I know I've been posting a lot of tofu recipes recently, but I just can't help it. I love the stuff! The textures and flavours you can make with tofu are endlessly delicious, and this recipe for Vegan BBQ Shredded Tofu is no exception. The tofu is shredded with a cheese grater and then baked in spices. This technique makes the most amazing tender and chewy bite. It's super satiating and full of BBQ deliciousness. A new fave in my house for sure!
Just 8 ingredients and super easy to make. It also stores well in the fridge for 3 - 4 days so it's great for meal prepping too.
Once you have your shredded tofu you can layer it on a bun for a pulled tofu sandwich, pile it on a taco or in a burrito, use it for scrumptious lettuce wraps, top on a baked potato, scatter over nachos, or enjoy it any way you like! (I'm also a big fan of munching on it straight from the pan). 😉
I came across the idea shredding tofu with a cheese grater from the blog Up Beet Kitchen, and I combined that technique with my method for making tofu crumbles and tah dah! Vegan shredded chicken. You just gotta love the amazing powers of tofu!! (Probably the most vegan statement ever said). Haha!
To make Vegan BBQ Shredded Tofu:
There is no need to press the tofu as it will dry out in the oven. Simply drain off the excess water and pat dry. Use the large side of a cheese grater to grate the block of tofu into shreds. Set aside.
Mix the oil, soy sauce, chili powder, smoked paprika, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Add the shredded tofu, and use a spatula to gently toss to evenly coat the tofu in the seasonings.
Spread the tofu evenly over the prepared pan. Bake for 28 - 33 minutes, stirring the tofu halfway through, until the tofu is browned. For chewier shreds you will want to bake them a little longer, or for more tender shreds bake them a little less.
Remove the tofu from the oven. Heat the BBQ sauce and water in a pan, and then stir in the baked tofu. The tofu will absorb some of the liquid and it will soften to tofu slightly making the most perfectly meaty texture.
Serve hot as a sandwich, in tacos, on nachos, in lettuce wraps, on a baked potato, any way you like! Or allow to cool completely before storing in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3 - 4 days.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
Vegan BBQ Shredded Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 350g block extra-firm tofu, drained and shredded (see step 2)
- 1 tablespoon light oil such as canola or vegetable
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce gluten-free if preferred
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup vegan-friendly BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Line with parchment paper or lightly grease a large baking sheet.
- There is no need to press the tofu as it will dry out in the oven. Simply drain off the excess water and pat dry. Use the large side of a cheese grater to grate the block of tofu into shreds. Set aside.
- Mix the oil, soy sauce, chili powder, smoked paprika, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Add the shredded tofu, and use a spatula to gently toss to evenly coat the tofu in the seasonings.
- Spread the tofu evenly over the prepared pan. Bake for 28 – 33 minutes, stirring the tofu halfway through, until the tofu is browned. For chewier shreds you will want to bake them a little longer, or for more tender shreds bake them a little less.
- Heat the BBQ sauce and water in a pan, and then stir in the baked tofu. The tofu will absorb some of the liquid and it will soften to tofu slightly making the most perfectly meaty texture. Serve hot as a sandwich, in tacos, on nachos, in lettuce wraps, on a baked potato, any way you like! Or allow to cool completely before storing in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Ren says
Another amazing tofu recipe! I have to thank you Sam, your tofu recipes made it so much easier to go plant based almost a year ago and stick to it without ever feeling like I was missing out.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww that's wonderful! So happy you're loving my tofu recipes so much, Ren 🙂
Rose says
I flipped out when I seen this recipe! Delicious even better than using jackfruit for barbecue!
Shannon says
I just used this technique to shred smoked tofu for pea soup to replace the meat off a hambone! Super excited, I think this will work well!
Sonya says
Another incredible recipe. Tofu has always been easy to my stomach and anothet added to my favorites thank you
Kat says
I was able to get pretty decent shreds when I grated, not as long or thick as the ones in the picture, but when I mixed with the spices, even though I was very gentle, they broke. I have mostly a mix between half of a shred and a crumble, LOL
Ellen says
another great recipe. Make great sandwiches. The former the tofu the better (trader Joe’s high protein for those in the US)
I also enjoyed it in the dip. So versatile. Have you thought about using it for crab dip too? Maybe with old bay? I’ll leave the ideas to the pros because these recipes are all amazing.
