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This sesame tofu scramble is a quick, easy, and delicious vegetarian recipe packed with plant protein! Make it with seasoned crumbled tofu sautéed with leafy spinach, mushrooms, and crunchy peanuts, drizzled with a spicy Thai-style peanut sauce.
If you love the flavors in my creamy peanut noodles with pan-fried tofu, this easy tofu scramble is another meatless recipe that’s perfect for weeknights.
A lot of tofu scrambles I’ve seen are breakfast recipes, often as a vegan alternative to scrambled eggs. I wanted to share my sesame tofu scramble recipe that’s more of a one-pan, 30-minute dinner situation. This easy tofu scramble has flavorful, crispy, pan-fried crumbled tofu with mushrooms, spinach, peanuts, and Asian-style seasonings, drizzled with the BEST EVER spicy peanut sauce (like you’d use for satay).
What Makes This the Best Tofu Scramble Recipe
- Plenty of plant protein. Like my Chipotle copycat sofritas, this scrambled tofu recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, and packed with delicious plant-based ingredients. You can make a vegetarian or vegan tofu scramble as needed, without any major changes to the recipe.
- Big flavors. This time, I’ve made this scramble Thai-style with soy sauce, sesame, shiitake mushrooms, and chopped peanuts. A spicy satay peanut sauce easily takes this scramble from breakfast to dinner.
- One pan, 30 minutes. You’ll cook the veggies and scramble the tofu in the same pan. Not only does this build the flavors, but it’s quick, easy, and makes cleanup on Meatless Monday faster than ever.
- Seriously versatile. No rule says you can’t enjoy this Asian-inspired tofu scramble for a savory breakfast with avocado toast. It’s also a quick side dish, delicious taco filling, or a light meal on its own. Make a big batch for easy, vegetarian meal prep for the week.
Ingredients You’ll Need
I wanted to keep the ingredients list for this tofu scramble recipe approachable, whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or simply looking for a meat-free meal. Scroll to the recipe card for the complete, printable recipe followed by step-by-step photos.
- Extra-Firm Tofu – You’ll want to use extra-firm or firm tofu (see below). I’ll show you how to press the tofu to drain the excess moisture before you crumble it.
- Nutritional Yeast – Nutritional yeast is vegan-friendly, and it’s a great way to add a little bit of extra crispiness and flavor to the tofu. Similar to how you’d toss potatoes with parmesan cheese.
- Soy Sauce – I use low-sodium soy sauce. Substitute tamari or coconut aminos as needed to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Soy Milk – You’ll want to use unsweetened, unflavored soy milk or your preferred plant-based, dairy-free milk. Other good options are oat or almond milk.
- Sesame Oil – There’s really no substitute for sesame oil in Asian-style recipes. I like the extra flavor that comes from toasted sesame oil, but plain will work, too.
- Turmeric – This is more for color than flavor, but feel free to add more to taste.
- Garlic and Onion – Dice up a mild cooking onion, like yellow onion or shallot. Freshly minced garlic is best, but you can substitute ½ teaspoon of garlic paste or garlic powder per clove, if needed.
- Shiitake Mushrooms – You could also use regular brown or white mushrooms, like Baby Bellas, or another exotic kind, like oyster mushrooms. Use a mix of mushrooms for more variety, or skip them if you aren’t a fan.
- Spinach – Fresh or frozen baby spinach. If you use the former, just thaw and drain it first. You could use Swiss Chard or kale, too.
- Sesame Seeds and Peanuts – Roasted peanuts and toasted sesame seeds. If needed, toast the sesame seeds yourself in a dry skillet over low heat. You can swap peanuts for cashews if you’d like.
- Green Onions – Just the green parts, thinly sliced. Chives or basil are also a nice garnish.
Silken, Firm, Extra-Firm Tofu: What’s the Difference?
Most tofu you’ll find in stores comes in silken, soft, firm, and extra firm textures. It’s important to pick the right one depending on how you’ll use it! For this tofu scramble, you’ll want to pick up a block of extra-firm tofu. Here’s the difference:
- Soft and silken tofu is more custard-like. This makes it great for blending into soups, dips, and desserts, like tofu chocolate mousse (similar to avocado chocolate mousse). I don’t recommend it for this recipe as it’s too soft to scramble.
- Firm and extra-firm tofu is denser and best for grilling and stir-fries, like sofritas or kung pao tofu. It holds its shape when diced or crumbled, like in this scramble.
Don’t Forget the Spicy Peanut Sauce!
- Peanut Butter – I recommend shelf-stable (no-stir) creamy peanut butter, and not natural peanut butter, where the oil tends to separate. Good brands are Jif or Skippy. I like to use low-sodium peanut butter with no added sugar.
- Rice Vinegar – Good substitutes are white or red wine vinegar.
- Soy Sauce – Use the same soy sauce that you used for the scramble.
- Honey – You can swap this for maple syrup, agave, or coconut sugar to make the sauce vegan.
- Ginger – Ground ginger is convenient, but fresh ginger also works. You’ll need about 1 tablespoon of freshly minced ginger per ¼ teaspoon dried in this case.
- Sriracha – Or your choice of hot chili sauce. If you don’t have hot sauce, cayenne pepper, or chili flakes are also good for spicing up the sauce. Feel free to omit this if you’re sensitive to spice.
