Vegan Chicken Nuggets

5 from 6 votes

These vegan chicken nuggets aka tofu nuggets are crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside. Tofu pieces are battered and rolled in a seasoned crumb coating and baked to crispy perfection.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Pressing Tofu30

Total Time1 10

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 374kcal

Author: Alison Andrews

Ingredients

16 ounces Firm Tofu (450g) or Extra Firm

Batter:

1 cup Soy Milk (240ml) or other non-dairy milk
¾ cup All Purpose Flour (93g)
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1 Tablespoon Vegan Chicken Spice or Vegan Poultry Seasoning
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
¼ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Breading:

½ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
½ cup Crushed Cornflakes (56g) approximately 1 and ¼ cups whole cornflakes
¼ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Serving (Optional):

1 Recipe Vegan Yum Yum Sauce
Fresh Parsley Chopped

Instructions

Put the tofu on to press for 30 minutes. It's ideal if you have a tofu press but if not, then place the tofu on a plate, place another plate on top of it and then stack something heavy on top of that, like a heavy pot or stack of books.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
When the tofu is pressed, cut it into strips. Tear each strip into rough cubes of tofu.
In a large mixing bowl, add soy milk, all purpose flour, cornstarch, vegan chicken spice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper and whisk it into a batter.
In a second bowl, add panko breadcrumbs, crushed cornflakes, salt and pepper and mix together.
Add the tofu pieces to the batter and toss the tofu in the batter to coat each piece.
Transfer the tofu pieces in batches to the breadcrumbs bowl and gently toss them in the breadcrumbs so that they are coated on all sides.
Place the tofu onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Spray each piece of tofu with cooking spray.
Place into the oven and bake for 25 minutes until golden and crispy.

Notes

Cornflakes. You can crush them in the food processor or by placing them in a ziplock bag and rolling over them with a rolling pin.
Air fryer instructions: Place the nuggets in an even layer in your air fryer so that there is space between each nugget. Spray them with cooking spray as usual and then air fry at 350°F (180°C) for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
Skillet instructions: Heat up 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Add as many nuggets as can comfortably fit in a single layer in the pan without touching. Let them fry for a few minutes before flipping and cooking on the other side until each side is golden brown. Don't move them around too much as you don't want to remove their crumb coating.
Storing: They are best eaten fresh and hot from the oven for peak crispiness. Leftovers do store very well in the fridge in a covered container for 3-4 days but they do lose some crispiness.
Reheating: You can reheat them in the microwave or in the oven at 350°F until heated through. If you have an air fryer then reheat them in the air fryer for around 5 minutes at 350°F to restore maximum crispiness.
Nutritional information is for vegan nuggets only and excludes yum yum sauce.

Nutrition