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tofu in a white bowl.

Chicken Fried Tofu (Vegan)

This Chicken Fried Tofu will blow you away and be your new favorite snack! Brined and battered in spices, these vegan nuggets are just like the original!
4.86 from 7 votes
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Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 336kcal
Author: Emily

Equipment

  • Dutch oven or Cast Iron
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Cooling rack

Ingredients

Marinade Ingredients

  • 1 package Super firm tofu the vacuum-sealed, high protein tofu works best
  • 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
  • Grapeseed or canola oil for frying, at least 1-2 inches deep.

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! 

Video

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

Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 2507mg | Potassium: 311mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 429IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 5mg
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