Tropical flavors on a stick! These Hawaiian-style skewers are super refreshing and flavorful, the tofu is frozen then thawed to create a meatier texture and marinated in a sweet, sour, and umami pineapple sauce. Perfect for your BBQ party cookout!
Why is it that food just tastes better on a stick?! I love skewers they are so easy to carry around and and are just more fun to eat. These pineapple tofu skewers are inspired by Hawaiian BBQ skewers with a vibrant, refreshing, flavorful marinade made with fresh pineapples. One bite and you will feel like you are on the tropical paradise island!
And there is a little magic that happens when you freeze and then thaw tofu. The water inside gets frozen into icicles and expands in size, creating lots of little holes and layers in the texture. The result is a meatier, more sponge tofu that can soak up sauces and flavors even better!
I don't do the freezing & thawing step for all the tofu dishes, because sometimes I still want to maintain the silky tender texture instead of getting them spongy and "meaty", but for a BBQ skewer? This technique is absolutely perfect!
You can cook these skewers on a grill, in an air fryer, or in an oven, you can find instructions for all three methods below ^^
INGREDIENTS:
12 oz extra firm tofu
1 bell pepper
1/2 red onion
1/2 fresh pineapple
Lime for serving
For the marinade -
1/2 cup cubed pineapple
2 tablespoon ketchup
2 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari sauce for Gluten Free
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1-2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 garlic clove
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
Salt and pepper to taste
TO MAKE:
- Freeze the tofu for at least 3 hours (or overnight) and then thaw completely, you can leave the frozen tofu on the counter to thaw in room temperature, or, soak it in warm water for an hour to thaw faster;
- Trim off the top and bottom of the pineapple, cut in quarters length-wise, and remove the hard core;
- Cut the thawed tofu, bell pepper, red onion, and pineapple into bite-sized pieces that are roughly the same size;
- In a blender, combine the cubed pineapple, ketchup, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, olive oil, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper, blend until smooth;
- Place the tofu cubes in a large container with a lid, and pour the marinade over them. Shake to coat evenly and marinate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours) in the refrigerator;
- Thread the tofu, pineapples, and vegetables onto skewers, alternating the pieces;
- If cooking in an air fryer, cook at 400°F for 20 minutes, if your air fryer has a rotisserie function, use that;
- If using a grill, grill the skewers for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until the tofu and vegetables are lightly charred and cooked through;
- If using an oven, roast at 400°F for 30 to 40 minutes, flip halfway, monitor the process as you go and adjust the time as needed;
- Serve hot and with a squeeze of lime for extra freshness!
