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How to Make Delicious Vegan Teriyaki Tofu Balls

January 28, 2021 by woonheng 42 Comments

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This Vegan Teriyaki Tofu Ball 照烧豆腐丸 (Zhào shāo dòu fu wán) recipe is easy and simple with a scrumptious sticky sauce. The tofu balls are made from firm tofu that has great crunch from infusesd vegetables and nuts.

teriyaki-tofu-balls

What are some of your favorite ways to prepare tofu? I really love tofu as it’s such a versatile ingredient. It easily absorbs flavor and can be tossed in a simple sauce for a quick delicious meal.

Tofu is a great binding agent especially after you have removed the liquid. It will turn into a mashed paste; when paired with finely chopped vegetables, you can make them into patties or balls.

Today I am sharing a simple Tofu Ball recipe served with a delicious Teriyaki sauce that you can quickly make for lunch or dinner. I added finely chopped vegetables and nuts (please check my video to see how fine they were).

teriyaki-tofu-balls

Other great alternatives to tofu include mashed chickpeas or potatoes that will go well with chopped vegetables. Let me know how it turns out after you give them a try.

Vegan Teriyaki Tofu Balls Step-by-Step

How to make tofu balls

First, remove tofu from its package and squeeze the tofu to remove its liquid. I placed my tofu in a nut milk bag and it always works.

Then, add in all the finely chopped ingredients along with some starch and roll them into balls.

Heat a large pan or wok and fry these tofu balls until golden brown. For other cooking methods, please check the Cooking Tips section.

teriyaki-tofu-balls

How to put everything together

Next, blanch the broccoli in hot water and dish out into a clean bowl. Heat a large pan with oil and sauté ginger until fragrant.

Then, add in the soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and cornstarch slurry. This teriyaki sauce recipe is inspired by FoodNetwork.

Let this mixture simmer for a few seconds and then add in the tofu balls. Quickly toss to coat the tofu balls with sauce. Simmer for another 30 seconds, then push the tofu balls aside and add in the blanched broccoli.

Give it a final toss and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions. Serve warm.

teriyaki-tofu-balls

Vegan Teriyaki Tofu Balls Cooking Tips

  • When using firm tofu, it’s important to squeeze out as much liquid as you can. I love to do this using a nut milk bag. Simply break them into larger pieces so you can squeeze out the liquid with ease. To check if the tofu is ‘dry’ enough, take a small portion and form it into a ball with your palm. If it stays in a ball shape without breaking apart, then, it’s ready.
  • Finely chop the pairing ingredients. The smaller the better so all the vegetables and tofu can bind properly.

Other ways to cook tofu balls

  • Can I air-fry or bake the tofu balls? Absolutely!
    • For air-fryer, I normally use the ‘fries’ settings and ‘fry’ these until golden brown, about 10 – 12 minutes, and with a shake in between. Please note that the color may be lighter when using this method.
    • To bake these, lay the tofu balls on a greased pan. Then, brush them with a thin layer of oil. Bake at about 425°F – 450°F (220°C – 230°C) until golden brown and firm to touch about 25 – 30 minutes.
  • Can I prep these tofu balls ahead of time? Yes! You can store the tofu balls in a tight container after they are cooked. Store the sauce separately and reheat for a quick meal the next day.
teriyaki-tofu-balls

How to Blanch Broccoli

  • Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, then add in a drizzle of oil and season with a pinch of salt.
  • Add in the broccoli florets and cook until they turn a darker green. The darker the color, the softer the florets will be. Adjust the cooking time based on the crunch you prefer.
  • Using a fine mesh, remove the broccoli florets and drain out as much water as possible. Set aside until ready to use.

Check out my other Tofu recipes:

  • Lemongrass Tofu
  • Vegan Lion’s Head Stew
  • Spicy Thai Basil Tofu

This Vegan Teriyaki Tofu Ball recipe is

  • Allium-free (use cilantro instead of scallion as garnish)
  • Vegan and Delicious
  • Easy to make with simple ingredients
  • Easily customizable – please use gluten-free soy sauce for gluten-free options
  • Kids and Family-friendly meal
  • Best for meal-prep; simply store the tofu balls and sauce separately

If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends!

