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If you’ve watched our videos, you probably know that we love using our Griddler for oil-free cooking. One day, Brian threw a few slices of tofu on there and it turned out super tasty! He has spent the last few months experimenting with the marinade/seasoning mix for this one and I think you’ll really enjoy it!
A few of you commented on our last tofu video and told us we should try freezing the tofu for a different texture. We tried it out and will never go back! We just stick the unopened packages directly into the freezer when we buy them now. Then, a few days before we are ready to cook some tofu, we take one out and let it thaw in the fridge. After it thaws, you can just drain and press as normal. The freezing process creates a firmer, chewier texture. It makes the tofu a bit more “spongy,” which also helps allow more of the marinade to soak in!
For the herb crust, we used some of this salt-free poultry seasoning we had on hand. The one we used contains the following: onion, garlic, basil, rosemary, coriander, sage, thyme, paprika, black pepper, marjoram. Brian rounded out his marinade with some vegetable broth, liquid smoke and Bragg liquid aminos.
The instructions below are based on our Cuisinart 5-in-1 Griddler. We are NOT sponsored by Cuisinart – this just happens to be the model we received as a wedding present back in 2011. If you have a similar appliance (like a George Foreman grill, panini press, etc.), you should be able to do this, but we aren’t sure what the exact temperature settings would be, so you’ll have to experiment a bit. You could also use a grill pan or even an outdoor grill! Brian thinks this would taste good air fried as well. Let us know in the comments below if you try out a different cooking method.
Sometimes the tofu will stick to the grill plates just a bit, but we use tongs to GENTLY loosen it up and it comes off pretty easily in our experience! Check out our Griddler video for more information about using it for oil-free cooking. You can also find some good cleaning tips on that video!
Griddler Recipe: Smoky Herb-Crusted Tofu
Ingredients
- – 1 x 14 to 16oz package of Extra Firm Tofu
- – 1/2 cup reduced sodium vegetable broth (or 1/2 cup of hot water combined with 1/2 tsp Better Than Bouillon Organic Reduced Sodium Seasoned Vegetable Base)
- – 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
- – 4 tsp Bragg liquid aminos (or substitute low sodium soy sauce)
- – 1 Tbsp poultry seasoning (salt-free)
Directions
- Freeze your unopened block of tofu overnight and let thaw. We usually just store our tofu in the freezer and then move it to the fridge for thawing a few days before we want to cook it. Freezing it creates a nice firm, chewy texture and also helps it soak up more marinade!
- Once your tofu is thawed, drain off the liquid. If you have a tofu press, press your tofu for 20-30 minutes and slice into eight equal pieces. If you don’t have a press, we prefer to slice ours into eight equal pieces FIRST and then press it between paper or tea towels sandwiched between two cutting boards with something heavy on top. Either way, you need to press the tofu for about 20-30 minutes to get as much moisture out as possible.
- While the tofu is pressing, put all of the remaining ingredients into a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Once the tofu is pressed and sliced into eight equal pieces, carefully lay it into a gallon-size Ziploc bag in a single layer. Add your marinade to the bag and seal it shut, squeezing out as much air as possible. We like to press the tofu a bit with our hands at this point to help the marinade absorb into the tofu. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours.
- Make sure you have the grill plates installed on your Griddler. Switch the “Selector” knob to “Grill-Panini” and turn the “Grill-Panini” temperature knob to “Sear.”
- Once the Griddler is heated up (for our model, a light on the “Grill-Panini” knob turns on when it is ready), carefully place your marinated tofu slices diagonally on the grill plates. We usually cook no more than four pieces at a time. Close the Griddler and cook on “Sear” for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, check on the tofu. If any pieces are sticking, use tongs to gently loosen them up.
- Close and grill for an additional 5 minutes or until desired “doneness” is reached!
This one takes a bit of prep work, but once it is marinated, it is quick and easy to grill up and totally worth it! Our favorite way to serve these is with some spicy mustard or our spicy ketchup, but you can use any dipping sauces. They actually taste great plain as well! They would also be great in a sandwich, wrap, etc. or crumbled over a salad.
Be sure to check out the video and leave us a comment below if you try this one out!
