Stuff these crispy baked tofu nuggets in a sandwich, pile them on a salad, or dip them in your favorite sauce. These versatile little bites are delicious any way you eat them, and they're 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 tofu chicken nuggets. Since then a lot of folks have asked me if they could bake their nuggets. And while they answer is yes, you can (and you'll find instructions within the post for doing so), those nuggets are best when fried. I decided it was time to come up with a recipe for baked tofu nuggets done right!
A coating of vegan buttermilk batter and a panko crust are the keys to creating crispy, delicious tofu nuggets in the oven.
These nuggets are absolutely delicious, easy to make, and amazing in all kinds of dishes, from salads to sandwiches, and even all by themselves!
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Ingredients You'll Need
- All-purpose flour. Whole wheat flour also works!
- Non-dairy milk. Just about any variety will work, as long as it's unsweetened and unflavored. Read my guide to non-dairy milks if you need help choosing one.
- Red wine vinegar.
- Salt.
- Panko breadcrumbs. Regular breadcrumbs should work too — panko is usually the only variety I can find that's vegan, so it's what I use.
- Spices. We're adding some flavor to our nuggets with garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, and black pepper.
- Tofu. The recipe calls for super-firm tofu, because it's easy to work with and has a great texture. Extra-firm tofu works as an alternative, but you'll need to press your tofu before using it.
- Soy sauce. Tamari and liquid aminos will also work.
- Oil. You can skip this if you prefer to keep the recipe oil-free, but it will help to get your nuggets extra crispy. You only need a little bit! Brush it on or spray it on to help your coating brown and crisp.
How They're Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make baked tofu nuggets. Scroll down if you'd prefer to skip right to the recipe!
Start by gathering a bunch of bowls. You'll need to set up a few dipping stations for your nuggets.
First, place some flour into a small bowl. This is our first dipping station.
Next, whisk some non-dairy milk together with a bit more flour, red wine vinegar, and salt.
In another bow, stir together your panko breadcrumbs, spices, and salt.
And finally, in another bowl, place diced tofu with a tablespoon of soy sauce. Gently stir to coat the tofu in soy sauce.
Transfer the tofu cubes, a few at a time, to the bowl of flour. Gently roll them around to evenly dredge them in flour.
Transfer the flour coated tofu cubes to the batter, then carefully coat them in batter.
Finally, place the tofu cubes into the bowl with the panko mixture, rolling them around until they're coated. Be gentle, as the coating can easily clump and rub off.
Arrange the coated tofu cubes on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat the process until all of the tofu cubes are coated, then lightly spray or brush them with oil.
Pop your tofu cubes in the oven and bake them until they're crispy and lightly browned.
Your baked tofu nuggets are ready to enjoy! I like to serve mine with some vegan ranch dressing and barbecue sauce. Ketchup, mustard, vegan honey mustard, or vegan blue cheese are also great dipping sauce options!
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover tofu nuggets will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months. To reheat, first thaw them out if they're frozen, then place them in an oven at 400°F for 6 to 8 minutes, until they're hot and crispy.
More Tofu Recipes
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
Crispy Baked Tofu Nuggets
Stuff these crispy baked tofu nuggets in a sandwich, pile them on a salad, or dip them in your favorite sauce. These versatile little bites are delicious any way you eat them, and they're super easy to whip up!
Ingredients
For Dredging
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
For the Batter
- ⅔ cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Panko Coating
- 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Nuggets
- 1 (16 ounce/454 gram) package super-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes (Note 1)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Vegetable oil, for spraying or brushing (Note 2)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Place ½ cup of flour for dredging into a small bowl.
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In a separate small bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the batter.
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In another small bowl, stir together the ingredients for the panko coating.
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Place the tofu cubes into another small bowl, along with the soy sauce. Gently stir to coat the tofu with the soy sauce.
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Place a few tofu squares into the bowl with the flour. Carefully roll the tofu cubes around to dredge them in the flour.
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Transfer the tofu cubes to the bowl with the batter. Coat all sides of each cube with batter.
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Remove the tofu cubes from the bowl with the batter, gently shaking each one to remove any excess batter. Transfer each tofu cube to the panko coating and roll it around to coat.
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Transfer the tofu cubes to the baking sheet, arranging them in a single layer.
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Repeat the coating process until all of the tofu squares are coating and arranged on the baking sheet.
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Lightly spray or brush the tofu cubes with oil to coat the tops.
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Place the baking sheet into the oven. Bake the tofu nuggets for about 20 minutes, or until browned and crispy.
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Serve.
Recipe Notes
- Feel free to cut the tofu into larger or smaller pieces, if desired, or even different shapes such as triangles. Just keep in mind that you might need extra ingredients for coating the tofu if it's in smaller pieces, as the surface area will be greater.
- You can skip the oil if you prefer to cook without it. The nuggets won't brown as well and may be slightly less crispy.
Morgan L says
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!
Alissa Saenz says
Enjoy!!
Morgan says
Yep - they were delicious! Flavor was all the way through the little nugget. We all loved them.
Alissa Saenz says
Yay!! I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Betm says
Where doi find the original recipe with artichoke and chickpea
Thank you
Alissa Saenz says
Here it is: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegan-chicken-nuggets/
Brenda says
Any way to do this gluten free? Thanks!
Alissa Saenz says
Try subbing chickpea flour and gluten-free panko! I'd love to hear how it works out!
Pete says
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.
Alissa Saenz says
Thanks for the tip!
Hayley Morrin says
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 :)
Alissa Saenz says
I'm glad you enjoyed them!! Thanks Hayley!
Kathleen says
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! :)
Alissa Saenz says
I'm so glad they were a hit! Thanks Kathleen!
Jenna says
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!
Alissa Saenz says
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. :)
Megan says
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.
Alissa Saenz says
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.
Leah says
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?
Alissa Saenz says
You could mix up the batter and breading in advance. Just store them in sealed containers in the fridge. Enjoy!
Sheila says
Love this recipe. Do you have to press the extra firm/firm tofu?
Alissa Saenz says
Glad you like it! The only variety that I'd recommend skipping pressing would be super firm - the type that's vacuum packed.
Hilda Cummings says
Hi, I want to make these without the red wine vinegar due to allergies, what can I substitute it with?
Thank you
Alissa Saenz says
You could try another type of vinegar (I think malt would be good) or lemon juice.