Don't Make The Most Common Mistakes When Marinating Tofu

Tofu is an amazingly versatile ingredient, able to be used in a stunning variety of recipes. The only downside to tofu is in its basic state, it doesn't have much flavor to speak of. That's why it's the perfect candidate for a marinade. However, there are some common mistakes that many home cooks make when it comes to marinating tofu. To help you avoid these, Daily Meal spoke with Nisha Vora, the New York Times best-selling cookbook author of Big Vegan Flavor, who gave us some exclusive guidance.

Both of her major points are derived from tofu being stored in water. The first mistake she calls out is "not removing the excess water in the tofu. Tofu is very watery, so if you just marinate a drained block of tofu, the excess water will not only dilute the flavor of the marinade but it will also prevent the tofu from being able to absorb maximum flavor from the marinade." The second mistake? "Using a watery or liquid-heavy marinade. It will slip right off the tofu and will prevent the tofu from crisping up when cooked," says Vora.

Tofu is absorbent, which is good for marinating, but it also means it absorbs a decent amount of the water it's packaged in. That means just draining the water isn't enough; you also have to press the excess water out. Luckily this is easy, though time consuming. Simply place a towel on a cutting board, followed by your tofu (still in block form or already cut up, your call), then another towel on top followed by something reasonably heavy (and flat). Do this for 30 minutes, changing the towels if they become especially water logged.

Once it's drained, there's one more tip to keep in mind. Instead of watery or liquid-heavy marinades, Nisha Vora suggests "a thicker, more viscous marinade, such as an oil-based or yogurt-based marinade. [They] cling to the tofu better." Teriyaki and sesame oil tofu with charred broccoli works well since teriyaki is usually thick, and you can always add some cornstarch slurry to get it thicker. You can also accept some Mediterranean influence and use a spicy Greek yogurt and lime marinade. The last decision is how to cook your marinated tofu.