Teriyaki Tofu Sandwich
This teriyaki tofu sandwich is stuffed with perfectly glazed teriyaki tofu cutlets and a citrusy ginger cabbage carrot slaw. An easy to customize sandwich with plenty of satisfying plant protein.
Sandwiches bring me joy. Teriyaki sauce also brings me joy. Combine the two and it’s the ultimate form of bliss that can rest securely in your hands. It’s a true delight.
If you too are a sandwich lover, I can’t recommend the sweet, salty and tangy flavors in this sandwich enough. The best part, it’s pretty easy to assemble and I include tips throughout this post to make this sandwich even easier to make.
Why You’ll Love This Teriyaki Tofu Sandwich
- Comes together quick. The tofu itself does not require an extended cooking or marinating time. In total, your tofu needs about 15 minutes to cook.
- Customizable. While you can use a premade teriyaki sauce, the nice thing about making your own is that you can better control the sweetness and saltiness to your liking and it’s really easy to do!
- Nourishing. The colorful slaw helps to add fiber, antioxidants and more textures and flavor to the sandwich while the tofu provides protein to make this sandwich satisfying.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tofu: I used extra firm tofu. The brand of tofu you use can make a big difference in terms of texture. For the firmest commercial brands I love to use Nasoya, House Foods or Soy Boy as they tend to have the firmest textures.
- Soy Sauce: If you would like to use a gluten-free alternative, try a gluten-free soy sauce, wheat free tamari or coconut aminos.
- Mirin: Can be found nowadays in local markets in the international section of grocery stores where they keep the soy sauce. It is a version of rice wine that is sweeter and contains much less alcohol compared to sake.
- Sake: This is a Japanese alcoholic beverage that is also commonly used in the preparation of traditional teriyaki sauces. If you don’t have sake, I would recommend swapping it out with water or vegetable broth. Do not replace with rice wine vinegar.
- Sugar: I recommend sugar over a liquid sweetener in this recipe as the sugar will naturally help thicken the sauce without the need for a cornstarch slurry. If you’d like a refined sugar-free option, try this with coconut sugar.
- Vegetables: I used a combination of carrots peeled into ribbons and shredded cabbage. Feel free to use a premade slaw mix from your local grocery store to save time with chopping.
- Lime: Use fresh lime so you can use the lime juice and zest to flavor the slaw.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder and thyme are used to season the cornstarch that coats the tofu.
How to Make a Teriyaki Tofu Sandwich
To a medium sized bowl add the cabbage, carrots, jalapeno, cilantro, ginger, lime zest and a pinch of salt and sugar. Squeeze the lime juice over the vegetables, then give them a good toss to coat. Place the bowl in the fridge to marinate.
Prepare the teriyaki sauce by whisking together 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar in a small bowl then set aside.
Place your tofu on it’s side on a cutting board and cut it into 3-4 equal slabs. This step is optional, but I like to diagonally score the top surface of the tofu, only scoring it about a 1/3 of the way through.
Place the tofu into a shallow dish and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. In a separate shallow dish, combine the cornstarch, garlic and thyme together. Dredge the tofu in the cornstarch mixture and set aside.
Heat a large non-stick skillet with your oil over medium heat. When hot, place the tofu slabs in the pan score side down and sear for 5 minutes. Flip the tofu and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until both sides are golden.
Add the sliced scallions and pour the teriyaki sauce over the tofu. Allow the sauce to bubble in the pan, and turn down the heat to low. As the sauce thickens, spoon or brush the sauce over the tofu to coat then remove the pan from heat.
To assemble your sandwich, combine your mayo and sriracha and spread it over one slice of bread. Top the other slice with the avocado slices, a slab of tofu and the slaw. Top the sandwich with the slice of bread with mayo on it and enjoy.
Expert Tips
- Try freezing your tofu for a meatier texture. Place the tub of tofu in the freezer and then allow it to thaw completely before removing from it’s package. Carefully press out as much water from the tofu as possible and then season.
- Adjust the teriyaki sauce to preference. The typical ratio of soy, mirin, sake and sugar for a teriyaki sauce is 1:1:1:1. Change the ratio of the ingredients to make the level of salty and sweet fit your preference. I shared the ratio I like for reference.
- Use convenience items to make this sandwich even faster. You can save time on chopping by using a pre-shredded slaw mix and even a pre-made teriyaki sauce.
- Pan-fry or bake your tofu. If baking the tofu, I would combine 2 tbsp of cornstarch, thyme, garlic, 2 tablespoons soy sauce and a tablespoon of oil in a large shallow container and coat each slab in the mixture. Place on a baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 425F for 25-30 minutes, flipping half-way through.
