20-Minute Crispy BBQ Tofu Sandwich

Craving a classic BBQ sandwich but without the meat? This Crispy BBQ Tofu Sandwich has you covered!

With crispy crunchy tofu smothered in ooey-gooey BBQ sauce and endless topping options, this meatless sandwich is bound to curb your backyard BBQ cravings!

Trust me, as a mom with a packed schedule who refuses to settle for boring food, I rely heavily on easy, efficient, and elevated 5 ingredient meals!

P.S. If you’re loving these flavors and the simplicity of this meatless sandwich, check out this BBQ Tempeh Sandwich next!

BBQ Tofu Sandwich Ingredient Highlights

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Half of a 14-ounce pack of extra-firm tofu will yield more than enough for 1 sandwich. If you’re making two or more sandwiches, double the recipe and if you have leftovers, they will keep for 3-5 days.

Use whatever you fancy. I keep it simple with tomato slices and some greens.

Barbecue Tofu Sandwich Tips and Tricks

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How to Make a BBQ Sandwich with Tofu

To avoid that infamous “spongy” texture that tofu sometimes gets a bad rap for, it’s best to drain and press your tofu.

If you don’t have a tofu press, no problem! Wrap your tofu in a clean kitchen towel and place a cutting board on top. Then you have an even surface to stack something heavy on top.

This will force excess liquid out of the tofu to be soaked up by the kitchen towel.

7 ounces of tofu should be enough for each sandwich (you may even have leftovers, depending on how tall you like to stack your sandwiches). I like to slice my tofu in 4 thick, even parts, using two thick pieces per sandwich.

You could also opt for thinner slices if you really love sauce! This will make your sauce: tofu ratio a lot saucier!

In order to get your tofu crispy, you’ll need both olive oil and cornstarch. These two ingredients work together to get you that perfect texture.

Regardless of how much you press your tofu, it’s likely there will still be some excess moisture. The cornstarch soaks up that excess liquid while the oil heats in the oven to essentially fry the outermost layer of the tofu.

For best results, we need an even layer of oil on each piece of tofu and just a sprinkle of cornstarch. Too much cornstarch can leave you with a bitter taste.

You can choose to toss the tofu in oil and cornstarch or you can use a pastry brush to add the olive oil to the tofu, spreading it evenly. Then, simply sprinkle the cornstarch on top.

Flip the tofu and repeat to make sure you get both sides

Spread your tofu out evenly on your baking sheet. You can opt to use tin foil for less clean-up, but I find the tofu tends to stick to foil more than if you just place it directly on your baking sheet.

With your oven at 400°F and with your tofu on the top rack, it should start to brown within 25-30 minutes. Flip your tofu after 15 minutes and then watch it closely after 20. We want that perfect golden brown, so we have to catch it before it burns!

I love to use my pastry brush to generously lather the BBQ sauce on that crispy tofu. It allows for even distribution. You can also opt to toss the tofu in the sauce!

Serve Your Meatless BBQ Sandwich Your Way!

I kept it simple with some greens and fresh sliced tomato but make it your own with any toppings you please. Some great ones are cheese, caramelized mushrooms and onions, pickles, jalapeno, red onion, etc.

This sandwich pairs perfectly with these Old Bay Fries or Parmesan Truffle Fries.

How to Store and Save Tofu Sandwiches

The prepared tofu will last 3-5 days covered in the refrigerator. I sometimes just eat these leftovers cold, but you can also reheat in the oven at 400°F for 8-10 minutes until heated thoroughly.