Lemon tofu is an easy, everyday recipe you can make in 20 minutes with simple ingredients. First, we fry the tofu in a pan with olive oil, then coat it in a quick lemon and black pepper sauce.

This recipe is inspired by Italian lemon chicken. We replaced the chicken fillet with tofu slices, resulting in a delicious and nutritious meal that can be prepared in no time.

lemon tofu with kale

Check out our best tofu recipe collection!

One of the best perks of running a food blog is that we can experiment with food and develop new recipes never made before.

Tofu is one of our favorite ingredients to experiment with because of its neutral flavor and excellent nutritional properties.

If you follow our blog, you might have noticed that we use it in various ways, from Italian-inspired tofu cacciatore and quick fried tofu to Indian-inspired vegan butter chicken and tofu curry.

This lemon tofu recipe is an Italian-inspired one, where the tofu replaces chicken.

We first pan-fry the tofu with olive oil, then coat it in a creamy lemon black pepper sauce.

You can prep this in about 20 minutes with simple ingredients, so it’s perfect for a quick, tasty, and nutritious everyday dinner.

Lemon tofu with artichoke

Ingredients

Lemon tofu ingredients

Tofu

Use firm tofu or extra firm tofu. Soft or silken tofu won’t work for this recipe as the slices won’t hold together as you pan fry them.

Flour

All-purpose flour works best. We use it to coat the tofu cutlets before pan-frying them.

Olive oil

We recommend extra virgin olive oil; it has a richer and fruitier flavor and superior nutritional properties to most other refined oils.

Rosemary and Garlic

We use a couple of fresh rosemary sprigs and crushed garlic cloves to infuse the recipe with a delicate Italian aroma.

White wine

White wine adds acidity and flavor to the dish, and we use it to deglaze the pan after pan-frying the tofu. Of course, you can replace it with vegetable stock, but it won’t add the same acidity.

Lemon juice

We recommend freshly squeezed lemon juice from a ripe lemon so that the juice has a touch of sweetness.

Cornstarch

We use cornstarch to make a slurry (mixture of water and cornstarch) that will make the sauce creamy so that it’ll stick to the tofu.

Salt and pepper

We recommend sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for a more pronounced pepper aroma.

Serve it with

Lemon pepper tofu is excellent, with some greens on the side. We love it with sautéed kale, braised artichokes, sautéed green beans, a simple side salad, or roasted Brussels sprouts.

Lemon tofu with fork and kale

Instructions

Take the tofu out of the package, and drain it but don’t pat it dry. Instead, we keep the tofu wet, so it’s easier to make the flour stick.

Cut six tofu slices, each ¼ inch or ⅔ cm thin. We count three slices per person. You can double the recipe if you want to make more.

tofu cut into slices

Add flour to a plate, then coat the tofu slices on both sides by pressing them onto the flour.

The tofu should be slightly wet for the flour to stick, so don’t pat it dry.

coating the tofu with flour on a plate

Add oilcrushed garlic, and rosemary to a non-stick pan, then when the oil is warm, add the tofu slices.

On medium heat, fry the tofu for 3 minutes, then turn the slices around and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.

Remove garlic and rosemary after a couple of minutes, so they don’t burn.

pan frying the tofu with oil on a pan

Add white wine (or the vegetable broth) to the hot pan with the tofu, then let the wine cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Now lower the heat and squeeze in the juice of about ½ lemon.

While the tofu cooks, dissolve the cornstarch with 1/2 cup of water, then add the liquid to the pan with the tofu.

Move the tofu around until the liquid thickens and turns into a creamy lemon sauce.

pan fried tofu with lemon sauce

Finish cooking till the tofu is coated in the lemon sauce. It should take about another minute or two tops

Lemon tofu ready to serve

Serve with the sauce and some freshly ground pepper on top. Add some grated lemon zest and chopped parsley, and side it with your favorite veggies.

Lemon tofu with braised artichoke

Serving suggestions

Serve the lemon tofu with greens, white rice, or noodles. Adding a side of fresh or roasted vegetables makes it a complete and wholesome meal:

Serve as an addition to veggie-packed pasta dishes, for example:

Tips

  • Don’t burn the garlic: garlic and rosemary burn easily, so keep an eye on them and discard them as soon as you notice that they might burn.
  • Grate some lemon zest on top: if you love lemon, then you can grate some zest on top of the tofu before eating it. We love it this way, but some people might not like it, so it’s better to ask before adding more lemon.
  • Deglaze with white wine: deglazing means adding a cold liquid to a hot pan. In Italian cooking, it’s common to deglaze with wine. Wine adds acidity and umami to the dish, creating an irresistible bouquet of flavors and aromas.

Questions

Don’t I need to press the tofu before cooking it?

If you use firm or extra firm tofu, there is no need to press it. You are pressing tofu to remove water making the tofu dry.

Also, this is an everyday dinner recipe, and we made it so that you don’t have to spend 30 minutes of your evening pressing tofu.

Make Ahead & Storage

Make ahead: this is a quick recipe, and we don’t think it’s worth making it ahead of time.

Refrigerator: store leftovers in the fridge, on a plate covered with foil, or in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The sauce would have thickened up the next day, so don’t expect the same creaminess.

Freezer: lemon tofu is not suitable for freezing.

