My teriyaki tofu sandwiches will knock your socks off! They're made with slabs of pan-fried tofu braised in a quick teriyaki sauce and served up on crusty rolls with juicy pineapple slices. The best part: these scrumptious sammies are quick and easy—perfect for a busy weeknight dinner!
Have you ever eaten a delicious dinner and thought to yourself, "Hey, this meal would be great as a sandwich"? Okay, maybe it's just me. This happened recently with my teriyaki tofu, and the result was this scrumptious sandwich recipe I'm sharing with you today.
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Putting my teriyaki tofu on a sandwich not only makes it delicious in a whole new way, it also simplifies the meal. There's no need to cook rice or steam some veggies separately. Everything gets stuffed into a roll!
It also gives us a chance to jazz things up, with pineapple. Pineapple goes great with Asian flavors, as you probably know if you've tried my pineapple fried rice, pineapple curry, or sweet and sour tofu. The pineapple cooks up in minutes, in the same skillet as the tofu, and it gets covered caramelized teriyaki sauce, for maximum deliciousness.
These easy sandwiches are seriously flavor bombs!
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Soy sauce. Liquid aminos or tamari can be substituted, if needed.
- Brown sugar. We're using organic brown sugar, to ensure that the recipe is vegan. Conventional brown sugar is often processed using animal bone char.
- Ground ginger.
- Garlic powder.
- Toasted sesame oil. Look for this in the international aisle of your grocery store.
- Sriracha sauce. This will add a little heat to your sandwiches. Leave it out if you'd like to keep them mild.
- Cornstarch.
- Tofu. I like to use super-firm tofu for these sandwiches. Firm or extra-firm tofu will also work, but will need to be pressed before cooking.
- Vegetable oil. Just about any neutral high-heat oil you have on hand can be used. Peanut oil, corn oil, and coconut oil are a few examples of options that will work.
- Pineapple. I recommend using fresh pineapple, if possible, but canned will work in a pinch.
- Sub rolls.
- Spring mix. Feel free to use another sandwich green, like baby spinach, lettuce, sprouts, or arugula.
- Vegan mayonnaise.
How They're Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Stir your sauce ingredients together: soy sauce, brown sugar, ground ginger, garlic powder, toasted sesame oil, sriracha sauce, and cornstarch.
Step 2: Slice your tofu block into thin slabs. Try to get about sixteen of them, which will allow you to put four on each sandwich.
Tip: Is your cornstarch forming clumps in your sauce? Cornstarch dissolves best in cold liquids, so try placing the bowl in the freezer for a few minutes to cool everything down.
Step 3: Heat your oil in a skillet, then add your tofu slabs, cooking them for a few minutes on each side until they're golden brown and starting to crisp up.
Step 4: Add the sauce to the skillet, then cook the tofu slabs for a couple minutes more on each side, until the sauce forms a thick coating on them. Take them out of the skillet when they're done.
Tip: Cook your tofu slices in batches if they won't all fit in a single layer in the skillet.
Step 5: Now add your pineapple slices to the skillet. Cook them for a couple of minutes, until they start to soften.
Step 6: Flip the pineapple slices and cook them for a minute or two longer, until they're tender and coated in sauce.
Step 7: Spread vegan mayo inside of each of your sub rolls, then stuff them with the tofu, pineapple slices, and spring mix. Your teriyaki tofu sandwiches are ready to enjoy!
Leftovers & Storage
If you have leftover sandwich fillings, I recommend storing them in separate containers, then assembling the sandwiches when you're ready to eat them. The tofu and pineapple will each keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about three days. They're best reheated in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
They can! Use gluten-free tamari instead of soy sauce, and gluten-free rolls.
You can! Just check the ingredients to ensure that it's vegan. You'll need a scant half cup of sauce.
Nope! In fact, I don't recommend it. Leave that leftover teriyaki sauce in the skillet so it coats and caramelizes on the pineapple.
