Tofu Bulgogi (Vegan Korean Marinated Tofu Recipe)

Bold, salty and sweet, sticky and completely irresistible! Yes, we are talking about a Tofu Bulgogi dish that we whipped up in our kitchen for a weekday dinner! With the flavours of Korean BBQ, this plant-based meal is incredibly moreish and leaves nothing to be desired! The key is to leave tofu marinating for hours before cooking! 

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This is a vegan version of bulgogi beef - a Korean classic dish, but we can assure you that you will not miss the meat in this deliciously modern twist!

What is Vegan Bulgogi Made Of?

• tofu: drained and pressed. See more details in the section below. 
• brown onion: can be replaced with white onion or shallots.
• spring onions: also known as green onions. 
• aromatics: fresh ginger, garlic cloves and red chilli pepper. 
• soy sauce: we used light soy sauce, dark soy sauce or tamari will also work. You may also use coconut aminos. 
• toasted sesame oil.
• sugar: white or brown sugar. You can also replace it with coconut sugar, agave nectar or maple syrup.  
• rice vinegar: may be replaced with white wine or apple cider vinegar. 
• pear: ideally, Asian pear, but we often use Conference pears in this tofu bulgogi recipe. 
• chestnut mushrooms: may be replaced with shiitake mushrooms or button mushrooms. 

Find a full ingredient list, detailed instructions and nutritional information in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. 

What Tofu To Use In Bulgogi Tofu Recipe?

To make the most delicious Korean bulgogi tofu, you need extra firm tofu! You have two options here, buy extra-firm tofu, or buy firm tofu and press it in a tofu press (or a makeshift press you can make with a tea towel and some weights - details below).

Silken or any other flimsier tofu tofu will absolutely not work in this recipe. Too much moisture in your tofu will simply dilute the flavour of your marinade, plus your tofu strips will still be soggy after frying. 

TIP: if you want the flavours of smoky Korean BBQ, get a smoked tofu block - it adds another layer of flavour!

Step-By-Step Method

How to Press Tofu? 

For this Korean marinated tofu dish, make sure to use firm tofu (we used Cauldron Organic Authentic Tofu). Take the tofu out of the fridge and drain it long before you start cooking. We recommend pressing it for at least 30 minutes to remove excess moisture.

Wrap in a clean tea towel and place something heavy on top: you can use a heavy pan, a chopping board with lots of cans on top or a bunch of books. Doing this ensures all extra liquid is pressed out.

If you make tofu dishes a lot, there are lots of Tofu Presses out there that you may want to invest in!

Marinating Tofu In Bulgogi Sauce

Slice the pressed tofu into thin slices and add them to a large bowl. Scatter chopped brown onion, spring onions, ginger, chilli and garlic on top.

In a separate bowl, mix soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, rice vinegar and grated pear. Season with black pepper.

Pour the mixture over the little tofu steaks and vegetables, cover and refrigerate for 8 hours.

Cooking

In the meantime, stir fry the mushrooms in a large frying pan until they release the water and it evaporates. Remove from the pan, cover to keep warm.

Drizzle the same frying pan with a little bit of odourless oil (like vegetable oil, rapeseed or sunflower oil). Remove the tofu from the marinade (reserve it for later).

Once the pan is hot, place the strips of tofu in the pan (you may need to do this in batches). Sizzle the tofu on both sides over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes on high heat. (If you cooked tofu in batches, return all the tofu to the pan at the end of cooking the second batch). 

Add the mushrooms, then spoon just enough marinade to cover the tofu and let it cook ove medium heat for a couple of minutes until the marinade is reduced and the tofu is golden brown and sticky.

Garnish your vegan tofu bulgogi with sesame seeds, spring onion and red pepper flakes and serve immediately!

What to Serve Bulgogi Tofu With?

Serve Korean Bulgogi Tofu on a bed of fluffy white rice or brown rice. The best vegetable sides for tofu bulgogi are the ones with lots of texture but mild flavours (trust us, this recipe has enough flavour!)

We suggest serving this vegan mushroom and tofu dish with some steamed broccoli or char-grilled Pak Choi! Or go all out with Korean banchan (Korean side dishes), like Carrot Slaw, Korean Cucumber Salad, and Garlic Cream Cheese Bread!

Storage and Leftovers

If you have any leftovers, cook everything down to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Leftover bulgogi tastes brilliant in lettuce wraps or pita pockets!

Frequently Asked Questions

Reader Review

"My Tofu Bulgogi turned out soooo delicious and it's loaded with flavors! It will definitely be on rotation from now on. Thanks for the recipe!"

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Other Korean Cuisine-Inspired Dishes

For other Korean-inspired dishes, have a look at the recipes below. They are delicious (if we do say so ourselves!):

• Bokkeumbap | Korean Fried Rice
• Gochujang Tofu
• Korean Style Spicy Carrot Slaw | Perfect BBQ Side Dish
• No-Fuss Vegetarian Bibimbap

Tofu Bulgogi (Korean Marinated Tofu Recipe)

Bold, salty and sweet, sticky and completely irresistible! Yes, we are talking about a Tofu Bulgogi dish that we whipped up in our kitchen for a weekday dinner! With the flavours of Korean BBQ, this plant-based meal is incredibly moreish and leaves nothing to be desired! The key is to leave tofu marinading for hours before cooking!

4.75 from 16 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Marinating Time: 8 hours hrs

Total Time 8 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Korean, Vegan

Servings 2 portions

Calories 389 kcal

Equipment

• Tofu Press optional

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 200 g (7.05 oz) firm tofu drained and pressed, see notes
• ¼ brown onion finely chopped
• 2 spring onions
• 10 g (2 tablespoon) ginger finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• ½ red chilli
• 80 ml (⅓ cups) soy sauce we used light
• 2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 3 tablespoon sugar
• 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 pear skin on, grated
• 100 g (3.53 oz) chestnut mushrooms halved or quartered

Instructions

 

• First thing in the morning, drain and press your tofu for at least half an hour (see notes below).
• Slice the pressed tofu into thin slices and add them to a wide based bowl. Scatter chopped brown onion, spring onions, ginger, chilli and garlic on top.
• In a separate bowl, mix soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, rice vinegar and grated pear. Season with black pepper.
• Pour the mixture over the tofu and vegetables, cover and refrigerate for 8 hours.
• In the meantime, stir fry the mushrooms until they release the water and it evaporates. Remove from the pan, cover to keep warm.
• Drizzle the same frying pan with some odouress oil (like vegetable, rapeseed or sunflower). Remove the tofu from the marinade (reserve it for later). Once the pan is hot, place the strips of tofu in the pan (you may need to do this in batches), Sizzle the tofu on both sides for a couple of minutes on high heat. (If you cooked tofu in batches, return all the tofu to the pan at the end of cooking the second batch). Add the mushrooms, then spoon just enough marinade to cover the tofu and let it cook for a couple of minutes until the marinade is reduced and the tofu is brown and sticky.
• Serve Korean style Bulgogi tofu on a bed of rice.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 389kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 15gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 2204mgPotassium: 533mgFiber: 5gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 250IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 171mgIron: 3mg

Keyword Bulgogi Tofu, Korean Style Tofu, Korean Tofu, Plant Based Tofu Bulgogi, Plant Based Tofu Recipes, Tofu Bulgogi, Vegan Korean Recipes, Vegan Korean Tofu, Vegan Tofu Bulgogi, Vegan Tofu Recipes, Veganuary Recipes

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