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Home » Meal Type » Entree

Published: Aug 10, 2021 · by Laurel Perry · About 4 minutes to read this article. · This post may contain affiliate links

Easy Oven Smoked Tofu

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This easy smoked tofu has BIG smoked flavor but is made in the oven instead of a smoker! Finished with sweet BBQ sauce on the grill.

Smoked tofu stacked in a grill pan.

This smoked tofu is ready to take over barbecue season! It has real-deal smoked flavor and crispy edges. All while being juicy and incredibly flavorful. It tastes like real deal bbq, but you make it in your oven - no smoker required!

Reasons to love this recipe!

  • All the flavor of smoked tofu without any special equipment!
  • It's all hands off cook time. So easy!
  • Vegan and gluten free.
Smoked tofu on a grill pan with barbecue sauce.

Ingredients and substitutions:

  • Tofu - use extra firm tofu or sprouted extra firm in this recipe.
  • Liquid smoke - this seasoning adds authentic smoked flavor to our tofu. I often order it online, but you can sometimes find it in the spice section of your grocery store. It comes in a few flavors - hickory, applewood, mesquite, etc. Applewood is our favorite.
  • Maple syrup - to add a touch of sweetness. You can also use agave.
  • Smoked paprika - adds another layer of smoked flavor.
  • Onion powder and garlic powder - create a savory flavor base.
  • Barbecue sauce - use your favorite. Spicy, sweet, tangy, whatever you love!

How to make smoked tofu in the oven:

Cut the tofu: Cut the tofu into 2-inch squares. Slice once down the middle hamburger style, and then into 1 inch slices. See photo/video for an example :)

Marinate: Add the tofu and marinade ingredients to a ziplock bag. Give it a shake to coat the tofu and place in the fridge overnight. Shake it another 1-2 times if you can to ensure the tofu is marinating evenly.

Bake: Line up the tofu on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake, flipping once midway, until the tofu firms up and gets a chewy meaty texture.

Grill: Grill on each side until grill marks appear, brushing with your favorite barbecue sauce as you flip.

  • Tofu cut into squares on a bamboo cutting board..
  • Tofu squares marinating in a smokey sauce in a ziplock bag.
  • Marinated tofu lined up on a sheet pan.
  • Baked smoked tofu on the sheet pan.
  • Barbecue sauce brushed tofu on a grill pan.
  • Smoked tofu with grill marks cooking in a grill pan.

Don't press your tofu!

For this recipe, throw what you know to the wind - do not press the tofu! Use paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and press the tofu firmly on all sides to dry it off before slicing.

Pressing it can make it dry and we want juicy and flavorful smoked tofu!

Leftovers?

Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days. Enjoy cold, it's great on sandwiches, or reheat in the microwave.

How to get smoked flavor without a smoker?

This easy recipe does not need a smoker or any fancy equipment!

To add authentic smoked tofu, we make a marinade with liquid smoke and smoked paprika. This marinates with the tofu overnight adding tremendous smoked flavor.

Then, to seal in this flavor and create a great texture, we bake the tofu at a low temperature until it is juicy with chewy edges. Perfect!

Can I make this without a barbecue?

You can make this recipe without a barbecue. Since we marinate and bake the tofu in the oven to achieve a smokey flavor, we eliminate the need for a barbecue and smoker.

We do grill the tofu after it bakes to get some char, but you can use a grill pan (like I did!) or a cast iron skillet. The skillet won't give you the grill marks, but your tofu will be just as delicious. Make sure to check it more frequently since the skillet has more surface area and the tofu will brown faster.

What to serve with smoked tofu?

This smoked tofu recipe is great served with summer classics like:

  • Grilled Vegetable Salad.
  • Corn. Specifically as these dreamy vegan elotes.
  • A good potato salad or this vegan broccoli salad.
  • And don't forget s'mores with for dessert!

It also makes a WONDERFUL sandwich. I love it with toppings like this.

And it's amazing on a salad or grain bowl.

A plate of smoked tofu.

More tofu recipes to try ASAP!

  • Umami Bomb Tofu
  • Salt and Pepper Tofu
  • The Best Baked Tofu
  • Crispy Oven Fried Tofu
  • Tofu Satay with Peanut Sauce
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Smoked tofu with grill marks cooking in a grill pan.

Easy Oven Smoked Tofu

★★★★★ 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Laurel Perry
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Marinate Time: 8 hours
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 9 hours 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
  • Category: Entree
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This easy smoked tofu has BIG smoked flavor but is made in the oven instead of a smoker! Finished with sweet BBQ sauce on the grill.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 (14) oz. block extra firm tofu or sprouted tofu, drained
  • ¾ cup water
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • ¼ cup liquid aminos or soy sauce
  • 3 teaspoons liquid smoke
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ⅓-½ cup barbecue sauce of choice

Instructions

Cut the tofu into 2-inch squares. Slice once down the middle hamburger style, and then into 1 inch slices. See photo/video for an example :)

Add the tofu, water, maple syrup, liquid aminos, liquid smoke, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder to a ziplock bag. Give it a gentle shake to coat the tofu and place in the fridge overnight. Shake it another 1-2 times if you can to ensure the tofu is marinating evenly.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the tofu in a single layer. Bake for 30 minutes, flip, and bake another 30 minutes. The tofu will firm up and get a chewy, meaty texture. Yum! 

Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium high heat. Brush the grill with oil and grill each tofu piece on each side until grill marks appear, brushing with your favorite barbecue sauce as you flip.

Notes

Liquid aminos: you can use tamari, soy sauce, etc.

Storage: Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days. Enjoy cold, it's great on sandwiches, or reheat in the microwave.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: ¼ recipe
  • Calories: 81
  • Sugar: 8g
  • Sodium: 462mg
  • Fat: 2g
  • Saturated Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 13g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 4g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg

Keywords: vegan, gluten free, liquid smoke, barbecue sauce, maple syrup, liquid aminos, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, Summer baked, grilled,

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Leona says

    August 10, 2021 at 1:24 pm

    I have been waiting sooo long to find a recipe to make my own smokey baked tofu. There is a store in Montana that use to have something like this, they do not make it anymore. Now I can make it myself! So excited! Thank you Laurel!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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Hi! I'm Laurel

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