Teriyaki Tofu Rice Bowls with Broccoli
Golden pan-fried tofu cubes in a glossy ginger-soy glaze, served over jasmine rice with tender broccoli, scallions and sesame. Four satisfying Japanese-inspired dinner bowls.
Firm tofu takes on golden edges in a hot pan, then catches a glossy soy, ginger and brown-sugar glaze. Put it over fluffy jasmine rice with green broccoli and you have a complete bowl with plenty of texture.
This is a Japanese-inspired home-cooking version, using unseasoned rice vinegar and brown sugar rather than mirin or sake. The sesame is a light finish, not a thick crust. Use refrigerated firm tofu rather than silken tofu, and add the glaze just before serving. This original recipe has not been kitchen-tested.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Pressing and drying the tofu reduces surface moisture so the cornstarch forms a light coating. Two uncrowded frying batches brown more evenly. A separately mixed glaze gives the sugar time to dissolve; a short simmer with cornstarch thickens it without a long reduction. Rice and broccoli balance the concentrated sauce.
Before you start · Equipment
Kitchen scale, clean towels, two plates and a modest weight for pressing tofu, knife, cutting board, fine-mesh sieve, lidded rice saucepan, steamer with lid, wide nonstick skillet, spatula, whisk and bowl.
Everything you’ll need.
Get your ingredients ready, then follow the quantities in the recipe below.
See ingredient amounts
This guide describes the original 4 dinner bowls. Use the recipe card for amounts adjusted to your chosen yield.
Japanese-inspired flavors, with a clear home-cooking twist
This bowl uses a soy-ginger glaze without mirin or sake; it is described as Japanese-inspired rather than a claim of traditional authenticity. For another meal in that flavor direction, try miso-ginger roasted eggplant. If you want a different rice dish on another evening, save sesame-ginger mushroom rice. Replacing the plain rice with that recipe changes the ingredients and nutrition.
More ginger and garlic dinner ideas
Keep ginger-sesame beef and broccoli noodles in mind when you want noodles and beef instead of a tofu bowl. honey-garlic lemon salmon with green beans is another separate glazed-protein dinner. These are alternatives for different meals, not ingredients to add to the tofu skillet.
A cool salad on the side
For a crisp contrast at a larger table, serve a small portion of lemon kale and apple salad with pumpkin seeds. A separate roasted beet, goat cheese and walnut salad offers a richer option with milk and walnut allergens. This tofu bowl already includes its rice and broccoli; extra salad dressing and toppings are not part of its nutrition.
Build a varied week of plant-centered meals
On another evening, a bowl of lemon red lentil soup with carrots changes the texture and spice profile. For a different pan-cooked vegetable recipe, try golden zucchini and carrot fritters. Follow each linked recipe for its ingredients and allergens; these are menu ideas rather than additions to the teriyaki bowl.
Dry tofu before the coating goes on
Surface moisture makes the starch clump and encourages steaming. Press gently, pat dry, then coat just before frying. Leave space between the cubes and wait for a golden face to form before turning. The coating softens in sauce, so glaze near serving time.
Keep the sauce glossy and spoonable
The glaze only needs a short gentle simmer because it contains cornstarch. Stir as it thickens and loosen with a splash of water if needed. Do not add extra starch or keep reducing after it clings to the tofu. The full measured sauce is divided between four bowls.
Rice storage matters
If serving later, chill rice promptly in small shallow portions, ideally within one hour. Refrigerate and use within 24 hours, then reheat only once until thoroughly hot. Do not leave the rice cooling in a warm closed saucepan. The recipe card gives the full storage plan.
About the nutrition estimate
The estimate includes all tofu, dry rice, broccoli, cooking oil, glaze, scallions and sesame. Tofu brands and pressing moisture vary, and soy sauce contributes much of the sodium. The written nutrition source below links to the official USDA food-composition tables; this is an ingredient estimate, not a laboratory measurement.
About the ingredients
- Firm block tofu
Use 600 g drained refrigerated firm tofu before pressing. Silken tofu is too fragile for these cubes. Pressing changes moisture and final cooked weight; the nutrition estimate uses the listed pre-press edible weight and generic firm-tofu composition.
