Name: Tofu Nuggets
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 26 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 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; 1 cup chickpea flour or flour of choice; 1 cup oat milk; 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard; 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); 1/4 cup dijon mustard; 1 Tablespoon maple syrup

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 over time to share with you.

As many of you know, getting our families to eat plant-based is sometimes a struggle. Since we taught them how to eat badly in the first place, it's our job to undo the damage. 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. I must say 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. In fact, if you have little ones, it's a messy, fun time.

Pressing and marinating 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, but 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, I think 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 separate 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 fantastic binder for baking.
Oat Milk and Dijon Mustard Bowl: Oat milk consists of steel-cut oats or whole groats that are 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 idea tofu nugget coating.

First, take each tofu cube or nugget and cover all sides with flour, then submerge in the oat milk mixture, and finish in the bread crumb mixture, pressing 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 cooked, 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:

In the event 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.

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.

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

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!

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

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

Prepare the dredging bowls.

In one bowl, add the flour; set aside.
In the second bowl, whisk the oat milk and the dijon mustard until combined.
In the third bowl, combine the bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, and spices. Stir the ingredients.

Coating the tofu nuggets

One at a time, take a piece of marinated tofu and dredge it in the flour, coating all sides of each piece.
Then, dip the flour-coated pieces into the oat milk mixture.
Next, coat the flour and milk drenched tofu pieces into the bread crumb mixture.
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

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

Air-Frying

Set the air-fryer to 370 degrees
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.
Cook for 6 minutes.
Remove cooked nuggets and cook the second batch,
I was able to cook 10 nuggets at a time in my Go Wise Air-Fryer.

Baking

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

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Nutrition Information

Yield

6 servings

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 271Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 0mgSodium 365mgCarbohydrates 55gFiber 8gSugar 10gProtein 23g

Nutrition facts may not be 100% accurate.

Kathy Carmichael

Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂

www.kathysvegankitchen.com/about-me

Tofu Nuggets

Pressing and marinating the tofu before making the tofu nuggets.