!

    Learn more about me

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