Thai Tofu and Vegetable Skewers from the Grill Recipe
Colourful skewers with marinated tofu and vegetables are a plant-based version of Thai street food, perfect for the grill or a grill pan. In Thailand you can find countless skewers on the streets – usually meat-based, but increasingly also vegetable. This dish is great for a party when you want to surprise guests with something other than classic grilled sausage.
On Thai street grills, alongside meat skewers you’ll often find vegetables and tofu, which soak up marinades just as well as meat. This recipe follows the same idea: lots of flavour in the sauce, a short time on the grill, and a strong sear on the outside.
This is a plant-based version of Thai street skewers that keeps their smoky character and spicy‑sweet flavour without using meat. Here tofu is a full‑fledged carrier of aromas, not just an add‑on, and the vegetables are chosen so they stay juicy on the grill. Thanks to a simple grilling technique, the dish turns out consistently well, even on a basic electric grill at home.
Why this version works
- Thoroughly pressing the tofu before marinating strengthens its structure and lets it absorb more marinade.
- The balance of fat, acid, sweetness and heat in the marinade encourages caramelisation instead of a dry, tough crust.
- Soaked skewers and medium heat reduce burning of the wood and honey, so the skewers don’t fall apart.
- Cutting the vegetables to a similar thickness ensures the tofu and vegetables cook through in the same amount of time.
Chef's tips
The most common mistake is turning the skewers too quickly – give the tofu 2–3 minutes undisturbed so it can develop browned grill marks and release from the grate on its own. If you’re grilling over charcoal, wait until the flames have died down and you’re left with glowing embers, otherwise the marinade will burn before the tofu heats through. When you see the vegetables wrinkling and darkening around the edges, move the skewers to a cooler zone of the grill.
How to serve
Serve the skewers as a main dish with a bowl of jasmine or sticky rice and a spicy peanut dipping sauce. They also work great as a colourful starter for a summer barbecue, alongside a salad of Chinese cabbage, cucumber and coriander, with extra lime wedges for squeezing over the top.
Watch out for
- Pieces of tofu that are too small crack easily when you turn the skewers – stick to cubes with sides of at least 2 cm.
- Heat that’s too high will quickly burn the honey in the marinade before the centre of the tofu has warmed through.
- Don’t turn the skewers straight away – wait until the tofu naturally releases a little, otherwise it will tear.
- Don’t overdo it with the amount of marinade on the grill; excess will drip down and burn underneath the skewers.
Substitutions
- Instead of tofu, use tempeh, cutting it into similar cubes and marinating for about 45 minutes.
- Replace the honey with maple or agave syrup to make the recipe fully vegan.
- You can swap coriander for flat‑leaf parsley for anyone sensitive to its flavour.
- Swap the fresh chili pepper for chili flakes or a mild chili sauce if you prefer less spicy skewers.
Ingredients
- firm natural tofu - 400 g
- red bell pepper czerwona - 1 piece
- yellow bell pepper żółta lub zielona - 1 piece
- zucchini - 1 piece
- onion czerwona - 1 piece
- oil roślinny - 3 tablespoons
- soy sauce sojowy - 3 tablespoons
- lime juice - 2 tablespoons
- garlic - 2 cloves
- honey or maple syrup - 1.5 tablespoons
- chili pepper - 0.5 pieces
- fresh ginger - 10 g
- fresh coriander - 2 tablespoons
- roasted peanuts - 2 tablespoons
- skewers - 12 pieces
Preparation
- Remove the tofu from the packet, pat dry with paper towel and wrap in several layers. Weigh it down with a plate and leave for about 15 minutes, until the towel is noticeably damp and the tofu feels firmer. Cut into 2–2.5 cm cubes with even sides.
- Deseed the peppers and cut into larger squares. Slice the zucchini into half‑moons about 1 cm thick. Peel the red onion, cut into quarters, then cut each quarter into 2–3 pieces so the layers don’t fall apart once skewered.
- In a bowl, mix the oil, soy sauce, lime juice, honey or maple syrup, finely grated ginger, crushed garlic and finely chopped chili. The marinade should be smooth, slightly thick and distinctly salty‑sweet with a spicy finish.
- Add the tofu cubes to the marinade and gently stir so you don’t break the edges. Leave for at least 15, preferably 30 minutes in the fridge, lightly stirring every few minutes – the tofu should darken slightly around the edges and feel slick from the sauce.
- If using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water for 20–30 minutes, until they stop floating to the surface. In the meantime, preheat the grill, grill pan or oven with grill function to a medium‑high heat.
- Thread the tofu and vegetables alternately onto the skewers: pepper, tofu, zucchini, onion, tofu, etc., leaving about 2 cm of free space at each end. The pieces should be a similar size and the skewer evenly “plump”, without big gaps.
- Brush the skewers on top with the remaining marinade using a pastry brush or spoon. If the marinade is very thick, add 1 tablespoon of water so it spreads easily in a thin, glossy layer without running off in streams.
- Place the skewers on the preheated grill and cook for 10–15 minutes over medium heat, turning every 2–3 minutes. The tofu is ready when it has golden‑brown grill marks or spots and the vegetables are soft inside with lightly charred edges; only turn the skewers once the tofu releases from the grill by itself.
- Transfer the finished skewers to a plate, sprinkle with chopped coriander and roughly chopped toasted peanuts. Serve immediately, while the tofu is hot and the vegetables are still firm and juicy, not limp.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
What works best for me is making two batches of marinade – one for the tofu and a second “clean” one for brushing the skewers on the grill, which keeps them glossy and juicy every time.
