These Chicken-Fried Tofu Nuggets will blow you away and be your new favorite snack! Forget about fast food nuggets, you can make these healthier ones right at home. Brined and battered in spices, these vegan nuggets are just like your favorites!
Growing up as a picky eater meant that one of my go-to foods on a car trip was a chicken nugget meal from McDonald's or Chick-fil-a. I wanted to recreate that classic flavor and bite without having to buy pre-made vegan nuggets from the store. This recipe absolutely hits the spot!
This recipe mimics true fried chicken so well due to the way it is brined and battered! The spices in the pickle juice brine is similar to a brine used by Chick-fil-a. Additionally, we batter and dredge each piece of tofu twice (though once will still taste great) for that classically crispy exterior!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Tastes just like the real thing! Seriously, my meat-eater friends loved this recipe (and they don't even like tofu!)
- Your kids & picky eaters with love it! Since nuggets are a picky eater's favorite food, this will be a big hit with anyone.
- SO flavorful - There are a lot of spices and seasonings in this recipe for a good reason!
What You Need For This Recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Extra Firm Tofu - Be sure to get extra firm or super firm. This recipe will not turn out very good with firm or soft tofu.
- Dijon Mustard - Creamy dijon is used in both the marinade and the breading process.
- Pickle Juice - Used as a brine for the tofu!
- Hot Sauce - Add more for extra spice. The amount used here will not make the nuggets spicy.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Neutral Oil - For frying
- Spices - Red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne powder, smoked paprika.
Tools:
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Prepare the Tofu & Make the Marinade
Begin by removing the tofu from the packaging and draining the excess liquid.
Wrap the block of tofu in a clean kitchen towel (or lots of paper towels) and gently press out excess liquid from the block.
Once pressed, remove from towels. Using your hands, break the tofu block into roughly 12 1-inch pieces. Breaking this by hand helps form a nugget-like texture.
Make the marinade by combining the pickle juice with the hot sauce, 1 tablespoon of the dijon mustard, and red pepper flakes.
Add the tofu directly to this marinade. If you don't like the pickle-y brine as much, try searing the flat sides of the tofu nuggets before adding them to the marinade.
Let the tofu sit in the marinade for at least 30-minutes, or up to overnight.
Step 2: Dredge the Tofu
Once the tofu has marinated for at least 30 minutes, remove it from the marinade.
Get out two medium-sized mixing bowls.
In one, add the ½ cup of dijon mustard and mix that with about ¼ cup - ⅓ cup of water until the consistency is like that of heavy cream. This mixture is going to be the wet part of the dredge that would normally consist of eggs.
In the other bowl, add all-purpose flour, baking powder, and all remaining spices. Combine this thoroughly for the dry part of the dredge.
Lay out a plate to place the battered tofu nuggets on.
Grab one piece of tofu and dip it into the wet mustard mixture. Completely coat the piece of tofu. Then, remove it from the bowl and drop it into the flour and spices mixture. Completely coat, then move it back into the mustard mixture, then once more into the flour.
Place the dredged tofu piece on a separate plate.
Repeat this process of double coating for each piece of tofu.
Step 3: Fry the Tofu
In a heavy-bottomed pot (like a dutch oven or cast iron), heat about 1-inch deep of canola or vegetable oil.
To the side, set up a cooling rack with paper towels lined below the rack.
You can use a thermometer to know when the oil is ready by waiting until it reaches 350ºF. If you don't have a thermometer, just take a very small piece of batter and drop it into the oil. If it immediately begins to sizzle, it is probably ready.
Using a slotted spoon, tongs, a spatula, or even just a large fork, pick up a piece of battered and dredged tofu and slowly drop it into the hot oil.
Fry until completely golden-brown on all sides, about 3-5 minutes per piece.
Do this process with each piece of tofu, frying no more than 4 or 5 pieces at a time.
Step 4: Finishing Touches
Once fried, place each piece onto the cooling rack and immediately sprinkle salt on while it is still hot.
Let the tofu cool for about 3 minutes before eating.
Add to a plate or platter and serve with dips such as ketchup, ranch, or whatever else you like!
Expert Tips
- For spicier tofu nuggets, double the amount of cayenne in the flour and hot sauce in the brine!
- The enemy of a crispy nugget is water. To get the crispiest tofu, be sure to use the firmest tofu you can find and press as much liquid out of it as you can.
