The Best Crunchy Tofu Nuggets (GF)
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 14 ounces tofu, extra firm (350 grams)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ - 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, coarse ground
- 1 tablespoon oil (optional)
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Crusting station
- 4-5 cups potato chips, crushed
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs (gf if preferred)
- ½ teaspoon paprika (for color)
- 1 tablespoon dry parsley or chives
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil (optional).
- Prepare the tofu: While the tofu is pressing (see notes), prepare the tofu marinade and breading mixture. Then cut/break the tofu into ~1" cubes/chunks or ½" thick batons (see photos).
- Marinate the tofu: Measure the marinade ingredients (soy sauce to nutritional yeast - not cornstarch) into a large mixing bowl. Add the tofu pieces and shake the bowl or toss until well combine. Let the tofu soak up the marinade for about 5 minutes while you prepare the tofu coating.
- Prepare the crunchy coating: Pulse the potato chips in a food processor* until ground with a few chunks. For extra color on your nuggets, add ½ teaspoon paprika before blending the chips. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the panko breadcrumbs and dry parsley or chives. Mix until combined.
- Coat the tofu: Sprinkle the cornstarch over the marinated tofu pieces and shake or toss until the tofu is sticky. Working with 2 or 3 tofu pieces at a time, coat the tofu in the breading mixture, pressing it into all sides (see photos). Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet with space between.
- Bake the tofu: Reduce oven temperature to 400º F and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and crispy (the cook time will vary depending on the size of the tofu pieces). Flip after 15 minutes. Cook for longer to taste.
- While the tofu is baking, make one (or several) dipping sauces. This is a super popular appetizer at parties!
Notes
How to press tofu: Press the extra firm tofu while you prepare the tofu marinade and the chip-panko mixture. Wrap the block of tofu in some paper towels or a kitchen towel then stack on a few heavy cookbooks or cast iron pan.
Cutting the tofu: Cut the tofu into batons (like a fish stick) or cut/break the tofu into bite-site pieces (~1") similar to a chicken nugget.
Tofu marinade: For a lighter (less salty) marinade, swap out the soy sauce for plant milk or do half and half. Let the tofu soak up the marinade for 5 minutes before adding the cornstarch. Toss well to incorporate - this will make the marinade sticky. Be sure to get all the marinade by dragging the tofu nuggets along the sides and bottom of the bowl (tons of flavor!) before breading them.
Make it spicy or not: Sub in sriracha or buffalo sauce instead of sambal oelek (add more or less to suit your taste). Although the heat is mild, skip altogether if you're not a fan or if you're making vegan nuggets for the kids!
Play with spice: Add some KFC seasoning, lemon pepper or taco seasoning or any other flavor you enjoy! There's lots of room to customize.
Storage: I mean, there are never any leftovers at our house, but if you're lucky enough to have some leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days.