Tofu Nuggets

Watch out, chicken nuggets; there's a better game in town! 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 this tofu nuggets recipe! Wait until you taste the sauce!

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, this tofu nuggets recipe was a hit, so I perfected my recipe to share! 

Jump to:

• How to Press and Marinate Tofu
• Tofu Nuggets Ingredients
• Tofu Nuggets Ingredient Substitutions
• Cooking Options
• Dipping Sauce Options
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Other Fabulous Tofu Recipes to Try
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

As many of you know, getting our families to eat plant-based is sometimes a struggle. But, since parents teach their children 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. I learned to veganize the foods they liked before going plant-based. 

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 several. 

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 Tofu

• It all begins with marinating the tofu in a simple marinade.
• The tofu needs to be pressed first unless 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 to make 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), 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! 

Tofu Nuggets Ingredients

• After marinating the tofu, it's time to get down and dirty. Although some people prefer to avoid getting 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 Three Different Bowls

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 an excellent binder for baking.
• Oat Milk and Dijon Mustard Bowl: Oat milk consists of steel-cut oats or whole groats soaked in water. 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. 

Tofu Nuggets Ingredient Substitutions

• Choose any flour available in the pantry.
• If following a gluten-free diet, choose gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs, and use tamari or liquid aminos in the tofu marinade.

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 the nuggets begin cooking while the remaining nuggets are coated. 
• Even though I air-fried the tofu nuggets, you can also bake them. 

Cooking Options

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 flour, oat milk, and breadcrumb 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

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 Sauce Options

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. 

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Marinating the tofu overnight gives it more depth of flavor.
• Cut the tofu pieces the same size so the tofu nuggets cook evenly.
• Use different herbs and seasonings to make unique flavor combinations.
• For a gluten-free tofu nuggets recipe, choose gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs.
• If the batch is cooking in the air fryer, keep the cooked nuggets crispy and hot by preparing a baking sheet and preheat an oven to 325 degrees while cooking the other batches.
• For kids, use cookie cutters and cut-out shapes of dinosaurs, hearts, or any shapes for a fun treat. However, choose similar sized cookie cutters.
• Instead of nuggets, cut sticks of tofu or place a wooden skewer through a tofu stick for tofu on a stick.
• Cut into larger pieces for a fried tofu sandwich.
• The easiest way to reheat leftover fried tofu is in the oven. To do this, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Dry the tofu by pressing a towel onto the surface to remove moisture and place the tofu on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Try these crispy tofu nuggets for lunch or dinner this week. Or, add them to the top of a salad or your favorite vegan bowl recipe.

Other Fabulous Tofu Recipes to Try

If you love this tofu nuggets recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!

📖 Recipe