This Vegan Chipotle Mango BBQ Tofu Recipe is loaded with flavors! Grill or pan fry options included.
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Most of us know by now that bbq tofu is amazing! But today, we’re going to kick those flavors up a notch with this vegan chipotle mango bbq tofu recipe.
It’s the perfect combination of sweet and spicy, with the BBQ flavors of the summer. Plus we’ll share how you can either throw this recipe on the grill or you can make it in a pan on the stove.
CHIPOTLE MANGO BBQ TOFU INGREDIENTS:
Below are notes about the main ingredients before we get into the full recipe located lower in this post on how to make this vegan tofu dish:
- Tofu – The star of the show! You want to use an extra firm block of tofu for this recipe
- Chipotle Pepper – canned chipotles in adobe add a ton of flavor and spice with just one little pepper. It kicks up the heat and is going to help you fall in love with this dish
- Mango – We use a Tommy Atkins, also sometimes called a red mango, for this recipe since it’s the most widely found variety where we are.
- Brown sugar – Beyond adding just a little bit of sweetness to the marinade, sugar helps to neutralize spice as the sugar crystals absorb some of the capsaicin oils and balance the flavors well
- Garlic – the aromatics for this dish. Garlic mellows things out when it comes to the flavors
- BBQ Sauce – We use our homemade vegan BBQ sauce for a summer flavor to this dish
Substitutions and Variations:
- Tofu – obviously this whole dish is based around tofu, but you could also use seitan, jackfruit, oyster mushrooms, chickpeas, cauliflower and more with this recipe
- Chipotle Pepper- If you don’t do spice you could omit entirely or just reduce how much is used.
- Mango – you can use other varieties of mango, or try swapping the mango for something like peaches
- Brown sugar – swap with coconut sugar if needed
- BBQ Sauce – you can use your favorite store bought brand as well
Frequently Asked Questions:
It has a kick, but we don’t think that it’s too hot. If you would like a more mild flavor, you can reduce the amount of chipotles in Adobe that you add down to ½ a pepper or even a little less.
If you already made this and just finding out it’s spicy, you can add avocado or vegan sour cream to your dish to help level out the spice.
We’ve tried both and the flavor is great either way. Grilled tofu gives some of those smokey grill flavors into the tofu which is delicious. Pan frying is also delicious and easier than heating up the grill.
Alternatively, you could oven baked this tofu as well. We’d recommend 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
Yes! Make sure the sauce is at room temperature, then place into a freezer safe container or bag. We recommend using within 6 months of freezing.
This dish is tofu based so soy is in the main ingredient but you could swap the tofu for something else like mushrooms, jackfruit, or cauliflower.
For the steak sauce, it is usually allergen friendly, but if not, look for an allergy friendly version of vegan worcestershire sauce or swap with coconut aminos, tamari sauce or a no soy soy sauce depending on your allergens.
We are pairing in the photos with garlic butter corn and ginger rice. Both recipes are down below.
Tips for making the perfect tofu:
WHAT IS THE BEST TYPE OF TOFU TO USE?
We prefer extra firm tofu for this recipe and would highly recommend using that.
This recipe will also work with firm tofu if needed.
We do not advise using silken or soft tofu for this recipe.
WHY SHOULD I FREEZE TOFU FIRST?
Freezing tofu gives it a more meat-like texture. While this isn’t a requirement, we highly recommend doing it this way.
Freeze the tofu in the store packaging. Then remove and let thaw completely before adding it to a tofu press to drain (see below).
HOW DO I PRESS OUT TOFU?
The easiest way to press out tofu is to use a tofu press. We use this tofu press because it’s easy to use and works great.
However, if you don’t have a tofu press then you could wrap the block of tofu in a kitchen towel, place it on a plate, and then put something heavy on top like a cast iron skillet.
Pin this Vegan Chipotle Mango BBQ tofu for later!
🥳 Get the Full Recipe
Vegan Chipotle Mango BBQ Tofu
Ingredients
Chipotle Mango BBQ Tofu
- 1 14-16oz block extra firm tofu, frozen, then thawed and pressed
- 1 ripe mango (about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups)
- 1 chipotle in adobe
- ½ cup cilantro
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice (can sub lime juice)
- 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vegan steak sauce
- 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup Vegan BBQ Sauce
Optional Side Dishes
Garlic Butter Corn
- 3 tablespoon vegan butter
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 15oz can sweet corn, rinsed and drained
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Ginger Rice
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 2 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed
- 1 ½ cups vegetable stock (or sub water)
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Freeze and thaw tofu. Then, use a tofu press to get the water out. *See Notes in post for why and how to do this if needed.
- Add all the ingredients from mango to black pepper into food processor or blender and blend until very well combined. Pour into a shallow dish with a lid or a sealable bag.
- Once pressed, cube tofu (or slice if desired).
- Place tofu into dish and rub sauce into the tofu to coat everything well. Place lid on top and into fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- To Grill: Preheat grill to medium (about 400 degrees). Add tofu directly to greased grill grates or to a grill mat. Cook for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway. To Pan Fry: add 1 tablespoon oil to a large skillet and heat over medium low heat. Once hot, add tofu and cook for 8-10 minutes, flipping occasionally to get all the sides.
- While cooking tofu, brush the bbq sauce across the pieces.
For the Corn (if making)
- Over medium heat, add butter and let melt. Add remaining ingredients and let cook 3 to 5 minutes.
For the Rice (if making)
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add remaining ingredients bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until the rice is tender and the water has fully evaporated (time depends on rice package). Fluff the rice and serve.
I’m a vegan of 12 years and I’ve honestly never had a vegan BBQ recipe that I thought was any good. Went out on a limb to try this one because your recipes never disappoint, and this was no exception. I’ll be keeping this one in my recipe book. Side note – the rice was shockingly addictive and will be added to a whole host of recipes 🙂
so happy to hear that you enjoyed this one as much as the other recipes!
Yummy tummy recipe…