Stuff these crispy baked tofu nuggets in a sandwich, pile them on your favorite salad, or dip them in your favorite sauce. These versatile little bites are delicious any way you eat them, and super easy to whip up!
There’s just something about crispy breaded finger food. And okay, I’ll admit that I like it best fried, but it’s not about the grease because I love my crispy baked snacks too.
A couple of years ago I shared a recipe for a veganized version of chicken nuggets, and you guys loved it. But I get two questions over and over: (1) “Can these be baked?” and (2) “What can I substitute for the artichoke hearts and/or chickpeas?”
I wasn’t happy with how those nuggets turned out baked. And as far as substitutions are concerned, I wasn’t sure because I hadn’t tried any. I finally decided to knock out both issues in one fell swoop, with these tofu nuggets!
I love my old nuggets, but these suckers have a couple of advantages. Obviously, there’s the no frying thing. A crispy panko crust does the trick in this recipe. And then there’s the fact that you don’t need to stuff your food processor with artichoke hearts, chickpeas, and a bunch of other things. Tofu is virtually ready to go!
Less ingredients, and fewer steps. Sounds like a winner to me.
You’ll be double dipping little tofu squares to get the perfect coating. First, in a batter made mainly of non-dairy milk, some flour and flax. The flax provides the sticky (okay, slimy) element needed to adhere the panko coating to the nuggets, while the flour thickens it up just a bit. It should be just about the consistency of an egg white.
Then you’ll dredge the nuggets in the seasoned panko coating.
Spray them lightly with oil, place on parchment paper, and bake to crispy deliciousness.
Tips for Making Delicious Crispy Baked Tofu Nuggets…
- Can you skip the oil? Yes, but the nuggets won’t brown very much if you do. A little bit of fat is needed for that.
- For an extra flavorful twist, use your favorite marinated tofu instead of plain. No need to press it if you do this!
- Experiment by switching up the spices in the panko coating with your favorites.
- Reheat any leftover tofu nuggets by placing them under a broiler for a few minutes.
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Crispy Baked Tofu Nuggets
Stuff these crispy baked tofu nuggets in a sandwich, pile them on your favorite salad, or dip them in your favorite sauce. These versatile little bites are delicious any way you eat them, and super easy to whip up!
Ingredients
For the Batter
- 2/3 cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour (or all-purpose)
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Panko Coating
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Nuggets
- 1 (14 ounce) package extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
- Oil mister or cooking spray
Instructions
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In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the batter. Allow the mixture to sit for at least 10 minutes.
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While the batter rests, stir together all ingredients for the panko coating.
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Cut the tofu block in half, lengthwise, then slice each half into 8 squares of equal thickness.
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Preheat the oven to 425° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Place one of the tofu squares into the batter, and roll it around to coat.
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Transfer the tofu to the panko coating and roll it around to coat.
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Transfer the tofu square to the baking sheet.
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Repeat until all of the tofu squares are coating and arranged on the baking sheet.
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Spray the tofu squares with oil to coat the tops.
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Bake for 10 minutes.
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Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Carefully flip the squares, and spray again with oil to coat.
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Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake 10 minutes more, until browned and crispy.
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Serve.
This is happening tonight. Perfect recipe! I’ll post the five stars that I know it’s going to be after I make them. Thank you for another perfect recipe!
Enjoy!!
Yep – they were delicious! Flavor was all the way through the little nugget. We all loved them.
Yay!! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Where doi find the original recipe with artichoke and chickpea
Thank you
Here it is: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegan-chicken-nuggets/
Any way to do this gluten free? Thanks!
Try subbing chickpea flour and gluten-free panko! I’d love to hear how it works out!
You can also use chia seeds soaked in water for 10 minutes as your batter. You will have to sort of smear the spread onto the tofu to make it stick rather than dipping it in to get it to stick. Using the method I’m mentioned I had to bake 10 mins/side about 3x to get a crispy nugget. I’m using this posted recipe today (with an actual batter) seeking a crispier nugg.
Thanks for the tip!
I’m a pretty new vegan and while I’m not new to cooking, I’m new to cooking a lot of some of these vegan ingredients and also cooking 100% vegan meals, snacks and treats. I’ve never cooked tofu before, but I found this recipe on pinterest and wanted to try it since I know how tofu is a good protein alternative for vegetarians & vegans. I forgot to ‘press’ the tofu for this recipe (oops), but it still turned out pretty well! I quite liked this recipe with a side of fries as a mock ‘chicken nuggets & fries’ – I look forward to cooking more with tofu & more from your blog in the future :)
I’m glad you enjoyed them!! Thanks Hayley!
Great recipe! Kids and hubby loved it too. I looked at a few recipes but really liked that your batter didn’t have oil in it. We are new to whole food / plant based diet and this was a great starter recipe. Thank you so much! :)
I’m so glad they were a hit! Thanks Kathleen!
Is there anyway to do this without panko and flaxseed? Want to make for a stir fry but broke college student with limited supplies! was thinking just almond milk and flour. Thank you!
Can you use cornstarch? If so, try cooking the tofu using the method in this recipe: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/teriyaki-tofu/ It’s actually much simpler than the nuggets and perfect for pretty much any type of stir-fry. :)
Do you think I could freeze these? I’ve never tried freezing anything with tofu. But I’m just thinking that these might be a nice alternative to store bought vegan nuggets and I love the convenience of being able to get them out of the freezer for a quick snack.
I haven’t tried freezing them, but I think it would work! If they need some recrisping you could probably stick them under the broiler for a few minutes.
I’m hosting a summer comfort food ladies’ night which this seemed great for. I’ll be a bit pressed for time on the day of, though. I don’t want to make the full nugget in advance and lose out on the freshness and crispiness, but it would be helpful to be able to cut down on the prep time. Any way to expedite the recipe, or do prep work in advance, other than pressing tofu?
You could mix up the batter and breading in advance. Just store them in sealed containers in the fridge. Enjoy!