The Perfect Way To Cut Tofu For All Your Grilling Needs

There are several ways to make tofu delicious — from using unexpected tofu marinade ingredients to air frying tofu to make it extra crispy. When handled correctly, a well-cooked tofu dish has the power to turn even the most stringent nay-sayers and meat lovers into fans. When it comes to grilling, as with meat, how your protein is cut affects how it cooks. In a Daily Meal exclusive, Nisha Vora, author of the New York Times Best Selling Cookbook "Big Vegan Flavor," shared the ins and outs of cutting tofu so it grills perfectly every time.

Grilled tofu should be tender and moist inside, with grill marks and slight charring for crispness on the outside. To get this balance right, Vora recommends cutting tofu either into slabs or cubes. "For slabs, cut your block of tofu into ⅓ inch slabs. These are sturdy enough to stay intact and develop good grill marks," she explains. "For skewers, cut the tofu into cubes, about 1 inch in size. These are large enough to stay juicy on the inside while getting crispy and charred on the outside." 

Both shapes work well on the grill, but the one you choose should depend on what you're serving. And if you're looking for inspiration, Vora's book contains 150 recipes that will give you plenty of ideas for using those perfectly grilled tofu pieces. These tips work best for firm, non-silken tofu, as the silken variety is too delicate to grill.

Cutting it into slabs also makes it easier to press tofu, which is crucial for packing in more flavor. According to Nisha Vora, there are several factors to keep in mind while cutting. "You don't want to slice your tofu any thinner, or you risk them falling apart or falling through the grill grates. And you don't want to slice them too thick, or the outside will char while the inside will stay, more or less, raw," she elaborates. 

For a meatier bite and to cook it on skewers, the tofu block should be cut into cubes. "Try to slice the tofu cubes as uniformly as you can, as this ensures they'll cook at the same rate," points out Vora. She recommends, "Once you have your tofu cubes, thread them closely together—this helps them retain moisture and makes them easier to turn as a single unit."

To make the most of grilled tofu, use them in a dish that complements the shape of the pieces. The slabs are perfect for use in a Banh Mi or similarly loaded sandwiches and for slicing and mixing into salads and warm grain bowls. Bite-sized grilled tofu cubes can be eaten with a dip or dropped into stir-fried dishes. They also make a great addition to vegan tacos as a grilled meat substitute.