How to Smoke Tofu in a Smoker (Smoked Tofu Recipe) (2024)

If you haven’t tried smoked tofu, you are missing out on one of the tastiest preparations of this popular soy food! Today, I’m going to cover how to smoke tofu using a Nordic Ware smoker. Smoking tofu is easy; it picks up delicious smoky flavors like a sponge! Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or just like plant foods, you need this citrus-marinated smoky tofu in your life!

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This summer has been smokin’!

Or perhaps I should say that Summer has been doing a lot of smoking this summer. Not the type of smoking that involves nicotine though, thank goodness. This is a health-oriented site, after all.

No, all of my smoking efforts have been put into foods. I shared my (crave-worthy!) recipe for how to smoke salmon a while back.

Now, I’m going to show you how to smoke tofu. Time to break out the Nordic Ware smoker!

You might be thinking that tofu is some horrible, flavorless plant protein. If this is your current opinion of tofu, let’s change it! The tofu you tried was probably prepared wrong, in ways that have not allowed it to blossom into its best self.

🤔 Can you put tofu in a smoker?

Yes, and you should! Initially, it appears that there is not much going on with tofu in the flavor department. But if you take a little time with it, you can use it to create a beautiful and tasty dish. It may even become a masterpiece!

Here, we are going to infuse the tofu with a bright, citrusy marinade. Then we’re going to pop it into the Nordic Ware smoker, adding a layer of smoky flavor.

Seriously, this is probably my favorite way to prepare tofu. Smoked tofu can be difficult to come across in the store. You’ll have a far more reliable source of this plant protein if you learn to make it yourself.

💡Smoked Tofu Recipes Tips

I’m not a fan of too many rules in cooking, but if we’re going to have tofu rules, here is number one:

1. Don’t skip flavoring your tofu.

I see so many recipes that use chicken, pork, etc. that say, “if you are vegetarian, just substitute tofu for the meat or poultry.” Some may find this swap acceptable taste-wise, but I do not think this is a good suggestion in general.

Plain tofu is flavorless, but acts as a blank canvas for flavors. Be sure to season, marinate, or add some sort of flavoring to tofu! Unless bland is your thing, I recommend flavoring your tofu if it’s not getting seasoned in the dish.

The short cut option would be to purchase a store-bought flavored tofu. The downside to doing this is that you cannot control the ingredients, and your flavor options are going to be limited. I often see only a couple types of flavored tofu carried by the conventional grocery stores and they typically have added sugar.

So, remember to flavor your tofu before trying to use it in place of animal-based protein in recipes.

🥘 Smoked Tofu Ingredients

Here's another tip:

2. Do use the right kind of tofu for your recipe.

There are various types of tofu and they are best for different culinary applications. You may not be pleased with your results if you use a type that was not intended to be used with your recipe.

I’m using a block of extra-firm (regular, non-silken) tofu here. Firm tofu (again, regular and non-silken) will also work.

Please don’t use the silken tofu sold in aseptic packages for this smoked tofu recipe. Silken tofu is excellent blended into non-dairy puddings and creamy desserts, but it is too mushy to use here. Also, skip the soft tofu here, silken or not.

🌱 Smoked Tofu Marinade

This recipe for how to smoke tofu is not trying to make the tofu appear to be anything other than tofu. I’ve flavored it with a citrus marinade, but feel free to use your favorite type of marinade if you’d prefer. Here are the ingredients for smoked tofu marinade:

• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
• ¾ teaspoon orange zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil (skip it for oil free)

🔪 How to Make Smoked Tofu

Here are step-by-step directions for how to make smoked tofu at home:

1. Mix all of your marinade ingredients together. Set this mixture aside while you prep the tofu.

2. Drain your extra firm tofu block, and press for approximately 20 minutes in a tofu press. You could also press the tofu between two plates with a weight (like a cast iron pan) on top.

3. After pressing, slice the tofu block into four pieces (cut once lengthwise and once widthwise). Place the tofu in the marinade. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.

4. After marinating, lift the tofu out of the marinade and pat the surface of the tofu slices dry with paper towels. Let the tofu rest in a single layer in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours. This drying step will help the smoke flavor adhere to the tofu.

5. Set up your full-size Nordic Ware smoker with 2-3 tablespoons of shredded wood chips that are meant for smoking food. I used the hickory chips that came with the smoker.

6. Put the drip pan and smoking tray in the smoker. Put the tofu slices down in a single layer on the smoking tray.

7. Put the lid on the smoker. Ensure the thermometer is attached properly and the lid vent is closed. Turn your stovetop vent fan on.

8. Put the smoker on a stovetop burner and turn the heat to medium-low. Allow the smoker's thermometer to come to 190F (88C). Be patient- it can take a while!

