These shredded tofu barbecue sandwiches are going to be your new favorite weeknight comfort food! The tofu gets shredded, seasoned, then baked, giving it just the right texture before adding sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. Serve it on soft buns with crunchy slaw and pickles for the ultimate vegan barbecue sandwich.
Shredded tofu is my new favorite thing. I've already shared a recipe for shredded tofu stir-fry, but that's just the beginning. Shredded tofu has a great texture for replacing shredded meat, so there are endless ways to use it. Barbecue was an obvious choice. If you grew up eating shredded meat in barbecue sauce on buns, you're going to love this!
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I've done barbecue tofu sandwiches before, as well as pulled jackfruit sandwiches. But shredded barbecue tofu sandwiches have the best of both. On the one hand, you've got hearty, protein-packed tofu, making the filling satisfying in a way that jackfruit just can't. You also get that amazing shredded texture you might not have thought was possible with tofu.
Best of all, these sandwiches are incredibly easy to make. Just toss the shredded tofu with a few seasonings, spread it onto a baking sheet, bake it until lightly crisp, then stir in your favorite barbecue sauce. That's it! You'll end up with a saucy, smoky sandwich that's perfect for summer dinners.
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.
- Super-firm tofu. Super-firm tofu will be the easiest variety to shred and will have the best texture when baked. Extra-firm can be substituted, but will need to be pressed first.
- Soy sauce. Tamari and liquid aminos are a couple of options if you need a substitute.
- Vegetable oil. Any neutral high-heat oil will work, such as peanut, corn, or avocado oil.
- Liquid smoke. Look for this near the barbecue sauce or condiments at the grocery store.
- Spices. You'll just need smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and ground cumin.
- Barbecue sauce. I'm partial to my homemade vegan barbecue sauce, but store-bought is totally fine as well! Just make sure to check the ingredients for things like honey if using store-bought.
- Sandwich buns.
- Toppings. I love serving these sandwiches with my vegan coleslaw and dill pickle slices, but feel free to get creative with the toppings!
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: Get ready. Preheat your oven to 400°F so it's hot and ready when you're done prepping the tofu.
Step 2: Shred the tofu. Use the coarse side of a box grater to shred the whole block.
Steps 3 & 4: Season and bake. Place the tofu on a baking sheet and add soy sauce, oil, liquid smoke, and your spices. Toss the tofu to get it nicely coated, spread it out, and pop it into the oven until it's darkened and crispy around the edges.
Steps 5 & 6: Sauce the tofu. Add your barbecue sauce and toss again to coat the tofu with the sauce. Bake the tofu for 5 more minutes to heat and thicken the sauce.
Step 7: Serve. Pile the tofu onto buns and pile your toppings onto the tofu. Grab plenty of napkins, then devour!
Variations
- Ditch the bun. You can serve the shredded barbecue tofu in all kinds of ways! Stuff it into tacos, wraps, pile it on a salad, or just serve it as a main dish with sides like vegan cornbread and vegan potato salad.
- Spicy barbecue. Add cayenne pepper or your favorite hot sauce to taste.
- Make it gluten-free. Use gluten-free buns and replace the soy sauce with gluten-free tamari.
More Vegan Barbecue Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Shredded Tofu Barbecue Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce/454 gram) package super-firm tofu, drained
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ cup vegan barbecue sauce
- 4 sandwich buns
Optional Toppings
- Vegan coleslaw
- Dill pickle slices
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Use a box grater to coarsely shred the block of tofu. Some of it will crumble, and this is fine.
- Spread the shredded tofu on a baking sheet, then drizzle it with the soy sauce, oil, and liquid smoke, and sprinkle it with the smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin. Use your hands to toss the tofu and seasonings until everything is evenly distributed, then arrange the tofu in an even layer.
- Bake the tofu for about 20 minutes, until darkened and a bit crispy around the edges.
- Pour the barbecue sauce over the tofu, then gently toss it using a spatula or your hands (carefully — the tofu is hot), until evenly coated.
- Return the tofu to the oven for about 5 minutes, just to heat up the sauce and thicken it a bit.
- Pile the tofu onto the buns and add your favorite toppings. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
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