Crispy, extremely flavorful, vegan chicken nuggets made from tofu. This recipe is layered with flavor and crunch.
Gone are the days for baked, dry, tasteless tofu recipes. I’ve had my fair share of those dishes. I want something that will satisfy my craving for crispy, fried foods and I think this dish hits the spot.
This fried crispy tofu is layered with flavor from the tofu marinade to the outer crispy coating.
Pair it with some ketchup (or Chick-fil-a sauce) and you have yourself the perfect comfort food.
The trick to an ultra flavorful tofu nugget? Marinate that soybean block overnight.
To enhance the flavor the tofu is first seared until golden brown in a bit of oil.
It’s then marinated overnight in a mixture of soy sauce, smoked sweet paprika, crushed garlic, onion powder, sugar, and water.
The tofu is then coated in a breadcrumb mixture of flour, panko, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
The crucial step? Deep frying these nuggets. Nope we aren’t baking them. You can if you want to reduce the added oil, but for the perfect flavor profile I highly suggest deep frying them.
Substitutions:
Flour -> gluten-free flour
Breadcrumbs -> gluten-free breadcrumbs or cornflakes
Sugar (in the marinade) -> maple syrup
The least amount of time I would suggest marinading it is about 3 hours. The longer the better (overnight)!
These Tofu Chick’n Nuggets are…
- Smoky, salty, and meaty
- Ultra crispy
- Simple and easy
- Oh so delicious!
Crispy, extremely flavorful, vegan chicken nuggets made from tofu. This recipe is layered with flavor and crunch.
- 14 oz. extra-firm tofu
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- Vegetable oil
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Cut tofu into small rectangles (or any shape you desire). Heat ½ tsp of oil in a large nonstick skillet. Sear both sides of the tofu pieces until golden brown.
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Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a shallow tupperware. Place tofu in the container and spread them evenly apart. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
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Whisk together breadcrumbs, flour, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add about ½ inch of oil into the bottom of a wide shallow pot. Preheat to 350°F. Coat tofu in breadcrumb mixture and cook several pieces at a time in the oil making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Cook on both sides until deep golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel. Repeat with all tofu pieces.
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Serve tofu chick'n nuggets with desired sauce. To store, freeze leftovers.
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