Teriyaki Tofu 照り焼き豆腐

Crispy on the outside yet soft inside, this easy pan-fried Teriyaki Tofu recipe with savory homemade sauce is so flavorful! Serve this versatile Japanese protein as an appetizer or main dish with steamed rice and your favorite sides. {Vegan and gluten-free adaptable}

There are so many delicious ways to enjoy tofu in Japanese cooking. We stir-fry, simmer, deep-fry, or steam tofu. We even eat it as Cold Tofu in the summer. One of the most popular tofu dishes you may already know is Agedashi Tofu, which is tender tofu bites in a deep-fried shell soaked in dashi broth.

Today, I’m sharing another winning tofu dish: Teriyaki Tofu (照り焼き豆腐). Pan-fried until crispy and golden on the outside while the inside is creamy and smooth, the tofu is then glazed in the sweet and savory teriyaki sauce. Every bite is pure satisfaction.

If you have someone in the family who needs some convincing on tofu deliciousness, serve them teriyaki tofu and there’ll be no turning back! Another big plus? It’s quick and easy to make, and perfect as an appetizer, side dish, or even as a main dish.

How to Make Teriyaki Tofu

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Medium Firm Tofu (Momen Dofu)—Don’t use silken or soft tofu as it has more moisture and will break easily. We will talk more about this topic below.
• Potato starch (or cornstarch)
• Cooking oil
• Teriyaki Sauce: sake, mirin, soy sauce
• Optional toppings: green onion, pickled red ginger, katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)

Overview: Cooking Steps

First time cooking tofu at home? Here are 3 simple steps to make delicious teriyaki tofu.

Step 1: Drain Tofu Well and Slice

The first thing you want to do is open the tofu package and start draining the tofu. If you drain for 20-30 minutes, it’s plenty. Cut the tofu into half-inch slices.

Step 2: Coat with Potato Starch and Pan-Fry

Prepare a tray or a large dish with potato starch. The potato starch—as opposed to flour—gives the tofu a lighter coating and helps it hold maximum crispiness. If you don’t have potato starch, the most common substitution is cornstarch. However, the texture is slightly different and it might not give you the best result in this recipe.

Heat the oil over medium heat, and start dredging tofu in potato starch. Shake off any excess starch and place the tofu in the frying pan. Be patient as you pan-fry the tofu. Try not to keep flipping the tofu. Wait until one side is firmed up and nicely seared before you flip to cook on the other side.

Step 3: Add Homemade Teriyaki Sauce and Coat the Tofu

Once all sides of the tofu are evenly browned and crisp, pour in the teriyaki sauce. You should hear some nice sizzles from the hot frying pan. The moisture in the sauce will evaporate as the sauce thickens. Gently coat the tofu with the sauce.

To serve, garnish the tofu with green onion and red pickled ginger. This is optional, but I sprinkled katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) over for an extra umami and protein boost!

Choose the Right Tofu Firmness

If you go to the grocery store, there will be various brands of tofu with different firmness levels. Which level is good for Teriyaki Tofu?

Since Teriyaki Tofu is a pan-fried dish, you have to pick a tofu that’s firmer and won’t break easily. I choose medium-firm level of tofu (momen dofu in Japanese).

The firm tofu is too dry and crumbly for my preference, so I rather drain more moisture by pressing medium-firm tofu to the firmness I like. I usually drain for 20-30 minutes, but in a pinch, you can just drain for 15 minutes at least.

How to Press Tofu

As you know, you can press tofu with a heavy object like a pot filled with water.

However, I wanted to speed up the pressing time and make it more compact when doing this process, so I tried Tofuture Tofu Press and I wish I had gotten it sooner. It’s one of the best tofu presses because it’s easy to use and doesn’t take up much space.

Now, I don’t have to risk a heavy object falling while pressing my tofu and it takes up much less of my prep space. It drains tofu quickly, and you’ll only have to press it for about 30 minutes to make Teriyaki Tofu. If you have been debating getting a tofu press, don’t wait—just get this one on Amazon for $22!

Authentic Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

For this recipe, you’ll need only 3 ingredients to make authentic teriyaki sauce:

• Soy sauce
• Sake
• Mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)

Combine equal parts of these must-have Japanese pantry items in a measuring cup or small bowl, and you’ll have a flavorful sauce to coat the pan-fried tofu. There’s no need for the store-bought stuff.

The potato starch coating for the tofu will absorb the sauce nicely and thicken the sauce at the same time. This is why we do not need to add starch to the teriyaki sauce.

Delicious Sauce Variations for Japanese Pan-Fried Tofu

In addition to the teriyaki sauce, you can change up the pan-fried tofu with different sauces. Here are other equally easy and flavorful variations that my family loves!

1. Homemade Ponzu Sauce

Ponzu is an all-purpose Japanese citrus-based sauce. I have an easy Homemade Ponzu recipe, but you can also get bottled ponzu from the grocery stores. When serving your tofu with ponzu sauce, garnish it with grated daikon and green onion. For an extra kick, sprinkle shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice).

2. Tonkatsu Sauce

Give the tofu dish a street food vibe by seasoning it with tonkatsu sauce, aonori (dried green nori), zig zag-ing some Japanese mayonnaise on the top, and garnish with green onion and red pickled ginger. It will remind you of the fabulous Okonomiyaki or Takoyaki.

