How To Make Vegan Popcorn Chicken Using Tofu + Dipping Sauce Recipe!

Kathy's Vegan Kitchen is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read more here.

When I tried to get my kids to love vegan food, tofu nuggets became a staple at my house. Did I tell them they were eating tofu? Nope! Had they known the ingredients in a chicken nugget, I don't think they would have been thrilled either. Yet, tofu nuggets were a hit, so I perfected my recipe to share with you over time. 

As many of you know, getting our families to eat plant-based is sometimes a struggle. But, since we taught them how to eat poorly in the first place, it's our job to undo the damage. So, when I transitioned to a vegan diet, I brought my family along....kicking and screaming. So, I learned to veganize the foods they liked before going plant-based. 

Now, I'm fortunate they continue to eat a healthy plant-based diet as adults and have even brought a few people along on the vegan train. It makes holidays much more fun cooking one meal instead of two. 

Not only are tofu nuggets yummy, but they are also oil-free, gluten-free, and effortless to make. If you have little ones, it's a messy, fun time. 

How to press and marinate the tofu before making the tofu nuggets.

It all begins with marinating the tofu in a simple marinade. The tofu needs to be pressed first unless, of course, you use sprouted tofu, which doesn't require any pressing. Otherwise, I suggest using extra-firm tofu; the more firm, the better.

If Pressing the Tofu for making tofu nuggets, I suggest using an inexpensive tofu press; I like the EZ-Tofu Press.

Once the tofu is pressed, cut the tofu lengthwise, making two large slabs of tofu. Then, put the tofu into bite-sized, equal cubes. 

Next, marinate the tofu in a simple marinade with soy sauce (or tamari), a touch of maple syrup, and some liquid smoke. I prefer marinating overnight, so the tofu absorbs as much of the marinade as possible, but a few hours will suffice. 

The next step is the fun, messy part! 

Assembling the ingredients for tofu nuggets...

After marinating the tofu, it's time to get down and dirty. Although some people don't like to get messy in the kitchen, this is the fun part. 

If you have small children or grandchildren, they LOVE helping in the kitchen, and this is the perfect place to introduce them to healthy eating. 

Prepare the bowls of goodies:

Since the tofu is already wet with marinade, prepare three bowls for dredging and dipping. 

• Chickpea Flour Bowl: Any flour works, but I like chickpea or garbanzo bean flour because it's naturally dense, with a stickier texture than all-purpose flour when added to liquids. Because of these traits, it makes a great binder for baking.
• Oat Milk and Dijon Mustard Bowl: Oat milk consists of steel-cut oats or whole groats soaked in water. I think it's thicker than other plant-based milk. Whisked with dijon mustard, oat milk is perfect for dredging. But, any plant milk works well. 
• Bread Crumb, Nutritional Yeast, Seasoning Bowl: A combination of bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika makes the ideal tofu nugget coating. 

First, take each tofu cube or nugget and cover all sides with flour, submerge in the oat milk mixture, finish in the bread crumb mixture, and press the tofu nuggets lightly into the crumb mixture on all sides. 

Since air-frying needs to be done in batches, half the tofu nuggets are coated, and begin cooking the nuggets while the remaining nuggets are coated. 

Even though I air-fried the tofu nuggets, you can also bake them. 

Air-frying or baking tofu nuggets...both options create crunchy nuggets every time.

Air-frying:

To air-fry, the tofu nuggets set the air-fryer at 370 degrees for 6 minutes. Be sure, however, to make a single layer, so the nuggets don't stick together. 

While the first batch of nuggets cooks, prepare the remaining tofu nuggets by dipping them in the four oat milk and bread crumb mixture. 

Because it only takes 6 minutes to cook each batch (two batches), the tofu nuggets stay warm, but they can also be kept warm in a 325-degree oven if you prefer them extra hot. 

Additionally, the nuggets can be made ahead of time and reheated in the oven or microwave and keep their crunchy exterior. 

Baking Tofu Nuggets:

If you don't have an air-fryer, baking is also an option. 

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
• Prepare all the tofu nuggets and place them a few centimeters apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Bake for 20 minutes, flipping the nuggets over halfway through cooking.

Dipping tofu nuggets

I made a maple dijon dipping sauce with dijon mustard and maple syrup for this batch of nuggets. But, my kids love a variety of healthy vegan dipping sauces for tofu nuggets.

