Crispy Baked Tofu Nuggets (Vegan)

Baked tofu nuggets are deliciously crispy and healthy bites of protein that pair great with a Sriracha mayo sauce. Make these in the oven or in an air fryer for easy clean up!

Jump to:

• What tofu should I use for baking or air frying?
• How do I prepare my tofu for baking or air frying?
• What is panko?
• What can I serve baked tofu nuggets with?
• Ingredients
• Step-by-step instructions
• Looking for more easy vegetarian / vegan recipes?
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

These little tofu nugget bites are great when served straight out of the oven and paired with a delicious sauce. The tofu is marinated in some simple seasonings, coated in panko, and baked in the oven for 30 minutes. This recipe is vegan and vegetarian friendly and a great side dish or snack-- something everyone can share!

There are a couple key steps to ensure that your tofu is a delicious, chewy texture and has a crispy coating on the outside. We don't want to serve any soggy tofu!

What tofu should I use for baking or air frying?

For any recipes that require you to crisp up or fry tofu, it's important to get firm or extra firm tofu. Both these types of tofu have a lower percentage of water content, so they'll work quite nicely when baked, pan-fried, deep-fried, or even stir-fried!

How do I prepare my tofu for baking or air frying?

It's important to remove as much moisture as you can when you're preparing tofu for baking, pan-frying or air-frying. The tofu won't crisp up if you don't prepare it properly. These are my two go-to methods for prepping my tofu. One can be done day-of the recipe, while the other requires overnight preparation, but I believe makes for a spongier texture (which is better!).

Method 1: Tofu Press (Day Of Preparation)

1. Remove and drain tofu from package
2. Wrap tofu in a paper towel and place between two flat plates (one on the bottom, one on the top)
3. On the top plate, place a heavy object like a cast iron pan or a can of beans
4. After 15 minutes, replace the paper towel with a new one and continue to press for another 15 minutes.
5. Use in recipe

Or lieu of doing the makeshift method, you can also invest in a tofu press if you're making tofu at home often!

Method 2: Freeze Tofu (Overnight Preparation)

1. Remove and drain tofu from package
2. Place tofu in a freezer-safe container and place in freezer overnight
3. The next day, remove and let defrost on counter if you are making the recipe immediately
4. You can squeeze the tofu with your hands to remove more of the moisture without breaking it!
5. Use in recipe

What is panko?

Panko are Japanese-style bread crumbs and are different from the ones used in most Western recipes. For example, we used panko to make this Japanese-inspired tofu katsu recipe. Panko is made from bread without the crust, so it maintains a much lighter and crispier texture because it absorbs less oil when used for frying. When it crisps up, the crunch is delicious!

You can find panko at any grocery store these days in the Asian aisle.

What can I serve baked tofu nuggets with?

A delicious sauce to serve this with is a mix of Sriracha (which is a popular chili sauce, most commonly used in pho) and Kewpie mayo (a Japanese brand of mayo that is sweeter than US mayo). I like to mix 2 servings of Sriracha with 1 serving of mayo, and so might do 2 tablespoons of Sriracha mixed with 1 tablespoon of Kewpie mayo to make a creamy, delicious dipping sauce.

You can also just lightly drizzle the Kewpie mayo over the tofu and serve it like Japanese fried chicken (karaage).

Ingredients

• Firm or extra firm tofu: As noted above, it's important to use firm or extra firm tofu and NOT silken or soft tofu for this recipe.
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Black pepper
• Soy sauce
• All-purpose flour
• Plant-based milk: You can use an unsweetened almond milk or oat milk. I prefer plain almond milk.
• Panko: Panko is a Japanese breadcrumb and can be found in any grocery store with an Asian foods section or any Asian grocery store. If you can't find any near you, you can try to sub with regular breadcrumbs.
• Sriracha
• Kewpie mayo

Step-by-step instructions

1. Prep tofu with either of the two methods outlined above.
2. Pre-heat oven to 400° F.
3. Slice tofu into 1 inch cubes.
4. Season with black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and soy sauce. Mix well and let sit for 10 minutes.
5. Mix plant-based milk and flour in one bowl and Panko in a separate bowl. The milk/flour mixture should be thicker than liquid, but still have a wet consistency similar to a paste.
6. Dip each tofu piece in the milk/flour mixture (cover all sides) and then cover with Panko. Ensure that each piece is well-coated to maximize crispiness!
7. Place tofu on a baking sheet sprayed with some oil to prevent sticking.
8. Bake tofu for 15 minutes, flip tofu pieces and bake for another 15 minutes.

Looking for more easy vegetarian / vegan recipes?

• Miso Soy King Oyster Mushroom
• Scallion Oil Noodles
• Creamy Kimchi Pasta with Mushroom
• Peanut Sesame Cold Noodles

📖 Recipe