Maple Tofu (Pan-Fried)

This pan-fried maple tofu is sweet, salty, and dappled with fresh ginger and garlic flavor. Includes an oven-baked option.

What better way to add a punch of fall-flavored protein to dishes than with maple tofu? This sweet and salty maple tofu is made with a maple soy marinade, fresh ginger, and garlic.

It's actually inspired by the flavors in my maple dijon dressing, which I've been making a lot this fall.

The tofu is pan-fried, but I include an option to make oven-baked maple tofu if you prefer a dish with less active time.

This recipe was originally made to pair with this pumpkin orzo for a very seasonal fall meal.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Step-by-step instructions
• Cassidy's tips
• Storage notes
• More delicious tofu recipes
• Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

• Tofu: Works best with extra-firm or super-firm tofu. Firm tofu does work but will yield a more tender texture. Super firm tofu does not need to be pressed.
• Maple syrup: The real stuff works best here, not maple-flavored corn syrup.
• Ginger and garlic: Choose fresh ginger and garlic. I don't recommend using ginger and/or garlic powder in this recipe because they are key ingredients.
• Soy sauce: I prefer reduced-sodium soy sauce (also called lower-sodium soy sauce) to keep the soy sauce flavor but decrease the salt content. Tamari works as gluten-free swap.
• Apple cider vinegar: Adds acidity, which cuts the saltiness and sweetness of the maple-soy combination. Standard vinegar should work if you don't keep apple cider on hand, but note that I haven't tested this with white vinegar so can't 100% vouch for the swap.
• Butter: For pan-frying the tofu. Choose vegan butter to make this recipe dairy-free. An equal amount of cooking oil can be used in place of butter, if desired.

Step-by-step instructions

Before you begin: Press the tofu for at least 10 minutes. I use a tofu press, but weighing the tofu down with a heavy skillet also works well. Slice the pressed tofu into triangles or thin squares.

1. In a bowl or container with a lid, whisk together the marinade: apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic.
2. Add the tofu, either shaking or stirring to fully coat in the marinade. Marinate for at least 15 minutes, but ideally an hour or even overnight.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter. Once melted, remove the tofu from the marinade and add it to the pan. Reserve the marinade.
4. Pan-fry on each side until golden, about 3-5 minutes for each side. I use a spatula or tongs to flip. You may need to work in 2 batches, depending on the pan size. When each side is golden, add the reserved marinade (it may be only a few tablespoons, but that's okay). The tofu is ready when the marinade is reduced.

Cassidy's tips

• This tofu is pretty rich because of the soy sauce and maple syrup. For a less sweet/salty dish, don't add the reserved marinade at the end.
• I like to use a storage container with a lid to marinate the tofu because it allows me to shake the container so that all of the tofu is covered with marinade.
• When the tofu is ready to flip it should release easily from the pan. If it doesn't release, it's likely not cooked enough.
• Maple tofu can also be baked. Bake the tofu on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet (or nonstick baking sheet) at 400F for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Brush the tofu with the reserved glaze during the last 5 minutes of baking.

More delicious tofu recipes

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