My Goodness Kitchen

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • About
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • About
  • Contact
    • Amazon
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Cookbook
    • About
    • Contact
    • Amazon
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home > Recipes > Vegan Mains

    Tofu Skewers (Yakitori Style)

    Updated: Dec 20, 2022 | Published: Feb 29, 2020 | by Amanda | 4 Comments

    Skip to Recipe

    Charred cubes of tofu bathed in a sweet and salty dipping sauce, these tofu skewers are a ridiculously simple, completely delicious finger food or meal.

    Sponsored Post with Everten : Love To Cook. 

    front on image of tofu yakitori grilling on a Lodge grill pan with smoke coming off the pan

    Since it arrived I have been obsessed with my Lodge 11-inch Cast iron chef's grill. I've seared vegetables served with satay sauce on it, grilled my BBQ vegan black bean burgers (so good!) and I played with grilled peaches and served them with the oatmeal ice-cream from my cookbook. The caramelisation on the peaches was out of this world.

    I really like this grill for a few reasons:

    • made from cast iron it is sturdy as heck
    • it arrived pre-seasoned and ready to use - win!
    • the pan itself isn't heavy, and
    • it has two handles making it super easy to move about

    But what I love best is that I can get those GORGEOUS and tasty grill marks on my food without trudging outside and firing up the BBQ.

    I see big things happening for me and my new grill pan over the Winter when it's too cold to fire up anything outside. But today, I am super excited to dive in to some tofu skewers (yakitori-style).

    A plate of the pre-cooked tofu yakitori skewers, a pinch bowl of oil, a pot of dipping sauce and other ingredients sit inside a rustic tray ready to be grilled.

    What is Yakitori?

    Yakitori is grilled chicken on skewers (Huffpost) - "yaki" meaning "grilled" and "tori" meaning "bird".

    However other meats and vegetables are cooked in the style too. Yakitori is traditionally cooked over a flame on a rectangle clay box with a wire grate over the top.

    Unlike Western BBQ, the dish doesn't use rubs to infuse flavour. Rather the meat, or in our case tofu, is brushed with a spanking-good soy and rice wine sauce called a "tare" (pronounced tah-re).  I suggest making double the sauce recipe so you can dip everything not nailed down in to it. It's that good.

    What You'll Need

    Tofu. You are going to need a nice firm tofu, anything else will fall of the skewers.

    Vegetables. I've kept things simple with red onions and spring onions (scallions) but you can use other vegetables like mushrooms, capsicum (peppers), zucchini slices...the options are endless.

    Cooking sake. You can get cooking sake at Asian grocery stores and even some grocery stores. If you can't get it, try Chinese cooking wine.

    Mirin. Another type of rice wine, mirin is sweeter than sake. It's also easily found at grocery stores and Asian grocers.

    An overhead shot of the tofu yakitori skewers grilling on the Lodge Grill pan with deep grill marks on the tofu

    How to Make Tofu Skewers

    Making tofu skewers couldn't be simpler.

    Step 1. Press the tofu to remove moisture.

    Step 2. Spend a whole 7 minutes making one of the best sauces you'll ever try. Step 3. Chop the tofu and some veggies and thread them on to skewers.

    The finished grilled tofu yakitori skewers sit stacked on a rectangle white serving plate with a small bowl of dipping sauce nearby.

    Step 4. Place each skewer on your grill or BBQ and watch those gorgeous grill marks appear. While turning the skewers, I brush the tofu and vegetables with THAT dipping sauce. Oh, my goodness the smells!

    And that's it. A gorgeous appetiser or main served with steamed rice ready in around 15-minutes.

    Besides tofu, you can get creative and make a banquet of skewers. The grilling and dipping sauce is the same. I've made:

    • mixed vegetable skewers - think "grilled peppers, onion and zucchini"
    • oyster mushroom skewers
    • tempeh

    Get creative!

    Japanese cuisine is known for its perfectly balanced dishes using only the ingredients that serve the finished plate. This tofu yakitori is no exception. It is simply grilled tofu skewers but paired with a 4-ingredient dipping sauce, the tofu rises to a whole other level. Whether cooked on a BBQ or a good quality grill pan, these tofu skewers are healthy, simple and finger licking delicious.

    Enjoy, x.

    A close up image of a heaped pile of grilled tofu yakitori skewers sitting on a rectangle white serving plate. The cooking glaze shines on each skewer.

    NOTE: The folks at Everten were kind enough to send me the LODGE 11 inch Cast Iron Chef Style Square Grill to try out. A big bear hug coming their way. Like I said, cookware is my guilty pleasure so I was thrilled to add this pan to my collection. Thanks LODGE and Everten!

    Hungry for More Plant-Based Goodness?  Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the latest news and updates

    If you like this recipe, please check out my cookbook. Great Vegan Meals for the Carnivorous Family is full of simple, carnivore-approved family recipes.