Reheat: we reheat this recipe in a microwave for 1.5 to 2 minutes.

More Tofu Recipes

If you enjoyed this easy tofu recipe, you might also enjoy these tasty tofu meals:

  • Tofu salad with fried, fresh greens and a smooth tahini sauce.
  • Cacciatore-style tofu in a rich tomato sauce with olives, capers, and fresh herbs.
  • Fried tofu: perfectly crisp and chewy, a great protein addition to salads!
  • Tofu Curry with a creamy and aromatic coconut base and a perfect Indian spice mix.
  • Vegan cream cheese: nut-free cream cheese in just 5 minutes.
  • Scrambled tofu: an excellent savory breakfast idea served with veggies and avocado.
  • Orange tofu in a sticky Asian-inspired sauce, best served with white rice and scallions.

More Lemon Recipes

Get fresh and tangy inspiration from these lemon-infused reader favorites:

For many more tofu ideas, check out our tofu category page.

lemon tofu on a white plate

Lemon Tofu

By: Nico Pallotta
5 from 17 votes
Lemon tofu is an easy, everyday recipe prepared in just 20 minutes with simple ingredients.
This recipe is inspired by Italian lemon chicken. The tofu is pan-fried and coated in a creamy and delicious lemon sauce. It's a simple and nutritious meal for a quick everyday dinner.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces tofu firm or extra firm
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ cup white wine or vegetable broth
  • ½ lemon the juice
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch + ½ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground

Instructions 

  • Take the tofu out of its package, drain it, but don't pat it dry.
    Cut the tofu into six slices, ¼ inch or ⅔ cm thin. We serve 3 slices per person.
    You can easily double this recipe if you want more.
    tofu cut into slices
  • Add flour to a plate, then coat the tofu slices on both sides.
    coating the tofu with flour on a plate
  • Add oil, crushed garlic, and rosemary to a non-stick pan.
    When the oil is hot, add tofu slices and fry them on medium heat for 3 minutes per side. Season with salt and black pepper on both sides.
    Remove garlic and rosemary if they start to burn.
    pan frying the tofu with oil on a pan
  • Add white wine, cook on medium heat for 2 minutes, then add the juice of half a lemon and lower the heat.
    In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in water to make a slurry, then add slurry to the pan.
    Move tofu around until the sauce thickens.
    pan fried tofu with lemon sauce
  • Cook for one more minute until the tofu is coated in a creamy lemon sauce.
    Lemon tofu ready to serve
  • Serve with fresh parsley and freshly ground black pepper and a side of your favorite veggies (see serving suggestions above).
    Optionally you can top it with grated lemon zest.
    Lemon tofu with braised artichoke

Video

Lemon Tofu is an easy 20-minute Dinner

Notes

Nutrition information is an estimate for one serving (3 slices) of lemon tofu out of two servings.
SUBSTITUTIONS
– White wine: substitute vegetable broth.
– Rosemary: substitute 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary for fresh rosemary.
– Garlic: substitute 1 teaspoon of garlic powder for fresh garlic.
– Olive oil: substitute any vegetable oil for extra virgin olive oil. Taste won’t be the same though.
MAKE AHEAD & STORAGE
– Make ahead: this is a quick recipe, and we don’t think it’s worth making it ahead of time.
– Refrigerator: store leftovers in the fridge, on a plate covered with foil, or in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The sauce would have thickened up the next day, so don’t expect the same creaminess.
– Freezer: lemon tofu is not suitable for freezing.
– Reheat: we reheat this recipe in a microwave for 1.5 to 2 minutes.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 365kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 17g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Potassium: 101mg, Dietary Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 11IU, Vitamin B6: 0.1mg, Vitamin C: 15mg, Vitamin E: 3mg, Vitamin K: 13µg, Calcium: 164mg, Folate: 11µg, Iron: 2mg, Manganese: 0.2mg, Magnesium: 10mg, Zinc: 0.2mg
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below or mention @theplantbasedschool on Instagram. We are also on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and TikTok.

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Nico and Louise in the kitchen

Hi! We are Nico & Louise

Welcome to The Plant-Based School, a food blog with easy, tasty, and wholesome recipes.

Our aim is to help you and your family eat more veggies through delicious recipes with simple ingredients.

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Recipe Rating




6 Comments

  1. This is the first recipe I have tried from you since I discovered you on IG. This was really so good and so easy to make.

    1. Hi Katherine,
      I’m really happy you enjoyed the tofu cutlets! Thank you for taking time to leave a comment, we’re delighted you found us 🙂
      Have a great rest of your week.
      Kindest,
      Louise

  2. 5 stars

    I’ve made this twice. It’s fab as is and so simple. Serve with a nice vegan risotto for a really “wow!” meal. The second time I made it though, I added a bit more garlic and found I liked it that way better. It’s all about personal taste though. Like I said, follow the directions and you’ll love it.

    1. Thank you so much Ani. We are very happy you liked it. And yes, you cannot go wrong with some extra garlic 🧄

    2. 5 stars
      Hello your recipes also simple and and tasty great job well done
      just want to ask which food processor you use thank you

      1. Hello Harprett, I’m very happy you like our recipes! Our food processor is Magimix and our blender is Vitamix. I hope that helps 🙂 Cheers, Nico