Featured Comment:
“This was absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe exactly except for using corn starch instead of potato because that’s all I had. It’s a really filling and tasty dish and the amount was perfect for 2 people.”
– Kate
What is Teriyaki Tofu Donburi?
Teriyaki Tofu Donburi is a blend of tofu and teriyaki glaze served on a bed of Japanese white rice. While tofu is not widely used as a teriyaki ingredient in Japan, it is an excellent plant-based substitute for teriyaki chicken or salmon.
Interestingly, teriyaki in Japan does not refer to a sauce but to a cooking technique where soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar are used to create a glaze. The word teri (照り) means “glossy” and yaki (焼き) means to fry or grill.
This recipe uses an authentic Japanese teriyaki technique to coat crispy and chewy tofu in order to create a plant-based donburi (rice bowl).
How I Developed This Recipe
When I came up with this tofu donburi recipe, I was thinking about how to combine the crispy and chewy textures of agedashi tofu and teriyaki glaze. There’s something special about the contrast between the unique exterior and the soft inside, and I wanted to capture that essence.
The plan was to make the tofu crispy and chewy and then finish it off with an authentic Japanese teriyaki technique. The garlic gives the dish a depth of flavor, and the chili oil adds a spicy kick!
I’m proud to say that I’ve managed to create a texture that’s even better than teriyaki chicken and salmon. I think you’ll really enjoy this recipe!
Ingredients & Substitution Ideas
- Firm Tofu: It’s important to use firm tofu to get that irresistible crispy exterior. Silken tofu just won’t do the trick here. It’s too delicate and could turn your meal into a mushy mess.
- Potato starch: This is my go-to for achieving that golden, crispy coating. No worries if you can’t find it! You can also use cornstarch or tapioca starch.
- Teriyaki Glaze: The flavorful sauce is a perfect blend of soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar, and grated garlic. Each ingredient is important in creating that perfect balance of sweet, savory, and umami that makes teriyaki so irresistible.
- Japanese Leek: We’ll be using the white part of the leek, sliced diagonally. If you can’t find Japanese leeks, don’t worry! No problem! You can use a regular leek instead.
- Green Bell Pepper: You don’t have to stick to green. Yellow, red, or orange bell peppers can also add a vibrant pop of color to your dish!
- Toppings: A combination of finely chopped green onion, sesame seeds, and sesame oil-based chili oil.
- Cooked Japanese short-grain rice: New to cooking Japanese rice? Check out my “How to Cook Japanese Rice” recipe for top U.S.-available brand recommendations and a foolproof stovetop cooking guide.
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Teriyaki Tofu Donburi at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
If you prefer to watch the process in action, check out my YouTube video of this recipe for a complete visual walkthrough!
The traditional way to remove excess water from firm tofu is to place a weight on top. This pushes out the water and makes the tofu’s texture more dense.
But if you want to save time, you can wrap your tofu in kitchen paper and give it a quick zap in the microwave at 600W for 2 minutes. This will evaporate the excess moisture without changing the shape of the tofu, I use this technique regularly and love how convenient it is!
Once it’s done, remove it from the microwave and leave to cool.
Frying your chopped green onions and bell pepper separately allows you to get that perfect texture without compromising the tofu.
Heat the pan on medium with a drizzle of oil and add the vegetables. Once they’ve got that lovely browned surface, transfer them to a plate and set near the stove ready to add back to the pan later.
After frying the vegetables, your tofu should be cool enough to touch.
Check it’s not too hot, unwrap it, and then cut it into squares. Slightly larger squares make cooking easier.
First, whisk together potato starch, salt, and pepper. While you might be tempted to give the tofu a thick coat, a light dusting on all sides is all you need to get that crispy finish.
Add more oil to the same pan and preheat thoroughly before you start coating the tofu. If you coat the tofu in starch too early, it will start to become wet and gummy.
When the pan is hot once more, roll each piece of tofu in the starch mixture and place it straight into the pan. Turn occasionally and fry until the tofu is golden brown on all sides.
If the tofu soaks up all the oil completely, don’t hesitate to drizzle in a little more.
While the tofu is cooking, make the teriyaki sauce. Take a small bowl and combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar and garlic paste.
Once your tofu’s got that golden glow, pour in the teriyaki mix and add the fried veggies from earlier.
Fry until the sauce thickens and your tofu looks glossy.
Divide your cooked rice into serving bowls, top with your glossy tofu and vegetables, and sprinkle on some sesame seeds, chopped green onions, and a dash of chili oil.
Enjoy!
Jump to Full Recipe Measurements
I hope you enjoy this Teriyaki Tofu Don recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Japanese Plant-based Recipes
- Spicy Vegetarian Miso Ramen
- Agedashi Tofu
- Tofu Steak
- Kenchin Jiru (Japanese Vegetable Soup)
Want more inspiration? Explore my Plant-Based Recipe Roundup Post for a carefully selected collection of tasty recipe ideas to spark your next meal!
Teriyaki Tofu Donburi
Ingredients
- 350 g firm tofu
- cooking oil
- 50 g green bell pepper cubed
- 50 g Japanese leek (naganegi) diagonally sliced
- salt and pepper
- 3 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko)
- 2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp sake
- 2 tsp sugar
- ½ tbsp garlic paste
- 2 portions cooked Japanese short-grain rice
- toasted white sesame seeds
- finely chopped green onions
- chili oil (rayu)
Instructions
- Wrap 350 g firm tofu with kitchen paper and place it on a heatproof plate. Microwave for 2 minutes at 600W, then remove and leave to cool.
- Heat a pan on medium and add a drizzle of cooking oil. Fry 50 g green bell pepper and 50 g Japanese leek (naganegi) until lightly charred, then transfer to a plate and set by the stove for later.
- Once the tofu is cool to the touch, cut it into cubes. Larger cubes will make cooking easier later.
- Take a small bowl and add a generous pinch of salt and pepper and 3 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko), mix well and sprinkle it on a plate or tray.
- Reheat the same pan as earlier over medium and add a generous amount of cooking oil (approx 1 tbsp per serving). Once the pan is hot, coat the tofu pieces in the starch mixture and place them directly into the pan. Tip: Do not coat the tofu in advance as the starch will soak up the moisture and become sticky.
- Fry the tofu and turn occasionally, ensuring they're golden brown on all sides.
- Take a small bowl and mix 2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 2 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp sake, 2 tsp sugar and ½ tbsp garlic paste until well combined. Once the tofu is golden all over, pour the sauce into the pan.
- Add the charred vegetables from earlier and continue to cook until warmed through and the glaze has become thick and glossy. Once everything is evenly coated, remove the pan from the heat.
- Divide 2 portions cooked Japanese short-grain rice into serving bowls and place the tofu and vegetables on top. Sprinkle with toasted white sesame seeds, finely chopped green onions and a drizzle of chili oil (rayu).
- Enjoy!
This was absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe exactly except for using corn starch instead of potato because that’s all I had. It’s a really filling and tasty dish and the amount was perfect for 2 people.
Also, I usually press tofu to get the water out and have never tried the microwave method. It worked great and was a lot quicker. Thanks for that technique!
Hi Kate,
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe and the microwave technique for the tofu!
No problem, thank you for trying the recipe and the generous feedback!
All the best,
Yuto
Ausgezeichnetes Rezept, Yuto.
Fantastisch. Danke dafür.
Ich habe noch Tomaten und Spitzkohl reste verwendet.
Alles muss raus ^^
Alles gute. Liebe Grüße Kathleen.
Hi Kathleen,
Thank you again for sharing your experience and photo!
Looking very nice! Always happy to see your creativity and result!
Yuto