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Enjoy these teriyaki broccoli tofu bowls over brown rice for a quick, easy, and healthy dinner any night of the week. The perfect plant-based option when you’re craving Asian take-out!
I have always loved tofu. I was never the one who refused to eat it.
Growing up, my mom would prepare tofu for us all the time so I’m sure that plays a big part of why I love it and am not averse to it.
Additionally, the way you prepare the tofu also contributes to its texture and edibility. I talk about that more below. So, naturally, I’ve made it my mission to find the absolute best ways to prepare tofu.
Teriyaki broccoli tofu stir fry is my take on my 20-minute teriyaki chicken and broccoli recipe. It’s just as flavorful and filling, but this is plant-based recipe is definitely on brand right now.
Looking for more tofu inspiration? Check out a few of my other favorite tofu recipes, like sesame garlic tofu, sweet and sour tofu, and spicy chili tofu.
Why You’ll Love This Tofu Bowl Recipe
This broccoli tofu stir fry may be one of my all-time favorite tofu recipes. Here are a few reasons why.
- Quick and easy. Once you drain the tofu, this recipe comes together quickly and easily. You can definitely have this dinner on the table in well under an hour!
- Inspired by Asian takeout. The next time you’re craving Asian takeout, make this tofu stir fry instead! It has similar flavors and you won’t need to worry about finding a vegetarian-friendly restaurant.
- Perfect for beginners. If you’ve never cooked with tofu before, don’t worry. This tofu bowl is a great place to start!
What You’ll Need
This tofu bowl recipe is made with just a handful of ingredients, like extra firm tofu, broccoli, brown rice, and rice vinegar. See the recipe card below for measurements.
- Tofu – You’ll want extra firm tofu for this recipe.
- Cornstarch – Helps create a crispy texture on the tofu and also helps to thicken the sauce.
- Sesame oil – My preferred oil for cooking tofu.
- Broccoli florets – I recommend using fresh broccoli though frozen will work in a pinch.
- Brown rice – The base of our tofu bowl.
- Garlic – Adds flavor to the sauce.
- Soy sauce – Be sure to grab low-sodium soy sauce.
- Water – Helps thin the sauce.
- Rice vinegar – Adds a little bit of a tang to the teriyaki sauce.
- Dark brown sugar – Sweetens the teriyaki sauce.
What is the Best Kind of Tofu to Use in a Tofu Bowl?
The firmer the better! This is definitely one of those recipes where extra firm tofu is best, though firm tofu will work in a pinch. Avoid silken or soft tofu as it will lose its shape.
How to Get the Liquid out of Tofu
Removing the liquid is one of the most important parts of preparing tofu
You start by opening the package of the tofu and then holding the tofu in place, tip the package upside down so all the water is drained.
Then, you can choose whether you want to do this on a plate with paper towels or a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
If you do this on a plate with paper towels, place two sheets of paper towels on the plate. Place the tofu on top.
Then place two more sheets of paper towels on top of the tofu.
Find something heavy like a cast iron skillet and place it on top of the tofu.
Let that sit for about 30 minutes but coming back to check on it halfway through and change out the paper towel.
If you want to do this with a wire rack on top of a baking sheet, just put the tofu on top of the wire rack and the heavy object on top of the tofu. The liquid should drain onto the baking sheet below.
How to Make Broccoli Tofu Stir Fry
It’s really three big steps broken up into smaller parts.
- Prepare the tofu. Drain the tofu, using one of the methods described above. Slice the tofu into slices then gently toss with cornstarch.
- Prepare the broccoli. Blanch the broccoli for 5 minutes in boiling water then transfer to an ice bath.
- Cook the tofu. Heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat then cook the tofu until brown and crispy on all sides.
- Make the sauce. Whisk together the sauce ingredients.
- Combine ingredients. Once the tofu is crispy, add the sauce to the pan. Toss the tofu and broccoli then remove to heat.
- Enjoy. Serve over brown rice.
Tips for Making the Best Tofu Bowl
Here are a few tips for making this broccoli tofu stir fry.
- Don’t forget to drain the tofu. Draining the tofu is NOT an optional step! Tofu soaks up all the flavor in a dish so you can imagine how much liquid tofu is soaking up while sitting in the package!
- Don’t touch the tofu. Once you add the tofu to the pan, do not touch it for at least 3-4 minutes. Then you can stir and flip it. If you try to touch it immediately, it’ll never get crispy.
- Start with the least amount of cornstarch. When it comes to thickening the sauce, start with 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch then continue adding it 1/2 tablespoon at a time (in a slurry) until your sauce reaches the desired consistency.
Can I Substitute the Tofu for Another Protein?
Absolutely!
Again, this recipe is based off of my 20-minute teriyaki chicken and broccoli so chicken would be a great alternative to tofu if you are so inclined.