    Make This Recipe

    Tofu skewers cooking on a grill

    Simple Tofu Skewers

    Grilled tofu skewers paired with a 4-ingredient dipping sauce, this tofu yakitori takes tofu to a whole other level.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer | Main
    Cuisine: Japanese | Japanese/Vegan
    Diet: Gluten Free | Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 71kcal
    Author: Amanda Logan

    Equipment

    • BBQ or grill pan
    • bamboo skewers soaked in water for 1 hour

    Ingredients 

    For the Tofu Skewers

    • 400 grams firm tofu organic if possible, pressed well
    • 3 scallions / spring onions whites only, cut in to ½ inch batons
    • ½ red onion peeled and sliced in to 6-8 wedges

    For the Tare

    • 3 tbsp cooking sake or Chinese rice wine
    • 90 ml soy sauce
    • 3 tablespoon mirin
    • ½ tsp raw sugar

    Instructions

    Tofu pressing

    • Place the tofu on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Place another sheet of paper over the tofu and place a heavy object - I use a pan - on top. Leave it to sit for at least an hour to drain. Meanwhile, place your bamboo or wooden skewers in water to soak for 1 hour.

    For the sauce

    • To make the sauce, put all the tare ingredients in a saucepan over low to medium heat. Allow the mixture to come up to a simmer, stirring frequently, and cook for around 7 minutes. Make sure the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.

    For the tofu

    • Drain the bamboo skewers ready to make the skewers. To assemble the skewers, take the drained tofu and cut it lengthways 3 times to create 4 long batons. Take each thick baton and turn it on its side to cut it in half lengthways again. Finally, cut each thinner baton in to three shorter lengths
    • Skewer a tofu baton lengthways pushing it down the skewer. Follow with a scallion baton or an onion wedge before adding another tofu baton and another vegetable if there is room. Repeat with the remaining tofu and vegetables.
    • Brush the tofu and vegetables with a little vegetable oil and heat the grill pan over medium heat.
    • When hot add the tofu skewers and cook for around 3 minutes on each side - try to not move the skewers while you are cooking to get those great grill marks. While cooking, brush the tofu and vegetables with the dipping sauce.
    • When all sides are cooked, remove them from the heat and pop the on a plate to serve. Brush each skewer liberally with the dipping sauce and pour the remaining sauce in to a small bowl to serve.
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Notes

    If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in water for one hour.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1skewer | Calories: 71kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 680mg | Potassium: 46mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried It?I'd love to hear your feedback. Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below. Or you can tag @mygoodnesskitchen or hashtag #mygoodnesskitchen on Instagram.
    « Sticky Date Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting
    Creating a Vegan Grocery List »

    Comments

      5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

      Questions or Comments? Drop them Right Here. Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Goober says

      March 09, 2020 at 8:56 pm

      "Tofu yakitori" is incorrect Skewered grilled items are more properly called "kushiyaki' (kushi = skewer, yaki = grilled). Tofu kushiyaki' is what you are making.

      Reply
      • Amanda says

        March 10, 2020 at 12:06 am

        Well, thanks for that. All my research indicated it was "yakitori" but I am happy to learn something new. Thanks Goober.

        Reply
        • Andre says

          February 14, 2024 at 3:53 am

          Having lived in Japan for over eight year, I can say that yes, technically kushiyaki is the overarching term. However, given this seems to be intended as a plant-based alternative to yakitori, I would say "tofu yakitori" is a good choice for the name.

          Reply
          • Amanda says

            February 15, 2024 at 1:44 pm

            Thanks for then tip Andre. I appreciate it. 🙂

            Reply
    A woman eating a bowl of food with a dog next to her.

    Nice to Meet You!

    I'm Amanda and that's Scout with her eye on you.
    I believe you can make good food that's great tasting with simple, fuss-free ingredients. I will show you how to cook creatively even when you're on a budget or short on time.

    LEARN MORE

    Healthy New Year

    • A roasting tray with stuffed butternut squash.
      Stuffed Butternut Squash (GF)

    • A bowl of Dahl on a wooden box.
      Red Lentil Dahl (Masoor Dal) With Roast Eggplant

    • Green smoothies and limes on a table.
      Spinach and Pineapple Smoothie

    • A breakfast table setting with granola in a bowl.
      Budget Friendlier Grain-Free Granola

    • Make Your Own Vegan Kimchi

    • Coated and uncoated bliss balls on a white surface.
      Almond Butter Bliss Balls

    Slurp-Worthy Soups

    • A man holding a bowl of pumpkin soup.
      5-ingredient Pumpkin Lentil Soup

    • Bowl of soup with spoons on a wooden tray.
      Simple Butter Bean Soup

    • Bowls of soup on a pink background.
      Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup

    • A bowl of mushroom soup on a wooden table.
      The Creamiest Vegan Mushroom Soup

    • Bowls of zucchini soup on a grey background.
      3-Ingredient Zucchini Soup

    • A bowl of noodle soup on a rough white background.
      Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup

    Fresh Salads

    • Tofu and noodles in a bowl with greens.
      Lemongrass Tofu Salad

    • A white plate with tomatoes.
      Tomato and Onion Salad

    • A table setting with a large bowl of coleslaw.
      Healthy-ish Vegan Coleslaw

    • Kimchi Salad with Noodles

    • A bowl of cabbage and noodle salad on a rustic table.
      Chang's Crispy Noodle Salad

    • A large bowl of rainbow vegetable salad.
      Rainbow Salad with Orange Miso Dressing

    Footer

    Read

    Read Privacy Policy

    Accessibility Statement

    Terms of Use

    Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    Join the cook's community and get your free vegan baking guide.

    Contact MGK

    Contact

    Copyright © 2025 My Goodness Kitchen

    By using this website, you agree to the use of cookies. Cookies provide you with a more personalised user experience and help this website run more effectively.
    .
    OK NoRead Privacy Policy
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    This is an necessary category.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    Non Necessary
    This is an non-necessary category.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    Powered by CookieYes Logo
    • 2

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.