My wife doesn’t eat beef, chicken, or pork, so we cook a lot of fish, tofu, and vegetables around here. I like to smoke a couple of blocks of tofu for her while I have the smoker on. She uses the smoked tofu for various recipes like tacos, enchiladas, and salads. Tofu is a low-calorie, high-protein soy product typically used as a meat substitute. It doesn’t have much flavor by itself, but its spongy texture allows it to absorb flavors really well, which is why it is perfect for smoking. Keep reading to learn how to make this delicious smoked tofu recipe on a pellet grill.

How To Make Smoked Tofu
Slice the tofu
Tofu typically comes in rectangles that are approximately 4″ x 3.5″ x 2″. I start by slicing the tofu in half so each piece is only about 1″ tall. This will allow the smoke flavor to penetrate the tofu better. Now it’s time to dry the tofu.

Dry The Tofu
Drying the water from the tofu will allow it to absorb the marinade better. To dry the tofu, I place a few layers of paper towels on a cutting board and let it rest for 30 minutes per side. Changing the paper towels when you flip the tofu over would be best since so much water will come out of it. You can also place another cutting board or baking sheet on the tofu to put a bit of weight on it. Once it is dry, you can start marinating the tofu.
Tofu Marinade Recipe
This is an easy tofu recipe that requires only four ingredients. Mix all the ingredients, and you are ready to marinate your tofu.
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Bachan Japanese bbq sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt & Pepper to taste


Marinade The Tofu
The longer you marinate the tofu, the stronger the flavor will be. I marinate my tofu for 2 hours total, flipping it over after 1 hour to ensure both sides are exposed to the marinade evenly. This tofu marinade recipe pairs well with the smoke flavor you will get by smoking the tofu on a pellet grill.

Smoking Tofu On a Pellet Grill
It doesn’t get any easier than smoking tofu because tofu doesn’t need to be cooked. You don’t have to worry about checking the temperatures, wrapping, or resting the tofu. You only need to allow the tofu to absorb some of that smoke flavor from the pellet grill. I use my Green Mountain Grills Ledge 2.0 Pellet Grill with Bear Mountain BBQ savory pellets. I smoke my tofu at 200ºF for 2 hours. I recommend flipping it halfway through the cook so you get grill marks on both sides. This smoked tofu recipe is is really that easy.

Expert Tip
Every pellet grill or smoker has hot spots that will cook the tofu faster. Make sure to rotate the tofu on the pellet grill a few times to avoid having some pieces get more heat than others. Don’t forget to flip the tofu at the halfway point so you get those nice grill marks on both sides of the tofu.

How To Use Smoked Tofu
Smoked tofu can be used just as you would any smoked protein. My favorite way to eat it is to crumble or cube it over a salad. I also use it in a stirfry or pasta and don’t forget about Mexican food. Smoked tofu tacos or tofu enchiladas are lovely. Try making these ground beef empanadas with tofu instead of ground beef. Heck, I even eat it with scrambled eggs.

Storing And Reheating Smoked Tofu
Store your smoked tofu in a sealed container in the refrigerator. You can store it in whole blocks or slice, cube, or chop it. If you want to store your smoked tofu for a long period of time, I recommend vacuum sealing it and freezing it.

Smoked Tofu Recipe With Marinade
Equipment
- Pellet Grill I used my Green Mountain Grill Ledge Prime 2.0 Pellet Grill
- Smoker Wood I used Bear Mountain BBQ Savory Blend Pellets
Ingredients
- 14 oz Tofu
- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
- 1/4 cup Bachan's Japanese BBQ Sauce
- 2 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- Salt Dash of salt on top while marinating
- Pepper Dash of pepper on top while marinating
Instructions
- Slice the tofu in half so you have approximately 1" tall rectangles of tofu
- Drying the water from the tofu will allow it to absorb the marinade better. To dry the tofu, I place a few layers of paper towels on a cutting board and let it rest for 30 minutes per side. You must change the paper towels when you flip the tofu over since so much water will come out of it.
- This is an easy tofu recipe that requires only four ingredients. Mix all the ingredients, and you are ready to marinate your tofu. 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup Bachan Japanese bbq sauce, 2 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp garlic powder
- I marinate my tofu for 2 hours total, flipping it over after 1 hour to ensure both sides are exposed to the marinade evenly.
- I smoke my tofu at 200ºF for 2 hours. I recommend flipping it halfway through the cook so you get grill marks on both sides.
- Slice or crumble your smoked tofu
Nutrition
FAQ’s
What is Tofu?
Tofu is a soybean product that originated in China over 2000 years ago. Tofu has a rich history and I would not be able to get into all that on a BBQ site. I would recommend jumping over to this Wikipedia article to learn more about it.
Can you make smoked Tofu without a smoker?
Yes, some store-bought smoked tofu products use a liquid smoke flavor instead of smoking the tofu on a smoker or pellet grill.