• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Healthy Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe

Easy Cheesy Vegetarian

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Healthy Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian Dinner Recipes

    May 21, 2020 · Modified: Jul 14, 2021 by Becca Heyes · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

    Sticky Teriyaki Tofu

    168 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    Total time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 2 people
    5 from 5 votes
    Jump to Recipe Rate this Recipe

    This sticky teriyaki tofu is my favourite tofu recipe ever - so easy to make, but such an incredible flavour! This dish will convert any tofu hater.

    Aerial shot of sticky teriyaki tofu in a bowl with rice and Tenderstem broccoli.

    If you think you're a tofu hater... think again. This sticky teriyaki tofu will convert you, I promise! It's beautifully firm and chewy, in an insanely good homemade teriyaki sauce, made with just a few simple ingredients. It's sweet, it's salty, it's unbelievably sticky - irresistible.

    GIF showing tofu cooking in a sticky, bubbling teriyaki sauce.

    What is teriyaki sauce?

    The word 'teriyaki' actually refers to a Japanese cooking technique, but in Western countries it's also used to describe the sauce itself. It's a thick, sticky sauce made with three main ingredients:

    • soy sauce
    • sugar
    • mirin (Japanese rice wine)

    Mirin isn't an ingredient I ever have in my kitchen, and I don't like buying ingredients just for one recipe, as they'll probably go off before I'm able to use them up - so I used white wine vinegar instead (rice vinegar works well too!).

    The three ingredients combine to give the perfect balance of salty and sweet - it's a really incredible flavour.

    Sticky teriyaki tofu served with broccoli and rice.

    How to use teriyaki sauce

    I love teriyaki sauce on just about everything - teriyaki mushrooms are incredible, but it also goes well on all sorts of other things.

    Use it in a stir fry, drizzle it over rice or noodles, use it to dip spring rolls... it's so tasty that you'll be wanting to use it all over the place.

    This time, I made this simple teriyaki tofu - little chewy pieces of tofu in that beautiful sticky sauce. So easy but so, so good.

    Very crispy tofu cooked in a frying pan.

    How to cook tofu

    To begin with, cook the tofu in a frying pan until it's super crispy. I've already written about how to cook tofu in detail (click that link if you've not yet read it!), so I won't say too much here, but the main idea is: You want to cook the tofu until it's a little bit too dry and crispy.

    It actually won't look all that appetising at this point - it'll be dry and not too appealing. But once you add the sauce, it all rehydrates like magic! That's the secret to cooking perfectly firm, chewy tofu with no squishiness or sogginess in sight.

    When the tofu is crispy, just add the sauce ingredients to the same pan.

    Collage showing teriyaki tofu getting sticky in a pan.

    Simple teriyaki sauce

    I love how the teriyaki sauce can be cooked right in the same pan as the tofu - this is a really straightforward recipe that only needs one pan (or more if you're cooking extra side dishes). Chuck it all in, and let it simmer for a few minutes.

    The sugar in the sauce melts down, and makes the sauce nice and sticky. Combined with the soy sauce, it almost makes a salty caramel - which is an awful lot more tasty than it sounds, I promise.

    I also added garlic and ginger to add even more wonderful flavour.

    Sticky teriyaki tofu with rice and broccoli.

    How to serve teriyaki tofu

    This recipe is only for the sticky teriyaki tofu itself, which you can then serve however you like. Honestly, it was a struggle to avoid eating it straight from the pan, let alone making side dishes, but it was worth it in the end.

    A few ideas:

    • mix it through stir fried vegetables
    • spoon it on top of veggie chow mein
    • serve it with rice (egg fried rice is my favourite!)
    • add some veggie side dishes like pak choi or broccoli (I used Tenderstem)

    Then just attempt to eat it with chopsticks... or give up after 2 minutes and eat your sticky teriyaki tofu with a fork like I did.

    A pair of chopsticks picking up a piece of sticky teriyaki tofu from a bowl.

    Sticky teriyaki tofu

    This sticky teriyaki tofu is my favourite tofu recipe ever - so easy to make, but such an incredible flavour! This dish will convert any tofu hater.

    If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!

