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This Garlic Butter Tofu is officially my new FAVORITE tofu recipe! It’s such a great meal to make for guests and it’s surprisingly easy to throw together! Once you marinate it, you only need a handful of simple ingredients to finish it off!
I am absolutely NOT exagerating when I say that I am OBSESSED with this tofu recipe (and I have over 70 tofu recipes already on the blog– but this one really shines!). I first saw Thee Burger Dude cut his tofu like this to resemble a chicken breast and I have been obsessed with it ever since!
I seem to annoy a lot of people when I try and make classically none vegetarian dishes into vegetarian ones. BUT honestly I don’t care because I love it :)
And while it’s SO unnecessary to cut the tofu this way, it’s also SO SO FUN! If I were throwing together a quick weeknight meal, I honestly might skip the step where I cut it into “chicken breasts” but I highly recommend it for the next time you have guests over! It’s just SUCH a fun way to serve tofu!
Similarly, I’m honestly not sure I have EVER seen a garlic butter tofu recipe. I thought maybe it would taste odd and that’s why you don’t see people post about it often. HOWEVER, it is SO GOOD! Like, seriously delicious.
I wanted to mimic classic chicken dishes. And there’s nothing more “meat and potatoes” to me than a good garlic butter recipe. To really elevate things, I served mine with some mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus for the ultimate American dinner lol. I grew up in the south in a heavy meat and potatoes house so I love how much this mimics my childhood.
And without further ado, let’s dive into the actual recipe!
Ingredients we’re working with:
- Super firm tofu – I tested this with extra firm tofu and both worked well but I definitely prefer the super firm. Trader Joe’s makes one that is SO GOOD and realtively inexpensive too!
- Marinade – for he marinade, we’re keeping it simple to add flavor but nothing that will compete with the garlic butter flavors. It’s a simple mixture of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic and onion powder, paprika, and some salt and pepper.
- Butter – you can use whatever kind you prefer! If you want to keep it vegan, simply use a vegan butter.
- Garlic – LOTS of garlic!
- Veggie broth – this adds a little flavor and bulks up the sauce a bit.
To make the recipe:
Start by cutting the tofu (see video below in the recipe card for reference!) and then place it in the marinade for 30 minutes or even overnight.
Once ready to cook, sear the tofu in a skillet just like you would chicken breast. Remove it from the pan and melt the butter before cooking the garlic for about a minute. Deglaze the pan with the broth and cook for a couple minutes before adding the tofu back in.
THAT’S IT! SO GOOD!
I’m so excited for y’all to try this one! It’s just SO GOOD no matter how you cut the tofu. But, you should definitely try cutting it like this because it’s just so fun!
One Last Bite
Be sure to save this recipe! I love to see your delicious creations and share the tastiest feedback. SO, if you make these tacos and you love this recipe, please remember to tag me on Instagram @foodwithfeeling! I can’t wait to see you sharing this recipe! 🙂
More delicious Tofu Recipes to try:
- Chipotle Tofu Tacos
- 6 Different Tofu Marinades
- Easy Vegan Sushi with tofu
- Tofu Curry
- General Tso’s Tofu
- Peanut Sauce Tofu
- Lemongrass Tofu
Garlic Butter Tofu
Ingredients
- 14 –16 ounce block of extra firm or super firm tofu*
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons butter, I used unsalted
- ½ cup veggie broth
- 5 cloves finely minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Start by prepping the tofu by cutting it into 3 even pieces longways (see video for reference). If you’d like to cut it into chicken like pieces then lay each piece flat and cut off the top right and bottom left corners so that they’re rounded and roughly resemble a piece of chicken breast. Again, you can watch my video for reference. I like to trim off tiny bits of the rough edges to round the edges. Slice diagonal cuts going about ¼ of an inch deep on both sides.14 –16 ounce block of extra firm or super firm tofu*
- Make the marinade by whisking together the 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the balsamic vinegar, water, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Let marinate for 30 minutes or up to overnight.3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, pepper to taste
- Once ready to cook, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add in the tofu in a single layer and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Watch it so that it doesn’t burn but gets nicely browned around the edges. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the butter and veggie broth to the pan. As the butter melts, scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze. Reduce heat to low. Add the garlic and salt and saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant.3 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup veggie broth, 5 cloves finely minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Return the tofu to the pan. Flip once or twice to coat in the butter sauce. If needed, heat for 1-2 minutes, until warm. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.
- Serve the tofu with the pan juices spooned over it. I like to brush a bit more of the marinade over top as well. ENJOY!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wow I am so in love with this so making it again tonight. Even my meat eating Husband said it was tasty although I don’t think he would eat a whole piece of tofu! It is absolutely divine, perfect flavor and so moreish. I will make this on repeat
Loved it!!
Absolutely delish! Has a shrimp scampi vibe to it. Added a little MSG for extra umami.
As soon as I saw a photo of this I just knew I’d love it. I had all the ingredients so made it the next day. I wasn’t disappointed it is divine. As my husband isn’t vegan he didn’t share my joy so I had it two days running. I had creamy mash, brocolli and green beans. I could eat it everyday.
I’m doing the peanut tofu recipe tonight. Can’t wait. Thanks for such amazing recipes.