Serving Suggestions
This broccoli tofu stir fry makes a complete meal on its own, which is one of the reasons I love it so much. Feel free to top it with some sesame seeds or even an after drizzle of soy sauce if desired.
Pickled onions would also be a great addition, if you want to add a bit of tang to the dish.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge. Store leftover broccoli tofu stir fry in an airtight container in the fridge, along with any extra sauce that may have been in the pan. I recommend storing the rice separately.
- Reheat. Reheat in a pan on the stovetop for best results, though the microwave will work too.
More Tofu Recipes To Try
Teriyaki Tofu and Broccoli Bowls
Ingredients
- 14 ounces (397 g) extra firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 ½ cups (228 g) fresh broccoli florets
- Cooked brown rice
For the sauce:
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup (118 ml) low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup (59 ml) water
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ¼ cup (55 g) dark brown sugar
- ½ – 2 tablespoons (2 ½ tablespoons) cornstarch, start with ½ tablespoon then if your sauce is not thickening as you would like, add another ½ tablespoon with some water to make a slurry then pour into skillet, continue until desired consistency
Instructions
- Place two paper towels on a plate then place the entire block of tofu (drained from its packaging liquid) onto the plate. Place two more paper towels on top of the tofu then put a heavy item on top. Not TOO heavy that it would completely crush the tofu but heavy enough that it can squeeze out liquid.Leave for 30 minutes and halfway through, change out the paper towels.Alternatively, if you want to do this with a wire rack on top of a baking sheet, just put the tofu on top of the wire rack and the heavy object on top of the tofu. The liquid should drain onto the baking sheet below.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add the broccoli. Blanch the broccoli for 5 minutes then immediately transfer the broccoli to an ice bath (a large bowl of water with ice in it) to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- Once the tofu has drained, slice in half then into cubes and place into a large bowl. Sprinkle cornstarch on top and gently toss with your hands to ensure all tofu pieces are covered.
- In a large skillet, add sesame oil then bring up to medium-high heat.
- Once oil is heated up, add the tofu to the skillet and let brown and get crispy on all sides.
- In the meantime, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce.
- Once the tofu has browned and crisped up on all sides, add the sauce to the skillet and it should start to thicken immediately. Toss the tofu and broccoli around to coat then remove from heat.
- Serve with brown rice.
Nutrition
Photography by Ari Laing
This is a great recipe! It’s become a go-to weeknight dinner, as I often have all of the ingredients in my refrigerator. Usually I make it as written, but recently tried sauteeing cabbage and onion and added it to the bowl which was also delicious. Thank you!
I really liked this meal , it was delicious easy and quick to make โฆ Will definitely be making againโฆ thank you
Thank you for your delicious recipe, I like it very much.
Hi there Julie,
My younger sister and I have been missing our favorite Thai restaurant and their famous tofu with rice…I figured I would give this recipe a go and BOOM! Delicious tofu! My sister and I really liked it! Instead of a skillet, I put a heavy cutting board on top of the tofu when draining it of water, and it still did the trick :-) I was a little confused as to how to control the heat when adding the sauce- as soon as I added it to the hot pan it got gummy! Either way, this dish turned out fantastic and I’m going to try your other recipes next week too :3
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
@Chrissy, same here. Way too much cornstarch in this recipe. I was left with a huge lump of gummy sauce.
thanks for the feedback, i adjusted the recipe to help with this since it varies a lot based on heat of pan/how fast you add it.
I made this and did the 30 min trick to dry out the tofu. I used extra firm tofu. I put it on paper towels and placed a heavy skillet on top. After 30 min I cooked it and the tofu ended up breaking up into little pieces and being very soggy: It also tastes like cornstarch. What did I do wrong here?
Sorry that happened! It doesn’t sound like extra firm tofu to me, though. Tofu that breaks apart and being soggy reminds me of soft, tender tofu. It tastes like cornstarch because it’s used to coat the tofu to get it crisp and also the sauce to help thicken. If you were heavy handed with it then that’s probably why it tasted so strongly. I’m sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you. What brand of tofu did you use?
My first time cooking tofu! This was kid and hubby approved.
So excited to
Make this
My husband canโt have corn
Any suggestions of what to use instead of cornstarch
No wheat or nut flours either
Would almond flour or tapoioca work?
tapioca flour would work great!
Julie, this recipe was outstanding! My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is the second recipe of yours that weโve tried and Iโm thinking I need your cookbook. Thank you!!
Just a general comment to Julie. Iโm a 78 year old granny, and I so appreciate your recipes! Not a fan of โleftoversโ……except maybe for lunch the next day. You are adorable, in looks and personality, just like your videos. Julie, you make cooking for one, exciting and fun. I canโt thank you enough.
Awww thank you so much!!