Vegan Teriyaki Tofu Balls – 素照烧豆腐球

woonheng
If you are looking for a simple and quick meal, then, give these Vegan Teriyaki Tofu Balls a try. The recipe is easy-to-follow and made with simple pantry ingredients. It has a nice glazed Teriyaki sauce that's made from ginger, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar that is so delicious with a bowl of rice.
5 from 13 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Japanese
Servings 3 people

Ingredients
  

  • 16 oz firm tofu drained well (see instructions)
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped kale stems
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped carrot
  • 2 tablespoons chopped toasted cashew
  • 4 tablespoons corn starch
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ black pepper
  • 2 cups broccoli florets blanched
  • oil for cooking

Teriyaki Sauce*

  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce gluten-free
  • 3 tablespoons mirin
  • 1½ tablespoon sugar or 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • ⅔ cup of water with 1 tablespoon corn starch

Garnish

  • chopped scallions or cilantro
  • toasted sesame seeds

Instructions
 

How to Make Tofu Balls

  • Prepare the tofu: Remove tofu from its package and place it in a nut milk bag. Squeeze the tofu to mash it into a paste and to remove the liquid. The less liquid the better so the tofu will bind properly with other ingredients.
  • Transfer mashed tofu into a large bowl.
  • Add in finely chopped kale stems, carrots, and cashews.
  • Season with salt and pepper then gradually add in the cornstarch. Mix everything together until well-combined.
  • Take a heaping tablespoon of tofu and place it on your palm. Roll it into a ball and continue until you finish with the rest of the ingredients.
  • Heat a large pan or wok, and add in enough oil which is tall enough for the tofu balls to float in it during cooking.
  • Once the oil is heated, fry tofu balls until they turn golden brown.
  • Remove tofu balls and transfer to a plate with paper towels to absorb excess oil and set aside. Please see Notes for other ways of cooking the tofu balls.

How to put together

  • Next, blanch broccoli florets in hot water until they turn into a darker green. Remove and drain out the water. See Notes below.
  • Heat a large pan and add in about ½ tablespoon oil.
  • Sauté ginger until fragrant, then add in the rest of the sauce ingredients.
  • Once the sugar has melted, add in the tofu balls. Quickly toss to coat the tofu balls with sauce and let the mixture simmer until it starts to thicken.
  • Push the ingredients to the side and add in the blanched broccoli.
  • Toss to combine and garnish with chopped scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve warm.

Video

Notes

  • Other ways to cook the Tofu Balls:
    • For air-fryer, I normally use the ‘fries’ settings and ‘fry’ these until golden brown, about 10 – 12 minutes, and with a shake in between. Please note that the color may be lighter using this method.
    • To bake these, lay the tofu balls on a greased pan. Then, brush them with a thin layer of oil. Bake at about 425°F – 450°F (220°C – 230°C) until golden brown and firm to touch about 25 – 30 minutes.
  • How to Blanch Broccoli
    • Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, then add in a drizzle of oil and season with a pinch of salt.
    • Add in the broccoli florets and cook until they turn a darker green. The darker the color, the softer the florets will be. Adjust the cooking time based on the crunch you prefer.
    • Using a fine mesh, remove the broccoli florets and drain out as much water as possible. Set aside until ready to use.
  • Teriyaki Sauce – this sauce is enough to season the blanched broccoli as well. If you prefer less sauce, save the sauce for future use. 
Keyword glutenfree, tofu
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Comments

  1. Shanell

    March 18, 2022 at 11:59 am

    5 stars
    I am a vegan chef. I’ve owned my own business. I’ve taught private cooking classes. Trained in Japan. In all those years, I’ve rarely seen a flawless recipe. With all that being said, it is almost impossible to find a cook who has a perfect recipe track record. But you create these fool proof, flavorful, absolutely stunning meals time and time again. I have tried many of your recipes and have enjoyed every single one. You have a true gift that is very rare. I am so excited to see what your future brings.

    Reply
  2. Luce

    November 22, 2021 at 5:54 pm

    5 stars
    I baked in the oven these without any oil, turned out fantastic! Will remake these. I used spring onion in the mix as well as grated broccoli stems and carrots, and added extra spices.

    Reply
  3. Charlene McCracken

    September 15, 2021 at 8:05 pm

    5 stars
    This was super delicious and easy to make! Even my picky teen loved it! This will be in my recipe rotation for sure!!

    Reply
  4. Charity

    September 9, 2021 at 12:16 am

    Can you use extra firm tofu or does it have to be firm?

    Reply
    • WoonHeng Chia

      September 10, 2021 at 2:11 pm

      Hi Charity, yes you can use extra firm. Thanks for checking.

