Vegan Maui Rib BBQ Tofu Skewers
Hello friends! Today, I’m sharing a delicious recipe for Maui Rib-style BBQ tofu skewers. Many years ago, Rolando and I used to LOVE eating maui short ribs. Fast forward to becoming vegan, we never thought we’d be able to enjoy that flavor again. We were wrong! I decided to give bbqing tofu a try with this delicious marinade and I’m so excited to share that with you. We are big fans of tofu around here and love to get creative with how we prepare it. Now that it’s grilling season, get ready to fire up the grill and dive into the deliciousness of Maui Rib BBQ tofu skewers!
When it comes to grilling, tofu might not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, tofu tastes so delicious when it’s prepared on the grill- I just know this will be your new favorite way to prepare it! Tofu is the perfect canvas for a BBQ marinade that will make your taste buds sing with joy. For this recipe, we’ll be using firm tofu for our skewers since it holds its shape well on the grill.
The maui rib marinade consists of 4 basic ingredients: soy sauce, garlic, ginger and brown sugar. You could also add some sriracha if you like a little heat added!
To prepare the tofu:
Use 2 packages of firm tofu and cut them into approximately 1/2″ cubes. Pat them dry with a paper towel to absorb some of their moisture and allow for more of the marinade to seep into the tofu. I highly recommend allowing your tofu to marinade overnight for optimal flavor. Tofu can take on the flavor of just about anything but it does take a little bit of time for it to do that.
Turn marinade into glaze:
I don’t know about you but I love slathering sauce on top of anything I’m grilling so I do just that with the marinade after the tofu has soaked in it overnight. I strain the chunks of garlic and ginger out of the liquid, pour it into a sauce pan over medium heat and whisk in some cornstarch to thicken it. Now you have the perfect glaze for your tofu!
A tip on barbecuing tofu:
As much as I’d love to tell you to just place your tofu right on a well seasoned grill, unfortunately your tofu will stick. I discovered a better way to grill them without compromising that deliciously-slightly-charred flavor we all know and love from a bbq! Simply use a disposable (or reusable!) grill tray- I found them in the kitchen aisle of my local grocery store. This allowed for me to spray it with cooking spray before putting the tofu skewers on them and get the best non-stick bbq experience!
Maui Rib Tofu Skewers
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups soy sauce
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tbsp minced ginger
- 2 to 3 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 blocks firm tofu
Instructions
- In a bowl combine soy sauce, brown sugar, chopped ginger and garlic.
- Remove tofu blocks from package and press with paper towel to absorb moisture.
- Cut tofu into 1/2' cubes and place into a container with a tight lid.
- Pour marinade over tofu and allow to sit overnight (preferably) or atleast 2-3 hours.
- When ready to cook, separate the marinade from the tofu and strain out garlic and ginger.
- Add marinade to a small saucepan and heat on stove on medium heat whisking in cornstarch until mixture thickens.
- Use wooden or metal skewers and add approximately 6 cubes per skewer.
- Heat up bbq to 450ºF. Place an aluminum grill tray and spray with cooking oil into the bbq to heat up.
- Add tofu skewers to grill tray and cook on both sides slathering marinade on each side.
- Enjoy with a side of fries and salad!