My BBQ Tofu Bowls are easy enough to make for lunch and hearty and filling enough to enjoy for dinner. The homemade BBQ sauce is sweet, smoky, and full of flavor. I love adding fresh fruit and vegetables as toppings, but these bowls are easily customizable based on your preferences.
School is starting back up soon, and I’m not at all ready for summer to be over. I know it lasts until late September, but it feels a bit different once the kids return to school. If you’re like me and clinging to summer, you’ve got to try my fresh and flavorful BBQ Tofu Bowls. They’re smoky, sweet, and so filling. I like to customize mine with rice, crunchy cabbage, pineapple, and tangy pickles. These plant-based bowls can be enjoyed for lunch or dinner.
Why You’ll Love These Flavorful BBQ Tofu Bowls
- Easy to make – My BBQ tofu is really easy to make. The tofu is cubed and crisped up in a pan, and then cooked for a few minutes in the homemade BBQ sauce. Once the BBQ tofu is done, you can easily assemble your bowls with any other toppings you like.
- Packed with flavor – The homemade BBQ sauce packs so much flavor and really makes the tofu shine. I also love adding crunchy cabbage, pickle slices, and fresh pineapple for even extra flavor.
- Great for lunch or dinner – These BBQ tofu bowls are easy enough to make for lunch, but also hearty enough to enjoy for dinner. You can prep the other bowl ingredients ahead of time to make assembly quick and painless.
Why Your Body Will Thank You
- Protein – Tofu is a complete protein. It contains all nine essential amino acids the body needs to build muscle and repair tissues. Half a cup of tofu contains 10 grams of protein, making it a great plant-based ingredient to incorporate into your diet.
- Bone Health – Tofu contains high amounts of calcium and magnesium, which help ensure the growth and maintenance of healthy bones. Tofu is also rich in isoflavones, which are compounds found in plants that can help decrease the risk of osteoporosis.
- Tomato – Tomatoes are high in antioxidants, which help neutralize harmful free radicals in the blood. The lycopene and potassium in tomatoes may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease and certain types of cancer. Lycopene can help lower bad cholesterol and prevent artery blockages by inhibiting cholesterol synthesis and increasing the breakdown of LDL.
BBQ Tofu Bowl Recipe Ingredients
- Tofu – I prefer using super-firm, high-protein tofu for this recipe. I buy mine at Trader Joe’s, but I’ve also seen it at Sprouts and Walmart. It has an excellent texture for a recipe like this, and you don’t have to spend time pressing it before using it. If you can’t find super-firm tofu, extra-firm will also work well.
- BBQ Sauce – I like to make my BBQ sauce for this recipe. You can use a bottled store-bought sauce, but I prefer the depth of flavor you get when it’s homemade. My BBQ sauce is made with marinara, tamari, maple syrup, smoked paprika, garlic, and onions.
- Rice – I usually use rice as a base for these bowls, but any kind of grain will work. Quinoa or riced cauliflower would be good substitutes. White rice often gets a bad rap, but studies have shown that if you allow it to cool completely after cooking, the rice will increase in resistant starch content, which lessens the chance of a blood sugar spike because it doesn’t digest as quickly.
- Optional Toppings – I love using toppings that add lots of texture and flavor. Raw cabbage is a great topping and goes well with the BBQ tofu. You can also use regular coleslaw, sliced pickles, avocado, and pineapple.
How To Make Vegan BBQ Tofu Bowls
- Prepare any toppings needed beforehand. Add all the BBQ sauce ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and whisk until completely combined. Set aside until ready to use.
- Press tofu, if needed, and then dice it up into bite-sized pieces. You can also use your hands to break it into chunks if you prefer that texture. Heat a large pan over medium heat and add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the cubed tofu and toss to ensure all the tofu is evenly coated with oil. You can also add in a drizzle of tamari or a pinch of salt at this time for extra flavor.
- Let the tofu cook until it is light brown and crispy on most sides, stirring occasionally. This will take about 10 minutes. Once tofu is crispy, pour in the BBQ sauce and mix everything together. Let the sauce come to a simmer and cook the tofu in the sauce for about 5 minutes.
- This recipe makes 2-4 servings, depending on how much tofu you use in each bowl. Assemble bbq tofu bowls: to each bowl, add about 1/2 cup rice, a few large scoops of the bbq tofu and then top with your favorite toppings. I used sliced purple cabbage, pineapple and dill pickles.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free tamari in the BBQ sauce.
- This recipe is already vegan.
- Can the tofu be substituted? Yes, you can easily substitute a couple of cans of chickpeas or tempeh for the tofu.
- Can store-bought BBQ sauce be used? Yes, you can use your favorite bottled BBQ sauce instead of making your own, if you prefer.
- Are these BBQ tofu bowls spicy? No, the BBQ sauce is not very spicy, but you’re welcome to add extra heat if you like. I would recommend chili paste or red pepper flakes.
- How long do leftovers last? The BBQ tofu will stay good in the refrigerator for up to five days. The rest of the bowl ingredients should remain good for just as long, aside from the avocado.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below, and I will get back to you ASAP!
Looking For More Delicious Ways To Use Tofu?
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BBQ Tofu Bowls
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
My BBQ Tofu Bowls are easy enough to make for lunch, while also being hearty and filling enough to enjoy for dinner. The homemade bbq sauce is sweet, smoky and full of flavor. I love adding fresh fruit and veggies as toppings, but these bowls are easily customizable based on what you like.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (16 oz) package super firm, or extra firm tofu, pressed if needed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons oil of choice
- Optional bowl ingredients: Rice, pineapple, pickles, coleslaw, green onion, extra bbq sauce, cucumber, avocado, black beans, hot sauce
BBQ Sauce:
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup OR 1 tbsp ketchup and 1 tbsp bottled bbq sauce
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons tamari, or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare any toppings needed beforehand. Add all the bbq sauce ingredients to a medium sized bowl and whisk until completely combined. Set aside until ready to use. If you want a silky smooth bbq sauce, you can blend it up to get rid of any chunks of tomato from the marinara sauce.
- Press tofu, if needed, and then dice it up into bite sized pieces. You can also use your hands to break it into chunks, if you prefer that texture. Heat a large pan over medium heat and add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Once oil is hot, add in the cubed tofu and toss to make sure all the tofu is coated with oil. You can also add in a drizzle of tamari, or a pinch of salt at this time, for extra flavor.
- Let tofu cook until light brown and crispy on most sides, stirring occasionally. This will take about 10 minutes. Once tofu is crispy, pour in the bbq sauce and mix everything together. Let sauce come to a simmer and cook the tofu in the sauce for about 5 minutes.
- This recipe makes 2-4 servings, depending on how much tofu you use in each bowl. Assemble bbq tofu bowls: to each bowl, add about 1/2 cup rice, a few large scoops of the bbq tofu and then top with your favorite toppings. I used sliced purple cabbage, pineapple and dill pickles.
Notes
This recipe makes 2-4 servings, depending on how much bbq tofu you add to each bowl. You can easily make the tofu stretch by loading up on extra toppings, or you can double the recipe and use two packages of tofu. I’ve also made this recipe using one package of tofu and one can of chickpeas.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Dinner, Vegetarian
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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