3. Scallion Soy Sauce

This is another versatile sauce that goes with a wide variety of Asian finger foods or appetizers. I shared this addicting sauce in my Fried Chicken with Scallion Soy Sauce recipe. Cook together sesame oil, scallion, dried red chili pepper, sake, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar. You can also add grated ginger, minced garlic, and toasted sesame seeds as variations. Now you have a marvelous sauce for the pan-fried tofu.

4. All-Purpose Miso Sauce

If you love miso, definitely try this All-Purpose Miso Sauce over your pan-fried tofu! Sweet, savory, versatile, and full of umami! I know you’d have fun integrating the sauce into more of your cooking.

5. Garlic-Chili Sauce

If you like things spicy, you can smother the pan-fried tofu with a quick homemade garlic-chili sauce. It’s as easy as chopping up some garlic and mixing it with Sriracha sauce or sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey/ sugar, and a generous squeeze of lime juice. This version will really kick-start your palate.

Make It Vegetarian, Vegan or Gluten-Free

For those of you who are vegetarian and vegan, all you need to do is to omit katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes).

If you are gluten-free, swap the regular soy sauce with gluten-free soy sauce.

What to Serve with Teriyaki Tofu

I love pairing teriyaki tofu with steamed rice or mixed rice, miso soup, and a side of veggies for a healthy, well-rounded meal. Here are some of my favorite:

• Miso Soup
• Broccoli Blanched with Sesame Oil
• Green Bean with Sesame Dressing (Gomaae)
• Salad with Wafu Dressing
• Instant Pot Takikomi Gohan (Japanese Mixed Rice)
• Mame Gohan (Green Pea Rice)

You can also serve it over whole grains and greens for a teriyaki tofu bowl. Any leftovers can be packed in your bento lunch the next day!

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Teriyaki Tofu

4.76 from 100 votes

Crispy on the outside yet soft inside, this easy pan-fried Teriyaki Tofu recipe with savory homemade sauce is so flavorful! Serve this versatile Japanese protein as an appetizer or main dish with steamed rice and your favorite sides. {Vegan and gluten-free adaptable}

Print Pin

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 25 minutes mins

Servings: 2

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For the Tofu

• ▢ 14 oz medium-firm tofu (momen dofu) (1 block)
• ▢ ⅓ cup potato starch or cornstarch
• ▢ 2 Tbsp neutral oil

For the Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

• ▢ 2 Tbsp sake
• ▢ 2 Tbsp mirin
• ▢ 2 Tbsp soy sauce (Use GF soy sauce for gluten-free)

For the Toppings (optional)

• ▢ 1 green onion/scallion
• ▢ 1–2 packs katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (3–6 g, plus more if you‘d like; skip for vegan/vegetarian)
• ▢ pickled red ginger (beni shoga or kizami beni shoga) (to garnish)

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

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Instructions

 

• Gather all the ingredients.
  
• About 30 minutes before cooking, drain the tofu. Wrap 14 oz medium-firm tofu (momen dofu) with a paper towel and place it between two baking sheets or plates. Place a heavy object on top to press and drain the liquid for 20–30 minutes. Alternatively, you can wrap the tofu with a paper towel and microwave it for 2–3 minutes.
  
• To make the teriyaki sauce, combine 2 Tbsp sake, 2 Tbsp mirin, and 2 Tbsp soy sauce in a measuring cup or small bowl. Set aside.
  
• After 20–30 minutes, remove the paper towel from the drained block of tofu and discard the water. Cut the block lengthwise in half, then crosswise into square slabs about ½-inch thick. I cut 12 pieces from one 14 oz. tofu block.
  
• Chop 1 green onion/scallion and set aside for the garnish. Heat a nonstick frying pan on medium to medium-high heat. When it‘s hot, add 2 Tbsp neutral oil.
  

To Pan-Fry the Tofu

• When the oil is hot, put ⅓ cup potato starch or cornstarch in a tray or bowl. Coat the tofu pieces with the starch.
  
• Shake off the excess starch and gently place the tofu in the pan to fry. Cook the tofu until the bottom side is crispy and golden brown. Flip and cook the other side.
  
• When both sides are nicely brown, pour the teriyaki sauce into the pan.
  
• Flip the tofu and shake the pan to evenly coat the tofu with the sauce. The sauce will thicken a bit as it cooks. Sprinkle the tofu with 1–2 packs katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) before turning off the heat.
  

To Serve

• Transfer the tofu to a serving plate. Garnish with the sliced green onion and pickled red ginger (beni shoga or kizami beni shoga). Serve immediately.
  

To Store

• You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3 days. Since the texture of the tofu changes when frozen, I don‘t recommend storing the tofu in the freezer.

Nutrition

Calories: 294 kcal · Carbohydrates: 18 g · Protein: 21 g · Fat: 14 g · Saturated Fat: 5 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g · Sodium: 315 mg · Potassium: 168 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 3 g · Vitamin A: 60 IU · Vitamin C: 2 mg · Calcium: 262 mg · Iron: 3 mg

Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: pan frying tofu, teriyaki, tofu

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Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on March 28, 2011. The images and content have been updated in May 2018.