Greek Marinated Tofu Buddha Bowls with Tzatziki

These Greek marinated tofu buddha bowls are a SO delicious! Featuring breaded tofu that's marinated in a lemon-garlic-herb sauce, roasted veggies and your choice of tangy cucumber tzatziki or speedy hummus sauce. Perfect for meal-prep, 100% vegan and packed with wholesome ingredients.

This baked Greek marinated tofu recipe simply is amazing. I already have a Mediterranean chickpea quinoa bowl on the blog, but this recipe is another delicious and easy twist on how to enjoy a Greek-style vegan bowl.

It is a pretty easy recipe that you will be able to adapt to your taste or the ingredients you already have. Also perfect for meal-prepping on the weekend: simply whisk the marinade and add the tofu, all done within 10 minutes. Then keep in the fridge until ready to use, which can be a few days later when you are busy and hungry. Makes for such a great weeknight dinner for everyone!

It features chewy tofu that marinates in a Greek-style lemon-garlic-herb sauce, which really takes its flavor to the next level. If you find tofu to be bland, then you have got to try this marinade! Then, simply bread the marinated tofu to help crisp it up, nothing complicated, then bake until golden brown.

The Greek tofu marinade really is the star of this recipe! Once the tofu is done marinating, then the leftover sauce also is used to flavor some vegetables to use for your bowl or salad or sandwich, whichever way you choose to serve the tofu. You can add the saucy Greek vegetables to the same tofu tray, midway through cooking, to roast them as well.

I served this Greek tofu with the BEST vegan cucumber tzatziki sauce, which we make regularly. You need to try it if you haven’t done so yet. Or, simply thin out some hummus with water or lemon juice to make it saucy and use this sauce instead for a speedy recipe still full of flavors.

You will love how the tofu has a meaty texture while being nice and crispy on the outside. It is a little bit like tofu nuggets or these vegan tofu souvlaki, only in a cutlet shape and flavored with yummy Greek aromas. This recipe also is healthy and made without using any oil, plus is naturally vegan and dairy-free.

Let me know if you gave it a try! ❤️

Highlights of this recipe

• Delicious and bursts with Greek and tangy lemon flavors
• Great for meal-prep and the tofu can be marinated ahead of time
• Healthy, filling and high in plant-based protein
• Highly customizable and can be used in bowls, salads, sandwiches and more
• Oven-baked and oil-free
• Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside
• Vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free and can easily be made gluten-free

Ingredients you'll need

• Tofu: Use extra-firm tofu for best chewy texture.
• Onion and garlic powder: used to marinate the tofu and also to bread the tofu. They boost the flavor so much and prevent the tofu cutlets from being bland, so try no to omit.
• Dried oregano and basil: included in the tofu marinade. You can use other dried herbs, such as Italian mix or dried dill.
• Lemon: responsible for the nice punch of flavor that infuses the tofu. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is better than bottled lemon juice!
• Garlic: fresh garlic in the tofu marinade really brings it to the next level. I used 2 cloves, but you could even use more if you are a garlic-fan. It will bake in the oven, softening its raw flavor as well.
• Maple syrup: I added a small amount of sweetener to balance out the flavor from the marinade, use any sweetener you have or prefer.
• Tahini: to add texture to the marinade, although olive oil will work too.
• Breadcrumbs: I used regular fine breadcrumbs, but I think panko breadcrumbs might work too. If you have Italian-flavored breadcrumbs, then you can use those too.
• Vegetables: I baked a red onion and a red pepper, but you can use other vegetables if you prefer (see below for ideas).
• Sauce: tzatziki sauce is my favorite condiment for most Mediterranean-style meals, I am simply obsessed with it. But, if you don't have the ingredients to make it, then you can also make a sauce using hummus.
• Bowl ingredients: grain of your choice (I used brown rice), romaine lettuce and cucumber was great in this bowl. You can also add some kalamata olives for a boost of briny and salty flavors.

How to make Greek marinated tofu buddha bowls

Get ready and prepare the sauce

If you want to serve your bowl with a vegan tzatziki sauce, then make it first and keep it in the fridge. This will allow some time for the flavors to deepen and the sauce to chill.

If you are short on time, then simply whisk store-bought hummus with some water and/or lemon juice to loosen up the consistency so it becomes pourable, and use this instead as a sauce for your buddha bowl. This lemon herb tahini dressing is done in 5 min and would also be great.

Also, if serving it with grain, such as brown rice, make sure to cook it at this point. Some grains take a longer time to cook, so it's best to get started with this early.

Marinate the tofu

Drain well the package of tofu and wrap in a few layers of paper towel or a clean hand towel. Add something heavy on top, such as a pile of a few books, and let it sit for about 20 minutes or until ready to use.

Meanwhile, prepare the marinade: in a large dish (or large reusable bag), add the lemon juice, tahini, garlic, maple syrup, dried oregano, dried basil, onion powder and salt. Whisk well until combined.

