Easy Oven Smoked Tofu

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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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