To smoke tofu, press as much water as you can out of a block of extra-firm tofu, season it well, and smoke it at 225°F to 250°F for 1.5 to 2 hours, flipping it once halfway through. Brush on any sauce in the last 15 to 20 minutes, and you'll end up with smoky, chewy-edged tofu that even your meat-loving friends will want to try. The best part is that you can do it on just about any smoker or grill you already own.
If you're used to smoking brisket or ribs, smoking tofu is a little different. There's no fat to melt away and no tough meat to tenderize, so you're focused on three things. You're drying out the surface, giving it a chewy outside, and helping a mild ingredient soak up as much smoke as possible. It's a fun change of pace when you're cooking for vegetarian or vegan guests, and it's pretty forgiving for a first cook.
What this article covers
- Choosing the Best Tofu for Smoking
- How to Press and Season Tofu for Smoking
- Your Step-by-Step Smoked Tofu Method
- Getting Smoky Flavor and a Chewy Outside on Smoked Tofu
- When to Sauce Smoked Tofu
- Serving Smoked Tofu
Choosing the Best Tofu for Smoking
Your best bet is a block of extra-firm tofu, the kind packed in water in the grocery store's refrigerated section. If you've ever tried smoking soft or silken tofu, you've probably watched it crumble right through the grates. Extra-firm holds up through pressing, flipping, and a couple of hours of smoke, so it's the one we always grab.
Once you're home, think about how you'd like to eat it. If you're planning sandwiches, leave the block whole or cut it into two thick slabs, so you'll end up with a tender center you can slice later. If you love chewy edges, cut it into cubes or 1-inch planks, and you'll have more outside than a whole block for the smoke and seasoning to cling to. We've found that thick slabs are the easiest place to start, because they're simple to flip and hard to overcook.
How to Press and Season Tofu for Smoking
Before you season anything, press your tofu, and we promise you'll taste the difference. Wrap the block in a clean kitchen towel, set it on a plate, and stack something heavy on top, like a cast-iron pan or a couple of cans of beans. Leave it for 20 to 30 minutes, or use a tofu press if you've got one. Once you've pressed out the extra water, the surface will dry quickly on the smoker, so your seasoning sticks and the outside turns chewy instead of soggy.
When you're ready to season, you've got two easy options. If you have an hour, marinate the tofu in soy sauce, a little oil, and garlic, then pat it dry so the smoke can stick. If you're short on time, brush on a thin coat of oil and shake on a dry rub instead. Our Double Dun Ranch BBQ SPG All Purpose Rub is a great place to start, since SPG (salt, pepper, and garlic) is about as classic and crowd-pleasing as seasoning gets.
Your Step-by-Step Smoked Tofu Method
With your tofu pressed and seasoned, you're ready to fire up the smoker:
- Preheat your smoker to 225°F to 250°F and set it up for indirect heat (the tofu sits off to the side of the fire instead of right over it), so the outside dries gently instead of scorching.
- Add your wood. Mild fruit woods like apple and cherry, or nutty pecan, are perfect here, since tofu soaks up smoke fast. If you're using hickory, go easy, because a little goes a long way.
- Lightly oil the grates or lay down a grill mat, so the tofu doesn't stick.
- Lay the tofu on the grates with a little space between pieces, so the smoke can reach every side.
- Smoke for 1.5 to 2 hours, flipping once halfway through so both sides firm up evenly. Cubes and thin planks will be ready before thick slabs, and a whole block will take the longest.
- Check the outside. You're looking for a firm, slightly dry surface with a nice golden-brown color. Since tofu is already cooked when you buy it, there's no internal temperature to hit, so you're cooking for texture and flavor.
- Brush on any sauce in the last 15 to 20 minutes. Then let the tofu rest for a few minutes before slicing, so it firms up and cuts cleanly.
If you're cooking on a pellet grill, you've picked the easiest setup for this, since it holds a steady temperature with very little fuss. Our Yoder pellet grills are a favorite of ours for low-and-slow cooks like this one. Stick burners like our offset smokers (smokers fueled by split logs) work great too. Just set the tofu at the far end, away from the firebox, so it doesn't dry out too fast.
