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a bowl of tofu nuggets

Buffalo Tofu Nuggets (VEGAN Chicken Nuggets!)


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5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Maryea
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 30 nuggets 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

These tofu nuggets are incredibly delicious and versatile. You can use them in salads as a snack or side-dish, fill a wrap, o chopped to serve some tacos. Texture-wise they are crispy, crunchy, but tender on the inside. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 16oz firm tofu
  • ⅓ cup corn starch
  • ¼ cup any non-dairy milk
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • ¼ cup oil, for cooking

For the Homemade Buffalo Sauce

  • ½ cup vegan butter, melted
  • ½ cup hot sauce
  • 2 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (check it is vegan friendly, if necessary)
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400F and grease a baking tray with oil.
  2. Chop your tofu into bite-size pieces, irregular pieces will resemble more the chicken appearance, but you can also do sticks or cubes.
  3. Prepare three small bowls with the following ingredients combined: one with 1/3 cup cornstarch, one with non-dairy milk, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teasppoon garlic powder, and one with panko breadcrumbs and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. 
  4. Now, you’ll need to coat each piece of tofu with cornstarch, then with the non-dairy milk mixture and finally with panko mixture. It is essential to cover tofu evenly in each layer for a very crispy nugget.
  5. Place nuggets on the prepared baking tray. Drizzle some oil on top of them to get nice and golden nuggets.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes at 400F, or until nuggets and golden brown and crispy.
  7. To make the homemade buffalo sauce, melt butter in the microwave for 45 seconds. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine.
  8. Place nuggets in a medium bowl and toss them with the homemade buffalo sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Cornstarch can be replaced with tapioca starch or chickpea flour. The chickpea flour provides a different taste, though.
  • If you’d like to make this recipe gluten-free, you can replace panko breadcrumbs with almond flour. It won’t be as crispy but still very delicious.
  • To get the best out of this recipe, I advise you to choose good-quality vegan butter.
  • To make the buffalo sauce hotter, add ¼ tsp of cayenne pepper.
  • These nuggets can be either baked, pan-fried, or you can use your air fryer. You can choose your favorite way!
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: recipes
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 7-8 nuggets
  • Calories: 528
  • Sugar: 6.2 g.
  • Sodium: 1604.2 mg.
  • Fat: 32.4 g.
  • Carbohydrates: 44.9 g.
  • Fiber: 3.8 g.
  • Protein: 15 g.