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Get a taste of island flavor with this Grilled Pineapple Teriyaki Bowl. Just grill up the tofu, pineapple, and red onion to smoky perfection, then douse it in the sweet and spicy glaze. Serve over a bed of rice with your favorite topping for a satisfying meal. So easy and delicious!
Being vegan doesn't mean you barely grill anymore. Actually, since going vegan, I grill a wide variety of foods that I never did before. I'm having way more fun, too!
Lately, I've been a grilling maniac because, well, it's summertime! This Teriyaki Bowl has been in our regular rotation and we can't get enough. It literally hits the spot in every way!
HOW TO MAKE A GRILLED PINEAPPLE TERIYAKI BOWL
It may look like a lot of work, but it's really easy to make. Start by prepping ingredients, then make the delicious glaze! Then you just pop everything on the grill and let it sizzle for a few minutes. Easy-peasy!
HOW TO MAKE PINEAPPLE TERIYAKI GLAZE
(full ingredient amount in recipe card below)
- STEP 1: In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water together and set aside (not pictured).
- STEP 2: To a blender, add all the glaze ingredients (except the cornstarch mixture). Blend on high until smooth.
- STEP 3: To a small pot over medium heat, add the blended mixture. Bring it to a simmer and lower heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 1-2 minutes until it slightly thickens.
- STEP 4: Stir the cornstarch and water again and add it to the pot. Let it simmer until it thickens up and becomes sticky. About 4-6 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning and turn down the heat more if needed. Remove from heat.
HOW TO GRILL PINEAPPLE, ONION, AND TOFU
STEP 1: Heat up Grill Pan over medium-high heat for a few minutes or preheat outdoor grill (make sure grill is very clean). Lightly brush cut tofu with oil and season with salt and pepper. Brush the onion and pineapple with oil too.
STEP 2: Once fully heated, brush the surface with oil and place tofu, pineapple and onion on the grill. You should hear a sizzle when food hits the pan/grill. Let everything sear for 2-3 minutes before moving (it will stick and break if you move it too soon). Now take a peek to check for grill marks. Carefully flip over using a sturdy spatula or tongs and grill the other side.
STEP 3: While the other side of the tofu is grilling, brush the glaze on top of each piece. When the underside has grill marks too, carefully flip the tofu again. Cook for 30-60 seconds to caramelize the glaze and then repeat on the other side. The glaze can burn easily so don't leave it too long.
STEP 4: Remove pineapple, tofu, and onions from heat as they are finished. Add more glaze to the tofu.
HOW TO ASSEMBLE A TERIYAKI BOWL
Cut each piece of tofu crosswise into bite-sized pieces. Serve in a bowl over warm rice and side with the grilled pineapple and onions. Top with green onions, cut cilantro, and sesame seeds. Serve with more glaze on the side. Enjoy!
WANT MORE SUMMER FLAVOR? YOU MAY LIKE THESE RECIPES:
I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU
If you make this recipe, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
📖 Recipe
Grilled Pineapple Teriyaki Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 block extra firm tofu , pressed and cut into rectangular blocks about ½" thick *see note
- 20 ounces canned pineapple slices , reserve ½ cup juice and 3 slices for glaze. Drain and pat dry the rest.
- 1 ½ cups jasmine rice , uncooked
- 1 medium red onion , sliced into thick pieces
- Salt & pepper , to taste
Pineapple Teriyaki Glaze
- ½ cup reserved pineapple juice + 3 pineapple slices
- ¼ cup maple syrup (sub agave nectar)
- 3 tablespoons gluten-free tamari , low sodium (sub soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger , minced (fresh, paste, frozen or jarred will work)
- 2 cloves garlic (sub ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
- 2 teaspoon sriracha *optional (sub ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 2 tablespoons of water
Optional Toppings:
- 3-4 green onions , thinly sliced
- ½ cup cilantro , chopped (leave some whole for garnish)
- 1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Rice
- Cook rice according to package directions. Fluff with fork, cover and set aside.
Pineapple Teriyaki Glaze
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water together. Set aside.
- To a blender, add all the glaze ingredients (except the cornstarch mixture) pineapple juice, pineapple slices, tamari, rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, sriracha. Blend on high until smooth.
- To a small pot over medium heat, add the blended mixture. Bring it to a simmer and lower heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for a few minutes until it slightly thickens.
- Stir the cornstarch and water again and add it to the pot. Let it simmer until it thickens up and becomes sticky. About 4-6 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning and turn down the heat more if needed. Remove from heat and set aside.
Grill
- Heat up Grill Pan over medium-high heat for a few minutes or preheat outdoor grill (make sure grill is very clean). *See note for using grill pan.
- Lightly brush cut tofu with oil and season with salt and pepper. Brush the onion and pineapple with oil too.
- Once fully heated, brush surface with oil and place tofu, pineapple and onion on the grill You should hear a sizzle when food hits the pan/grill. Let everything sear for 2-3 minutes before moving (it will stick and break if you move it too soon). Now take a peek to check for grill marks. Carefully flip over using a sturdy spatula or tongs and grill the other side.
- While the other side of the tofu is grilling, brush the glaze on top of each piece. When the underside has grill marks too, carefully flip the tofu again. Cook for 30-60 seconds to caramelize the glaze and then repeat on the other side. The glaze can burn easily so don't leave it too long.
- Remove pineapple, tofu and onions from heat as they are finished. Add more glaze to the tofu. Cut each piece of tofu crosswise into bite-sized pieces. Serve in a bowl over warm rice and side with the grilled pineapple and onions. *Optional: top with green onions, cut cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve with more glaze on the side. Enjoy!
Sarah
Wow! The flavor in this is insanely good. I could drink the sauce. Lol! Thanks for the recipe.
Melissa Huggins
Hahaha, why not! Glad you loved it. 🙂
Susan J Peeples
The recipe looks delicious. I wish you would add the "go to recipe" feature so I don't have to scroll through narrative and pictures, along with feature for easy recipr printing. Thank you
Melissa Huggins
Hi Susan, thank you for stopping by. I do have two buttons at the top of each post. One is a "jump to" recipe and the other is "print recipe". They are green and white buttons. Can you look again and see if they are visible to you? If not, there may be a glitch.
Cap'n Dave
Both showing up just fine for me, Melissa, and habe been for months now under both Firefox and Chrome, even with adblocker turned on. Not sure why they're not for Susan.
Personally, I like the narrative and pictures. I get to see step-by-step preparation, ideas for presentation of the finished product, and learn a little bit about how you came up with it, which gets my OWN creative juices flowing. Thank you for all that you do!!!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Dave, I'm glad they are working for you. Sometimes things glitch and I can't see them myself. Thank you for letting me know 🙂
I'm happy that you like narrative and photos. Such a nice compliment! Thank you 🙂