Grilled Asian Tofu Bowls
These Grilled Asian Tofu Bowls are packed with flavor and toppings. Pair with steamed sushi rice and your favorite stir-fried vegetables!
Let me introduce you to one of my favorite dinners: Grilled Asian Tofu Bowls! I’m a huge fan of dishes that call for lots of toppings and garnishes.
This Asian-inspired grilled tofu bowl is one of those types of meals. It starts with a base of sushi rice topped with your choice of stir-fried vegetables, and is topped with my favorite marinated and grilled tofu.
Plus all the toppings!
Tofu is one of my favorite proteins to cook in the kitchen, as evidenced by this Thai Red Curry Tofu and No Cook Spicy Tofu. It is incredibly affordable and the perfect canvas for all sorts of flavors!
Since tofu is naturally bland, it is essential that it is aggressively seasoned. Traditional Asian food covers all of the major tastes and flavors – sweet, salty, sour, spicy, bitter, and umami.
This tofu marinade recipe incorporates many of these flavors.
You’ll need creamy (unsalted) peanut butter, lots of soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, garlic, fresh ginger, red pepper flakes, and toasted sesame oil. Since fresh cilantro is one of the garnishes, we’ll also throw in some cilantro stems as well.
Before marinading the tofu, it is important to press it thoroughly to remove as much moisture as possible. Here is my favorite (waste-free!) guide on how to press tofu.
After pressing the tofu, we’ll slice it into thin slices, place it on a small sheet pan, and add the marinade.
It is important that the tofu slices are fully coated on both sides with the marinade for best results. Allow the tofu to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 5 to 6 hours (or up to overnight) for best results.
Grilled Asian Tofu Bowls Components:
- steamed sushi rice
- stir-fried vegetables (my favorite is onions, bell pepper, and red cabbage stir fried with garlic, ginger, scallions, and cilantro)
- grilled Asian tofu (see recipe below)
Tofu Bowl Toppings:
- soy sauce
- lime wedges
- crushed toasted and unsalted eeanuts (buy whole peanuts and pulse in food processor a few times)
- thinly sliced green onion
- cilantro leaves
- sriracha hot sauce
Do not skimp on any toppings for this dish!
Squeeze on lots of lime juice, add a handful of crushed peanuts, sliced green onion, cilantro, and a little drizzle of soy sauce. They really take this dish to the next level.
Grilled Asian Tofu Bowls
Ingredients
Grilled Asian Tofu:
- 2 (14-ounce) packages firm tofu, drained and pressed
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- ¼ cup creamy unsalted peanut butter
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1-inch chunk fresh ginger peeled and roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
- handful cilantro stems
Assembly:
- steamed sushi rice
- stir-fried vegetables
- grilled Asian tofu slices see recipe above
Bowl Toppings:
- lime wedges for squeezing
- cilantro leaves
- crushed unsalted (dry roasted) peanuts
- thinly sliced green onion
- soy sauce
- sriracha hot sauce
Instructions
- Prepare Tofu Marinade: Drain and press the tofu blocks. Slice the tofu into ½-inch rectangular slices (each block should yield 7-8 slices). In a small food processor, combine the marinade ingredients and pulse until mostly smooth.
- Pour half of the marinade onto a quarter-size sheet pan and spread out evenly to fill the pan. Top with the tofu slices, spacing them tightly together, and pour on the remaining marinade - brushing it evenly over the tops of the tofu slices. Ensure all of the tofu slices are evenly coated in the marinade mixture. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 5 to 6 hours (or overnight, if desired).
- How to Cook: Heat a non-stick grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove the tofu slices directly from the marinade and spread onto the grill pan (cook tofu in batches; do not crowd). Grill until golden brown, roughly 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Assemble and Serve: Serve grilled tofu on steamed sushi rice alongside your favorite stir-fried vegetable mixture. Garnish generously with toppings: fresh lime juice, cilantro leaves, crushed peanuts, sliced green onion, a drizzle of soy sauce, and sriracha hot sauce.
7 Comments on “Grilled Asian Tofu Bowls”
Always delicious!
Love this recipe! Will be linking back to this in my upcoming post 🙂
Batya — So glad you like the Korean tofu! Let me know if you try this!
Tasha — Can't say that I wasn't expecting that… 😉
This sounds delicious. Except the tofu part.
Laura, this looks good, but I assume that it is different than the Korean tofu that you were making before? I don't see any Korean pepper and it also has peanut butter in it?! Your rant about tofu was funny, and correct.
Pippa — Yep, totally different dish. I make this almost once a week now (?!), or at least every two weeks. It is basically my Asian version of a Chipotle burrito bowl..
I actually have added a couple pinches of the Korean pepper powder to the marinade in the past, but it's not necessary and red pepper flakes do the trick (and are more readily available). And, yes, peanut butter definitely is essential!
I've got a huge fresh block of organic tofu sitting in my fridge. I think this recipe is calling its name. If this is anywhere near as delicious as your Korean Braised Tofu, it will be my go-to for to-fu!