Quick Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry

A simple and delicious teriyaki tofu stir-fry with vegetables with under 10 ingredients and in under 20 minutes. This meal is healthy, hearty, and perfect for pairing with grains and noodles as a lazy, meat-free mid-week meal!

Quick, Versatile Tofu Veggie Stir Fry with Teriyaki Sauce

Simple tofu dishes are a favorite method of introducing more plant-based protein into my diet. I’ve already shared recipes for crispy air-fried tofu and sautéed garlic ginger tofu. Now, it’s the turn of this simple, delicious, and versatile teriyaki tofu stir fry!

Teriyaki sauce is sticky, sweet, tangy, and perfect for pairing with tofu and mixed vegetables to make a moreish easy tofu stir fry. Plus, the recipe is laughably simple. Just drain and chop the tofu and veggies, sauté them, add the pre-made teriyaki sauce (to save even more time and effort), and voila!

The resulting tofu veggie stir fry makes for a pretty and flavorful meal to impress family and friends, whether you serve it as a last-minute mid-week meal or at a dinner party, to impress and all with just a handful of inexpensive ingredients and a fuss-free method.

Best of all, this easy tofu stir fry is incredibly versatile. Not only can you swap out the veggies you use, but you can even substitute the tofu and the sauce to make different delicious vegan stir-fries whenever you want!

The Ingredients

Stir-fries are not only simple to prepare, but also inexpensive and versatile. For example, this base recipe requires just 6 simple ingredients!

• Tofu: Firm tofu should work, but I recommend using extra-firm tofu for this vegan teriyaki tofu stir-fry.

You can also make this simple teriyaki stir-fry with tempeh, seitan, or another meat alternative (adjusting the cooking time as needed).

• Vegetables: This easy tofu veggie stir fry uses a combination of red or green bell peppers, red or yellow onion, and chopped broccoli (I use frozen broccoli).

If you use fresh broccoli, I recommend steaming it first so it’s not too raw in the teriyaki tofu and broccoli stir fry.

• Garlic: Adjust the amount to taste.
• Oil: Use any neutral cooking oil. i.e., avocado oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, etc.
• Teriyaki sauce: Use your favorite store-bought (or homemade) teriyaki sauce. Use a gluten-free one if necessary.

What Else Could I Add to the Easy Tofu Stir Fry?

• Spice: Add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes or some hot sauce.
• Green onion: This will add a lovely fresh element to garnish the tofu stir fry.
• Sesame seeds: Add a tablespoon or two of raw or toasted sesame seeds (I prefer the latter) for texture and flavor.
• Cashews: Lightly toast the cashews, then add them to the tofu stir fry just before serving for extra crunch and nutty flavor.
• Other vegetables: One of the best things about stir-fries is their versatility, and this teriyaki tofu recipe is no different. Here are just a few more veggies you could add to the dish.
  • Bok choy
  • Mini corn
  • Carrot slices
  • Cabbage
  • Bean sprouts
  • Edamame
  • Green beans
  • Snow peas/snap peas
  • Zucchini
  • Asparagus
  • Mushrooms
  • Shaved Brussels Sprouts

You could also add spinach or kale, but only add them towards the end, as they take less time to cook.

How to Make Teriyaki Tofu Stir-Fry?

There are only a few fuss-free steps to preparing this teriyaki tofu veggie stir fry.

• 1) First, drain and cube the tofu. Then, if you have time, I highly recommend pressing the tofu for 30 minutes (method in FAQs).
• 2) Next, finely chop, grate, or mince the garlic and slice the peppers and onions.
• 3) Then, heat a large skillet with oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add all the vegetables and tofu and stir fry until the veg is tender-crisp, and the tofu is golden.

For crispier tofu, fry the tofu cubes first (optionally patted dry and tossed with cornstarch), leaving it undisturbed for 3-4 minutes per side to give it a chance to build a crispy crust. Then, remove it from the pan and only add it back in when adding the teriyaki sauce to the vegetables.

• 4) Pour the teriyaki sauce into the skillet and stir well. Flip the tofu regularly to evenly coat each side until the sauce absorbs. Then enjoy the teriyaki tofu stir fry!

FAQs

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

• To save time: You can use pre-prepared stir-fry vegetable packs from the fridge or freezer sections.
• Slices the veggies evenly: To help them cook evenly and avoid some veggies being overcooked and some under.
• If you prefer your veggies softer: Cook them for longer, adding a splash or two of water as needed.
• Tweak the sauce to your liking: If the teriyaki sauce you’ve chosen isn’t quite to your taste, tweak it with pineapple juice/apple juice for sweetness and tang, maple syrup just for sweetness, tamari/soy sauce for saltiness, rice vinegar for tang, toasted sesame oil for extra rich and nutty depth.
• For crispier tofu: Press the tofu for 20-30 minutes and pre-sauté it until crispy before cooking the veggies.
• Optionally freeze and thaw the tofu first: It makes it more spongy to soak up more teriyaki sauce and gives it a more tender texture in this tofu stir fry.

Serving Recommendations

• Grains: Serve the vegan teriyaki tofu stir fry over a bed of rice (like this Instant Pot basmati rice or jasmine rice), quinoa (Instant Pot), or your grain of choice.
• Noodles: You can mix the noodles into the stir-fry or serve the tofu with teriyaki sauce over a bed of your favorite vegan noodles.

For a lower-carb option, serve the tofu veggie stir fry with cauliflower rice or low-carb zucchini noodles.

Storage Instructions

Fridge: Allow the teriyaki tofu veggie stir fry to cool and store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. This recipe isn’t suitable for freezing.

Reheat: Use a microwave or the stovetop to reheat this easy tofu stir fry until warm. Add a splash of water if preferred for a slightly saucier consistency.

More Plant-Based Dinner Recipes

• Vegetable fajita tacos
• Instant pot vegetable barley soup
• Vegan mandarin chicken ramen noodle salad
• Easy vegan Greek salad
• Instant Pot navy bean soup
• Mixed bean and vegetable stew
• Butternut squash bean burritos

If you try this easy vegetable and teriyaki tofu stir-fry recipe, I’d love to know what you think in the comments below. I’d also really appreciate a recipe card rating!

Photos by Alfonso Revilla