- Jasmine rice and water
The 240 g is a dry-rice amount. Drain after rinsing so residual water does not upset the cooking ratio. Package directions take precedence over the suggested 420 g water, and rice resting time overlaps the other cooking.
- Cornstarch in two portions
The full 24 g is divided into 20 g on the tofu and 4 g in the glaze. The thin tofu coating helps browning, while the smaller sauce portion thickens quickly. Stir the glaze again before cooking because starch settles.
- A soy-ginger glaze
Regular all-purpose shoyu, brown sugar and unseasoned rice vinegar provide the salty, sweet and tart base. Do not substitute dark soy sauce or sweetened sushi vinegar by the same measure. There is no mirin, sake or honey in the formula.
- Two oils with different jobs
All 30 g canola oil is used for pan-frying and retained. All 8 g toasted sesame oil goes into the glaze. The 8 g sesame seeds are separate and added untoasted at serving; no extra finishing oil is used.
- Broccoli and scallions
Weigh 500 g trimmed broccoli and 30 g trimmed scallions. Small florets cook more evenly than large stems. Soy and sesame are allergens; regular soy sauce commonly contains wheat. Check every actual package for additional warnings.
How to make Teriyaki Tofu Rice Bowls with Broccoli
Press firm tofu while rinsing rice and preparing vegetables. Cook jasmine rice with measured water, then rest covered. Mix the glaze. Steam broccoli until tender-crisp. Coat tofu cubes lightly with cornstarch and pan-fry in two batches. Simmer the glaze in the retained oil, return the tofu briefly and divide between four rice bowls with broccoli, scallions and sesame.
1. Press the tofu and prepare the ingredients
2. Cook and rest the jasmine rice
3. Mix the glaze and steam the broccoli
4. Coat and pan-fry the tofu in two batches
5. Thicken the glaze and coat the tofu
6. Build four bowls and serve immediatelyWatch How To Make It
chefzelish.com
Teriyaki Tofu Rice Bowls with Broccoli
Golden pan-fried tofu cubes in a glossy ginger-soy glaze, served over jasmine rice with tender broccoli, scallions and sesame. Four satisfying Japanese-inspired dinner bowls.
Ingredients
0 / 15 readyIngredient amounts for 4 dinner bowls
Tofu, rice and vegetables
Ginger-soy glaze
Let’s make it.
- Prepare the bowl components
Press the tofu and prepare the ingredients
Drain refrigerated firm tofu and weigh 600 g before pressing. Wrap in clean towels, put between two plates and add a modest weight. Press for about 15 minutes while preparing the rest; do not crush the block. Rinse broccoli and scallions under running water, trim and weigh 500 g broccoli and 30 g scallions. Cut broccoli into small even florets and 1 cm peeled tender stem pieces. Slice scallions thinly, grate 12 g peeled ginger and mince 12 g garlic. Unwrap tofu, pat dry and cut into 2 cm cubes. Pressing water is discarded; no soaking, marinade or extra salt is added.
- Prepare the bowl components
Cook and rest the jasmine rice
Weigh 240 g dry white jasmine rice, rinse in a fine sieve until water runs mostly clear and drain thoroughly. Put in a saucepan with 420 g fresh water. If your rice package specifies a different water ratio, follow that ratio; water adds no nutrients. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover and reduce to the lowest heat. Cook for about 12 minutes, until water is absorbed and rice is tender, then take off heat and rest covered for 10 minutes. If still firm, add a little hot water and cook a few minutes more. Fluff gently. Serve promptly or keep hot while finishing the bowl; do not leave cooked rice sitting lukewarm.
- Prepare the bowl components
Mix the glaze and steam the broccoli
Whisk 50 g all-purpose soy sauce, 90 g glaze water, 30 g brown sugar and 20 g unseasoned rice vinegar until the sugar dissolves. Add all the grated ginger, minced garlic and 8 g toasted sesame oil. Whisk in 4 g of the cornstarch, reserving the other 20 g for tofu. Keep the glaze separate and stir again just before using. Steam all the broccoli over boiling water for about 4–6 minutes, until bright green and tender-crisp; check the largest stem piece. Steaming water is not an ingredient and is discarded. Transfer broccoli to a warm bowl; no butter, oil or salt is added to it.