Variations
- Make it a wrap. Dice your pineapple and tofu instead of slicing them. Cook them according to the recipe, then stuff them in tortillas or even lettuce leaves for teriyaki tofu wraps.
- Deconstructed salad bowls. Serve the tofu, pineapple, and greens over a bed of rice or quinoa instead of in rolls.
- Add toppings. Include whatever sandwich toppings you like. Try sliced avocado, Asian slaw, pickled peppers, or fresh herbs like scallions and cilantro.
More Hot Vegan Sandwiches
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Teriyaki Tofu Sandwiches
Ingredients
- â…“ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons organic brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce, optional, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 (16 ounce/454 gram) package super-firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 8 fresh pineapple slices about ¼ inch each, cut into half circles (Note 1)
- 4 sub rolls, sliced open
- ½ cup spring mix or sandwich greens of choice
- ½ cup vegan mayonnaise, for serving
Instructions
- Stir the soy sauce, brown sugar, ground ginger, garlic powder, sesame oil, sriracha sauce, and cornstarch together in a small bowl (Note 2). Set this aside.
- Slice your tofu block into about sixteen slabs, each between a quarter and half inch in thickness.
- Coat the bottom of a medium nonstick skillet with the oil and place it over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add your tofu slabs in an even layer. You can cook the slices in batches if they won't all fit at once. Cook the tofu slices for about four minutes on each side, until golden brown.
- Carefully pour the sauce over the tofu. Be sure to split up the sauce if you're cooking the tofu in batches. Let the tofu slices simmer for a minute or two, until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the bottom of the tofu slices. Flip the slices to coat their opposite sides in sauce, then let them cook for a few seconds more before removing the tofu from the skillet and transferring it to a plate.
- With the skillet still over medium heat, add the pineapple slices in a single layer. The pineapple can also be cooked in batches if it won't all fit. Cook the pineapple slices for about two minutes, then carefully flip them.
- Cook the pineapple slices for a few minutes on the opposite sides, until they're very soft and coated in the leftover teriyaki sauce in the skillet. Remove them from the skillet and transfer them to a plate when they're done.
- Slather the inside of each sandwich roll with vegan mayo, then stuff them with the tofu, pineapple slices, and greens. Serve.
Notes
- You'll need about half of a medium sized pineapple for this.
- If you have trouble getting the cornstarch to dissolve, place the bowl in the freezer for a few minutes and stir again. Cornstarch dissolves best in cold liquids.
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Thank you so much for the recipe! I love sandwiches. Yours are great! This is my fave So far…..💞 Rae
Made these for dinner tonight and they were so tasty, the pineapple was amazing. The tofu took a few minutes longer to cook to get the sticky sauce but worth it. This a very filling sandwich too, perfect for a weeknight dinner. Thanks for recipe.
Hi Alissa!! I made these last nite and just had a sample today for lunch COLD and it was terrific!! Is there supposed to be pineapple juice in the sauce at all? Yours look so much saucier than mine. I pressed my tofu well after freezing so it was super dry and absorbent. Also do you suggest eating this hot or cold? Want to make notes as I am keeping this recipe!! Thanks :)
Hi Suzi! I'm so glad you enjoyed them! There's no pineapple juice in this sauce. I'm thinking you might just need to let the tofu cook in the sauce a little longer. I use cast iron to make mine, so it retains the heat really well and the sauce gets simmering and thickens up very quickly. You could even try turning up the heat a bit. I usually eat these sandwiches hot, but I bet they're great cold too!
Delicious! Just made these for dinner and they are super duper tasty. My tofu-snubbing husband liked his so much he even had a second sandwich. Thank you!
That's awesome!! I'm so glad you both enjoyed them! Thanks Kathleen!
This sounds SO fantastic! I am always looking for new ways to prepare tofu. I LOVE the pineapple addition!
Thank you! Yeah, this one definitely puts a different spin on tofu. I hope you enjoy it if you try it!!