These quick and easy BBQ Tofu Bowls are made with crispy oven baked tofu tossed with your favourite barbecue sauce. Paired with sheet-pan roast veggies and brown rice, you'll love this easy vegan BBQ Tofu!
If you know me a little bit then you know that I love a good meal bowl.
Whether it's One-Pan Vegetarian Burrito Bowls, Vegan Poké Bowls, or a Veggie Burger in a Bowl, bowl meals are where it's at!
I love that they're so easy to throw together, and so versatile. Be sure to check out my guide for How to Make a Meal Bowl Without a Recipe for my no-fail strategy!
These BBQ Tofu Bowls couldn't be easier. Made with crispy, oven-baked tofu and sheet pan veggies that are roasted at the same time, it's as simple as slinging your ingredients into the oven to cook and then layering them over some brown rice.
If you've already got the rice cooked as part of your weekly batch cooking (Related: Batch Cooking for Beginners) then this recipe is a breeze! I use my favourite bottled BBQ sauce to keep things simple, but you could always make this Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce if you wanted to step things up.
What's in this recipe?
The ingredients list is short and sweet, my friends. Here's what you'll need:
- Tofu --> A nice block of firm tofu.
- Veggies --> I'm using Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes today, but you can totally mix it up with your favourite veg.
- Olive oil --> To toss with the tofu and veggies.
- Salt and pepper --> Because of course.
- Brown rice --> Or another grain for the base of your bowls.
Equipment:
Nothing fancy needed here. A couple of nice big sheetpans are essential for roasting the tofu and veggies, and I do like to line the tray with parchment to prevent the tofu from sticking to it.
How to make this recipe:
We're going to start by preparing the tofu and veggies.
For the BEST crispy oven-baked tofu, I like to use my savage hands to tear the brick of tofu into bite-sized pieces. If you prefer orderly looking blocks you can by all means cube it, but the uneven surface of torn tofu is amazing when crisped up, and perfect for holding onto the bbq sauce.
Trim and halve the Brussels sprouts, and cube the sweet potato into one-inch cubes. I like to leave the skin on the sweet potato as it is a source of concentrated nutrients and dietary fiber.
In separate bowls, toss the tofu and vegetables with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
Line one sheet pan with parchment paper, and spread the tofu out into a single layer.
Spread the vegetables onto the other sheet pan, without parchment (though you could totally use some if you prefer - it's just not as necessary here).
Place both pans into the oven to roast for about 20 minutes at 400°F / 200°C.
The tofu should be browned and crispy, and the vegetables tender but not soft, and crisped on the outside.
Place the baked tofu into a bowl, and add your favourite BBQ sauce.
It may look like a lot of sauce at first, but those crisp sides really soak it up, so don't hold back.
To make BBQ Tofu Bowls, start with a base of brown rice. Add the roasted vegetables, and the crispy baked tofu with BBQ sauce.
I like to drizzle the veggies and rice with a bit of tahini for extra flavour. That's it! Lunch / dinner / whatever is served!
Pro tips / recipe notes:
- The tofu is crispiest when served straight from the oven. Having said that, leftovers are delicious, and re-heat well.
- Our Crispy Baked Tofu recipe also works great for these bowls.
- These BBQ Tofu Bowls are great served warm, cold, or room temperature. Perfect for packed lunches or picnics.
- Want to mix up the veggies? Go for it! Use whatever you've got on hand, what's in season, or whatever your favourites are.
- Mix up the base! Try cooked quinoa, farro, or wheat berries in place of the brown rice.
- For a lighter bowl you can replace the rice with greens instead.
Hey Nutrition Lady, what's the deal with tofu?!
Tofu is a protein-packed plant-based food made by fermenting or coagulating soy milk into a cake. Although tofu is made from soybeans --> soy milk --> tofu, it's made with significantly less processing than soy protein isolates or other commercially prepared soy foods and can be more or less considered a whole food.