- Coconut Milk – To thin out the sauce. Make sure it’s unsweetened; otherwise, you can use the same plant-based milk that you used in the scramble to adjust the consistency of the sauce.
How to Press Tofu
Pressing tofu is a crucial step that removes any excess water. Think of it like squeezing out a sponge. Pressing out the liquid creates a blank canvas for the tofu to absorb any flavors or marinades. To press the tofu:
- Place the tofu on a plate or baking dish. Cover the top with a large sheet of foil.
- Place a heavy object over the tofu, like a cast-iron pan or similar.
- Leave the tofu to sit under the weight for 15 minutes to press out any liquid. Afterward, discard the liquid on the plate.
Ways to Serve a Tofu Scramble
This spicy sesame tofu scramble is a filling meal served with a Japanese-style kani salad and cucumber sushi rolls to keep things veggie-friendly. I also love it over Thai fried rice bowls or in wraps (like a breakfast burrito). It’s also a great meatless side with a Chinese hot pot and a starter of vegetable spring rolls at a dinner party.
Easy Tofu Tacos
One of my favorite ways to enjoy this sesame tofu scramble is wrapped in a soft tortilla for Asian-style tofu tacos. Spoon the scramble into flour or corn tortillas, drizzle with peanut sauce, and top with red cabbage slaw, fresh cilantro (or zhoug sauce), and any of your favorite toppings. Yum.
Tools I Used
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- Large Skillet: Perfect for sautéing the veggies and cooking the tofu scramble evenly.
- Mixing Bowls: You’ll need one for the tofu and another for the peanut sauce.
- Whisk: Helps make the peanut sauce smooth and creamy.
- Tofu Press: Or use a heavy skillet, essential for pressing out the moisture from the tofu.
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Sesame Tofu Scramble
Ingredients
For the Scramble
- 16 ounce block extra firm tofu
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened, unflavored soy milk
- ¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon turmeric, for color
- 1½ tablespoons sesame oil
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 3½ ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 handful of fresh baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
- 2 green onions, greens only, sliced
For the Peanut Sauce
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoons honey
- ¼ teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoons Sriracha
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk, or more as needed
Instructions
- Press the tofu. Begin by pressing the tofu to remove any excess moisture. Place the tofu on a rimmed plate or baking dish and cover it with a large piece of aluminum foil. Place something heavy (like a cast-iron skillet or a few cans) on top and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. Drain the liquid from the plate.
- Mash the tofu. Once pressed, crumble the tofu with your hands into a large bowl.
- Add flavorings. To the mashed tofu, add the nutritional yeast, soy sauce, unsweetened soy milk, toasted sesame oil, and turmeric. Stir everything together to combine well. Keep stirring until you are satisfied with the texture (it really should look like scrambled eggs). Set this mixture aside.
- Heat the sesame oil. In a large skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium heat.
- Sauté the veggies. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the mushrooms and saute until golden brown. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 20 seconds, until fragrant.
- Cook the tofu mixture. Add the tofu mixture to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, until the tofu is heated through and lightly browned in some spots. If the tofu starts to dry out or burn, add a splash of unsweetened, unflavored soy milk.
- Add spinach. Stir in the fresh baby spinach, cooking just until it wilts, about 1-2 minutes.
- Finish the scramble. Once the spinach is wilted, remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the toasted sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, and sliced green onions. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed (you may want to add a touch more soy sauce or a sprinkle of salt).
- Prepare the peanut sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, ground ginger, Sriracha, and coconut milk until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more coconut milk to reach your desired consistency.
- Serve. Spoon the tofu scramble onto plates, and drizzle with the peanut sauce. Serve warm, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make a Sesame Tofu Scramble
If you’re short on ingredients or time to make the homemade satay sauce, feel free to use your favorite store-bought sauce instead. Make sure it’s plant-based if you’re making this recipe vegan.
- Press and mash the tofu. Follow the steps above and in the recipe card to press the tofu before you start (don’t skip this step, or your tofu will be watery with less flavor!). Then, crumble the tofu using your hands or a potato masher.
- Add seasonings. Next, sprinkle over the nutritional yeast, then add the soy sauce, milk, sesame oil, and turmeric. Stir that into the tofu so it’s evenly combined, and the texture resembles scrambled eggs.
- Sauté the veggies. Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a skillet, then add the onions. After a few minutes, add the mushrooms to the pan, followed by the garlic.
- Cook the tofu. Now, add the tofu to the same skillet and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often until it’s lightly browned. If you notice the texture is getting a bit dry, add a splash of soy milk.
- Add spinach and garnishes. Lastly, stir in a handful of spinach. Once wilted, take the pan with the scrambled tofu off the heat and add your sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, and green onions. Adjust for any seasonings.
Make the Peanut Sauce
- Combine the ingredients. Whisk the peanut butter with the other sauce ingredients. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more coconut milk (or soy milk) to get the consistency you’d like.
- Serve. Dish up your tofu scramble and serve it warm, drizzled with spicy peanut sauce. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
- Refrigerate. Store leftover sesame tofu scramble in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. This tofu scramble is a good meal prep recipe!
- Reheat. Warm up the scramble in a skillet on the stovetop or in the microwave until the tofu is hot throughout.
- Freeze. You can freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. The texture of the tofu may change once it’s thawed, becoming a bit more chewy and spongy, but the flavors are still great.