- For a less pickle-y flavor, sear the tofu before marinating. Or, substitute half of the pickle juice for rice vinegar.
- To prevent overly messy hands while breading the tofu, use a fork or use one hand for the wet mixture and another hand for the flour mix.
Recipe FAQs
This chicken fried tofu recipe can last up to a week in the fridge in an airtight container. However, it is likely that the tofu won't be as crispy anymore. To re-heat, I suggest using an air-fryer or an oven. These are best consumed the day of.
Yes and no. When frying, sautéing, or baking, tofu cooks very similarly to chicken. However, tofu usually needs more upfront work to get moisture out. On the other hand, consuming raw or undercooked tofu is not bad for you like it is with chicken, so cook times may vary.
Tofu is a healthier alternative to meat for those who are looking for low-fat, high-protein, low calorie foods.
If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also like:
Crispy Tofu With Honey Soy Glaze
Simple Vegan Sticky Orange Tempeh
Chicken-Fried Tofu Nuggets
Equipment
- Dutch oven or Cast Iron
- Mixing Bowls
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
Marinade Ingredients
- 1 package Extra firm tofu
- 1½ cups Pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon Hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
Breading Ingredients
- ½ cup Dijon Mustard
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon White pepper
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Cayenne powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- Canola or Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Begin by removing the tofu from the packaging and draining the excess liquid.
- Wrap the block of tofu in a clean kitchen towel (or lots of paper towels) and gently press out excess liquid from the block.
- Once pressed, remove from towels.
- Using your hands, break the tofu block into roughly 12 1-inch pieces. Breaking this by hand helps form a nugget-like texture.
- Make the marinade by combining the pickle juice with the hot sauce, 1 tablespoon of the dijon mustard, and red pepper flakes.
- Add the tofu directly to this marinade.
- Let the tofu sit in the marinade for at least 30-minutes, or up to overnight.
- Once the tofu has marinated for at least 30 minutes, remove it from the marinade.
- Get out two medium-sized mixing bowls.
- In one, add the ½ cup of dijon mustard and mix that with about ¼ cup - ⅓ cup of water until the consistency is like that of heavy cream.
- In the other bowl, add all-purpose flour, baking powder, and all remaining spices. Combine this thoroughly for the dry part of the dredge.
- Lay out a plate to place the battered tofu nuggets on.
- Grab one piece of tofu and dip it into the wet mustard mixture. Completely coat the piece of tofu.
- Then, remove it from the bowl and drop it into the flour and spices mixture. Completely coat, then move it back into the mustard mixture, then once more into the flour.
- Place the dredged tofu piece on a separate plate.
- Repeat this process of double coating for each piece of tofu.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot (like a dutch oven or cast iron), heat about 1-inch deep of canola or vegetable oil.
- To the side, set up a cooling rack with paper towels lined below the rack.
- You can use a thermometer to know when the oil is ready by waiting until it reaches 350ºF. If you don't have a thermometer, just take a very small piece of batter and drop it into the oil. If it immediately begins to sizzle, it is probably ready.
- Using a slotted spoon, tongs, a spatula, or even just a large fork, pick up a piece of battered and dredged tofu and slowly drop it into the hot oil.
- Fry until completely golden-brown on all sides, about 3-5 minutes per piece.
- Do this process with each piece of tofu, frying no more than 4 or 5 pieces at a time.
- Once fried, place each piece onto the cooling rack and immediately sprinkle salt on while it is still hot.
- Let the tofu cool for about 3 minutes before eating.
- Add to a plate or platter and serve with dips such as ketchup, ranch, or whatever else you like!
Notes
- For spicier tofu nuggets, double the amount of cayenne in the flour and hot sauce in the brine!
- The enemy of a crispy nugget is water. To get the crispiest tofu, be sure to use the firmest tofu you can find and press as much liquid out of it as you can.
- For a less pickle-y flavor, sear the tofu before marinating. Or, substitute half of the pickle juice for rice vinegar.
- To prevent overly messy hands while breading the tofu, use a fork or use one hand for the wet mixture and another hand for the flour mix.
- Nutrition Information is for 1 serving, which is 3 tofu nuggets. This recipe makes 12 nuggets for 4 total servings. Each individual nugget is about 121 calories.
- Calories: 364 cal
- Total Fat: 22.9 grams
- Total Carb: 23 grams
- Protein: 15 grams
Nutrition
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