Tofu is an excellent source of calcium, manganese, selenium, phosphorus, and omega-3 fatty acids. It's also a good source of iron, magnesium, zinc and vitamin B1. Tofu also provides a range of phytonutrients including flavonoids, isoflavonoids, and phenolic acids.
Concerned about soy in your diet? More than likely you don't need to be. If you want to learn more about this sometimes controversial food, I've got a great post on The Soy Situation you can read up on.
Other tasty bowls you might enjoy:
Roasted Cauliflower Hummus Bowls
Wild Rice Bowls with Sweet Potato and Crispy Tofu
Vegan Sheet Pan Fajita Bowls
Vegan Rice Noodle Bowls
Sriracha Tempeh Bowls
Red Curry Stir Fry
Sticky Tofu
Barbecue Tofu Bowls
Ingredients
- 14 oz firm tofu crumbled or cubed
- 1 medium sweet potato cubed
- 16 oz Brussels sprouts trimmed and halved
- 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- ½ cup barbecue sauce your favourite
- 4 cups cooked brown rice quinoa, or other grain of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F / 200°C
- Use your hands to crumble the tofu into bite-sized pieces, or slice it into cubes if you prefer.
- Trim and halve the brussels sprouts. Cut the sweet potato into one-inch cubes.
- In separate bowls, toss the tofu and vegetables each with 2 tablespoons olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
- Line one sheet pan with parchment paper, and spread the tofu out into a single layer.
- Spread the vegetables onto the other sheet pan, without parchment (though you could totally use some if you prefer - it's just not as necessary here).
- Place both pans into the oven to roast for about 20 minutes at 400°F /200°C. The tofu should be browned and crispy, and the vegetables tender but notsoft, and crisped on the outside.
- Place the baked tofu into a bowl, and add at least ½ cup of your favourite BBQ sauce. It may look like a lot of sauce at first, but those crisp sides really soak it up, so don't hold back.
- Divide the rice vegetables, and oven-baked tofu between 4 bowls.
- I like to drizzle the veggies and rice with a bit of tahini for extra flavour. That's it! Lunch / dinner / whatever is served!
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only.
- The crispy baked tofu is crispiest when served straight from the oven. Having said that, leftovers are delicious, and re-heat well.
- These BBQ Tofu Bowls are great served warm, cold, or room temperature. Perfect for packed lunches or picnics.
- Want to mix up the veggies? Go for it! Use whatever you've got on hand, what's in season, or whatever your favourites are.
- Mix up the base! Try cooked quinoa, farro, or wheat berries in place of the brown rice.
- For a lighter bowl you can replace the rice with greens instead.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published July 17, 2017. It was retested, re-photographed, and republished on March 11, 2021.
Claire
So simple but so good! I used quinoa in place of rice and roasted up carrots and sweet potatoes for my veggies (used what I had). In addition to the bbq sauce I also added a little bit of ranch dressing, because #America.
My only criticism is that this does not make enough for 4 adult servings, in my opinion. The only thing we had some leftovers on was the quinoa, so if you're trying to feed 4 adults I would double the recipe.
A
This is delicious with the homemade BBQ sauce
Kellie Anderson
Oh I love this, Katie! It seems counterintuitive to crisp the tofu first but I'll trust you. June was a washout for us in Edinburgh. We broke the record for wettest June while the rest of the country was fine! Must uncover the BBQ when we return from holiday, and try this for myself ????????
Katie Trant
It really makes a huge difference for how it works on the grill. I find that "naked" tofu tends to stick and fall apart, and the sauce doesn't cling nearly as well. Let me know if you try it out!
Sandra Lea
I know what you mean about well meaning friends grilling up some awful veggie patty. What is your favorite brand of barbecue sauce? I am definitely trying this tofu. Thanks.
Katie Trant
I used a smoked hickory bullseye barbecue sauce for this and it was delish!