Jamaican Jerk Tofu is easy to prepare

This post was originally published as Jamaican Jerk Tofu by Laurel on Health Food blog.

Yesterday I was craving some spice in my life, so I made Jamaican jerk tofu served over brown rice and vegetables. This healthy dish packs a serious spicy punch and is easy to prepare, especially if you use a store-bought jerk marinade like I did. If you’re not into tofu, you could substitute chicken or extra vegetables.

Jamaican Jerk Tofu
(makes 4 servings)

Jamaican Jerk Tofu served over sautéed vegetables and brown rice

1 cup brown rice
2 cups water
Extra firm tofu (about 14 oz.)
1 cup jerk seasoning marinade
1 small habanero pepper, seeds and stem removed (optional)
3 cloves garlic
1 lg. green bell pepper
1 lg. yellow onion
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 handful fresh cilantro
2 green onions
Salt & pepper
Soy sauce

Put the brown rice and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Stir once then cover with a lid and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 50 minutes, then remove lid and fluff with a fork. Set aside.

Cut the tofu into long pieces, about 1/2 inch thick. Lay them out on a paper towel lined sheet pan and cover with more paper towels. Lightly press down with your hands or a flat plate to help remove liquid. When most of the excess liquid is gone, remove tofu from the pan and put in a bowl. Combine jerk seasoning marinade, garlic cloves, and habanero pepper in a food processor and blend until completely smooth. Pour the marinade on top of the tofu in the bowl and make sure all sides are covered. Marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (a couple hours or more is ideal).

Meanwhile, chop up the bell pepper, onion, and grape tomatoes into big bite-sized pieces. Set aside. Heat up a grill pan or sauté pan over medium high heat and cook the tofu for about 4-5 minutes per side until they are dark golden brown. Remove cooked tofu from the pan, reduce heat to medium, and add in the bell pepper and onion. Stir vegetables around in the pan to coat them in any leftover marinade seasoning from the tofu. Once the onions and bell peppers begin to soften, add in the grape tomatoes and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir and sauté for another minute or two. Remove from heat.

Scoop the brown rice into four bowls. Top with the sautéed vegetables. Cut the grilled tofu into smaller strips or cubes and add it to the bowls on top of the veggies. Chop up fresh cilantro and green onions and sprinkle on top of each bowl. Serve warm with soy sauce at the table to garnish.

Sautéed green peppers, onions, and tomatoes

Jerk-seasoned tofu cooking in the grill pan

Tip 1: I used a store-bought jerk seasoning marinade with all natural ingredients to save time and money on a weeknight dinner. Feel free to make your own marinade if you have the time! Tip 2: Habanero peppers are VERY HOT, so be careful if you’ve never used them before. I love the spicy flavor of this dish, but if you’re not used to a lot of heat, then consider leaving out the habanero pepper and serve the dish with hot sauce on the side. Tip 3: I like to cook my tofu in big pieces so it’s easier to turn in the pan. When it’s done cooking, I just quickly chop it into smaller pieces on my cutting board.