Marinated Grilled Tofu

Amazing grilled tofu with the best sweet and savory citrus marinade that doubles down as a luscious sauce made of freshly squeezed orange juice infused with tons of umami flavor and the perfect amount of heat and smokiness from chiles in adobo.

Course Main Course

Cuisine International

Keyword grilled tofu

Servings people

Calories 235kcal

Author Florentina

Ingredients

14 oz block tofu (extra firm)

Marinade + Sauce

1/3 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed from 1 juicy orange)
zest from 1 orange (about 2 tsp)
3 Tbsp lime juice (freshly squeezed)
4 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp shoyu or tamari
2 Tbsp maple syrup
5 garlic cloves grated
2 chipotles in adobo sauce
1/4 cup basil leaves (or 1/2 cup cilantro leaves)

Instructions

PREP the TOFU. Slice the tofu block in half lengthwise then slice each rectangle into 6 equal slices for a total of 12 square slices. Place them on a lint free tea towel lined plate and wrap them padding as much of the moisture as possible without breaking the slices. Use a fresh towel if needed and re-wrap your tofu slices then place a heavy item on top and let it press for 20 minutes or so while you work on the marinade.
14 oz block tofu
MARINADE. Blend all the marinade ingredients except the basil until smooth. Add the basil and blend a couple more seconds just until you can see specks of green throughout. Reserve 1/3 cup of the marinade to serve as the sauce with the grilled tofu.
1/3 cup orange juice, zest from 1 orange, 3 Tbsp lime juice, 4 Tbsp olive oil, 3 Tbsp shoyu or tamari, 2 Tbsp maple syrup, 5 garlic cloves, 2 chipotles in adobo sauce, 1/4 cup basil leaves
Add the tofu slices to a bowl or glass container and pour the marinade over the top. Marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes flipping the pieces half way through. Alternatively you can marinade overnight and bring to room temperature about 30 minutes before grilling.
14 oz block tofu
Preheat a cast iron grill pan or griddle over medium hight heat. Use a brush and oil it well to make sure none of the tofu will stick to it.
Working in batches as needed add the tofu pieces to the hot griddle (it should sizzle and smoke as soon as it hits the pan). Grill for a few minutes on each side just until nice dark char marks form. (I like to also quickly hold the tofu on each sides using kitchen tongs and get a quick sear all around but this is totally up to you).
Transfer the grilled tofu to a serving platter and drizzle with the reserved adobo sauce. Serve alongside grilled vegetables and garnished with fresh basil (or cilantro if you prefer that flavor profile).

Video

Notes

Can I use store bought orange juice instead of fresh? - In a pinch that can work but you still need to add the orange zest which is the major component of that deep orange flavor throughout. In my honest opinion, It's just not as good without the zest so I don't like to compromise on that.
To press or not to press the tofu? For this recipe I used an extra firm block and pressed it for about 20 minutes to get rid of as much moisture as possible before adding flavor back in with the marinade. If you'd like to skip the pressing altogether, it's important that you use the high protein tofu blocks that are vacuum sealed not the ones packed in water. In any case you must use an extra firm block or it won't hold up to the grilling process.
Marinading Time - A quick 30 minutes marinading time with a flip half way works great on a busy weeknight. If you can plan ahead it's even better to marinade overnight so the flavors get to sink in deep but not really necessary as you have plenty of flavorful sauce to dip in or drizzle on top too. It's important to bring the tofu to room temperature about 30 minutes before you plan to grill it however; this will prevent it from sticking due to temperature shock between the chill of the fridge and a sizzling hot grill pan.

Nutrition