These crispy Blackened Tofu steaks are marinated in soy sauce, coated in a spicy blackened seasoning, and then cooked to perfection. They’re hearty, delicious, and so easy to make!
Blackened Tofu is AMAZING! It’s a fast, simple, and deliciously nutrient-rich comfort food. These tender strips of super firm tofu are marinated in low sodium soy sauce, coated in my own spicy Blackened Seasoning recipe, and cooked until they’re dark and crispy. The salty, spicy, burnt flavor experience of this recipe cannot be understated.
If you are still on the fence about trying tofu then this is the recipe for you. You can grill it or bake it. But, my favorite is cooking it in a hot cast iron skillet. Yum, freaking YUM! No more aimlessly sifting through countless tofu recipes.
Are you ready to go to Comfortville and Flavortown? All aboard!
Ingredients You’ll Need…
- Super Firm Tofu – This type of tofu is usually vacuum sealed and not packed in water. So, you don’t have to press it.
- Blackened Seasoning – I use my own recipe and it’s pure magic. It’s a simple mixture of spices and herbs that add just the right amount of “KICK” to your food. Click HERE to get the recipe.
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce – I use this to marinate the tofu before coating it with the seasoning. If you want this gluten-free use Tamari or simply omit this altogether.
Be sure and check out my list of Kitchen Essentials For Healthy Vegan Oil-Free Cooking.
How To Make Blackened Tofu
- Start by slicing the tofu through the center so that you create two separate slabs. Then, cut each of those slabs in half to make 4 steaks. I cut them into triangles because I thought it was cool. But, you do you.
- Place the tofu in a dish with a flat bottom. Then, pour in the soy sauce and let it marinate for at least 15 minutes.
- Add the blackened seasoning spice onto a plate or dish with a flat bottom.
- Press the tofu into the spices and rotate until all sides are covered fairly well.
- Cook in a hot nonstick skillet until each side is crispy and dark like the photos below. I love using cast iron for this recipe.
What Kind Of Tofu Should I Use
My favorite is this Super Firm High Protein Tofu. It’s meaty, firm, and doesn’t have to be pressed.
If you have to use tofu that’s packed in water make sure it is Extra Firm. I would also consider investing a tofu press. It’s not expensive and worth the money.
If you don’t have a tofu press this article from Running On Real Food is an excellent tutorial on how to press tofu without a press.
How To Serve Blackened Tofu?
One of the best things about this recipe is its versatility. There’s no “one way.” It is great alongside veggies, salads, pasta, and other dishes. It’s great for adding more heartiness as well as an extra layer of flavor and texture.
Here are a few different ways for serving up this crispy Blackened Tofu.
- Instant Pot Brown Rice
- Quinoa Black Bean Salad
- Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato & Kale Pasta
- Oil-Free Oven Roasted Asparagus
- Whole Wheat Beer Bread (use my Cashew Mayo and make an incredible sandwich)
Want More Tofu Recipes?
- Easy Grilled Tofu
- Vegan Chocolate Mousse
- Easy Vegan Tofu Sour Cream
- Tofu Bacon
- Easy Vegan Tofu Scramble
- Easy Vegan Tofu Ricotta
- Vegan Breakfast Tacos
Did you make this Blackened Tofu? Please be sure to leave a comment and star rating below and let me know your thoughts. Your feedback is helpful.
Crispy Blackened Tofu
These crispy Blackened Tofu steaks are marinated in soy sauce, coated in a spicy blackened seasoning, and then cooked to perfection. They’re hearty, delicious, and so easy to make!
- Total Time35 minutes
- Yield4 Tofu Steaks 1x
- DietVegan
Ingredients
- (1) 16–ounce block of Extra Firm Tofu
- 1 batch Shane & Simple Blackened Tofu Seasoning
- 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce or Tamari (gluten-free)
Instructions
- Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Slice the tofu through the center so that you create two separate slabs. Then, cut each of those slabs in half to make 4 steaks. I cut them into triangles, but do as you prefer.
- Place the tofu in a dish with a flat bottom. Then, pour in the soy sauce and let the tofu marinate for at least 15 minutes.
- Add the blackened seasoning spice onto a plate or dish with a flat bottom. Press the tofu into the spices and rotate until all sides are covered fairly well.
- Cook in a hot nonstick skillet for 3-5 minutes per side. I love using cast iron for this recipe.
- Prep Time: 20 mins.
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Entree
- Method: Pan fry
- Cuisine: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tofu steak
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 189.1 mg
- Fat: 6.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 5.4 g
- Fiber: 2.8 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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I was excited to try this since I’m always wanting something new to make especially with tofu. However this has way to much salt even with low sodium Tamari. In order to make again I will remove salt completely and dilute Tamari. I was disappointed and really dislike to much sodium for health reasons among others.
Hi, Sharan! Thanks for reaching out and sharing this with me. If it’s too salty, try using low-sodium veggie broth instead of soy sauce for the liquid before adding the seasoning. That should cut down on the sodium quite a bit. Hope this helps.
🧨🧨🧨🙂🙂🙂Extra delicious!
Thank you so much!!!
Hi Shane, would you recommend freezing? I’ve frozen tofu before and I know that it freezes very well, however, I’m not sure about freezing it after it’s coated in spice and blackened. I’m cooking for 1 so I try to make things that freeze well. Also, how would you reheat it without it going mushy?
I’m sure it would work but I don’t know that it would be as good after this has been cooked. Although, I do love using frozen tofu before it’s cooked.
I made this and put it on top of some vegan fettuccini Alfredo. What a hit! I used Smokey paprika and I loved the flavors. I only had normal soy sauce (not low sodium) & I see your comment about using vegetable broth, so I might mix with some low sodium veggie broth next time for a half & half marinade. Just in case anyone else out there needed to know, it did turn out a little salty with normal sodium soy sauce, though i liked it but my arteries probably didn’t! I absolutely loved this dish and will be making again!
what if you don’t have soy sauce? what are alternatives other than aminos?
Low-sodium veggie broth works well. It’s more for moisture so the seasoning will stick.
Made this with vegan cheesy grits tonight. Both were good, but a forkful of each together was amazing! Will make again. Thanks for the recipes!
Awesome, Laura!
Thank you for this recipe. This was delicious and simple. It was a bit spicy for me, but husband thought it was great. Used my cast iron skillet. The secret to avoid sticking is don’t flip the tofu until it releases. I served it with a snap pea and asparagus combo, sautéed with broth, lemon zest, a splash of white wine and salt and pepper!
When you use cast iron do you have you put oil in the skillet?
I feel it would stick
Yay a great voice for grills too.. looking forward to trying this this weekend!