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These BBQ tofu sandwiches are made with slabs of crispy seasoned tofu slathered in sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. They’re easy to make, loaded with flavor, and perfect for a lazy summer dinner!
I always find myself craving barbecue this time of year. And no, I don’t mean meat barbecue. I’ve never really missed that!
I’m talking about pretty much anything vegan that gets slathered in sweet, smoky, tangy barbecue sauce. It’s not just for meat! I’ve been known to douse everything from veggie burgers to tempeh “ribs” to polenta bowls in my homemade vegan barbecue sauce.
And of course, I love a good barbecue sandwich.
For this vegan barbecue sandwich, I used tofu as our barbecue sauce vessel…but not just any tofu! I adapted my barbecue tofu bites recipe, instead using slabs of tofu that get coated in a seasoned cornstarch crust and baked to crispy perfection.
The result was a barbecue tofu sandwich that’s out of this world delicious!
Jump to:
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How They’re Made
- Leftovers & Storage
- What to Serve with BBQ Tofu Sandwiches
- Barbecue Tofu Sandwiches
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Tofu. I like super-firm tofu for this recipe. It’s easy to work with and has a great texture. Extra-firm tofu, which is a tad softer, can be used if needed — you’ll need to press it before cooking though.
- Cornstarch.
- Vegetable oil. Any high heat oil will do here. You can use olive oil, avocado oil, corn oil or peanut oil, among many others!
- Soy sauce. Gluten-free tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted if needed.
- Apple cider vinegar.
- Liquid smoke. This is optional, but great to use if you love smoky flavor. You can find it near the barbecue sauce at most supermarkets.
- Chili powder.
- Ground cumin.
- Barbecue sauce. I love this recipe with my homemade vegan barbecue sauce, but store-bought sauce is fine too. Just check the ingredients to ensure that it’s vegan.
- Burger buns. Or use kaiser rolls, sub rolls, sliced bread…basically whatever you like best for sandwiches!
- Toppings. The sky is the limit here. As you can see from the photos, I topped my sandwiches with some vegan coleslaw and dill pickle slices. You could also use lettuce, tomato, onion, sprouts, avocado…whatever you like!
How They’re Made
The following 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!
Start by slicing your block of tofu into slabs. I like to make six slabs, so I can use two on each sandwich, but you could also do eight smaller slabs, or three or four larger slabs, putting just one slab on each sandwich.
Place your tofu slabs in a large bowl, along with the cornstarch, oil, soy sauce, vinegar, liquid smoke, chili powder, and cumin. Mix everything up using your hands. You want to get the slabs evenly coated with a mix of the other ingredients.
Arrange your tofu slabs on a baking sheet and pop it in the oven. Bake them for about 15 minutes per side, until they’ve darkened and formed a crispy coating.
Brush both sides of the tofu slices with some barbecue sauce, then return them to the oven for a few minutes. The sauce should thicken a bit and get bubbly.
Stuff your barbecue tofu into buns and pile on the toppings. Dig in!
Leftovers & Storage
These sandwiches are best served immediately, while the tofu is crispy. If you do have leftovers though, the barbecue tofu slabs will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 or 4 days.
