Pan Seared Tofu Steak

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Tofu Steak is an amazing way to transform a block of tofu and turn it into a fancy meal.  Juicy, savory, packed with umami flavor, and a nice chew, this vegan steak only takes 15 minutes of work to make! Just marinate it overnight and one quick pan fry later you'll have this delicious filet!

Hey Internet, it's time to try a next-level tofu recipe. Not to toot our horn too much, but this is easily one of our new favorite recipes. 

With a simple marinade and a quick pan sear, you get these amazing tofu steaks that are great for a fancy vegan date night. We could easily see this paired with some roasted garlic baby potatoes and some green beans for an amazing meal. Check out our other beefy recipes, like our Seitan Steak Recipe, Vegan Beef Stew, Jackfruit Stew, Vegan Brisket, Vegan Pepper Steak, Vegan Corned Beef, Vegan Beef and Broccoli, Vegan Carne Asada, Beyond Meat Meatloaf, and Vegan Philly Cheesesteak.

But back to this Tofu Steak.... it's pretty amazing! Super flavorful and easy to make, this gluten-free tofu recipe might become one of your new favorites.

Tofu is so versatile! It can be used to make both sweet and savory recipes. From vegan cheeses, to meatballs, and SO much more. We have a huge article of our Best Tofu Recipes if you want learn more tofu dishes to make.

For today's recipe, we're going to use super-firm tofu. This is tofu that has almost no excess moisture to it. It comes in a vacuum-sealed pack, not a plastic tub of water. It is very different from extra-firm tofu and silken tofu. So make sure you have it before starting!

The pan searing method ensures a crispy crust to our tofu steaks, and it's completely delicious. The last step only takes a minute, but basting the tofu with a little vegan butter (flavored with thyme!) is a trick we learned from non-vegan chefs and it works so well in this vegan steak recipe!

If you're looking to increase the plant-based protein in your cooking, look no further than this delicious, golden brown tofu steak. It has a deep, savory smoky flavor and we know you'll love it!

Why You'll Love This Delicious Tofu Steak

• Tons of Protein: Just one serving of this vegan steak recipe has about 35 grams of protein depending on the tofu you use (we used the Trader Joe's organic super firm tofu), making it a great choice for a high protein dinner, lunch, or post-workout meal.
• Easy To Make: This simple tofu steak recipe is absolutely incredible, using a marinade with only two ingredients and then a fool-proof method for pan-fried tofu (no breading needed)... you'll come back to this recipe again and again.
• Rich and Tasty: The depth of flavor in this recipe thanks to the combination of soy sauce and vegan beef broth is next level! You could definitely serve this recipe to guests or even a date.
• Versatile: This simple pan-seared tofu steak is the easiest way to cook it (and we feel it is the best way), but you can cook it in whatever your favorite way is to cook tofu. Cook it on an outdoor grill or an indoor grill pan, or even in the air fryer (though these draw out moisture, so your tofu will get crispy but won't be as juicy, so we felt it wasn't the best way to cook the tofu).

Ingredients

Pick up these simple ingredients the next time you're at your local grocery store. See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredients, instructions, and accurate nutrition information (to the best of my ability; please consult your physician or healthcare professional if you have specific dietary needs or need to meet a certain daily value of any nutrient). I give substitutions for the ingredients in the section below this one, so most people can still make this recipe!

• 16-Ounce Block Super Firm Tofu: This is the main ingredient. I’m talking about the kind in the vacuum-sealed plastic, not a tub full of water. I recommend the super firm tofu if you can find it. I can usually find it in grocery stores such as Trader Joe’s, supermarkets, Asian markets, and even Costco on occasion.
• 1.75 Cups Vegan Beef Broth: To add to the flavor of this tofu steak recipe, I used Better Than Bouillon No Beef Broth Base for the marinade. It’s delicious and beef-flavored but vegan. I buy mine online, that’s the only place I can personally find this flavor.
• 0.25 Cup Reduced Sodium Gluten-Free Tamari: Or use reduced sodium soy sauce if you don't need gluten-free.
• 0.5 Teaspoon Agave, Optional: This is just to balance the recipe (if you used coconut aminos, you won't need this since coconut aminos are sweeter than tamari or soy sauce). Maple syrup works too.
• 2-4 Tablespoons Cooking Oil: You'll want a high temperature oil to cook with, grapeseed oil or avocado oil. Any neutral oil you use to cook with should work. This will be used to pan sear our tofu steak.
• Fresh Thyme Sprigs, Optional
• 1-2 Tablespoons Vegan Butter, Optional

