Easy Tofu Stir-Fry

This tofu stir-fry is an easy, healthy weeknight dinner that’s loaded with veggies and comes together in less than 30 minutes.

This recipe is for those crazy weeknights when you aren’t feeling inspired to cook anything, but also don’t want to go out to eat. In under 30 minutes, you’ll be enjoying a quick and easy, satisfying dinner that’s packed with veggies and plant-based protein.

Bowl of rice with tofu and vegetable stir fry on top. Chopsticks are resting on the bowl.

Tofu Stir-Fry Shortcuts

As written, the recipe is super quick, but if you’re super short on time, there are a few corners you can cut.

One shortcut I always recommend is buying pre-prepped and cut vegetables. They’re just as nutritious as the whole, un-prepped versions.
The second shortcut is to buy a pre-made teriyaki sauce. I love my homemade teriyaki, but if you’re in a pinch, don’t feel bad about purchasing store-bought. I’m a fan of the San-J gluten-free Teriyaki sauce as well as the Primal Kitchen no soy teriyaki sauce.

Ingredients in Tofu Stir-Fry

extra firm tofu – be sure to get firm or extra firm tofu… soft or silken tofu can be mushy and won’t work as well for stir-frying.
vegetables – garlic, red bell pepper, red onion, fresh broccoli florets and green onions are what I used but feel free to swap in your favorites or what you have on hand.
teriyaki sauce – I like to make my homemade version from Fit With Five with some added chili garlic sauce, but store bought works as well. If you use store-bought sauce you’ll need about 1/3 cup.
rice – white or brown rice works great with this stir-fry, but cauliflower rice is awesome if you want to keep the dish lower in carbs.

Baked cubes of tofu on a baking sheet.

How to Make Tofu Stir-Fry

If you’re new to cooking with tofu, the one thing you need to know is how important it is to press your tofu before cooking. What the heck does this mean? It’s actually really easy. Just remove your tofu block from the packaging and discard the water it’s packed in. Place your tofu into a tofu press if you have one or simply wrap in paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Then literally press the excess liquid out of the tofu by setting heavy items on top of your tofu blocks. This allows the tofu to get nice and crispy and allows the tofu to take on the flavor of the dish (instead of tasting watery). After the tofu is pressed, cut the tofu into cubes.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add your oil and tofu and flip frequently. The tofu is done cooking when all of the sides of the tofu cube are golden brown. (See photo above.) Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add more oil to the same skillet and cook your garlic and onion. When you smell the onion and garlic, it’s time to add your broccoli and red bell pepper to cook. Lastly, add the tofu and sauce to the skillet and cook until broccoli is tender and the rest of the ingredients are heated through. Serve over rice and top with green onions for garnish.

Love this? Here’s More Tofu Recipes You Might Enjoy:

If you make this tofu stir-fry, please be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Your feedback is super helpful for the EBF team and other EBF readers.

Tofu Stir-Fry

Author: Brittany Mullins
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 3

Print Recipe

Description

This tofu stir-fry is an easy, healthy weeknight dinner that’s loaded with veggies and comes together in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons avocado or olive oil, divided
1 lb extra-firm tofu, pressed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
1 12 oz bag fresh broccoli florets (about 5 cups)
rice of choice: white, brown or cauliflower
green onions and sesame seeds, for garnish

Teriyaki Sauce

1 Tablespoon avocado or olive oil
1/4 cup low-sodium tamari (or soy sauce)
1/2 Tablespoon maple syrup
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated or minced

Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once hot (check to make sure tofu sizzles when you add it to the pan), add tofu and cook, flipping frequently, for about 10 minutes. It’s done when all sides of the tofu cubes are golden. Transfer to a bowl or plate.
While tofu is cooking, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl.
Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the same skillet. Add garlic and onion and cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add broccoli and red bell pepper to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes. Add sauce and tofu to the skillet as well and cook for about 5 minutes longer, or until broccoli is tender, but crisp and bright green in color. Serve tofu stir-fry over rice of choice with green onions and sesame seeds for garnish.