Sam Turnbull says
Oh crab dip! I love that idea! I will add that to my list 🙂
Jean says
I loved it as I use tofu a lot (I work for a small company that makes small batch tofu). I used low sodium soya sauce but still found it a bit salty... can I leave the soya sauce out all together?
Jill says
Whoooopsie! I made a mistake and mixed the water and bbq with the spices before cooking. It’s in the oven now and I don’t know what I’m going to wind up with! (I also used frozen tofu) oh man! It smells good though lol
Milo says
Has anyone tried shredding tofu in a food processor?
Ian Wilson says
Nobody tried it yet?
Amands says
Delicious! Such a great idea.
Claudia says
So tried this and accidentally over baked them to a crisp! Guess what!!! They turned out to be the yummiest salad topper! Thanks Sam. But will definitely try again and be more careful with the baking time.
Jonathan says
I have to admit I am not a huge tofu lover, but my wife and I tried this recipe for the buffalo dip and another this week with tofu, and we both LOVED THEM! Fantastic! No leftovers!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! Thrilled you loved tofu prepared this way, Jonathan 🙂
Kasey says
This was really good my shreds were more like crumbles and I used extra firm but I always freeze my tofu so that might have been the cause of that but I will want to try this recipe again either before I freeze my tofu or using super firm.
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, frozen tofu will result in crumbs, so next time use tofu that hasn't been frozen first. Glad you enjoyed!!
Hechy says
This is awesome...will be trying this out on the weekend. I love how tofu-centric you are. (How tofu-rrific of me.) <3
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, I admit, I could eat tofu all day everyday!
Rachel says
My son and partner loved these- had as sliders with coleslaw- another awesome option for our half meat-free household.
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you enjoyed!
Cynthia says
OMG! This made the BEST taco salad (your BBQ tofu shreds, lettuce, salsa, avocado tortilla chips, black beans)... FABULOUS! Fed the family and everyone loved it. Thank you!!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww wonderful!!! 🙂
Tanya says
Thanx for another great recipe) From Russia with loveee))))
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed, Tanya!
Shannon says
I have not made these yet but i am giving it 5 stars because everything i have made from your blog is 6 star worthy! I have a question thou. I can never find smoked paprika. Can i substitute some liquid smoke? If so how much should i use? Thanks!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Shannon! Yes, I would use 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika plus a few drops of liquid smoke. That should get a really similar taste. Enjoy!
Tina says
Has anyone tried freezing the shreds after it has been made but before it’s been simmered with the bbq sauce?
I’d like to cool it from the oven and then freeze so I have it on hand to cook in any marinade.
Melissa says
I've never eaten a pulled-anything sandwich, but this sounded tasty, so I gave it a try. Wow! I put it on top of some leftover rice and it was like a bean-less chili. Yum. Thanks for another great tofu recipe.
Sam Turnbull says
Thrilled you enjoyed it, Melissa!
Patricia says
I have several packages of frozen extra firm tofu. Would the same method work with that? BTW your wonderful cookbook gets quite a workout around my house.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoy my book!! Frozen tofu gets a spongey texture which doesn't work well for this recipe. Use fresh 🙂
Kaitlan says
I was really excited to try this but it did not turn out well. I used Whole Foods' brand of Extra Firm tofu and it was very watery and did not shred well, it just crumbled. I did pat it dry but I resisted my intuition at the beginning to press it- I wish I had! Just an fyi for anyone else with really watery tofu.
Sam Turnbull says
Sorry to hear that! I use Sunrise brand and it works every time.
Christopher says
My tofu just crumbled when I tried to shred it. Advice?
Sam Turnbull says
Were you using extra-firm tofu? Other firmnesses of tofu will crumble. I also find sprouted tofu is a little more crumbly. You can still cook the crumbles they will taste just as good 🙂