Korean BBQ Tofu “Wings”

I had a lot of fun with this post. There’s nothing like the sweet, tangy, hot taste of Korean barbeque. But for a twist, instead of making chicken wings and reminding you to try the sauce with tofu, I’ve flipped things around. Your vegetarian friends will thank you for serving Korean BBQ tofu “wings” at your next party. Your omnivorous friends will enjoy them, too!

Do you need to press tofu?

It’s important to press your tofu. It helps to give it a “meaty” texture. Other people freeze it for the same reason. You don’t need any special equipment to do this. Just a couple plates, something heavy to use as a weight, and some toweling to soak up the excess water. Make a stack with the tofu sandwiched between some paper towels, put another plate on top, and use a can or something about the same weight to force the moisture out.

About these Korean BBQ Tofu Wings:

There’s an interesting baked wings recipe over on Eat the Love which I was able to adapt to tofu.

Some of the ingredients are a bit exotic, but you should be able to find them in any area with a large Asian population. We had to go to an Asian grocery, but many large grocery stores will carry things like gochujang, also known as Korean chili paste,rice wine vinegar and fish sauce.

After mixing up the sauce, marinate the pressed tofu for up to a half hour. You’ll then reduce the reserved marinade to make the BBQ sauce. Marination is optional, but the tofu takes on a nice flavor and eliminates the need for basting. After baking, toss the tofu with the sauce and serve!

Korean BBQ Tofu "Wings"

A pound of tofu will technically make four servings of Korean BBQ tofu "wings" but Rick and I plowed through the entire pound ourselves!

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Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Asian

Servings: 4 servings

Author: LydiaF

Ingredients

• 1 pound firm tofu drained, pressed and cut into triangles

For the Korean BBQ Sauce

• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 2 - 3 cloves
• 2 tablespoons Korean chili paste or sriracha
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 2 - 4 tablespoons brown sugar I used 2
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

• Arrange the tofu in a lidded container large enough hold the tofu and the marinade
• Whisk together the sauce ingredients until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over the tofu.
• Put the lid on and gently tip the container to distribute the marinade.
• Let marinade for at least 5 minutes and up to a half hour.
• When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray. Transfer the tofu wings to the sheet and bake for 30 - 40 minutes, turning the tofu after 20 minutes or so. Be careful it doesn't burn.
• While the tofu is baking, transfer all the marinade to a small sauce pan. Add another tablespoon of rice vinegar and a couple teaspoons of sesame oil to the sauce pan.
• Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Allow the sauce to reduce. It will bubble and foam because of the sugar, but keep stirring. All of a sudden the foaming will subside and the sauce will become thick and glossy. Remove from the heat and let stand until the "wings" are ready.
• To coat the wings, pour the sauce into the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Transfer the baked "wings" and gently mix to coat with the sauce.
• Arrange on a platter and sprinkle with sesame seeds for garnish.

Notes

NOTE: If you would prefer to use chicken wings and/or shrimp, make sure to use clean techniques and consider either skipping the marinade or making separate batches for the marinade and the sauce.

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