This wildly flavourful Lemon Pepper Tofu combines sweet and zesty citrus with spicy black pepper to create a super flavourful and easy meal. Ready in under 30 minutes, making it a perfect weeknight dinner!

Watch how to make this Lemon Pepper Tofu over on my YouTube channel! And don’t forget to subscribe while you’re at it 😉

Ingredients & Inspiration

The pairing of lemon zest and pepper likely emerged organically in European and Indian kitchens hundreds of years ago, used to flavour meats, seafood, and vegetables, yet it became commercially very popular in the 1960’s when lemon pepper seasoning blends started being sold in supermarkets across the US. Lemon pepper chicken wings really boosted it’s appeal to the masses, as well. But since we’re plant-based around here, I wanted to bring a totally meat-free dish to the table with all the lemon peppery goodness. Introducing my Lemon Pepper Tofu!

My version of this popular dish uses extra firm tofu to replace chicken, which, when air fried gets perfectly chewy and crisped, plus a simple lemon pepper sauce that the tofu gets tossed in before serving. The flavours that come out of this recipe are positively mind-blowing when you see how little effort and time it takes to prepare it. Which is why this Lemon Pepper Tofu is so great! You won’t miss the meat in this recipe once you try it, and that is a guarantee (or your money back! 😉)

Only a handful of basic ingredients are needed to make this 30-minute recipe:

Tofu Ingredients

1 (450g) block extra firm tofu, cut into cubes or torn into pieces
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
½ tbsp neutral oil

Sauce ingredients

Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup water
2 tsp soy sauce or tamari
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water (to make a slurry)

How to Make Lemon Pepper Tofu

Lemon Pepper Tofu comes together in two easy steps: air fry the tofu and whisk up the lemon pepper sauce directly on the stove.

Combine the cornstarch, nutritional yeast, oregano, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add the tofu into a large bowl then toss in the oil to coat. Sprinkle over the dry seasoning mix and toss again to combine.
Transfer the tofu to an air fryer basket and air fry for 15 minutes at 380F, until golden and crispy on the edges.
Meanwhile, whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a bowl (minus the slurry ingredients). Then pour into a frying pan and warm through over medium heat until it’s steaming hot (not boiling). Once hot, add the slurry and continue whisking the sauce until it’s glossy and slightly thickened.
Add the air fried tofu to the sauce, turn the heat to low and stir to coat the tofu completely.
Make it a meal and serve with rice or quinoa and steamed broccoli or another veggie! Enjoy!

Tip!

Make a double batch of the sauce if you like your tofu extra saucy or want to drizzle it over veggies or rice. ‘Cause extra saucy is always a good thing!

Pep-per in Your Step

This Lemon Pepper Tofu recipe would go really nicely with my Lemony Greens and Beans if you want to make a more filling dinner or meal prep for the week. You can easily double or triple this tofu recipe for meal prep as it’ll keep well in the fridge for about 5 days or so!

If you enjoyed this recipe you should definitely check out some of my other epic tofu recipes like Maple Mustard Tofu, Kung Pao Tofu, or Pesto Tofu! Or just check out ALL my tofu recipes.

Lastly, if you made any of these recipes and decide to share them on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @SteamyVegan and use hashtag #SteamyVegan! I seriously love seeing what you’re cooking up! Plus make sure to check me out on YouTube — I have HUNDREDS of recipe videos to give you limitless plant-based inspiration!

Janelle Carss