Korean BBQ tofu is a quick and easy vegan and oil-free recipe featuring crispy baked or air-fried tofu smothered in bold and spicy Korean BBQ sauce powered by spicy gochujang paste.
Even if you aren't a tofu connoisseur, you'll fall in love with this simple dish of firm and crispy tofu nuggets and sticky sauce. Use my tried-and-true recipe for crispy tofu. While that magic is happening, you'll prepare a super-easy spicy Korean BBQ sauce for a delicious and healthy dinner served over brown rice or noodles, accompanied by a side of steamed vegetables.
Once you've learned how to make this Korean BBQ tofu recipe, I recommend trying other variations, such as vegan orange tofu, tofu with Mongolian sauce, sweet and sour tofu, or baked huli huli tofu.
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Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Unlike recipes that use sesame oil, my recipe is entirely oil-free. To add sesame flavor, garnish with sesame seeds.
- A simple recipe perfect for beginner cooks or anyone new to preparing tofu.
- It's plant-powered! All the ingredients are plant-based, featuring a bold flavor and appealing texture that will have everyone asking for more.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tofu. Use a block of firm or extra-firm tofu.
- Gochujang paste. A spicy Korean-style red chili paste with fermented soybeans, salt, and glutinous rice. It's the distinctive flavor that defines this recipe. Grab it at your grocery store or specialty shop. I've never had difficulty finding vegan gochujang paste - even in my rural area of Scotland. You can substitute with Sriracha or another chili paste, along with ½ teaspoon of miso paste.
- Cornstarch. I use cornstarch (cornflour) to crisp the tofu and thicken the sauce. You can also use arrowroot or flour.
- Garlic, Ginger, Green Onions. I use all three in the sauce with extra green onions to garnish the tofu. Fresh garlic and ginger work best. If you need a substitute, use 1 teaspoon garlic and/or ginger powder.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
Recipe Variations
- For an amazing BBQ sandwich, slice the tofu into thinner pieces and follow the recipe as written. Pile the slices and sauce into homemade whole wheat buns with thinly sliced cabbage. Oh my stars! It's good.
- Looking for a delicious appetizer? Serve the tofu cubes with the sauce on the side and dip for joy!
- As much as I love this recipe with crispy tofu, if you want to switch things up, soy curls are a delicious option. Follow my recommendations for satay soy curls, using Gouchang BBQ sauce instead of peanut sauce.
How to Make Korean BBQ Tofu
Press and cube the tofu. Toss it with soy sauce and lemon juice. When the oven or air fryer is preheated, toss the tofu cubes with 1 tablespoon cornstarch.
Air fry for 12 minutes or bake for 20-25 minutes.
Add the sauce ingredients, plus ¼ cup of water mixed with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, to a saucepan. Simmer while the tofu cooks.
Mix crispy tofu cubes with Korean BBQ sauce.
Pro Tips
- For the best tofu texture, press it! Pressing out excess water creates air pockets, allowing for more flavor and improved air circulation. You'll get the best texture if you freeze tofu first, but after thawing, guess what? You need to press it.
- If you're not familiar with your brand of gochujang paste, taste a small amount before adding it to the sauce. I've tried a few that are super-spicy. You can always add more after the sauce simmers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store Korean BBQ tofu in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To reheat in the microwave, add a few drops of water over the tofu and sauce, cover it, and heat on low for 1 minute. Add 30 seconds more and recheck, adding more time as needed, until it is hot. You can also reheat the tofu in the oven by wrapping it in foil and reheating at 400 F (200 C). You can also steam the foil package for a few minutes.
You can freeze tofu with BBQ sauce; however, the tofu will retain its moisture, so it won't be as crisp. It may develop a rubbery texture after reheating.
Gochujang is a Korean fermented chili paste made with red chili powder (gochugaru), rice, soybeans, and salt. Gochugaru is a specific red chili powder used to add spice to gochujang and other Korean dishes.
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Korean BBQ Tofu (Vegan & Oil-Free Recipe)
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Equipment
- 1 medium saucepan large enough to add crispy tofu cubes after baking or air-frying.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Tofu - firm or extra-firm
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce - use Tamari or liquid aminos for gluten-free
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice - or rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch - (corn flour) use 1 tablespoon for tofu + 1 tablespoon for sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tabelspoon gochujang paste - (see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon garlic - minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon ginger - grated or finely minced
- 3 medium green onions - 1 finely minced for sauce + 2 sliced for garnish
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds - optional for garnish
Instructions
- Press the tofu for 15 minutes. Use a tofu press or wrap the block in paper towels and press it between 2 plates, placing something heavy on the top plate to weigh it down.
- Cut the tofu into cubes or slice it into bite-sized pieces. Toss the tofu in a shallow bowl with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Rest it for at least 5 minutes.
How to bake crispy tofu
- Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). While the oven heats, toss the tofu with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
- Place the tofu separated, in a single layer, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes (longer for thicker pieces), tossing them halfway through so they brown evenly.
How to air-fry crispy tofu
- Preheat the air fryer to 380 F (195 C). Toss the tofu with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
- Add the tofu to the air fryer basket, separated, in a single layer. Air fry for 10-12 minutes, tossing halfway through until the tofu is golden brown and firm.
Make the sauce and finish
- Prepare the sauce, allowing about 15 minutes for it to simmer. Add ¼ cup of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and maple syrup plus 1 tablespoon gochujang, pressed garlic, minced ginger, and 1 finely chopped green onion to a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
- Bring the ingredients to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring or whisking to combine the ingredients.
- In a measuring cup or small dish, combine ¼ cup cold water with 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the simmering sauce. Adjust the heat so the sauce is barely simmering and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the tofu is done and your sauce is on point, transfer the tofu to the saucepan and mix it with the sauce.
- Garnish with the remaining 2 sliced green onions and 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds. Serve over rice if desired.
Notes
- Gochujang is a Korean red chili paste available in many grocery stores. You can substitute it with sriracha or another chili paste mixed with ½ teaspoon of miso paste; however, the flavor will differ from the original recipe. You can also mix gochugaru (Korean red pepper powder) with ½ teaspoon of miso paste.
- Total time is based on baking tofu. Your time will vary if you use an air fryer.
- Store tofu in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or wrap the tofu in foil and heat in the oven or in a steamer basket. For food safety reasons, it's best to store cooked rice separately.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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