Easy Vegan Steak (No Seitan)
move over seitan steak, we are making this easy vegan steak that is made from tofu! the perfect recipe for weeknight dinners or the holidays.
Easy Vegan Steak (No Seitan)
move over seitan steak, we are making this easy vegan steak that is made from tofu! the perfect recipe for weeknight dinners or the holidays.
When you google “tofu steak” or “vegan steak” a few things pop up. Seitan steak recipes (which are delicious but do require some effort). Big slabs of tofu smothered in a sauce and grilled, which again look delicious but are a little different than what I had in mind. So, here we are filling the gap with this easy vegan steak recipe. Made from marinated tofu to appear like a piece of steak. Simple enough for a weeknight dinner or fancy enough for a special occasion.
The Marinade
At the beginning of the year I was recipe testing a vegan salmon recipe. I wanted to make it different than other ones I had seen, so I tried to marinate the tofu with pomegranate juice. To my surprise it ended up looking more like a piece of steak than salmon and that is how this recipe was born! You only need a few things for the marinade:
- Pomegranate juice to give a nice deep brown color.
- Soy sauce to add to the color and also give umami.
- A1 steak sauce to add flavor.
- Steak seasoning to add flavor.
And that is it! So easy.
Easy Vegan Steak (No Seitan)
move over seitan steak, we are making this easy vegan steak that is made from tofu! the perfect recipe for weeknight dinners or the holidays.
When you google “tofu steak” or “vegan steak” a few things pop up. Seitan steak recipes (which are delicious but do require some effort). Big slabs of tofu smothered in a sauce and grilled, which again look delicious but are a little different than what I had in mind. So, here we are filling the gap with this easy vegan steak recipe. Made from marinated tofu to appear like a piece of steak. Simple enough for a weeknight dinner or fancy enough for a special occasion.
The Marinade
At the beginning of the year I was recipe testing a vegan salmon recipe. I wanted to make it different than other ones I had seen, so I tried to marinate the tofu with pomegranate juice. To my surprise it ended up looking more like a piece of steak than salmon and that is how this recipe was born! You only need a few things for the marinade:
- Pomegranate juice to give a nice deep brown color.
- Soy sauce to add to the color and also give umami.
- A1 steak sauce to add flavor.
- Steak seasoning to add flavor.
And that is it! So easy.
Preparing the Tofu
To help make our tofu look like a piece of steak you need to do a few things. Make sure you use extra firm tofu. I prefer the Whole Foods 365 or House Foods extra firm tofu as it is a bit firmer. The Nasoya is unfortunately too soft for this recipe and comes out mushy. You then will cut the tofu into a rounded square shape. You can take the cut pieces and use them for tofu scramble. From there you will cut the tofu into thirds to make tofu steaks. Then, take a knife and make little, shallow cuts into the tofu this will help to just give it a bit of texture and allow the marinade to get into the tofu a little deeper. The tofu will then get marinated for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
Easy Vegan Steak (No Seitan)
move over seitan steak, we are making this easy vegan steak that is made from tofu! the perfect recipe for weeknight dinners or the holidays.
When you google “tofu steak” or “vegan steak” a few things pop up. Seitan steak recipes (which are delicious but do require some effort). Big slabs of tofu smothered in a sauce and grilled, which again look delicious but are a little different than what I had in mind. So, here we are filling the gap with this easy vegan steak recipe. Made from marinated tofu to appear like a piece of steak. Simple enough for a weeknight dinner or fancy enough for a special occasion.
The Marinade
At the beginning of the year I was recipe testing a vegan salmon recipe. I wanted to make it different than other ones I had seen, so I tried to marinate the tofu with pomegranate juice. To my surprise it ended up looking more like a piece of steak than salmon and that is how this recipe was born! You only need a few things for the marinade:
- Pomegranate juice to give a nice deep brown color.
- Soy sauce to add to the color and also give umami.
- A1 steak sauce to add flavor.
- Steak seasoning to add flavor.
And that is it! So easy.
Preparing the Tofu
To help make our tofu look like a piece of steak you need to do a few things. Make sure you use extra firm tofu. I prefer the Whole Foods 365 or House Foods extra firm tofu as it is a bit firmer. The Nasoya is unfortunately too soft for this recipe and comes out mushy. You then will cut the tofu into a rounded square shape. You can take the cut pieces and use them for tofu scramble. From there you will cut the tofu into thirds to make tofu steaks. Then, take a knife and make little, shallow cuts into the tofu this will help to just give it a bit of texture and allow the marinade to get into the tofu a little deeper. The tofu will then get marinated for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
Grilling or Basting
There are two ways to finish off cooking this vegan steak. You can either grill it or you can baste it. I prefer the basting method as it gives extra fattiness and flavor to this easy vegan steak. However, the grilling method is great for a bit of a more simple way of enjoying this. Both will first get seared in a pan with oil. From there you can then choose to grill or baste. If you decide to grill it, I suggest using a small indoor electric grill like a George Foreman. You can see a difference in what the grilled version looks like down below versus the first and second pictures on the blog with the basting method.
What Should I Serve This Easy Vegan Steak With?
Whenever I think of a steak dinner from before I went vegan, I felt like there were always mashed potatoes and some sort of roasted veggies. So, if you need some side dish inspiration check out these recipes:
- Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Cheesy Vegan Garlic Bread
- Mac & Cheese for One
- Broccoli & Potatoes au Gratin
- Cheesy Cauliflower Bake
- Smashed & Breaded Brussels Sprouts
Easy Vegan Steak FAQ
- Why is it still white inside? Unfortunately, it is a little hard to get the inside of the tofu to turn brown but that is okay!
- Will people actually think this is steak? You may be able to get people to take a second glance, but once they start eating it they will know it is a piece of tofu. The point isn’t to trick anyone just an alternate and different way to prepare tofu that is resembling a steak.
- How long does this last? Up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Is this recipe gluten free? Yes, as long as you substitute the soy sauce for coconut aminos or gluten free tamari.
- Is this recipe nut free? Yes.
- Is this recipe soy free? If you use a soy free tofu and swap out the soy sauce, yes. A a great soy free alternative tofu is Big House Mountain Foods fava bean tofu.
- Can I freeze this? Yes, but freezing tofu does change the texture.
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