This post is sponsored by House Foods. All opinions are my own.
Stuff a warm pita bread with tender spiced tofu, lettuce, tomatoes, and vegan tzatziki to make these delicious grilled tofu gyros!
I’ve always been of the opinion that there’s no reason for vegetarians to feel left out when it comes to grilling. The majority of plant-based foods taste delicious when grilled, and while it takes a little bit of finesse, grilled tofu is no exception. Here I’ve marinated it in a blend of Greek inspired seasonings and umami ingredients to make it worthy of your grill.
You can certainly use tahini sauce or hummus instead of vegan tzatziki, but I encourage whipping some up if you can access plain non-dairy yogurt. I tested this with both coconut yogurt (my fave) and almond yogurt (something I eat begrudgingly) and thanks to the punchy vinegar and dill flavors, it tastes great either way.
I put some french fries in my tofu gyros because they’re sometimes included and I am a potato lover. Optional! Any grilled vegetables you happen to be cooking up would also be nice additions here. I rounded my pita bread out with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, some extra fresh parsley, and a few slivers of red onion.
If you give this grilled tofu gyros a try, let me know! Making it is as simple as firing up the grill, picking up some pita bread and House Foods tofu at the grocery store, and whisking together a simple marinade. I hope you enjoy this gyros minus the meat!
Grilled Tofu Gyros
Ingredients
For the vegan tzatziki:
For the savory grilled tofu:
- 1 16 oz. block House Foods extra-firm tofu
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
For the grilled tofu gyros:
- 4 pita breads
- vegan tzatziki (recipe above)
- savory grilled tofu (recipe above)
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced
- cooked French fries (optional)
Instructions
For the vegan tzatziki:
- Sprinkle the shredded cucumber with salt and place it in a colander to drain for 10-15 minutes.
- Stir together the yogurt, oil, garlic, salt, and vinegar in a bowl. Take the cucumber and squeeze out any more excess liquid using your hands or cheesecloth. Stir it into the mixture until well-incorporated. Finally, stir in the fresh dill. Season to taste and store cold.
For the savory grilled tofu:
- Open the tofu, drain liquid from the package, and then wrap it in a clean towel, placing a heavy object on top of it to press out excess liquid from it. (Or use a tofu press). Let the tofu press for 10-15 minutes.
- Preheat your grilling implement and make sure the grates are cleaned and well-seasoned with oil.
- Mix together all of the ingredients for the tofu marinade until smooth. Cut the tofu width-wise into 8 approximately-equal slices. Use a baking dish or a large plate to pour the marinade over the tofu slices, then turn them over to coat both sides.
- Grill the tofu pieces on an outside edge of the grill (don't use the hottest part; low-and-slow helps make the tofu a little chewier and crispier). Cook for 6-8 minutes per side, flipping halfway through. You want to see the tofu getting a little bit crisp on the outside with nice browning.
- If desired, brush the tofu with a little bit more of the extra marinade after cooking.
For the grilled tofu gyros:
- If desired, warm the pitas on the grill or however you prefer. Add two slices of tofu to each pita, along with plenty of lettuce, tomato, tzatziki, French fries if using, and any other toppings of choice. Enjoy hot.
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Megan says
SO GOOD. I marinaded overnight. I used a grainy mustard and added some chopped garlic. Will absolutely be making this again. Also really versatile, it could be great in any sandwich/wrap or a salad
Amy says
This tofu marinade is DELICIOUS!
Brennan Hackett says
Unreal good, my meat-based friends were thoroughly impressed and we were able to hit our protein goals with this recipe. Thanks for the share!
Rob says
Made these tonight and they were awesome!
Rachel says
Really good! I also pan fried and came out great. Nice flavors.
Coby Koester says
This was a huge hit on the 4th of July! I marinated overnight and grilled on a silicone mat. We had good friends over and I announced that they were Guinea pigs for tonight’s dinner. One friend had never had tofu. He kept saying this is so good! They asked for the recipe!!
