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Miso Butter Tofu Skewers Vegan BBQ

These air fryer tofu skewers are super "meaty" and packed with flavors. They're marinated and doused in a rich miso butter sauce and air fried till golden brown and just ever so slightly charred around the edges. Pair them with juicy crunchy veggies and fluffy pita or naans and enjoy the flavor and texture party in your mouth.


Since the weather is getting warmer I can just feel a wave of BBQ parties coming our way. It can sometimes get awkward for vegan quests at a BBQ gathering, it's like what do y'all eat, grilled lettuce? Well, first of all, grilled vegetables are quite delicious so don't knock it. But more importantly, there are so many more options for vegan and plant-based eaters other than vegetables and artificial meat!


These lush tofu skewers are guaranteed to impress at a BBQ party or just any occasion really. The browned butter miso marinade transferred the plain tofu cubes into little flavor bombs! They're so incredibly umami, savory, hearty, and with a hint of sweet.


I cooked these in my air fryer with its rotisserie function which worked perfectly for this recipe. I've also tried oven bake in the past and will include instructions for the oven method below. And of course, if you have a grill feel free to just throw them on there!


Video how-to will be posted on my Instagram and Tiktok and it'd be much easier to see the process there.

INGREDIENTS:

16 oz extra-firm tofu
1 zucchini
1 red bell pepper
1/2 purple onion
Lime and cilantro for serving

For the marinade
1 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoon miso paste
1 tablespoon tamari/soy sauce
1 tablespoon coconut amino
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon water

TO MAKE:

- In a saucepan, melt the coconut oil over medium heat, fry the garlic till golden and fragrant;
- Add in the miso paste, press and stir to combine, then add the soy sauce and coconut amino, keep stirring to mix everything;
- Add in the brown sugar, lower the heat to medium-low and continue to stir, bring the sauce to a gentle bubble, thin the sauce as needed with water;
- Continue to cook till desired consistency, the longer you let it cook the thicker the sauce will get, I like the marinade to be thick but still fluid;
- Pat dry the tofu, break into cubes with your hands, don't make them too small or they might slip from the skewers;
- Pour about 4/5 of the marinade into the tofu, reserve the rest of the sauce for serving, let the tofu marinate for an hour;
- Meanwhile, prep your veggies by cutting them into suitable sizes for the skewer;
- Thread the tofu and veggies onto skewers, if you're using bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them in water first to prevent burning;
- Air fryer method, transfer all skewers onto the rotisserie rack or arrange in a single layer, air fry at 400°F for 15 - 20 minutes till golden brown;
- Oven method, preheat the oven to 400°F, arrange the skewers onto a lined baking pan, it's best if you could find a pan whose width is just a little shorter than your skewers, so you could rest the two ends of the skewers onto the two opposite edges of the pan without the body of the skewers touching the bottom, to ensure maximum airflow, bake for 30 minutes, check and rotate the skewers throughout as needed;
- Serve with the remaining sauce, lime slices, and chopped cilantro, enjoy!


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