How to marinate tofu like a pro

1. Press your tofu

First thing’s first – prep your tofu.

You can either use a tofu press to press your Authentic Tofu Block or grab a pack of our Quick & Tasty Tofu that comes ready-pressed!

If you have a regular block of tofu with no tofu press, give this super easy pressing technique a go.

1. Drain the water from your tofu block.
2. Place a cooling rack over a baking tray (to catch the excess water).
3. Pop your tofu block on the cooling rack and place your heaviest chopping board over the tofu.
4. Leave for 20-30 mins to press with no need for paper.

You can also see a quick video tutorial on how to press tofu here: Transforming Tofu How-to Guides.

Once your tofu is nicely pressed, simply cut your tofu to your preference. Usually, cubing your tofu is a winner, as it works for almost any dish. However, if you’re planning to grill your tofu, cutting slab-like pieces works well too.

2. Make your marinade

The next step is to make your marinade. There’s a huge variety of fantastic recipes to infuse tofu with all kinds of phenomenal flavours.

Loads of our tofu recipes include glazes and sauces to soak maximum taste into our tofu. But this recipe for marinated tofu in three different ways is a great place to start:

3. Let the marination magic happen

In a sealed container, add your tofu and cover in the marinade. You should aim to marinate for at least 2 hours in the fridge. To infuse more flavour, you can leave it to marinade for up to 2 days before cooking up.

Top tip: Don’t ditch the leftover marinade when you come to cook your tofu. Add it to the pan when you’re cooking, or heat it on the side and add it when plating up for an extra saucy serving!

Useful tofu marination information

Now you’re all set to start experimenting with magnificent marinades for maximum tofu flavour!

But before you scamper away to put your new skills to the test, here’s some super handy info you should know.

How long does marinated tofu last?

Once you have marinated your tofu, you can keep it in the fridge for two to three days before cooking. For best results, we recommend marinating your tofu overnight and cooking the next day.

If you have the time, cook your tofu as soon as it’s marinated. This can keep in the fridge for up to five days before adding it to your dish and devouring.

Can you freeze marinated tofu?

In a word – yes! However, freezing will affect the texture of your tofu, making it a little drier and more fibrous (see our guide to freezing tofu for more information).

Once you’ve pressed, cut, and covered your tofu in a marinade, put the sealed container in the freezer. On the day that you want to cook with it, remove the container from the fridge and let it defrost throughout the day before whipping up your tofu dish.

Marinated tofu recipes to try:

Now you know what’s what when it comes to marinades, give these tip-top marinated tofu recipes a try for a bit more inspo!

Want to try marinated tofu but are short on time?

If you’re short on time but still want that marinated tofu deliciousness, give our Marinated Tofu Pieces or Hoisin Tofu Pieces a try.

These tofu pieces come pre-marinated and ready to eat – either cook straight from the pack or get stuck right in!