I have always liked gyros but haven’t had one since I gave up meat 2 years ago. This is now a go to recipe that. We will have frequently!
Thanks for. Sharing!
Lulu says
Made this recipe a couple of times. It’s yummy! The flavors from the grill compliment the spices. I’ve come to use 1/2 the amount os soy sauce because when first time I followed the recipe I found it too slaty, and I use half the amount of tomato paste and add 1/2 a can of roasted tomatoes.
Vanessa says
Couldn’t BELIEVE how delicious this tofu is! Wow, I thought I would be making that tasted OK as an alternative to meat but I’d eat this just as soon as the “real thing”. It’s very wonderful in it’s own right. I can’t wait to try this marinade/sauce on other proteins as well. Going in the meatless Monday rotation!
somethingdelicious says
As the last comment said it “taste like the real thing!”
I used maybe 1/2 a can of diced roasted tomatoes ( because I didn’t have paste) and fresh garlic. Then blended the marinade and I marinated the tofu over night.
Put the tofu on the little smokey Joe I have and was really impressed with how the spices complimented the flavor from the grill. I guess making it “taste like the real thing!”
Tracey says
I just made this and it is definitely amazing! It is happy food for sure and I will be making it again, Yum and Wow!
Mathilde says
I’ve been eating this for 3 days straight and it is amazing! I was even told it tasted like “the real thing” because of the spices.
I’ve definitely making this regularly.
Anna says
Wow! This recipe is incredible! Honestly, tastes just like an authentic gyro, even without the meat. I made it for my non-vegetarian family with homemade pitas and they loved it! I didn’t feel like grilling, so I just pan-fried the tofu, but it still turned out wonderful. Thank you for this incredible recipe!
Lara O'Brady says
I made this on Sunday night for some friends. One friend told me, “This is excellent! I don’t like tofu so I was really worried when you told me that’s what we were having.” Great food was had by all. I did cut the tofu into smaller portions and cooked in a skillet with hot oil as I didn’t want to get out the grill.
Denise says
I’ve already made this 3 tines. My vegan friend loved it and it was nice that she was able to enjoy cook out food with all the meat eaters 😆❤️
Becky says
This was really tasty. Thank you.
Sid says
This was absolutely amazing and makes me want to go back to Greece. As a college student living in a cramped space, I “grilled” the tofu on a George Forman Grill and it worked perfectly. I also used Silk (soy) plain yogurt and the tzatziki turned out great! Then I subbed Spinach for lettuce since that’s what I had in the fridge. I am storing the rest of the tofu and tzatziki in the fridge to eat for lunches this week.
Jessica says
I just made the tofu part to go in some Greek salads. Yum! The tofu here is so versatile.
kim says
Just made this left out the fry ‘ s my first time grilling tofu it was great loved it
Great recipe will be a favorite for us.
Thank you for all your work so we folks can get the praise but I gave you the credit
Kimmi
Lynda says
This was fabulous! Even the non-vegetarians in the family enjoyed it. Paired it with Greek roasted potatoes. I will definitely make this again.
Dayna says
I made these tonight and they were so good. I don’t have a grill so I just used a saucepan. Thank you for the recipe! Hugs!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
No prob Dayna, glad you enjoyed it – and thank you for sharing that your modification was successful!
Barry Fraser says
Forget the Vegan Yogurt for Tzatziki, get some Aquafaba, Lemon Juice and Dijon Mustard in a blender then drizzle with oil till it reaches the right consistency. Mix with Chopped Cucumber, Dill and Salt.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thanks for the suggestion Barry! I do love aquafaba based dressings and it sounds delish. The yogurt does have a special tanginess to it though – I’m sure both options are great with these vegan gyros.
Barry Fraser says
If you add potatoes, sprinkle them with some Oregano and Salt. They do them that way in Greece, good on their own too.
Rejeanne says
These look super good. Making this for lunch one day this week. Thank you!