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.
Easy BBQ Tofu
Email, text, or print this recipe
Yield: about 3 servings
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)
1. 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.
2. Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat. Slice tofu into about 32 rectangles (or as many as you desire).
3. 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.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the BBQ sauce to coat the tofu. Serve immediately with more sauce on the side if desired.
For nutritional info, see here.
We had a few tech-related issues on the blog Monday night into yesterday morning. Everything should be looking normal again, but if you are still seeing a scrambled page please let me know!
BBQ sauce is everywhere lately! I need to make another batch. The last time I made sauce I enjoyed it with tempeh but I LOVE the tofu idea. This would be awesome baked too – that fluffiness it gets in the oven is my current addiction.
I never had BBQ tofu looks yummy, and the sauce looks great not to messy and heavy just right. I am going to try it with some rice because I do not have any millet I can never seem to find any.
I just got a Tofu XPress too! I’m having a hard time not making tofu for dinner every night!
It`s so easy – I like to leave it in the fridge overnight. The tofu gets so dense!
I never understood what those tofu press things are all about… the tofu I buy is already really dense! ;)
I wondered the same thing, but I`m amazed by how much water comes out of it.
Maybe I should try it! ;)
Yum! I’m trying to get back to basics. Might have to give bbq tofu a try for dinner!
I have only dipped my toe in the “tofu as chocolate mousse or shirataki noodle” pool and I’m wigged out by making it as a main protein. (It might have to do with the fact 3 pieces leapt out of my skillet 15 years ago and I never made it again.) Perhaps I need to press it and get over myself. Something tells me BBQ tofu would be a good intro.
I used to hate the idea of tofu and swore I`d never eat it. I`ve found it`s all about technique though. Pressed well, it gets nice and dense. I also prefer to pan fry it for a crispy texture.
Mmmm…I see this for my lunch in the very near future!
I’ve been making BBQ’d tofu a lot lately and I thiiiink it’s what I’ll make for dinner tonight!!
I love tofu but I never would have thought to try it with BBQ sauce! Thanks – great idea – looking forward to making this meal!
I made bbq tofu the other day and enjoyed it in a big spinach salad! I love how easy it is and can be thrown into any meal.
I love that idea to throw it on top of a salad :)
Adding this to my must-try recipe list, along with everything else you post :) Looks simple and yummy!
Did you sneak in and take a photograph of my dinner? ;) At least once a week I make something very similar to this. greens + grain + tofu/tempeh/beans
I love the idea of serving this in a sandwich! It’s been a while since I made tofu, so I need to give this a try.
Great recipe, Angela–just what is needed on this cold day in Toronto! A quick question for you: Did you order your TofuXpress online or find it in a store? Looks like something I need to have in my kitchen! Thanks!
I got it for a Christmas gift and it was ordered off their website. I do think you can find them in some stores though! I think someone told me that The Naked Sprout might carry them in Burlington. Maybe someone else in the TO area can comment if they know of any stores locally. :)
Thanks so much for your reply! I’ll keep my eyes peeled while I’m out in the stores . . . for a bit and then I’ll probably just order it online! It looks like a great kitchen tool. I’m an instant gratification kind of girl–I want it now! (And gush alert: Love your blog! You have great recipes that I can return to over and over again. I make them for myself, family, and company and always have compliments on the dishes I serve–I’ve sent quite a few people over to your blog! You rock!)
Thank you Kate! That makes me so happy to hear. :)
Hope your eyes get better!
This looks great! I have a problem with tofu, but I think I would actually love this recipe. Thanks :)
Looks good, glad you’re feeling better and you can see now!
It’s so shocking how pan frying the tofu (though tedious, as you said) makes it so much more interesting to eat! I almost gave up on preparing it a year ago because I found the sogginess really boring in dishes, then I learned that trick for this Caramelized Tofu: 101cookbooks.com/archives/caramelized-tofu-recipe.html
And speaking of transforming boring things, I love the idea of seasoning / dressing up the quinoa for a side — I feel like I should have thought of this before!
I swear I make this exact same meal at least once a week. Once I started frying the tofu in coconut oil instead of oil olive, it make it a lot crispier! Even my meat loving hubby will gladly eat tofu when I make it this way :)
This looks like a lot of my dinners! I’m a recent millet convert and love it plain and with a mushroom gravy. Tofu is really simple to make once you get the hang of it. Thanks for sharing!
I love this recipe! Easy and quick- my two favourite qualities for a weekday meal. I will definitely be making this recipe soon!
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.
I love BBQ tofu! It’s such a fast, easy meal for when I’m feeling too lazy to cook.
Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry to hear about your eye infection Ange!! I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better now. This recipe sounds so yummy! I’ve been more of a tempeh gal lately rather than tofu, but BBQ sauce makes everything taste good!
That’s exactly the kind of simple yummy dinner I love!
I love this recipe! I have made something similar, but I made it into a sandwich: cleaneatingveggiegirl.wordpress.com/2012/12/30/bbq-tofu-sandwich/ The combination of tofu and BBQ sauce is simply delicious!
Hi Angela, I have been silently following your blog for over a year and I finally need to speak up and say that i LOVE your recipes! :) I am a fitness instructor and you have introduced me to a healthier way of baking, tips that I now share with many of my clients. I am currently obsessed with your . I make a batch every week, and they are the perfect healthy snack to munch on while I travel from one client to the next. Can’t wait to try this tofu recipe too! Thank you for all these brilliant recipes! :)
Thank you Martine, I appreciate it!
I lllovvveee BBQ tofu — great recipe :D
I appreciate recipes like this that aren’t intimidating, but still sound delicious! Quick question- what would happen if you didn’t press the tofu? Is it just a matter of preference to press or not press, or will it mess up the recipe if you don’t press it? Thanks for the info!
I make quinoa all of the time, but I never thought to cook it in vegetable broth! I hope your eye is better!
I make this all the time at home. So easy, and so good!
Do you have a recipe for homemade BBQ sauce? I hate all the additives you find with the supermarket! Thanks for the explanation on the press! I have one myself and I just started using it a lot!