Golden and crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. This Crispy Fried Tofu Recipe is the ultimate plant-based protein! The texture and flavor will remind you of chicken nuggets but without any animal products. Tofu is a lean and healthy vegan protein that is so versatile. Serve these golden nuggets on their own as a delicious snack or along with one of your favorite plant-based meals.
Fried Tofu Ingredients
- Milk: To keep this recipe vegan, I recommend using plain and unsweetened almond or oat milk in this recipe. If you are not vegan or dairy-free , you can use regular milk.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used to thicken the wet mixture used before dipping the tofu in the dredge.
- Flour: To make our crispy fried tofu dredge, use regular or gluten-free all purpose flour.
- Bread Crumbs: Mix regular or gluten-free bread crumbs with the flour to make the tofu dredge. Be careful to check your bread crumbs for dairy (such as butter or milk powder) if you are avoiding dairy.
- Tofu: In this crispy fried tofu recipe, we use extra firm tofu.
- Spices: A blend of garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper come together to make the perfect fried tofu seasoning.
- Oil: I recommend using either olive oil or avocado oil as they have a higher burn point when frying or heating at high temperatures.
How To Make Fried Tofu
Step 1: Slice your tofu into bite sized pieces and paper towels to soak up the excess water. Alternately, if you have a tofu press - you can use that to soak up the water. The dryer the tofu, the crispier it will get when frying.
Step 2: In one bowl, mix the almond milk and cornstarch together. In another bowl, mix the flour, bread crumbs, and seasonings together. Dip the tofu pieces into the wet mixture and then immediately dip into the dry dredge. Set aside until ready to fry.
Step 3: Fry the tofu in oil until crisp on both (all) sides. Set on a paper towel lined plate to dry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Soaking the tofu in plant-based milk and cornstarch helps create a crispy crunchy texture and allows the flour and bread crumbs to stick to the tofu more evenly. Frying the tofu in hot oil gives it that lovely golden brown texture.
You should need no more than a couple of minutes on each side.
I recommend adding this fried tofu to my famous Vegan Alfredo Pasta, using it in lieu of the tempeh in this Vegan Caesar Salad Recipe or just serve it on it's own or with rice, and a side of veggies! (or with ketchup or your favorite nugget dipping sauce!)
Fried Tofu Recipe
Equipment
- medium sized skillet
Ingredients
The Perfect Crispy Fried Tofu Ingredients
- 1 cup plain unsweetened oat milk or almond milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup regular or gluten-free all purpose flour
- ½ cup regular or gluten-free bread crumbs
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
Instructions
The Perfect Crispy Fried Tofu Instructions
- Begin by slicing your tofu into bite sized 1-inch pieces. Then, use paper towels to soak up the excess water from the tofu. Soak as much of the water up as you can. The dryer the tofu, the crispier it will get when frying.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the milk and cornstarch together. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, bread crumbs, and garlic powder. Dip each piece of tofu in the almond milk mixture and then toss in the flour mixture.
- Bring a medium skillet with olive oil to medium heat. Add the tofu to the skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side until both sides are golden. Repeat until you've used all of the tofu, adding more oil as needed for frying.
- Remove the tofu from the oil and set onto a paper towel to dry and soak up the excess oil. Serve warm.
Nutrition
The recipes on Peanut Butter and Jilly can easily be adapted to fit a vegan lifestyle, a gluten-free lifestyle, or both depending on the ingredients you use. Please review the ingredients lists carefully and refer to our recommendations in the Notes of the recipe card to make this recipe compatible with your needs. Nutrition information provided is an estimate, and will vary based on specific brands of ingredients used and cooking methods.
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