      Reply
  5. Minted Kitchen

    May 1, 2021 at 7:35 am

    5 stars
    WOWWW! LOVED this recipe! The texture of these tofu balls is delicious. The little bit of kale and carrot help bring color to the texture. I fried mine in oil a couple days in advanced and then reheated in the air fryer before throwing into the sauce. They reheat beautifully so this is definitely something you could prep ahead to save time. They would also probably freeze well. I didn’t notice the directions for air frying instead of oil frying so I’ll definitely try that next time because this is now my favorite tofu recipe!

    Reply
    • woonheng

      May 4, 2021 at 2:50 pm

      Many, many thanks Minted Kitchen. I’m so happy to hear that this worked out well for you. Thanks for sharing your tips with us too. Yes, they freeze really well, especially if you air-fried them. You can check my tofu katsu for bake and air-fry directions. I use my air-fryer a lot and mostly set mine to 390F for any crispy food. Thanks again and have a beautiful day. Best, WoonHeng

      Reply
  6. Jens

    April 14, 2021 at 2:24 am

    5 stars
    I made it yesterday – it was fantastic!
    I didn’t have kale, so I used savoy cabbage. Worked very well.
    And then after frying the balls I discovered the sliced cashews that I had forgotten… 😉 Still great!
    Thank you very much. Keep it up!

    Reply
    • woonheng

      April 16, 2021 at 5:45 pm

      Many thanks, Jens. I’m so happy the subs worked out well for you. and thank YOU, I will keep up. 🙂 Have a fantastic day. Best, WoonHeng

      Reply
  7. Spazv

    April 3, 2021 at 9:25 am

    Hello Woonheng,

    can I add cabbage to this tofu mixture? Should I cook it first to remove the naturally occurring water? Can you offer any suggestions to make the mixture bind, if I can use said cabbage?

    I am planning to make this today or tomorrow
    .

    Thank you,
    Spazv

    Reply
    • woonheng

      April 3, 2021 at 9:55 am

      Hi Spazv, you can definitely add finely chopped cabbage and use some salt to draw out the water. Then, squeeze out the water before adding to the mix. I do sometimes skip the salt and just add the finely chopped cabbage as-is. Hope that helps and good luck. Thanks, Woon Heng

      Reply
  8. Jen

    March 1, 2021 at 9:48 pm

    5 stars
    I didn’t have kale stems, but since I was making the broccoli to go with it, I just chopped up some of the broccoli stems really small and subbed them in. Worked great! Loved this recipe! I’ve just become friends with tofu so this was my first time making tofu balls. Absolutely delicious!

    Reply
    • woonheng

      March 2, 2021 at 1:22 pm

      Many, Many thanks Jen. So glad you loved it, any veggie stems work and so glad you use the broccoli too. I am really happy that you like tofu now. 🙂 Hope you give my other tofu recipes a try too. Have a beautiful day. Best, WoonHeng

      Reply
  9. Katie

    February 21, 2021 at 11:45 pm

    5 stars
    I baked the tofu balls in the oven; I was worried about the texture not being crispy enough without frying but they were SO good. Love this recipe and will be trying the tofu ball soup next. Thank you Woon Heng, you always hit it out of the park 🙂

    Reply
    • woonheng

      February 22, 2021 at 11:37 am

      Greatly appreciate it, Katie! I’m so glad it turned out well. It will be crispy even it’s baked so long the tofu liquid is properly removed and bind well with other ingredients. Sometimes if I make it too small, mine will have a flat bottom, but most of them turned out really well. I can’t wait to hear what you think on the tofu ball soup. 🙂 Thanks so much to you too. Have a beautiful day! Best, WoonHeng

      Reply
  10. Clara

    February 15, 2021 at 12:01 am

    5 stars
    This has become my new favorite way to make tofu. Thank you for your recipes – I discovered your blog thanks to Instagram and have been enjoying making and eating every recipe I have tried so far. And so many more to try 😋😋😋

    Reply
    • woonheng

      February 15, 2021 at 9:01 am

      Yay, thanks so much Clara. So glad you loved this way of making tofu. This recipe is so versatile and you can pair with so many sauces too. 🙂 Many thanks for your loving support, Clara. Stay safe and have a beautiful day. Best, WoonHeng

      Reply
      • Paz

        February 23, 2021 at 4:45 am

        I would like to make this but I don’t have kale stems.

        Reply
        • woonheng

          February 23, 2021 at 9:41 am

          Hello Paz, no worries at all, any other vegetables would work. I always keep my kale stems for dishes like this and fried rice. 🙂 Hope you give it a try. Thank you, WoonHeng

          Reply
  11. Wes

    February 1, 2021 at 4:23 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Woon Heng, thanks for sharing such amazing and creative recipes. I made this today and we ate everything between two people, it was too good!!! I felt guilty to deep fry them, so I aired fried it instead, it was still lovely. Next time I will add more seasoning to the tofu balls to make them even more flavourful.