⏲ How Long to Smoke Tofu

Smoke tofu for 20-25 minutes while maintaining a temperature of 190-210F (88-99C) in the smoker. Here’s how to do it:

1. Once the smoker temperature comes to 190F (88C), turn the stovetop to low, and set a timer to smoke the tofu for 20-25 minutes. I chose to smoke the tofu for 25 minutes. Make sure that the smoker stays in the 190F-210F (88C-99C) range for the entire smoking period. You may need to adjust the stovetop's heat or open the vent on the lid. Keep a close eye on things!

2. If the heat on the smoker is rising too rapidly, quickly lift the lid and peek at your tofu. This is an easy way to help bring the temperature back down.

3. After the timed smoking period, turn off the stovetop and remove the tofu from the smoker. Extinguish the spent wood chips by soaking them in water.

4. If you'd like your tofu to have nice grill lines, heat a stovetop grill on medium to medium-high heat. Grill your tofu for approximately 3 minutes per side.

5. Refrigerate the tofu and serve it chilled in your favorite dishes. It can also be served warm. Enjoy!

The tofu takes on smoke flavor even better than any type of meat, poultry, or fish I’ve tried. This smoky tofu with just a hint of citrus is SO GOOD! There is no need to make it pretend to be chicken, fish, or anything else. Promise.

🥪 What to Do with Smoked Tofu

Wondering what to make with smoked tofu? You could just sit down with your tofu pieces and a fork and have at it. However, I think it might be ideal to get some other food groups in there.

This Mexican Buddha Bowl is one of my favorite smoked tofu ideas. And if you aren’t interested in smoking tofu, you’ll still be able to make the recipe! Just substitute a store-bought flavored tofu.

This tofu will lend itself well to dishes that need some more protein and that can benefit from the smoky flavor. I think it would be great on a variety of salads.

In addition, unlike plain tofu, you could enjoy this smoked tofu as-is with veggie and grain side dishes. Broccoli and quinoa would be great side dishes for smoked tofu.

Another idea for your smoky tofu is to throw it in a sandwich. Forget the peanut butter and jelly. We can elevate that standard lunch sandwich to another level.

For example, how does a TLT sound? That would be a (smoked) tofu “bacon,” lettuce, and tomato sandwich. Since we aren’t trying to make it a pretend BLT, how about some guacamole in place of the mayo?

Another thing I’ve been envisioning is this tofu in wraps with caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, cheese, and BBQ sauce. I know that smoky tofu could also work beautifully in many stir-fries.

Oh, just imagine the all possibilities for how to use smoked tofu. You’re going to love, love, love how versatile this smoked tofu is.

But you don’t have to take my word for it. Follow the recipe on how to smoke tofu and you can form your own opinion!

🌡 Smoked Tofu Storage

Does smoked tofu go bad? Smoked tofu lasts up to 3-4 days in the fridge in a covered container.

Smoked tofu also freezes well. Keep it in a food-safe vacuum sealed bag, or a freezer bag with the air pressed out.

📋 Smoked Tofu Calories

Smoked tofu provides 101 calories, 2 grams net carbs, and 10 grams protein per serving. This information is for the tofu only, and may vary slightly by brand. Tofu is a vegan and keto friendly food.

FAQs

Where to buy smoked tofu?

Your favorite grocery stores, such as Walmart, Target, or Kroger, may carry smoked tofu. Look in the refrigerated case in the produce aisle, or the “health food” section of the store. SoyBoy baked smoked tofu is one smoked tofu brand to look for.

Is smoked tofu ready to eat?

Yes, smoked tofu does not have to be cooked, and is ready to eat. The smoking process cooks the tofu so it does not have to be heated again. It is not a raw product.

Is smoked tofu good?

One of the benefits of smoked tofu is how great it tastes! Smoked tofu mostly tastes like the combination of the smoke plus whatever seasoning or marinade you use. Tofu is hearty, and some say meaty in texture, relative to many plant proteins.

What’s a good smoked tofu pellet smoker recipe?

If you want to try smoking tofu in a smoker outdoors, Traeger has a smoked and grilled tofu recipe here. This recipe for tofu has a Chinese-inspired marinade with soy sauce, and is highly rated.

How to smoke tofu in oven?

You can make smoked baked tofu at home in the oven too! After marinating tofu with liquid smoke and other ingredients (more on this below), bake at 350F (177C) for 40-45 minutes. Remove the tofu from the marinade before baking, and flip the pieces over halfway through cooking time.

How to smoke tofu without a smoker?

To make smoked tofu without a smoker, use a tofu marinade with liquid smoke and other smoky ingredients like smoked paprika. Then just bake the tofu in the oven for an easy smoked tofu substitute. Making cold smoke tofu using a smoking gun is another great option.

👩🏻‍🍳 Other Vegetarian Smoker Recipes

After you’ve made this, the best smoked tofu recipe ever, try these veggie smoker recipes:

• Smoked Mac and Cheese (use regular panko in place of pork panko)
• Smoked Portobello Mushrooms

You may also enjoy our entire collection of Vegetarian Recipes.

📖 Recipe Card

If you follow my recipe for smoked tofu, I would love to hear how you used it. Tell me all about how you are getting creative in the kitchen in the comments below!

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