After pressing the tofu, then slice the block into slices of about ¼-1/2 inches thick. Then, transfer them into the dish with the marinade and move/flip the pieces around so they all get coated nicely.

Set aside and marinade for at least 20-30 minutes or cover and transfer in the fridge to marinade overnight.

Bread the tofu + bake

Pre-heat the oven to 400º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium-size shallow bowl, add the breadcrumbs, onion + garlic powder and salt. Give it a quick stir.

Then, one piece of tofu at the time, dip them in the breadcrumbs until mostly covered (no need for a thick coating).

Transfer on the prepared baking sheet and keep going with all the tofu (do not throw away the remaining marinade!).

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, clean and chop in large bite size the red onion and red pepper. Transfer the vegetables into the container with the leftover marinade. Toss the vegetables around to cover them as much as you can.

Then, take the tofu out of the oven, flip the pieces and gently push them on one side of the pan. Add the vegetables on the other side of the baking sheet and space them out.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the tofu golden brown.

Build the Greek buddha bowl

When ready to eat: layer some romaine, cucumber and cooked grain at the bottom of a serving bowl and top with the Greek vegetables and baked tofu. You can also add some kalamata olives of you want.

Drizzle some of the vegan tzatziki sauce or hummus sauce over and add some fresh herbs, if desired. Serve right away with extra lemon wedges, enjoy!

Cooking tips

• I made this recipe oil-free, but feel-free to spray some oil over the Greek tofu before baking. This will help crisp them up and result in a darker golden brown color.
• If you end up marinating the tofu overnight or for a longer period of time, then you might not have much of a marinade left, since the tofu will absorb most of it. If this happens, then simply add a little more lemon juice to your container and whisk again to grab all the herbs and garlic at the bottom, then add the vegetables and toss.

Serving suggestions

I like serving the baked Greek tofu as part of a colorful bowl with all the Mediterranean fixings that we love, such as seen in the pictures.

But, there are so many other ways you can serve this tofu, such as:

• Greek tofu salad: complement a salad by boosting it with more yummy plant-based protein. This Greek tofu would pair well with a vegan couscous salad made with a pesto dressing or swap the chickpea falafel for this Greek tofu in this Mediterranean falafel salad bowl. The featured spicy tahini sauce would be a hit paired with this baked tofu!
• Greek tofu wraps: spread some hummus or tzatziki sauce over a large (burrito-size) tortilla and then pile over the Greek tofu, veggies, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber. Add some vegan feta cheese for a treat and roll/seal the wraps. What a delicious and filling lunch!
• Greek tofu burgers: these baked tofu cutlets make for such a delicious burger protein! Pair with crunchy romaine, sliced tomatoes, tzatziki sauce, fresh dill, sliced cucumber or any other burger fixing ingredients you feel like.
• Greek tofu gyros: be inspired by this vegan gyro recipe and simply use the baked tofu instead of chickpeas to fill up the pitas bread.

Customization ideas

This Greek buddha bowl is incredibly versatile and easy to adjust to your taste or what you already have in the house. Feel-free to explore these variations:

• Swap the tahini: if you don't have tahini or don't like it (although, know that you won't taste it much here), then you can add a little olive oil to the marinade.
• Use other vegetables: you can bake so many other vegetables that would keep the Mediterranean theme of the recipe, such as zucchini, eggplant, green beans, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, etc. You can also be inspired by my oven-roasted potatoes and broccoli recipe or this harissa potatoes recipe and use those vegetables instead. So, feel-free to use whatever you want or prefer and adjust cooking time accordingly.
• Use different grain: I like brown rice for bowls, but you can also use farro or barley for a similar chewy texture. If you want something quicker, then quinoa would be a better choice since it cooks really fast. Also, you can use frozen cooked brown rice that heats up within a few minutes for a fuss-free bowl!
• Spice it up: you can add some many spices to the tofu marinade, especially cayenne pepper, cumin powder, sweet paprika or smoked paprika. You can also include some sautéed chickpeas to add more flavor or dollop some red chimichurri for a good pop in flavor.

Storage tips

If you have some leftover baked tofu, then keep it in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It will not stay crispy while storing, although will still be delicious.

You can reheat in the oven or a mini oven to try and revive its crispiness. Just bake it at 350º for about 10 minutes or until warmed up (not too long so it does not dry out). You could also reheat in the microwave, but know that it will significantly change its texture.

FAQ's

More recipes like this to try

• Tofu buddha bowl with peanut sauce
• Miso tempeh bowl
• Sticky tofu
• Baked tofu teriyaki buddha bowl
• Mexican buddha bowl
• Crusted tofu wraps
• Vegan fajita bowls
• Chimichurri bowls
• Edamame poke bowls
• Vegan taco bowl
• Vietnamese vegan vermicelli bowl

I hope you enjoy this Greek marinated tofu bowl recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

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