Healthy Teriyaki Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe
May 04, 2020 • Updated Jun 17, 2024
This page may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission for products purchased through my link.
A delicious meatless Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry packed with broccoli and smothered in a homemade teriyaki sauce recipe. Perfect for lunch, a quick weeknight dinner, or even meal prep, this delicious dish comes together in just 20-30 minutes.
What Makes This Recipe Great
Here’s my vegan take on chicken and broccoli–a meatless Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry with Broccoli! When I was young, my family would get Chinese takeout food every once in a while and I’m realizing now that I should call it Asian takeout because aside from the American Chinese classics, teriyaki was also on the menu. Anyway, I used to order either teriyaki chicken, or the classic steamed chicken and broccoli so I thought, why not combine them? And, of course, put a vegan and gluten-free twist on it.
This is an easy-peasy, protein-packed teriyaki tofu recipe made with a nostalgic, homemade teriyaki sauce. But here’s the catch: no oil, no refined sugars, and it’s gluten-free too! Store-bought teriyaki sauce can usually be vegan-friendly but typically is made with soy sauce (which contains gluten) and corn syrup or conventional sugar. So, with some easy swaps, here’s my take on teriyaki. Psst. In case you needed convincing, my oba-chan (that’s Japanese for grandma) approved of this recipe taste-wise.
To make, we’re whipping up a sauce, and then coating veggies and tofu in it. Served with a side of rice, or with noodles thrown in, it makes for a really flavourful meal. Also, this sauce tastes delicious on most things, just saying. Plus, it’s vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, oil-free, and nut-free!
Ingredient Notes
All you need are a few simple ingredients and under 30 minutes to make this delicious tofu teriyaki stir fry! See the full list of ingredients and amounts in the recipe card below.
- Extra Firm Tofu: The key to crispy tofu is removing any excess water with paper towels or a tofu press.
- Broccoli
- Teriyaki Sauce Ingredients: Gluten-free soy sauce, minced garlic (or garlic powder), rice vinegar, coconut sugar (or brown sugar), and a splash of water. Optionally, you can add a touch of ground ginger and arrowroot starch or cornstarch if you’re looking for that classic, thicker teriyaki texture. Pretty simple list, right?
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Step-by-Step Instructions
- First, prepare tofu by pan-frying until lightly crisp on the edges and golden brown. Alternatively, you can air fry or oven bake to crisp as well! Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- Next, blanch broccoli by cooking in boiling water for about 3-4 minutes, then draining and submerging into a bowl of water with ice. Drain again and set aside.
- Now prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan, heat all ingredients over medium-high heat, whisk, and bring to a boil then simmer on low heat for about 3 minutes. If using arrowroot starch, dissolve in water before adding and bringing to a boil.
- Finally, pan-fry tofu, broccoli, and any other ingredients of choice over medium heat, coating with sauce to taste. When the sauce starts to thicken and all ingredients are evenly coated, remove from heat and enjoy. Serve with cooked rice or noodles if desired.
Secrets to Success
- To use this teriyaki sauce as a marinade, exclude the arrowroot starch or cornstarch. I recommend including it if you’re planning to use it as a stir-fry sauce, however!
- My favorite way to prep broccoli and extra-firm tofu to stir-fry is to quickly blanch broccoli. This helps to pre-cook it but will ensure that the crunch isn’t lost in the broccoli. I like to air fry my tofu to get a crisp edge and toss it into the stir-fry at the last minute to coat, however, you could also pan-fry or oven-bake it.
- Use sauce to taste, and remember that depending on what kind of gluten-free soy sauce alternative you use, the saltiness can vary slightly. I personally find that liquid aminos are a lot saltier than gluten-free soy sauce, so use your taste buds and adjust as you see fit! You can also use coconut aminos as an alternative.
- As with most stir fries, feel free to add additional stir fry vegetables as desired. Great options include red bell peppers, snow peas, snap peas, green beans, baby corn, water chestnuts, and more. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions to taste.
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in a hot skillet for 2-3 minutes, using a little avocado oil if desired. Alternatively, you can use a little water if needed.
More Delicious Recipes
- Gluten Free Shoyu Ramen
- Miso Mushroom Ramen
- Quinoa Fried Rice
- Japanese Sweet Red Bean Soup with Mochi
- Sautéed Lotus Root
- Rainbow Tempeh Rolls
- Garden Poké Bowls
If you try this teriyaki tofu stir fry recipe out, tag me on Instagram @veggiekins so I can see your delicious re-creations and for a chance to be featured! As always, I love when you share your star rating and reviews in the comments below, and if you make any fun substitutions, let me know how it worked out below too!
Healthy Teriyaki Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups broccoli chopped
- 1-2 servings extra firm tofu
teriyaki sauce
- 1/4 cup gluten free soy sauce
- 3/4 cup water
- 3 tbsp coconut sugar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp mirin Japanese rice wine
- optional
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch + 3 tbsp water
Instructions
- First, prepare tofu by pan-frying until lightly crisp on the edges. Alternatively, you can air fry or oven bake to crisp as well! Next, blanch broccoli by cooking in boiling water for about 3-4 minutes, then draining and submerging into a bowl of water with ice. Drain again and set aside.
- Now to prepare the sauce, heat all ingredients, whisk and bring to a boil then simmer on low heat for about 3 minutes. If using arrowroot starch, dissolve in water before adding and bringing to a boil.
- Finally, pan fry tofu, broccoli and any other ingredients of choice over medium heat, coating with sauce to taste. When sauce starts to thicken and all ingredients are evenly coated, remove from heat and enjoy.
Notes
Secrets to Success
- To use this teriyaki sauce as a marinade, exclude the arrowroot starch or cornstarch. I recommend including it if you’re planning to use it as a stir-fry sauce, however!
- My favorite way to prep broccoli and extra-firm tofu to stir-fry is to quickly blanch broccoli. This helps to pre-cook it but will ensure that the crunch isn’t lost in the broccoli. I like to air fry my tofu to get a crisp edge and toss it into the stir-fry at the last minute to coat, however, you could also pan-fry or oven-bake it.
- Use sauce to taste, and remember that depending on what kind of gluten-free soy sauce alternative you use, the saltiness can vary slightly. I personally find that liquid aminos are a lot saltier than gluten-free soy sauce, so use your taste buds and adjust as you see fit! You can also use coconut aminos as an alternative.
- As with most stir fries, feel free to add additional stir fry vegetables as desired. Great options include red bell peppers, snow peas, snap peas, green beans, baby corn, water chestnuts, and more. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions to taste.
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in a hot skillet for 2-3 minutes, using a little avocado oil if desired. Alternatively, you can use a little water if needed.Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post may contain affiliate links.
6 Comments