Don’t mind me for disappearing for a couple days. I had an eye infection with eyes so puffy I could barely see the light of day. It was so random. Luckily, the doc gave me some eye drops and my eyes are rapidly on the mend, even though I don’t think one single eye drop has actually landed in my eye.
Now that I’m back in action, I have a quick and easy recipe to share. This is another staple meal that I find myself going back to when I just want to get back to the basics. While this recipe might not be the most ground-breaking or inventive, it sure is a wholesome, balanced meal that can be thrown together in 15-30 minutes.
I usually start off by preparing a quick cooking grain like millet or quinoa. Or if we have leftover grains in the fridge, the meal comes together even faster. Millet and quinoa both take about 20 minutes to cook, so I always start off with prepping the grain first. See the directions in these recipes for how to cook millet or how to cook quinoa. I cook my grains in vegetable broth for more flavour and I also like to stir in garlic powder and season with Herbamare to make it pop.
Next up, BBQ tofu!
This part is simple too. Just pan fry pressed tofu until crispy and then coat it in your favourite BBQ sauce. I use Stubb’s Original BBQ sauce.
While the tofu is frying, I steam broccoli or other vegetables that we might have on hand. A simple side salad also works. I like to serve this dish with a drizzle of BBQ sauce on the grains and broccoli to add more flavour. Millet is definitely not my favourite grain to eat plain, but I do enjoy it with a fun sauce to add some zip.
Nothing fancy or complicated here. Just good food with a little help from a bottle of sauce.
By the way, BBQ tofu is also great served in a sandwich or wrap.
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Easy BBQ Tofu
Yield
3 servings
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
A super easy BBQ Tofu recipe that comes together in minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 package organic firm tofu (I love Sol Organic Firm Tofu)
- 1 tbsp high heat safe oil (such as grapeseed or coconut oil)
- Herbamare/sea salt and pepper, for seasoning
- Garlic powder, for seasoning
- 1/4 cup of your favourite BBQ sauce, plus more for serving if desired (I use Stubb’s)
Directions
- Press tofu for at least 30-45 minutes, or if you are able, overnight in a tofu press. I got a Tofu Xpress recently and it’s my new best friend.
- Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat. Slice tofu into about 32 rectangles (or as many as you desire).
- Add 1 tbsp of oil to the skillet and then carefully add the tofu. Be careful as the oil can splatter. Spread tofu out into a single layer, season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and fry for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat. (Tediously) flip each piece of tofu (a couple forks works for me) and fry for another 5-6 minutes, or until golden all over and charred in some spots. I like to cook it until it’s nice and crisp.
- Remove from heat and stir in the BBQ sauce to coat the tofu. Serve immediately with more sauce on the side if desired.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
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Looks delicious! Did you think about creating your own recipe for bbq sauce? I love the do it yourself way…
Hi Angela,
I just wanted to comment that I am not sure that grapeseed oil is safe for cooking even though it has high smoke point as explained here:
:http://www.eatnakednow.com/eatnaked/2011/04/12/smokin-hot-or-unsafe-is-cooking-with-grape-seed-oil-a-good-idea/
Conveniently I left a block of tofu under a large book of my heaviest cookbooks this morning so it would be ready for dinner tonight! I was going to do breaded/baked tofu, but if I have a good BBQ sauce handy, I just might try this instead. I love panfried tofu – the texture is perfect for my tastes!
This looks really good! I’ve been trying to slowly introduce some tofu to my husband (a tof-hater) and I think this one might actually work! Did you press the tofu before cooking? I know some recipes suggest pressing tofu to get more moisture out? Do you have to do that?
Yes I did – I used a tofu press, however you can wrap it in paper towel and then dish towels and place it under a stack of books. I did it that way for a couple years before I got my press.
I LOVE tofu when it is flavored up and cooked properly, can’t wait to try this! Again, you are tempting me to buy another kitchen gadget, a tofu press!
I WAS worried about you, Angela! Glad you’re on the mend!
This looks great! I love tofu, but I feel like I never really know what to do with it except add it to a stir fry. Can’t wait to try this!
Looks so good! Will definitely have to try!!
Hmmm this sounds simple and tasty – great meal idea =)
If you dont want to bother with all that sauteing I always bake my pressed cubed tofu in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes (Flip halfway) then you can fry and toss in BBQ:)
Love BBQ tofu! I haven’t made it in about 6 mos and this is a good reminder to whip some up! I love all the sauce and how it just clings to every piece in your pics…mmm, go good!
I agree with Jenny about baking the tofu. I spent years fighting with my tofu not to tear apart during the pan-frying process. Now I roast it in the oven at 450 for 30 minutes, stirring haphazardly a few times, and it comes out gorgeous every single time.
Last week I got hooked on your breaded tofu on my salads. Now this! I’m picturing a vegan version of a buffalo chicken sandwich with this… actually a buffalo tofu wrap in homemade tortillas would be awesome! I just need to find or make some vegan ranch dressing…
O no, sorry to hear about your eye infection. I’m glad you were able to get it taken care of and are back in action now. :) This recipe couldn’t have come at a more prefect time because I’ve been looking for some new-to-me delish tofu recipes. Can’t wait to try this!
This looks SO good! I actually bought tofu for the first time in months, this will be my lunch tomorrow.
When does your book come out? Everything I have made from your site is awesome, I will be buying your book the minute i can :)
I can NEVER press my tofu right, so I buy the already pressed :) anything to not have to do it myself and completely screw it up! I do love bbq tofu, so simple and delicious. This looks great :)
Quick, easy, and delicious!
Sometimes you can marinate the tofu in the BBQ sauce for little while too, then put it on the skillet, tastes great
I am going to town on a squash fries recipe at the moment, so awesome
Hope your eye feels better!!!!!!!!
This looks so tasty!! I love tofu. I like to put marmite and soy sauce on it then bake…..mmmmmm….YUM! I did BBQ tofu once, but the sauce was a little over-bearing. But yours looks great.
Hi Angela,
Thank you for your webpage, I am a regular visitor and I love your recipes.
I have a question regarding your use of coconut oil in many recipes. I am concerned about using coconut oil due to its high saturated fat content. Maybe on a vegan diet this less of an issue, but I am curious as to your views on this.
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe tonight!
Regards,
MK
This is one of my favorite ways to have tofu, and I love Stubbs! Recently I’ve been forgoing the frying and baking the tofu. If you use olive oil spray before putting it in the oven and flip it halfway through it turns out nice and crispy without using so much oil. I’d say probably baking on 300 flipping after 15-20 minutes. Very forgiving so I never time it.