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These crispy baked tofu nuggets are so easy to make and packed with so much flavor you’ll never even notice they aren’t chicken. Using a staple tofu hack I always use to mimic meat, these tofu nuggets are dippable, dunkable, and crave-able.
save this recipe!Flavorful marinated tofu is torn into uneven chunks to resemble chicken nuggets, then dunked into a crispy breading and baked. For the tofu skeptics, this recipe is a great starting point.
Nuggets! Not just for kids
- Meaty Texture: Tearing the tofu (instead of slicing) gives these nuggets crispy, craggy edges that mimic chicken.
- Flavor-Soaked: A zippy marinade infuses each nugget with umami flavor.
- Crispy Crust: A triple-breading station ensures every bite has crunch. Plus, no frying needed!
Reader rating
“My family loved this recipe! They’ve asked it to be in our regular rotation of meals.” —Becky
Key Ingredients
This is just an overview–jump to the recipe for measurements!
- Extra-Firm Tofu: We tested this with multiple tofu types, and extra-firm gives the best structure for tearing into nugget-like chunks.
- Marinade: A mix of nutritional yeast, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil deeply flavors the tofu (30 minutes minimum, overnight best).
- Flour + Cornstarch: This base layer sticks to the tofu and helps the batter cling.
- Almond Milk + Vinegar: Makes a plant-based “buttermilk” to help bind the panko.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Gives that golden, crisp exterior. We tested both regular and gluten-free—both worked!
- Seasonings: Nutritional yeast, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and onion powder make these nuggets taste like they’re straight from a drive-thru (but like…in the best way).
air frying ‘Em!
You can get an even crispier coating when you pop these babies into the air fryer. I love that little appliance for making crispy food without excess oil and without heating up the kitchen. Guide to air frying these in the recipe notes.
nugget variations
- Feeling Tropical: For a fun flavor shake-up, try coconut milk instead of almond milk and add some unsweetened shredded coconut to the panko.
- Different Flavor: Try out any of my easy tofu marinades for a new flavor experience each time you make these nuggets!
When I Dip, You Dip, We Dip
What’s a nugget without sauce?! While these vegan chicken nuggets are great with ketchup, BBQ sauce, or ranch, here’s more inspiration for your dipping pleasure!
Lemon Tahini Dressing (5 Ingredients)
15 minutes
Vegan Ranch Dressing (With Tofu!)
5 minutes
5-Minute Romesco Sauce
5 minutes
Easy Homemade Pesto
10 minutes
Tofu Nuggets (Crispy Panko Breading)
Ingredients
Marinaded Tofu
- 1 lb block extra firm tofu, 453 g
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 30 mL
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 30 mL
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, 30 mL
Breading
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, 60 g
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch, 15 g
- ½ cup almond milk, 120 mL
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, 5 mL
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, can sub gluten-free, 100 g
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika
- ½ tsp each salt and pepper
Instructions
- Press: Press 1 lb block extra firm tofu for at least 15 minutes, using either a tofu press or by setting a heavy pan on top of it and letting the moisture drain. When finished, tear tofu into roughly 1 inch blocks.
- Marinate: In a shallow dish, stir together 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, and 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add tofu and toss to coat. Let tofu marinate for at least 30 minutes (up to 24 hours).
- Breading Station: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). In a medium bowl stir together ½ cup all-purpose flour and 2 Tbsp cornstarch. In a second bowl, whisk ½ cup almond milk and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar to make a "buttermilk". In a third bowl, combine 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast, 2 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and ½ tsp each salt and pepper.
- Bread: Working one at a time, use a fork to dip each tofu nugget flour first in the flour, then almond milk, then panko. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spray or brush each lightly with cooking oil to help them brown in the oven.
- Bake: Bake for 25 minutes, flipping each over after 10 minutes of cooking.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!P.S. Love vegan nuggets? Try my chickpea nuggets next!
Sounds lovely but what could I use instead of breadcrumbs as am gluten intolerant. Thanks
I’d just use a store bought gluten-free variety! Kikkoman has a GF panko 😀
I made the almond crusted nuggets and crushed sliced almonds in the panko which made them extra crispy.
They were very good.
Thanks for all the good eats.
The baked tofu nuggets were fantastic… lots of flavor plus crunchy texture! I felt kind of clumsy transferring the nuggets from the flour mix to the “buttermilk” to the panko coating, but you’d never know it from the results. Will be making this one a lot — thanks!!
I’m so happy to hear it, Miyako! Thanks for popping in with your experience on how it went! 😀
We loved this recipe! Doubled the recipe and warmed up the leftovers in a frying pan and it was just as delicious. Perfect served with blue cheese dip (not for vegans of course).
YAY! I’m so happy to hear it, Janis!
My family loved this recipe! They’ve asked it to be in our regular rotation of meals.
We loved this recipe! My husband is becoming quite a fan of tofu!
I’m so happy to hear it, Melody! Enjoy! 😀
So tasty and crunchy. The air fryer was fast and easy.
So happy to hear it was a hit!
if baking in an oven is it still 400 degrees?
Yep!
I made this last night . I’ve never cooked with tofu before. I used extra firm and it got pressed for nearly 30 minutes with the heavy Dutch oven. But my breading burned before they got really crispy (400 at nine minutes in a small air fryer). Batch number two I turned the air fryer off at eight minutes and just let them sit without opening it for another five and that turned out better. However, the tofu was still kind of mushy. The only thing Chrisp was the breading. Am I doing something wrong or is this how it’s supposed to be?
The tofu will still be soft and the breading should be crispy!
These were amazing! Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and so full of flavor. I used superfirm tofu and cut it into 21 pieces. We each ate only 3 pieces and were quite full. Perfect summer evening meal. Served these with oven roasted broccoli and super juicy strawberries. Yum! Will absolutely make this again!
Thrilled you loved it, thanks for the review!