    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Comment
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 2 people
    Calories: 340kcal
    Author: Becca Heyes

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • 400 g (~ 14 oz) extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into bitesize pieces
    • 1 teaspoon minced garlic (I used garlic paste)
    • ½ teaspoon minced ginger (I used ginger paste)
    • 4 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
    • 3 tablespoon water
    • 1 tablespoon mirin or white wine vinegar
    • ¼ teaspoon Chinese five spice

    Instructions

    • Heat a dash of oil in a large frying pan, and add the pieces of tofu. Cook over a medium heat for around 10 minutes, turning the tofu over ever few minutes, until it's crispy all over. You actually want to cook it until it's a bit too dry, as it will rehydrate once the sauce is added.
    • When the tofu is very dry and crispy, add the minced garlic and ginger. Cook for 1 more minute, then add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer, and cook for a few more minutes until the sauce has become thick and sticky. If you want a slightly saucier dish, you can add a dash more water (or a little more of any of the sauce ingredients).
    • Best served straight away.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 portion - Calories: 340 kcal - Carbohydrates: 12 g - Protein: 23.9 g - Fat: 21.7 g - Saturated Fat: 3.4 g - Cholesterol: 0 mg - Sodium: 1819 mg - Potassium: 311 mg - Fiber: 1.9 g - Sugar: 5.9 g - Calcium: 185 mg - Iron: 1 mg

    Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @EasyCheesyVeg or tag #EasyCheesyVegetarian!

    Want another easy recipe that will convert tofu haters? These cheesy tofu meatballs are incredible!

    More Vegetarian Dinner Recipes

    • Smoked Cheese and Broccoli Tart
    • 40 Vegetarian Mushroom Recipes
    • Slow Cooker Mushroom Stroganoff
    • Vegetarian Chilli Mac (One Pot!)
    168 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Katy says

      January 05, 2021 at 6:40 am

      Thank you! This is really tasty. I added maple syrup rather than brown sugar for a twist on the flavour and doubled the "sauce" because, well, because :)5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        January 09, 2021 at 8:33 am

        Haha I approve of the sauce doubling! Glad you enjoyed it :)

        Reply
    2. Susannah says

      July 01, 2020 at 7:47 pm

      Best sauce ever. So easy yet delicious. Loved the extra crispy tofu, my meat living family ate with chicken. I added thin sliced carrot batons and tenderstem broccoli to the sauce, served with Brown rice, sliced spring onions and toasted sesame seeds. Can see this being used in my weekly meal plan over veggies, noodles, prawns for the meat eaters. Wonderful Becca! X5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        July 03, 2020 at 8:52 am

        Thanks Susannah, glad you liked it! :D

        Reply
    3. Cathy A says

      May 21, 2020 at 7:15 pm

      The recipes are easy to follow and have enjoyed cooeating the dishes I’ve cooked.  The teriyaki tofu is great!5 stars

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        June 04, 2020 at 9:19 am

        Thanks so much Cathy!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Becca! I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years, and unlike most of my other childhood pursuits, I actually stuck with it! I love cooking vegetarian food that's full of flavour, but doesn't take a lot of effort to make.

    More about me →

    As Featured In

    Healthy Recipes

    • Mediterranean Scrambled Eggs with Feta
    • Creamy Mushrooms On Toast
    • Easy Tarka Dal (Vegan Red Lentil Curry)
    • Creamy Cowboy Caviar (with Avocado Dressing)
    • Creamy Three Bean Stew
    • Roasted Vegetable Enchilada Casserole
    • 10 Minute Lemon and Black Pepper Chickpeas
    • Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

    Most Popular

    • Mushroom Bourguignon
    • How to Make Perfect Roast Potatoes
    • How to Cook Halloumi Perfectly
    • How To Fry Gnocchi (and why you should want to!)
    • How to Make a Perfect Baked Potato
    • Mexican Bean and Potato Bake
    • Creamy Vegetable Bake
    • 15 Minute Mushroom Stroganoff

    Hi, I'm Becca! I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years, and unlike most of my other childhood pursuits, I actually stuck with it! I love cooking vegetarian food that's full of flavour, but doesn't take a lot of effort to make.

    More about me →

    As Featured In

    Healthy Recipes

    • 15 Minute Peanut and Sesame Noodles
    • 15 Minute Creamy Pasta Primavera
    • Roasted Vegetable Fattoush
    • Veggie-Packed Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
    • Sweet Potato Curry
    • Slow Cooker Ratatouille
    • Veggie Burrito Bowls
    • 20 Minute Vegetable Stroganoff

    Most Popular

    • Mushroom Bourguignon
    • How to Make Perfect Roast Potatoes
    • How to Cook Halloumi Perfectly
    • How To Fry Gnocchi (and why you should want to!)
    • How to Make a Perfect Baked Potato
    • Mexican Bean and Potato Bake
    • Creamy Vegetable Bake
    • 15 Minute Mushroom Stroganoff

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement

    Newsletter

    • Subscribe for recipes by email

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Easy Cheesy Vegetarian

    168 shares