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Cuisinart 5-in-1 Griddler, GR-4NThe Spice Hunter Poultry Seasoning, Organic, 1.1-Ounce Jar
Better Than Bouillon Organic Vegetable Base 16 Oz, Reduced Sodium
*Note: You can find this MUCH cheaper in stores like Whole Foods. Check the Better Than Bouillon website for local stores that sell it near you!
Colgin Liquid Smoke, Natural Hickory
Bragg Natural Liquid Aminos 16oz
OXO Good Grips 9-Inch Tongs
Just made your herb crusted tofu. YUM! I drained my tofu, then froze it; it worked fine. I could even gently squeeze the tofu after it thawed and I was amazed at how much water came out. I cooked mine on a baby George Foreman grill that has *no* temperature control, and that worked fine too. I’d make this recipe again. 🙂
Awesome! Thanks for sharing that!
Yummo, i just made your baked spiced chickpeas and they are so moreish. I didnt have access to coconut aminoes so used Braggs All purpose seasoning and cant stop nibbling on them.
Glad you enjoyed them Jane!
Hey Brian & Jessica! I used your link to buy my Griddler from Amazon. ALSO ORDERED WAFFLE IRON PLATES ** Which was listed below the Griddler from your Link — BUT I Wasn’t Sure If That Purchase Counted Toward Your Credit (Profit). If NOT — You May Want To Include The Waffle Plates in Your Links To Amazon.
We Can ALL Use A Few More Bucks — And You Guys Are Working Hard! Thanks For All The Great Videos!
Thank you for the suggestion! We still need to get those waffle plates!
Tried it and loved it!
Is there a printable version of this available?
Hi Debbie! Yes, in the box with the actual recipe, under the title you should see a small blue PRINT button!
I’m addicted to these things, so thanks very much for the recipe, Brian! A few notes:
– I got the Griddler and the first batch turned out great. But with every subsequent batch, the tofu stuck to the plates big time, and created quite a mess. Plus, cleaning those plates is a bit of a pain. Plus, you can only make four at a time and as I said, I’m an ADDICT — I need more.
– I tried Hello Nutritarian’s “Easy Baked Tofu” version as an alternative, but Brian’s are WAY better, as his recipe is tastier, his are marinated (hers are just coated before cooking), and his marinated overnight, all of which I think is key. (It’s also possible I overcooked hers and dried them out, but whatever…)
– Finally, I took Brian’s recipe, marinated them overnight, and then baked them in an oven, Hello-style. Mixed results:
1) A small tray on the middle-bottom shelf with silpat I got at Costco cooked perfectly (crispy, which I like) in 50 minutes (25 minutes on each side).
2) A large tray on the same shelf, but with Amazon-brand silpat took about 5 minutes longer and came out almost as well, though less crispy.
3) A large tray on the middle-top shelf took WAY longer to cook and remained way too “sponge-like” even after 60 minutes. I eventually moved them down to the middle-bottom shelf to finish them off and they came out okay-ish, though by that time I was mad at them (and they at me) so results may be biased…
In any event, I’m not sure what exactly the right combination is between the size of the tray (if it matters), the type of silpat (if it matters), or the position in the oven (probably matters). Bottom line, I now have a ton of these things to consume, which I am totally stoked about.
Thank you for sharing this Seth! Love the experimentation 🙂 I will definitely share these findings with Brian! Really appreciate you sharing here so others can see as well.
Just tried the Herb-Crusted Tofu recipe. Instead of Bragg’s, we put on Garlic Coconut Aminos, which were good. The first four we cooked for the entire 10 minutes and thought they were too done. Second time, we cooked for 5 minutes, and liked that texture better. Definitely tastes better with mustard–we like Trader Joe’s Organic Yellow Mustard. Yum! Will definitely make again.
Eager to try the recipe. How long will the tofu last after cooking in the fridge.
It should last 3-4 days!
Do you think this recipe would work in an air fryer?
You could definitely air fry these. I would start with something like 350 for 10 minutes and see how it looks!
Hi Brian and Jessica. I followed your tofu grill instructions yesterday and grilled it up today. As you said preparing the marinade was the hardest part but totally worth it. That grilled tofu is delicious and I will be making it again. Thanks guys.