- Fry, glaze and assemble
Coat and pan-fry the tofu in two batches
Pat the tofu cubes dry again if necessary. Toss gently with the remaining 20 g cornstarch until lightly coated, adding all the measured starch to the tofu. Warm 15 g canola oil in a wide nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the cubes in one uncrowded layer and fry for about 6–8 minutes, turning to brown several faces. Transfer to a clean plate without paper towels so the measured oil is not discarded. Repeat with the remaining 15 g canola oil and tofu. Keep any edible loose coating and oil in the pan; do not add extra starch, salt or oil.
- Fry, glaze and assemble
Thicken the glaze and coat the tofu
Lower heat to medium-low. Stir the reserved glaze well to redistribute its cornstarch, then pour it into the same skillet with all retained frying oil and edible coating. Bring to gentle bubbles, stirring, and cook for about 1–2 minutes until glossy and able to coat the back of a spoon. If it tightens too much, add a small splash of plain water. Return all tofu and any edible juices from its plate, then turn gently for 30–60 seconds to coat and heat through. The sauce should cling rather than become a thick paste; avoid boiling it hard or reducing it to sticky candy.
- Fry, glaze and assemble
Build four bowls and serve immediately
Divide all the cooked rice between four bowls. Add one quarter of the steamed broccoli and one quarter of the glazed tofu to each, scraping all the sauce from the skillet. Divide all 30 g sliced scallions and 8 g sesame seeds evenly over the bowls. No lime wedges, seaweed, chili, egg or extra sauce is included. Serve immediately: the tofu softens after glazing. For leftovers, spread rice and bowl components in small shallow containers and chill quickly, ideally within 1 hour; never cool rice in the closed cooking pot. Refrigerate at 4°C/40°F or below and use the rice or assembled bowls within 24 hours. Reheat only once, stirring and checking at least 74°C/165°F throughout. Keep separately refrigerated tofu and broccoli no longer than 3 days; rice has the shorter limit.
Nutrition per serving
1 of 4 complete dinner bowls, including rice, broccoli, all oil, glaze and sesame. Estimates may vary with ingredients and brands.
- Calories
- 641 kcal
- Protein
- 35.5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 76.4 g
- Fat
- 24.6 g
- Saturated fat
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 8.2 g
- Sodium
- 757 mg
Checked 10/31/2026. Values are per the serving described above, regardless of recipe yield.
Notes from the kitchen.
Helpful tips
Four dinner bowls. Plan about 25 minutes preparation, including 15 minutes tofu pressing that overlaps other preparation, and about 30 minutes cooking with rice and steaming overlapping frying. Rice rests covered for 10 minutes while other components cook. Tofu browns in two 6–8 minute batches; glaze simmers 1–2 minutes. Serve as soon as glazed.
Make it your own
Contains soy and sesame; ordinary shoyu commonly contains wheat. Check tofu, soy sauce, starch and oil labels for additional allergens. Use firm non-silken tofu, all-purpose soy and unseasoned vinegar. Dark soy, sweet soy or sweetened sushi vinegar are not equivalent swaps. No gluten-free, allergen-free or low-sodium certification is claimed.
Storage & freezing
Chill rice and assembled bowls quickly in shallow containers, ideally within one hour, and refrigerate at 4°C/40°F or below. Use within 24 hours and reheat only once to at least 74°C/165°F throughout. Do not cool rice in the closed pan. Separately refrigerated tofu and broccoli may be kept up to 3 days, but rice and mixed bowls follow the shorter limit. Follow tofu package dates and storage guidance.
At the table
Nutrition is one quarter of the full batch including all retained frying oil, glaze, sesame and dry-rice input. Firm tofu, jasmine rice, toasted sesame oil and rice vinegar use documented generic USDA composition proxies where needed. Pressing water, cooking evaporation, actual bowl weight and brands vary. Plain extra water adds no nutrients. Linked alternatives and side dishes are excluded.
A little something delicious.
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