Nashville Hot Tofu

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These Nashville hot tofu bites are juicy and flavorful on the inside, coated in a crispy crust, and smothered in a sweet-spicy sauce. Perfect for dipping, stuffing into sandwiches, or piling onto salads, they’re absolutely scrumptious and dangerously addictive!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Marinating Time30

Total Time1

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 457kcal

Author: Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package super-firm tofu, drained and patted dry, then cut into 1-inch cubes (or size and shape of choice)

For the Marinade

1 cup unsweetened and unflavored non-dairy milk
¼ cup dill pickle juice
¼ cup hot sauce (Note 1)

For the Sauce

¼ cup vegan butter, melted
¼ cup hot sauce (preferably the same variety used in the marinade)
3 tablespoons organic brown sugar
1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste (Note 2)

For the Breading

¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

For Frying

Vegetable oil

For Serving (Optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the marinade, stir the milk, pickle juice, and hot sauce together in a shallow dish. Add the tofu cubes and gently stir to coat the tofu. Let the tofu marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. Be sure to cover the dish and place it in the fridge if marinating for longer than 2 hours.
Stir the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl or cup, until the brown sugar completely dissolves. Set this aside.
Whisk the breading ingredients together in a medium bowl.
Very generously coat the bottom of a medium or large skillet with the oil and place it over medium heat. The oil should be about ⅛-inch deep.
While the oil heats up, take a few tofu cubes out of the marinade and add them to the bowl with the breading. Gently roll the tofu cubes around to evenly coat them with the breading.
Once the oil begins to shimmer, start removing the tofu cubes from the breading, one at a time, shaking off any excess breading mixture, then placing the tofu into the skillet. Continue coating and adding tofu cubes, placing them in an even layer so they're not touching. Fry them in batches if needed, for about 4 minutes on each side, until golden and crispy. Add oil to the skillet between batches if needed.
Transfer the tofu to a plate when it comes out of the skillet.
Once all of the tofu has finished cooking, drizzle the tofu with the sauce to coat it, or place it into a bowl and gently toss it. You'll have a bit more sauce than you need.
Serve immediately with extra sauce and any additional accompaniments on the side.

Notes

Use whatever hot sauce you like, but keep in mind that the dish includes a lot of it, so it can get quite spicy. I like brands like Cholula and Crystal for this recipe, which will give it a mild kick. Valentina is very flavorful but even milder. Sriracha will make it a bit hotter, and Tobasco will give you a very spicy dish.
Reduce or even omit the cayenne pepper if you'd like the dish to be milder.

Nutrition