    Reply
    • woonheng

      February 1, 2021 at 9:18 pm

      Hello Wes, thanks so much for sharing your feedback and rating. I greatly appreciate your time. I totally understand and air-fried version is always yum. 🙂 You can add some chop cilantro or some spices in the future for the tofu balls. You can take a look at my Vegan Lion’s Head stew too. :-). Thanks again and have a great day!
      Best, WoonHeng

      Reply
  12. Chelsea

    January 31, 2021 at 3:25 pm

    5 stars
    Made these last night and followed the recipe as is. They turned out great! I’ve never know what goes into making a teriyaki sauce, so that was great to learn! Loved it, we’ve tried 3 of your recipes so far and have loved all 3!

    Reply
    • woonheng

      February 1, 2021 at 9:14 pm

      Yay, thanks so much Chelsea. So glad this recipe turned out well for you. The sauce is really yummy too. I appreciate your feedback and rating and thank you for loving the recipes. Hope you get to try more soon. Best, WoonHeng

      Reply
  13. Nicola

    January 30, 2021 at 10:39 am

    5 stars
    We made these during the week, with the best tofu from The Arty Vegan and they were soooooo good!! We used walnuts instead of cashews, and baked them instead of frying them and they came out totally delicious! They really reminded me of sausages or even stuffing balls, the crispy outer softening slightly in the yummy sauce. Thanks as always for the great cooking inspiration during these times! We’ll be making these again soon!

    Reply
    • woonheng

      January 30, 2021 at 8:54 pm

      Thanks so so much Nicola. I loved your amazing creation. They are pretty and yummy. Many thanks for sharing your feedback. So happy you’ll make this again. Yay! Best, WoonHeng

      Reply
  14. Glo

    January 28, 2021 at 11:13 pm

    I’m so exited to try this! But do you have a recommendation for a different nut to use? We have a peanut and cashew allergy in the family 🙁

    Reply
    • woonheng

      January 28, 2021 at 11:16 pm

      Oh no worries at all, other nuts or sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds (both roasted) taste great too. Hope you give them a try and let me know how it goes. 🙂 Happy Cooking! Best, WoonHeng

      Reply
    • Lizzie

      January 29, 2021 at 10:23 am

      This looks so tasty! Definitely making it over the weekend 😍 Not a huge fan of kale so might leave that out but the rest… Yum!

      Reply
      • woonheng

        January 30, 2021 at 8:51 pm

        Thanks so much Lizzie for your wonderful feedback and yes, it will work with other vegetable stems like broccoli. Let me know how it goes when you make it again. Best, WoonHeng

        Reply
    • Nicola

      January 30, 2021 at 10:36 am

      Glo, we used walnuts as that’s what we had on the cupboard, and we also baked them in the oven instead of frying and they came out soooo well!! Ju

      Reply
      • woonheng

        January 30, 2021 at 8:53 pm

        Love that you all share the tips and feedback. Many thanks! Best, WoonHeng

        Reply
  15. evap

    January 28, 2021 at 6:21 pm

    5 stars
    I added chopped scallion to the tofu balls and I shallow fried them. I added some chili sauce to the teriyaki sauce. They were wonderful! I’m going to make the tofu balls again and try a different sauce.

    Reply
    • woonheng

      January 28, 2021 at 11:18 pm

      Yum, they sound amazing! Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful creation with us. Best, WoonHeng

      Reply
  16. Heather Moncrief-Mullane

    January 28, 2021 at 1:33 pm

    5 stars
    What a tasty lunchtime treat and a use for my kale stalks- yay! I baked mine at 450 till slightly crispy and firm. Only change I made was to add a handful of red pepper flakes to the sauce and used 1/2 the amount of maple syrup. (We like a bit of spice.) Such a great recipe. I will definitely make these regularly.

    Reply
    • woonheng

      January 28, 2021 at 11:18 pm

      Yay! Many, many thanks for making this. I am so happy to hear that it turned out well and adding the red pepper flakes is a great choice for some spice. Yum! Thank you again and have a great day. Best, WoonHeng

      Reply

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My name is WoonHeng and I share Asian plant-based deliciousness that you can make in your kitchen. My goal is to inspire you to try a meatless dish, one meal at a time. Let's get cooking with these recipes!

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