Make this honey balsamic tofu when you’re looking for a quick, flavorful, and healthy way to prepare tofu! It’s made with simple ingredients and comes together in 20 minutes.

Honey balsamic tofu bowl with rice and sauteed vegetables with ingredients scattered around the bowl

Tofu is probably my favorite plant-based protein to make and eat. Because it has a neutral flavor, I consider tofu a blank canvas for any flavors you want to experience! Tofu is such a good vehicle for homemade sauces and anything that packs a flavor punch.

As a Registered Dietitian, I encourage you to incorporate all kinds of plant-based protein into your life for their health benefits. Tofu and soy products are an excellent source of protein to have, whether you are fully vegan or just dipping your toes into eating more plants.

This plant-based, dairy free honey balsamic tofu recipe is sure to please both experienced tofu eaters and tofu novices alike. If you’re looking for more healthy tofu recipes, I’ve got you covered! Try my crispy buffalo tofu, grilled miso tofu, or peanut tofu rice bowls!

Ingredients in honey balsamic tofu

Here are all the ingredients you need to make this vegetarian tofu recipe – you probably have most of them in your pantry already!

  • Tofu: I recommend using extra-firm or vacuum-sealed super firm tofu in this recipe, which has the least amount of water.
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Dijon mustard
  • Honey
  • Garlic
  • Soy sauce or tamari to make this recipe gluten free
  • Salt
  • Pepper
Ingredients for honey balsamic tofu in ramekins and bowls

How to make honey balsamic tofu

  • First, press the tofu to get rid of any excess water. Wrap the tofu block in paper towels or a clean tea towel and put it between two plates with a few cans of food or a heavy saucepan for weight. Press the tofu for at least 10 minutes, while you prepare the sauce.

See this post for a comprehensive guide on how to prepare tofu for cooking.

  • Add all the sauce ingredients to a jar and shake well to combine. You’ll want to give the jar another good shake right before you add it to the tofu.
  • Cut the tofu into cubes while you heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu to the skillet without crowding the pan.
  • Cook the tofu on each side for 1-2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Then, pour the honey balsamic sauce over the tofu and continue to cook, mixing occasionally. When it’s finished, the sauce will have reduced significantly and become sticky and shiny, coating the tofu.
  • Serve right away with your favorite side dishes!

Storing honey balsamic tofu

This tofu is best served right away, because the sauce soaks into the tofu and loses it’s sticky texture as it sits. It still retains its flavor when stored, so you can keep it in the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container.

Plate of honey balsamic tofu

Tofu nutrition benefits

Tofu is a product made from soy beans, so it has all the health benefits that soy does. Soy products are considered a complete protein. This means that soy has all nine essential amino acids in it that our bodies need to get from our diet, because we cannot generate them ourselves. Half a cup of tofu provides:

  • 10 grams of protein
  • 6 grams of fat – most of which is unsaturated fat
  • An excellent source of calcium (43 percent of your daily needs) and iron 36 percent of your daily needs)

All soy products, including tofu, contain plant compounds called isoflavones. These compounds have health benefits, such as lower risk of heart disease, improved triglyceride levels, and reduced risk of certain cancers including breast and prostate cancer.

Hand holding a fork taking a bite from a bowl with honey balsamic tofu, brown rice, and sauteed vegetables

How to serve honey balsamic tofu

This tofu recipe is versatile and goes with lots of different meals:

  • With brown rice and sauteed vegetables, as photographed here
  • Top your favorite kale salad with this tofu
  • Stir it into a grain bowl or grain salad, especially one with fall flavors like butternut squash, brussels sprouts, and cranberries
  • Put it in a wrap with veggies and hummus
  • With your favorite vegetable sides, like this broccoli or this delicata squash

More tofu recipes to try

Let me know if you love this recipe by leaving a comment or star rating below, and check out Instagram and Pinterest for more healthy lifestyle inspiration. Thanks for stopping by!

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Honey balsamic tofu bowl with rice and sauteed vegetables with ingredients scattered around the bowl

20-Minute Honey Balsamic Tofu

★★★★★ 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Alex Aldeborgh
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: serves 3
  • Category: main dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian
Print Recipe

Description

Make this honey balsamic tofu when you’re looking for a quick, flavorful, and healthy way to prepare tofu! It’s made with simple ingredients and comes together in 20 minutes.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 block extra firm or super firm tofu, pressed for at least 10 minutes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced

Instructions

  1. Cut the pressed tofu into cubes.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
  3. Add the tofu, not crowding the pan and give the tofu cubes a shake of salt and pepper.
  4. Cook each side of the tofu for ~2 minutes until each side is golden brown.
  5. While tofu cooks, prepare the balsamic sauce. Add the balsamic vinegar, mustard, honey, soy sauce, grated garlic, a shake of salt and pepper, and the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to a jar. Close the jar and shake vigorously to combine everything.
  6. Once the tofu is cooked on all sides, reduce the heat a bit and pour the balsamic sauce over the tofu in the pan.
  7. Continue to cook for a few minutes, stirring the tofu occasionally to coat it all the balsamic sauce. The tofu is done cooking when the sauce has reduced significantly and thickened up to a sticky texture that easily coats the tofu.
  8. Serve right away.

Notes

Best consumed right away for best texture.

Keywords: honey balsamic tofu

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Honey balsamic tofu bowl with rice and sauteed vegetables with ingredients scattered around the bowl