Very “meaty” and umami-packed Vegan Brown Butter Miso Tofu Steaks perfect enjoyed as a main and paired with your favourite sides.
THESE BROWN BUTTER MISO TOFU STEAKS ARE:
- Packed full of umami
- Very “meaty” — freezing tofu does wonders!
- Perfect enjoyed as a main and paired with your favourite sides
- Easy to prep and make in big batches
- Great for sharing and potlucks this holiday season!
EXTRA FIRM TOFU
- Extra firm tofu is a must for this recipe. This way you get the ‘meatiest’ texture possible and also for the pieces themselves to be easy to handle and not break apart easily.
FREEZING YOUR TOFU
What to do:
- Slice your block of tofu into 3/4 to 1-inch (1.9-2.5-cm) thick slabs. I sliced my block into 3-4 slabs.
- Place them on a tray or container with a cover then leave the to freeze at least overnight to harden.
- No need to press the tofu or squeeze out the liquid before freezing (because you’ll want the water inside the tofu to crystallise and create the amazing texture!)
NOTE: Certain brands and suppliers hold up really well and have a meatier texture while some are more on the spongier side. So it’s also a matter of trial and error and finding which tofu works best.
PRESSING THE TOFU AFTER FREEZING
- After freezing the tofu, leave it to thaw in room temperature until the ice has melted.
- When soft, carefully squeeze out the water from the tofu. I did this by carefully placing a slab of tofu between my palms and flattening it to squeeze out the liquid. The tofu will be very delicate at this point so be careful not to over squeeze it since it can easily break apart. Squeeze out the liquid from the remaining tofu.
MARINATING THE TOFU
For the marinade:
- white miso
- maple syrup
- minced garlic
- soy sauce
- pepper
Full detailed recipe is linked down below.
COATING AND COOKING THE TOFU STEAKS
- Add 2-3 tbsp flour on a plate. Place the slabs of tofu to evenly coat in the flour.
- Heat a large non-stick pan or skillet over high heat. Add some oil to the pan. Once hot, place the slabs of tofu.
- Leave the tofu to cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the tofu from the pan.
THE BROWN BUTTER MISO SAUCE
MISO PASTE
For this recipe, I used white miso paste. I love white miso for the subtle sweetness I get. You’re free to use other miso but do not that other miso like red miso can be a lot stronger in taste and flavour.
TO MAKE THE SAUCE
- Add in the vegan butter. Over medium low heat, leave the butter to simmer while continuously stirring. Allow the butter to start to sizzle and foam up. It’ll turn golden brown and have a nutty aroma. Afterwards, lower the heat, add in the minced garlic and cooked until golden brown and aromatic.
- Add in the while miso paste, soy sauce, and dark soy sauce (if using). Mix well with the butter until well-incorporated. If you want some spice, you can add some hot sauce of choice.
ADD BACK IN THE TOFU ‘STEAKS’
- Add back in the slabs of tofu into the pan. Turn up the heat to medium and allow the sauce to glaze the slabs of tofu.
- Remove the slabs of tofu.
COOK DOWN VEGGIES OF CHOICE
- I cooked down a mix of peas, carrots, and corn in the pan with the remaining butter and simply seasoned the vegetable with some salt and pepper, to taste.
SERVE AND ENJOY
- Remove the vegetables from the pan. Serve with your tofu. Enjoy!
- These would also be great with rice, noodles, pasta, in wraps, and more!
MORE VEGAN TOFU RECIPES YOU MIGHT LOVE:
Check out my tips on how to store tofu!
- Baked Peanut and Lime Tofu
- Crispy Salt and Pepper Tofu
- Black Pepper Tofu Steaks
- Tofu “Chicken” Teriyaki
- Fried ‘Chicken’ and Gravy
- Tofu Katsu
- Nori-Wrapped Tofu in Spicy Sauce
- Maple Hoisin Tofu
- Orange Tofu
- Pan-Fried Tofu Cakes
- Tofu ‘McNuggets’
Brown Butter Miso Tofu Steaks (Vegan)
Very “meaty” and umami-packed Brown Butter Miso Tofu Steaks perfect enjoyed as a main and paired with your favourite sides.
Ingredients
Tofu Steaks
- 1.1 lb extra firm tofu
Marinade
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or other liquid sweetener
- 1 tbsp white miso
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Dash of pepper
Coating
- 2-3 tbsp all purpose flour or other flour for coating
Brown Butter Miso
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2-3 tbsp maple syrup or other liquid sweetener, adjust to taste
- 1-1.5 tbsp white miso paste (see notes)
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce optional for colour
- Hot sauce or chili sauce optional for spice
For serving
- Vegetables of choice
Instructions
- Slice your block of tofu into 3/4 to 1-inch (1.9-2.5-cm) thick slabs. I sliced my block into 3-4 slabs.
- Place them on a tray or container with a cover then leave the to freeze at least overnight to harden. No need to press the tofu or squeeze out the liquid before freezing (because you’ll want the water inside the tofu to crystallise and create the amazing texture!)
- NOTE: Certain brands and suppliers hold up really well and have a meatier texture while some are more on the spongier side. So it’s also a matter of trial and error and finding which tofu works best.
- After freezing the tofu, leave it to thaw in room temperature until the ice has melted.
- When soft, carefully squeeze out the water from the tofu. I did this by carefully placing a slab of tofu between my palms and flattening it to squeeze out the liquid. The tofu will be very delicate at this point so be careful not to over squeeze it since it can easily break apart. Squeeze out the liquid from the remaining tofu.
- Mix together the soy sauce, maple syrup, miso paste, and pepper for the marinade. Rub both sides of each tofu piece. You can leave this to marinate overnight. If not, 1 hour will be good too. Refrigerate your tofu if you’re leaving it to marinate overnight.
- Add 2-3 tbsp flour on a plate. Place the slabs of tofu to evenly coat in the flour.
- Heat a large non-stick pan or skillet over high heat. Add some oil to the pan. Once hot, place the slabs of tofu.
- Leave the tofu to cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the tofu from the pan.
- Add in the vegan butter. Over medium low heat, leave the butter to simmer while continuously stirring. Allow the butter to start to sizzle and foam up. It’ll turn golden brown and have a nutty aroma. Afterwards, lower the heat, add in the minced garlic and cooked until golden brown and aromatic. Add in the while miso paste, soy sauce, and dark soy sauce (if using). Mix well with the butter until well-incorporated. If you want some spice, you can add some hot sauce of choice.
- Add back in the slabs of tofu into the pan. Turn up the heat to medium and allow the sauce to glaze the slabs of tofu.
- Remove the slabs of tofu. I cooked down a mix of peas, carrots, and corn in the pan with the remaining butter and simply seasoned the vegetable with some salt and pepper, to taste.
- Remove the vegetable from the pan. Serve with your tofu. These would also be great with rice, noodles, pasta, in wraps, and more. Enjoy!
Notes
MISO PASTE
- For this recipe, I used white miso paste. I love white miso for the subtle sweetness I get. You’re free to use other miso but do not that other miso like red miso can be a lot stronger in taste and flavour.
- If using other miso, you can start with 1 tbsp miso paste first.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Serving: 1steak | Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1143mg | Potassium: 379mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 369IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 3mg
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