Marinated Tofu Sandwiches

It's large and in charge—and incredibly satisfying to eat.

By Antara Sinha
Published August 28, 2025
A marinated tofu sandwich layered with vegetables and spread on whole grain bread

Serious Eats / Jatin Sharma

Why It Works

  • A simple marinade of maple syrup, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar strikes a perfect balance between savory, tangy, and sweet flavors. 
  • Extra-firm tofu has a low moisture content, allowing it to get crisp in the oven.

Sometimes you get a sandwich craving so intense that it has you rummaging through the back drawers of your brain, perusing childhood memories of boardwalks, picnics, and boxed lunches until you find it. For me, it was the flavor profile of a West Coast health food store-style veggie sandwich, decked out with early-2000s sandwich shop favorites, such as alfalfa sprouts, seedy bread, roasted red peppers, pungent mustard, and slabs of cucumber. Not required, but nice for the ambiance: the subtle scent of fresh-pressed wheatgrass shots and a sprinkling of psyllium husk on every surface. 

Beyond the nostalgia factor, this sandwich is also a stealthy meal-prep strategy. While it’s easy to assemble for a crowd, the baked, chewy, savory tofu sheets can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to five days—stored like deli meat for freshly assembled sandwiches throughout the week. A simple marinade of balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and soy sauce strikes a balance between savory, tangy, and sweet, making it a versatile match for just about any sandwich. 

Extra-firm tofu is key here for its low moisture content, which allows the edges of each sandwich-sized slab to get the crisp yet chewy texture that defined the tofu sandwiches of the early 2000s. There's no need to press the tofu—the sheets are thin enough that a pat between paper towels is enough to wick away any lingering moisture before they're doused in marinade. Because the tofu is sliced thin, it absorbs the flavor of the marinade in just 30 minutes. If you'd like to plan ahead, you can marinate the slices overnight. Baking works best for these delicate sheets, but the tofu is also delicious when grilled. Just cut the block of tofu into thicker slabs so that it doesn’t stick and crumble on the grill grates, and baste it with each turn. 

While avocado, cucumber, roasted red peppers, and sprouts evoke the most nostalgia for me, any mix of your favorite savory sandwich additions would work well here. Lettuce and leafy greens, pickled carrots or radish, a dash of your favorite hot sauce, or a swoosh of hummus would all make stellar additions.  

As for the sandwich itself, there's no denying it: It's large and in charge. Keep napkins handy for dribbles down your chin and wrist. Wrapping the sandwich and letting it rest help it hold together, as can the heft of toasted bread, but a bit of mess may be inevitable. Then again, isn’t that the fun of a really good sandwich?

Stacked sandwiches with tofu onions cucumber and red peppers on a wooden surface

Serious Eats / Jatin Sharma

Recipe Details

Marinated Tofu Sandwiches

Prep 15 mins
Cook 13 mins
Draining and Marinating Time: 45 mins
Total 73 mins
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Ingredients

For the Tofu:

  • 14 ounces (396 g) extra-firm tofu, cut into 10 (2- by 3-inch) slabs about 1/2-inch thick

  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) regular soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) balsamic vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) maple syrup

  • 3 medium cloves garlic (1/2 ounce; 15 g), grated

  • 1/8 teaspoon chile powder, such as Kashmiri or Guntur Sannam

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • Vegetable oil, for greasing

For the Sandwiches:

  • 8 slices seeded whole-grain sandwich bread, such as Dave's Killer Bread

  • Vegan mayonnaise (optional)

  • 1 medium Hass avocado, mashed

  • 1/4 unpeeled English cucumber (3 ounces; 85 g), sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds

  • 3 to 4 jarred roasted red peppers, thinly sliced 

  • Pickled onions, homemade or store-bought

  • Sprouts, such as alfalfa, broccoli, or clover sprouts

  • Dijon mustard

Directions

  1. To dry tofu, line a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Place tofu slices on top in a single layer. Cover with another layer of paper towels and press gently to remove excess moisture.

    Twostep process of pressing tofu slices on a tray with paper towels hands pressing over the top layer of towels

    Serious Eats / Jatin Sharma

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, chile powder, and black pepper.

    Glass bowl containing dark marinated tofu sauce on a wooden cutting board

    Serious Eats / Jatin Sharma

  3. Remove paper towels from tofu. Pour marinade over tofu, tossing to evenly coat tofu in sauce. Let sit, refrigerated, for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.

    Marinated tofu on a baking tray with sauce being added by a spoon

    Serious Eats / Jatin Sharma

  4. When ready to assemble, adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. If using foil, lightly grease with oil. Arrange tofu in a single layer on sheet pan and bake, flipping halfway through, until the edges are browned, crispy, and chewy, 10 to 15 minutes. (The slices will look dark from the balsamic and soy. This is OK!)

    Two baking trays with marinated tofu slices before and after baking

    Serious Eats / Jatin Sharma

  5. To Toast Bread: Using oven mitts or kitchen towels, adjust oven rack to upper-third position, about 6-inches from broiler. Heat broiler. Arrange bread slices on a 9- by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Broil, flipping halfway through, until bread is light golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes. (See notes.)

    Six slices of toasted bread arranged on a baking tray lined with parchment paper

    Serious Eats / Jatin Sharma

  6. To Assemble: Lay toasted bread on a work surface and, using a butter knife or offset spatula, spread mayonnaise on bottom slices and Dijon mustard on top slices. Top each bottom slice with 2 to 3 tablespoons mashed avocado, spreading evenly to coat from edge to edge, then layer sliced cucumber and roasted red peppers on top. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add 2 to 3 slices of tofu, followed by pickled onions and sprouts. Close sandwich and cut in half diagonally. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Serve immediately.

    Steps to assemble a marinated tofu sandwich on a cutting board with tofu vegetables and spreads being added in sequence

    Serious Eats / Jatin Sharma

Special Equipment

13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet, parchment paper, butter knife or offset spatula

Notes

If assembling just 1 or 2 sandwiches, bread can be toasted in a toaster.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Once cooled, baked tofu can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1652 Calories
70g Fat
203g Carbs
74g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 1652
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 70g 89%
Saturated Fat 11g 57%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 4058mg 176%
Total Carbohydrate 203g 74%
Dietary Fiber 31g 110%
Total Sugars 54g
Protein 74g
Vitamin C 286mg 1,429%
Calcium 1682mg 129%
Iron 22mg 124%
Potassium 2706mg 58%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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