• Vegan Ranch Dressing
• Mustard Dipping Sauce
• Blackberry Vinaigrette Recipe
• Thousand Island Dressing
• Southwest Dressing
• Vegan French Dressing

 

Regardless of your dipping choice, when you bite into the nugget, the outside's crunch, followed by the yummy delicate inside, makes tofu nuggets disappear from the plate in minutes. 

FAQs

Can I cook tofu like chicken?

• Yes, you can cook tofu like chicken. Extra-firm tofu has a shallow moisture content, making it "taste like chicken." It is mainly used as a meat substitute in several vegetarian dishes, especially in Asian countries.

How do I make tofu not taste like tofu?

• To make tofu not taste like tofu, press the tofu firmly and marinate overnight before cooking. It absorbs the flavors of any marinade like a sponge. Then, air-fry, bake, grill, or stir fry. 

Here are some other healthy, vegan recipes my kids love...

• Coney Chili Sauce...The Real Deal
• Crunchwrap Supreme Recipe
• Corn Dogs
• Vegan Enchilada Casserole
• Walnut Meat Tacos
• Steak Fries - Crispy Air Fryer Steak Fries Recipe
• French Onion Dip
• Sweet Potato Chips
• Cajun Pasta
• Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Vegan Recipes for Kids

Yield: 6 servings

Tofu Nuggets

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 6 minutes

Total Time: 26 minutes

Tofu nuggets are a party in your mouth. Air-fried or baked, these bite-sized nuggets are a perfect entree or snack. They are so easy to make and even easier to eat! The kids LOVE them! And wait until is taste the sauce!

Print

Ingredients

Tofu/Marinade

• 1 14 ounces package of sprouted or extra-firm tofu. (If using sprouted, pressing isn't necessary). If using extra-firm tofu, press.
• 3 Tablespoons Soy sauce (or tamari for a gluten-free option)
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke

Flour Bowl

• 1 cup chickpea flour or flour of choice

Oat Milk/Dijon Bowl

• 1 cup oat milk
• 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard

Bread Crumb Mixture

• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 3 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt (optional)

Maple Dijon Dipping Sauce

• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Instructions

Prepare the tofu

1. Cut tofu in half, making two large slabs.
2. Then cut into identical bite-sized cubes (approximately 20 nuggets)
3. Place all the cut tofu pieces into a container.
4. Whisk the marinade ingredients together and pour over the tofu pieces.
5. Seal the container, and turn it gently, to coat all the tofu pieces with the marinade.
6. Place in the refrigerator overnight or for a few hours minimally.

Prepare the dredging bowls.

1. In one bowl, add the flour; set aside.
2. Whisk the oat milk and the dijon mustard in the second bowl until combined.
3. Combine the bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, and spices in the third bowl. Stir the ingredients.

Coating the tofu nuggets

1. One at a time, take a piece of marinated tofu and dredge it in the flour, coating all sides of each piece.
2. Then, dip the flour-coated pieces into the oat milk mixture.
3. Next, coat the flour and milk-drenched tofu pieces into the bread crumb mixture.
4. Place each tofu nugget on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat or in the base of the air-fryer (if using an air fryer)

Maple Dijon Dipping Sauce

1. In a small bowl, combine maple syrup and dijon mustard.
2. Whisk or stir together.

Air-Frying

1. Set the air-fryer to 370 degrees
2. Based on the air-fryer base's size, place as many nuggets in the air-fryer, leaving a space between each nugget to avoid sticking.
3. Cook for 6 minutes.
4. Remove cooked nuggets and cook the second batch,
5. I was able to cook 10 nuggets at a time in my Go Wise Air-Fryer.

Baking

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
3. Cook tofu nuggets for 10 minutes; flip each nugget over and cook for another 10 minutes.

Notes

Other sauce options

• Vegan Ranch Dressing
• Mustard Dipping Sauce
• Blackberry Vinaigrette Recipe
• Thousand Island Dressing
• Southwest Dressing
• Vegan French Dressing

 

Nutrition Information

Yield

6 servings

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 271Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 0mgSodium 365mgCarbohydrates 55gFiber 8gSugar 10gProtein 23g

Nutrition facts may not be 100% accurate.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest