Tofu Bulgogi brings a healthy twist on a classic dish. Bursting with sweet and savory notes, Bulgogi with tofu is a vegetarian version of a Korean barbecue recipe. 
Bulgogi is typically made of steak like rib eye or flank cut into very thin pieces. But you can easily leverage the rich flavors of bulgogi marinade with tofu, making it a healthier and vegetarian friendly choice.
With this recipe, you’ll basically be baking the tofu, then frying it in a Bulgogi marinade for a few more minutes as the final step. Then, of course you’ll garnish it with a bit of sesame seeds and green onions.
Well, this dish is very straightforward, there are a few small tips to learn.
Homemade bulgogi sauce is so easy to make and definitely so so worth it, and once you learn to make it with the simple ingredients, you can make it again and again for other uses such as for a steak or chicken marinade. 
Want a more traditional bulgogi recipe? Try our classic Steak Bulgogi recipe!
Ingredients for Tofu Bulgogi
The ingredients in tofu bulgogi are:
Tofu: Grab a package of extra firm tofu and avoid the soft silky tofu. You’ll want to crumble your tofu, but you also want the crumbles to be firm to create a ground beef type texture.
Olive oil: you’ll need a bit of olive oil to coat the tofu when you bake it. This just helps it not to burn.
Salt and pepper: For adding a little seasoning to the baked tofu. 
Sesame seeds and scallions: These ingredients will make excellent beautiful garnish at the end after you make the bulgogi marinade.
Bulgogi Marinade Ingredients:
Soy sauce
Minced ginger
Black pepper
Brown sugar: Use light brown sugar to add sweetness to the Bulgogi sauce.
Sesame oil
Red pepper flakes: This tofu bulgogi recipe does not use the traditional pepper paste.
White or yellow onion
Garlic cloves: Mince a few cloves of fresh garlic for another layer flavor.
Instructions
Turning tofu into a ground beef like texture is so easy. Just use your hands or a spoon or fork to crumble a block of extra firm tofu in a bowl. It should crumble really easily.
Then, drizzle it with a little olive oil and the sprinkle on some salt and pepper for seasoning. Spread the crumbled tofu into one layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake the tofu at 350° for about 25 to 30 minutes, tossing about halfway through cooking. Keep your eye on it and just bake it until some of the tofu has turned a golden brown, which will likely be the tofu around the edges. Don’t worry if you still have bits of white tofu because you will cook even more in the next step and the differently cooked tofu will lend different textures, with a little bit of crispiness and a little bit of softness.
Next, transfer the baked crumbled tofu to a skillet and heat on medium high. Add the homemade bulgogi marinade (see below for the process) and sauté for about 5 to 10 minutes, until sauce has thickened but not burned.
Finally, just transfer the bulgogi tofu to a serving platter. Add sesame seeds and scallions as garnish and serve warm. You can serve tofu bulgogi over rice or use it as a filling for tacos or burritos.
Bulgogi Marinade
To make the marinade for the crumbled tofu, you’re simply going to mix the ingredients and blend them. In a mixing bowl, whisk together: minced ginger, black pepper, brown sugar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, minced white or yellow onion, and minced garlic.
Transfer to a food processor and blend it until it’s smooth.
Bulgogi Tofu Bowl
If you wanna make a classic Bulgogi tofu bowl. Start by making this marinated tofu recipe. make rice by using one part rice to two parts of water in either a rice cooker or a sauce pan.
Put the rice in the bowl and top with Bulgogi tofu, followed by a bit of sesame seeds and green scallions. You can also add your favorite vegetables such as sautéed mushrooms or carrots or snow peas.
Other great veggies for Bulgogi tofu bowls are blanched bean sprouts, bok choy, or baby spinach. You can customize your bulgogi tofu bowl with veggies to make it just how you like it.
Looking for an amazingly delectable dish? Try our Thai Coconut Green Curry Soup, Red Curry Chicken, or Thai Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps.
Tofu Bulgogi
Ingredients
- 1 package extra firm tofu
- 2 olive oil
- salt and pepper
- sesame seeds and scallions (for garnish)
Bulgogi Marinade
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon minced ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ Tablespoon brown sugar
- 2½ teaspoons sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ white or yellow onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Use your hands or a spoon or fork to crumble a block of tofu in a bowl. Coat with olive oil, salt and pepper and then spread in one layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake tofu at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing about halfway through cooking.
- Transfer baked crumbled tofu to a skillet and heat on medium high. Add bulgogi marinade (see below) and heat about 5 minutes, until sauce has thickened.
- Add sesame seeds and scallions as garnish and serve warm. Serve over rice or use as a filling for tacos or burritos.
Bulgogi Marinade
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients: minced ginger, black pepper, brown sugar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, minced white or yellow onion, and minced garlic.
- Transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth.