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.
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
Ingredients
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
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)
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
Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on March 28, 2011. The images and content have been updated in May 2018.
Oh, wow. Actually, WOW. I’ve never been adverse to tofu, but tend to regard it as neutral, at best. However, I can’t stop eating this teriyaki tofu! I turned away from the stove, for a moment, and all the slices suddenly went a wee bit beyond “golden brown” … not a bad thing, but probably a slightly different flavor than suggested. The sauce evaporated almost instantly, and made an instant coating. I sprinkled some bonito over the top of one piece, but, though I liked the flavor and appearance, the fishy smell detracted somewhat, for me, and I didn’t repeat the garnish. (Both my cats are actually circling, as I’m typing this!) I’ll definitely be making this teriyaki tofu, again, in the very near future. Delicious.
Hi Chris! Haha your cats know what’s good! Bonito flakes are optional, we like to sprinkle a bit, but it is not necessary at all. Thank you so much for trying this recipe! I’m happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
Easy and yummy! I’m an American vegan living in Kyoto, Japan, and I am soooo appreciative of these recipes helping me to identify bottles of things that I can’t read in supermarkets, and to make simple, delicious meals with all the fabulous new ingredients available to me. This tofu was great, I’ll be making this a lot. I used more oil than I needed to because I was worried it was going to stick to the pan, but nope! I used a nonstick pan and it barely needs any oil. Thanks for the great recipes and tips!
Hi Katie! Thank you for your kind words! How’s being vegan in Kyoto? I assume there are more vegan restaurants there than several years ago. Hopefully, there are more options these days. Glad the tofu didn’t stick to the pan. Thank you for the feedback! 🙂
Hi Nami,
I made this but the outside was chewy not crispy, any advice for next time?
Thank you, Patti
Hi Patti! Thank you for trying this recipe! If you have more sauce, it’s hard to keep the outer layer crispy, but you can either reduce the sauce or cook on the pan for a longer time to make it more char. Either works. And make sure you have enough oil to make the tofu crispy (this is before adding sauce). Hope this helps? It won’t be crispy like chips or cracker “crisp” though due to the sauce.
[…] 2. Teriyaki Tofu […]
Hi Namiko! I’m a big fan of your recipes and I’ve tried to learn my way around tofu at home lately so I thought I’d give this a try. When I make this, is it supposed to come out crispy? I tried it a few times but it seems to come out almost a bit slimy, and it take a looong time to sear. Sounds like I should be turning up the heat, but then the sizzling gets a bit too powerful and oil gets all over the stove top :’) Do you have any advice?
Thanks for all that you do, I appreciate it!
Hi Dylan! First of all, I highly recommend this oil splatter shield. I use it often to keep my stove clean as much as possible.
https://amzn.to/2llBPe0
To make it crisper, it helps if you add a bit more oil. You don’t want to steam it. I’m not sure what type of pan you use, but additional oil should help crisp up. 🙂
[…] Teriyaki Tofu […]
Dear Nami,
Thank you so much for your lovely recipes! I always enjoy them a lot and they bring regular 懐かしい!to our home. ^_^
For Monday I would like to try to take a Bento to work. I thought for the protein I might go with the Teriyaki – Tofu. Do you think it could work? Or would the tofu get soggy?
All the best and thanks also for the vegan options in sour recipes, I love them!
Neeltje
Hi Neeltje! Thank you for your kind words. I’m happy to hear you enjoy my recipes. 🙂
I hope what I am trying to say will make sense. The tofu doesn’t become soggy (especially if you drain well and cook), but the coating for tofu may be. However, it’s not that bad. Some recipes may not work well for bento menu but I won’t consider this is one of them. Sure, it’s not hot and the coating gets soggy but I would be okay because of the strong flavor for this dish. When it’s weak flavor (let’s say you don’t add much sauce), room temperature bento never tastes good… but once tofu is coated with strong flavor sauce, it is still delicious in bento. If you are someone who’s not used to bento, I may worry about teriyaki tofu not being in a perfect condition… but it seems like you know what to expect in bento so I’d say you should go for it. 🙂
Dear Nami,
thank you so much! It makes perfect sense and I will definitely try it. 🙂
Have a lovely Sunday!
Thank you, Neeltje! You too!
Hi Nami,
I just made this recipe for dinner and it was delicious! I love your website and have been a fan for about a year now. Your instructions are very detailed and your recipes always turn out perfectly. Thank you!
Hi Sesame! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it and my recipes work out for you! Thank you for taking the time to write your kind feedback. xo
[…] Teriyaki Tofu […]
Hi Namiko, what can I use in place of Sake for the Teriyaki sauce? Where I live, Sake is not available. Thank you.
Hello! You can use water instead. 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Dear Chui,
I don’t know if you can get this where you live, but I sometimes use a mild Sherry instead of sake.
All the best,
Neeltje
Hi- love this site and can’t wait to try more recipes!! I cook with tofu a lot, but last night for the first time I dipped the tofu in potato starch before pan frying in peanut oil. The potato starch got a bit gummy and caused the tofu cubes to stick together. Is this normal or did I do something wrong? My first thought is the oil wasn’t hot enough but I’m not sure. I’m going to try agedashi tofu, which I love, but I don’t want sticky, gummy tofu. Any advice?
Hi Jenny! Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m happy to hear you enjoy my site! Yeah the oil wasn’t hot enough, so the flour (potato starch) kind of dissolved. So make sure you heat up the oil hot enough. 🙂 Hope your Agedashi Tofu will be successful!
This was sooooo good and very simple to prepare. Will definitely be making it again. 🙂
Hi Jenni! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback! 🙂
Hi Nami, Thanks for this piece. I’ve read it and found it really helpful for me.
Thanks so much Zunichiro!
Hi Nami,
I love all of your recipes and excited to try this one. Quick question – I can’t seem to find medium tofu, but I have found silken, firm, and extra firm. What would you recommend? I was leaning towards Firm, would that work?
Hi Maya! Nami and a team are so happy to hear you love all of Nami’s recipes! Thank you very much for trying many recipes and for your sweet comment!
The Firm tofu would work perfectly for this recipe. We hope you enjoy them soon.🙂
Hi, Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
Can you give me some tips on how can I make this recipe without burning? I’m really amateur making things with stove.
Hi William! The tofu gets burn when the sauce is reduced too quickly and there is no moisture in the sauce. Therefore everything has to be cooked BEFORE you add the sauce. If you want to make the tofu crispy, make sure you’re done so before sauce goes in. Then when the sauce is poured, you just have to quickly coat it. It will start to thicken as the moisture evaporate. If you want to keep thin sauce, then remove from the heat sooner. Otherwise, you can wait until it gets slightly slurry before transferring the tofu to a dish. 🙂 Hope that helps…
Nami, I just love your recipes. Keep up the hard work with your blog, as it is a highlight of my day, as I’m sure it is for others! Thank you so much for including the variations for gluten free, vegetarian and vegan as well, I’m currently both gluten free and vegan for health reasons. Your blog is fabulous and I also love your husband’s restaurant reviews, even though I live nowhere near your area (I’m in Australia). Thank you so much! X
Hi DeLM! Thank you so much for your kind words, and it means so much to us! I started to feature more GF recipes using GF soy sauce, and I learned that many readers are interested in GF recipes. I look forward to adding more GF recipes in the future. Thank you for writing!