- Score the top of your tofu. I like to diagonally score the tofu slabs a 1/3 of the way through to allow more of the teriyaki sauce to adhere to the tofu. More ridges more places for the flavorful sauce to stick to.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can prep the slaw in advance. After making the slaw, place in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 4 days. The tofu is best served immediately after cooking. If you still want to meal prep the tofu, you can cook the tofu with the teriyaki sauce and store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat the tofu by placing it in a toaster oven or cooking it on the stove top to warm through.
Yes. Use gluten-free soy sauce and gluten-free bread to make this sandwich gluten-free. If not a fan of gluten-free bread, you can also serve this as a nourish bowl (see notes below).
Absolutely. Feel free to use items that help to make your life easier. Just note that brands vary, so you will have a different flavor compared to what is prepared when making your own sauce.
More Ways to Serve
If you are not in the mood for a sandwich, you can serve this as a nourish bowl. Cook the teriyaki tofu and serve alongside your favorite grain (try short grain brown rice, Jasmine rice, Forbidden Rice, Cilantro Lime Rice, quinoa, or even millet).
The slaw can be served on the side as well, but feel free to add extra fresh or roasted vegetables to the bowl too.
More Vegan Sandwich and Wrap Recipes to Try
- High Protein Avocado White Bean Sandwich
- Green Goddess Salad Sandwich
- Buffalo Chickpea Salad Sandwich
- Maple Hoisin Shredded Tofu Wraps
- Grilled Chickpea Veggie Pita
Teriyaki Tofu Sandwich
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This teriyaki tofu sandwich is stuffed with perfectly glazed teriyaki tofu cutlets and a citrusy ginger cabbage carrot slaw. An easy to customize sandwich with plenty of satisfying plant protein.
Ingredients
Ginger Cabbage Slaw
- 3/4 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
- 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced (optional)
- 1/4 cup cilantro, minced (optional)
- 1/2 inch fresh ginger, grated
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of sugar or coconut sugar
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
Tofu
- 5 tbsp soy sauce, divided
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp sake or replace with water or vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp sugar or coconut sugar
- 1, 450g block of extra firm tofu, pressed and drained
- 3 tbsp cornstarch or potato starch
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dry thyme
- 1–2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
Sandwich Assembly
- 1/4 cup vegan mayo or thick plant-based yogurt
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- Avocado slices
- 6–8 slices of bread
Instructions
- To a medium sized bowl add the cabbage, carrots, jalapeno, cilantro, ginger, lime zest and a pinch of salt and sugar. Squeeze the lime juice over the vegetables, then give them a good toss to coat. Place the bowl in the fridge to marinate.
- Prepare the teriyaki sauce by whisking together 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar in a small bowl then set aside.
- Place your tofu on it’s side on a cutting board and cut it into 3-4 equal slabs. This step is optional, but I like to diagonally score the top surface of the tofu, only scoring it about a 1/3 of the way through.
- Place the tofu into a shallow dish and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. In a separate shallow dish, combine the cornstarch, garlic and thyme together. Dredge the tofu in the cornstarch mixture and set aside.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet with your oil over medium heat. When hot, place the tofu slabs in the pan score side down and sear for 5 minutes. Flip the tofu and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until both sides are golden.
- Add the sliced scallions and pour the teriyaki sauce over the tofu. Allow the sauce to bubble in the pan, and turn down the heat to low. As the sauce thickens, spoon or brush the sauce over the tofu to coat then remove the pan from heat.
- To assemble your sandwich, combine your mayo and sriracha and spread it over one slice of bread. Top the other slice with the avocado slices, a slab of tofu and the slaw. Top the sandwich with the slice of bread with mayo on it and enjoy.
Notes
Try freezing your tofu for a meatier texture. Place the tub of tofu in the freezer and then allow it to thaw completely before removing from it’s package. Carefully press out as much water from the tofu as possible and then season.
Adjust the teriyaki sauce to preference. The typical ratio of soy, mirin, sake and sugar for a teriyaki sauce is 1:1:1:1. Change the ratio of the ingredients to make the level of salty and sweet fit your preference. I shared the ratio I like for reference.
Use convenience items to make this sandwich even faster. You can save time on chopping by using a pre-shredded slaw mix and even a pre-made teriyaki sauce.
Pan-fry or bake your tofu. If baking the tofu, I would combine 2 tbsp of cornstarch, thyme, garlic, 2 tablespoons soy sauce and a tablespoon of oil in a large shallow container and coat each slab in the mixture. Place on a baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 425F for 25-30 minutes, flipping half-way through.
Score the top of your tofu. I like to diagonally score the tofu slabs a 1/3 of the way through to allow more of the teriyaki sauce to adhere to the tofu. More ridges more places for the flavorful sauce to stick to.
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★ Catherine
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