Substitutions

• Super Firm Tofu:  If you only have firm or extra firm tofu (that comes in water), you can still make this deliciousness. Drain all the excess water from the package and then use a tofu press or two plates or cutting boards, a paper towel or clean tea towel, and a heavy object (like books or a cast-iron skillet) to press the tofu for 20-30 minutes. Otherwise the tofu may turn out soggy—I speak from experience.
• Vegan Beef Broth: If you can’t get Better Than Bouillon No Beef Broth Base, you could try vegan beef flavored bouillon cubes or prepared vegan beef broth. Otherwise vegetable broth and a little extra tamari will work fine.
• Tamari: Feel free to use soy sauce or coconut aminos. Regular soy sauce or tamari (not reduced sodium) also works fine, reduced is just always what we have in the house since the regular version is too salty for our tastes.
• Other ingredients: A crack of black pepper would also be nice. You could add other things to the marinade too (to taste) like vegan Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, steak seasoning, a splash of sesame oil or liquid smoke, etc. You could accompany this recipe with cooked white rice or brown rice and shiitake mushrooms or your favorite sides or veggies for a quick weeknight dinner.

How To Make Tofu Steak

1. Prep Marinade: Run hot water and mix in the Vegan Beef Bouillon Paste with a whisk until fully dissolved (if using bouillon cubes, prepare according to package directions)(if using carton broth, simply add to measuring cup). Add the gluten-free tamari and stir to combine.
2. Prep Tofu: On a large cutting board, use a sharp knife to slice the tofu block in half so you have two blocks the same length and width as the original block, just thinner (for thinner steaks or a lower calorie portion, feel free to slice into three rectangles). Use the tip of the knife to draw diagonal lines across the tofu slices in a crosshatch pattern, but don't slice all the way through the block! Try to go no deeper than halfway down. You can use a smaller paring knife if it's easier.  This method allows the marinade to more deeply flavor the tofu.
3. Marinate: Add half the marinade to a container (I recommend glass containers), place the tofu slices cut-side down side by side in the container and pour the rest of the marinade on top. Cover with a lid and place the airtight container in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours. For best results and best flavor, we recommend marinating 24 hours. You can do up to 48 hours if needed. Note that if you use a container much bigger than needed, you may not have enough marinade. Double the recipe if needed to ensure tofu is submerged in the marinade, otherwise it will not have the deep tofu steak taste the recipe was written to have.
4. Heat the Pan: When you're ready to cook your tofu steak, heat your pan over medium heat. If you have a stainless steel pan like ours, you'll want to heat the pan before adding the room temperature oil. You don't need a thick layer of oil, just enough to fully coat the pan plus a tad bit extra. We're not deep frying the tofu, only pan frying it. Then you'll want your oil to come to heat; it should shimmer when it's ready. You can test it by dripping a droplet of water in the oil. If it sizzles and creates little bubbles, the oil is ready.
5. Add the Tofu: Very carefully add the tofu crosshatch pattern side down into the hot oil. Let the tofu cook undisturbed for at least 3-4 minutes. You can start to see a deep golden brown color start to seep up the sides. We let ours cook for 5-6 minutes each side.
6. Flip the Tofu: Use a thin spatula (we like a nonstick spatula to help keep the surface of the tofu from being scraped by the spatula), and carefully flip it over on the back side. Cook for another 3-6 minutes.
7. Baste the Tofu Steak: This is where the magic happens. In the last minute of cooking, add the vegan butter and thyme sprigs. Once the butter has melted, grab a long handled spoon (to protect yourself from splatter) and use an oven mitt (since pot handles can get hot) if needed to tip the pan gently toward you, but not so much that any melted vegan butter or oil is spilled. Use the spoon to continuously scoop the melted butter over each tofu steak. Spend about 30 seconds per steak, or you can rapidly switch between them, just make sure to spend about 60 seconds doing this. Once most of the vegan butter has been used on the tofu steak, you're ready to serve.
8. Serve: Enjoy tofu steaks right away for the best crispy texture and flavor.
9. Storage and Reheating: Refrigerate leftover tofu steak in an airtight container for up to 5 days. When reheating, we recommend a pan with a little oil for the best texture.

Serving Suggestions

There are so many great options to serve with your meal! Here are some of our favorite sides if you're wondering what to serve with tofu steak:

• Vegan Baked Potato (Loaded and Delicious)
• Boiled Baby Potatoes or Vegan Roasted Potatoes
• Actually, any of our Vegan Potato Recipes
• Vegan Avocado Salad or Vegan Italian Salad
• Air Fryer Asparagus or Vegan Asparagus Risotto
• Speaking of risottos, any of our others such as Vegan Mushroom Risotto, Garlic Risotto, or Zucchini Risotto
• Vegan Pierogi with Potato and Leek
• Vegan Garlic Bread

More Epic Vegan Date Night Recipes

• Vegan Creamy Pasta
• Vegan Cordon Bleu
• Vegan Pastina
• Vegan Scallops
• Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
• Vegan Salmon
• Vegan Creamy Mushroom Pasta
• Lemon Tahini Broccolini Pasta Dinner
• Vegan Swedish Meatballs

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