Vegan "Chicken" Nuggets
This Vegan "Chicken" nuggets recipe is the easy recipe dreams are made of. It's so crispy and crunchy on the outside, yet chewy and very chicken like on the inside thanks to the firm tofu. It can be completely gluten free if you want - and best of all, it's so easy even your kids can make them.
Ingredients
- 12 oz Block of Firm Tofu
- ½ cup Gluten free breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes
- 2 tbsp Corn Starch or tapioca
- 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- ¼ cup Brown rice flour or other gluten-free flour
- ⅓ cup Plant milk almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk or your preferred choice
- ½ Lemon Zest
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of Pepper
- Olive Oil or Coconut oil for frying
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Start by cutting the tofu into 12 squares and use your fingers to gently press them into nugget shapes.
- Press the nuggets with paper towels to remove any excess liquid.
- Next, pour the gluten-free breadcrumbs, corn starch, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and lemon zest into a bowl and mix together until everything is combined. Pour the gluten-free flour into a second bowl and finally pour the plant milk into a third bowl.
- Next, dip each nugget into the flour, then the plant milk and finally dip it into the breadcrumbs, making sure that all sides are covered. Once all the nuggets have been dipped and covered in breadcrumbs, heat oil in a frying pan.Cook the nuggets at medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side or until they are golden and crispy.
- Once the nuggets are golden, put them on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes (turning the nuggets over halfway through). Serve hot and enjoy.
Simple way to cook vegan chicken nuggets in an air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer by running it at 390°F (200°C) for 5 minutes and prepare the nuggets as described above.
- Bring out the air fryer basket and brush it with a small amount of oil. Then spread out the vegan chicken nuggets in a single layer.
- Air fry at 400°F (205°C) for 20-25 minutes, flipping the nuggets halfway. When the nuggets are golden brown they are ready to serve. Serve with your favorite sauce and enjoy.
Notes
You can store any leftover vegan nuggets for 2-3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
To freeze tofu nuggets, follow these steps:
- Allow the tofu nuggets to cool completely. This will prevent them from sticking together in the freezer.
- Place the tofu nuggets in a single layer on a baking sheet or plate lined with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Make sure they are not touching each other.
- Place the baking sheet or plate in the freezer and freeze the tofu nuggets for 1-2 hours, or until they are solid.
- Once the tofu nuggets are frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag. Label the container or bag with the date and contents.
- Return the tofu nuggets to the freezer and store them for up to 3 months.