Getting Smoky Flavor and a Chewy Outside on Smoked Tofu
If you've ever eaten smoked food that tasted bitter or a little like an ashtray, thick white smoke was probably to blame. Since tofu soaks up smoke so quickly, it's especially easy to oversmoke. Before the tofu goes on, give your fire a few minutes to settle, and wait until the smoke coming out of your smoker turns thin and pale blue. Once you see that, you'll know you've got clean smoke, the kind that'll leave your tofu tasting smoky instead of sooty.
For a chewy outside, your best friends are a well-pressed block, a dry surface, and plenty of space on the grates, so steam can escape instead of softening the tofu. You can also bump the heat up to 275°F for the last 15 minutes, and the outside will firm up without the middle drying out. If you're cooking cubes, try dusting a little cornstarch in with your rub, and the edges will turn extra chewy. And when it's time to flip, grab a good pair of tongs or a grill mat from our smoker and grill accessories, so you can turn delicate pieces without breaking them.
Smoking Tofu on a Gas Grill
If you don't own a smoker, you can still smoke tofu on a gas grill. Light the burners on one side only, then set the tofu on the unlit side, so it cooks gently instead of searing. Put a smoker box or a foil pouch of wood chips right over the lit burner, and poke a few holes in the foil first so the smoke can escape. Then keep the lid closed and the vents partly open, so fresh air keeps the chips smoldering and the smoke moving.
When to Sauce Smoked Tofu
If you're anything like us, you'll be tempted to slather on the sauce right away. Try to hold off until the last 15 to 20 minutes, though. Most BBQ sauces contain sugar, so if you brush them on early, they'll burn before the tofu has firmed up and taken on its smoke. Brush it on late, and it'll cook down into a glossy glaze, or warm the sauce and serve it on the side to protect the chewy crust you've worked for.
Serving Smoked Tofu
Now for the best part, digging in. If you smoked thick slabs, slice them up and pile them on a toasted bun with slaw, pickles, and a drizzle of sauce for a seriously good sandwich. If you went with cubes, toss them into a grain bowl with rice, roasted veggies, greens, and something crunchy on top. Smoked tofu is great in a stir-fry, too. Just add the cubes at the very end, so they heat through without breaking apart.
When it comes to sauce, Triple Crown BBQ Sauce is a great pick for plant-based cooks. They're a family-owned brand from Minneapolis, and every one of their sauces is organic, gluten-free, and vegan, so you can sauce up a whole cookout without worrying about who's eating what. Their original sauce has finished in the top three at the American Royal, the biggest barbecue sauce contest in the country, in three different years. For smoked tofu, we'd reach for their Black Garlic BBQ Sauce, since they already pair it with tempeh and veggies in their own plant-based recipes.
Don't worry if your first batch isn't perfect. If it came out too soft, press it a little longer next time, and if it tasted too smoky, use less wood or switch to a milder one. After a cook or two, you'll have it dialed in, and tofu will have become one of the easiest things you put on your smoker.
Frequently asked questions
Can I smoke tofu ahead of time?
Yes, and it's a great make-ahead trick for busy weeks. Once it's cooled, store it in a covered container in the fridge for up to three to four days. When you're ready to eat, reheat it in a hot pan or toss it into a stir-fry, so the outside crisps back up.
What if my smoker won't hold its temperature on a cold or windy day?
Keep aiming for 225°F to 250°F instead of settling for a lower temperature, because tofu needs that steady heat to firm up. Park your smoker somewhere sheltered from the wind, give it extra time to preheat, and plan on the cook taking a little longer than usual.
Can I smoke tofu next to meat for vegan guests?
Yes, as long as you keep them apart. Put the tofu on its own grill mat, and do not place it on a rack below the meat, because drippings will land on it. If you'd like to keep things completely separate, smoke the tofu first, before any meat goes on.
How do I smoke a big batch of tofu and keep it firm?
Spread it across extra racks, or smoke it in rounds, so every piece still has space around it. If you pack the grates too tightly, steam gets trapped between the pieces and the outside stays soft.