How to Make Teriyaki Tofu Donburi
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Tofu: Lots of choices of tofu to choose from! My go-to is traditional or medium firm tofu using the double freeze-thaw method to get a chicken-like texture but you could also use firm or extra firm tofu. Freezing and thawing firm or extra firm tofu will achieve a slightly different (more sponge-meat-like) texture rather than shreds but still delicious. You can even skip the freeze-thaw method and slice the tofu into cubes instead.
- Potato starch: To get the outside crispy and crunchy.
- Teriyaki sauce: I ALWAYS have homemade teriyaki sauce on hand. That way, I don’t need to measure each ingredient every time. However, if you don’t have some already made I’ve listed the ingredients in the recipe card below.
- Rice: Japanese short grain white rice is my top choice but feel free to swap it with brown rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice or any grain of your choice.
In addition, you can also add garnishes and toppings like scallions, nori seaweed, sesame seeds and my favourite… Japanese mayonnaise!!
The Directions
- Prepare the tofu: Remove tofu from the package. Press to remove water and then place it back into the container. Freeze overnight. Thaw in the refrigerator, press it again and freeze.
- Thaw the tofu and then pat it dry. Tear chunks of the tofu into a bowl. Dust with 2 tbsp of corn starch and toss the bowl. Dust the remaining 2 tbsp of potato starch and toss once more.
- Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add 2 tbsp of oil and 1 tbsp of sesame oil. Add the tofu and cook until golden brown. Pour in the teriyaki sauce and flip the pieces of tofu. Shake the pan to evenly coat all the pieces. Turn off the heat and remove from stove.
- Add 1 portion of rice to each bowl. Add half the amount of teriyaki ‘chicken’ to each bowl. Drizzle with mayonnaise, top with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve and enjoy!
Make it a complete meal
Depending on what vegetables I have left in the fridge, I’ll often add it to the donburi or have it on the side. Here are some suggestions for adding vegetables to the bowl:
- Shredded cabbage: Thinly shredded cabbage layered between the rice and tofu, the residual heat lightly cooks it and you get that nice crunchy (but not raw) texture. Plus, the cabbage gets coated with the sauce and it’s so delicious!!
- Shredded Lettuce: Similar to the cabbage but a little fresher.
- Steamed vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, corn, peppers… etc. After steaming the vegetables, I’ll use the same pan to lightly coat the them in the sauce and then toss it all together over the bowl.
If I have fresh vegetables or want something cool and light, I’ll often prepare a delicious leafy salad with some shio koji dressing.
More quick weeknight meals to try:
SAVE IT FOR LATER! ↓
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Teriyaki Tofu Rice Bowls (Donburi)
Ingredients
- 14 oz traditional or medium firm tofu (momen)*
- 1/4 cup potato starch (28g)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp homemade teriyaki sauce (90ml)**
- scallions
- sesame seeds
- Japanese mayonnaise
To serve
- shredded cabbage
- shredded lettuce
- steamed vegetables
- miso soup
Instructions
- Prepare the tofu. Remove tofu from the package. Press to remove water and then place it back into the container. Freeze overnight. Thaw in the refrigerator, press it again and freeze.
- Thaw the tofu and then pat it dry. Tear chunks of the tofu into a bowl. Dust with 2 tbsp of corn starch and toss the bowl. Dust the remaining 2 tbsp of potato starch and toss once more.
- Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add 2 tbsp of oil and 1 tbsp of sesame oil. Add the tofu and cook until golden brown. Pour in the teriyaki sauce and flip the pieces of tofu. Shake the pan to evenly coat all the pieces. Turn off the heat and remove from stove.
- Add 1 portion of rice to each bowl. Add half the amount of teriyaki ‘chicken’ to each bowl. Drizzle with mayonnaise, top with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Helpful Equipment:
- Nutritional Information Disclaimer: Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated on an online tool (Cronometer).
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very nice food teriyaki
Hi again! I made this along with your homemade teriyaki sauce and it was SO good!! The tofu was so crispy on the outside and mochi-like on the inside! Taking the time to double-freeze the tofu was totally worth it. As always, thanks so much for your delicious recipes!~
Made this today and absolutely loved it!! I topped it on Miso chili oil fried rice. My colleague was amazed by the flavors, definitely gonna make more later!
Lisa, I just first want to say thank you for all your helpful descriptions before the recipe card. I had tried the double freeze tofu method before… but did it wrong lol. Now that I’ve finally done it right with your help, the texture was phenomenal. What a way to change up tofu!
Okay, the recipe itself was great. Why do other people’s teriyaki sauce recipes have so many ingredients?? Yours was simple and I had everything (or a substitute, e.g., Shaoxing wine for sake) on hand. I would definitely recommend to people who like saucier dishes to make extra teriyaki sauce. As a quick mayo recipe, I blended together silken mayo, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, rice wine vinegar, and sugar. (I’ll eventually make your kewpie mayo recipe, Lisa!) With steamed vegetables and rice, it was a delicious (and nutritious!) complete meal.
Tried this yesterday and it was delicious! It was my first time cooking with tofu and I’m definitely doing it again.
I love love this recipe. I make this weekly and stock the sauce in the fridge for a quick supper. Sooo good, thank you 🥰
My family now eats this 1-2 times a week and we’re obsessed! The only thing I changed is air frying the tofu after pan frying it, and it’s super crispy! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Absolutely love this recipe, nailed it once again! So easy to make and the tofu texture is spot on. Never get tired of the taste and goes with anything… thank you!!! Xxx
Made this tonight and it was 10/10!!!! Will definitely be making this again. Perfect week night meal!