You'll fall in love with these crispy air fryer tofu nuggets.
Fun fact: The only meat I ever ate as a kid was chicken.
I was extremely picky as a kid, but I did eat chicken sometimes. Correction: I ate the crust off of fried chicken. Yup. Dipped in ketchup. That was my favorite.
It's gross, I know. Don't worry -- I eventually grew out of it and now I don't eat chicken (or any meat for that matter).
But sometimes I do miss that fried crunch on popcorn chicken or crispy chicken strips. So I created a healthier (but just as delicious) version using tofu and an air fryer!
Make sure to also check out my vegan buffalo wings if you're looking for more air fryer tofu recipes.
Jump to:
- Ingredients You'll Need
- How To Make Air Fried Tofu Nuggets
- What's The Difference Between Extra Firm and Super Firm Tofu?
- The Secret To Getting Crispy Tofu Nuggets
- Best Sauces To Use With Air Fried Tofu Nuggets
- Equipment Needed
- Storage
- Air Fryer Tofu Nuggets Recipe
- Recipe
- Want to lose fat sustainably — without counting every calorie or giving up carbs?
- FAQ
If you're looking for more high protein vegan tofu recipes, check out my vegan breakfast burritos, fettuccine alfredo, tahini buddha bowls, pesto lasagna rolls.
Ingredients You'll Need
You'll need the ingredients below to make these delicious & crispy air fried tofu nuggets.
- Super Firm Block of Tofu (I recommend using super firm tofu, but extra firm tofu can also be used as long as it's drained and pressed well to remove excess water. See below for more on this.)
- Vegetable Bouillon
- All-Purpose Flour
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Unsweetened Almond Milk
- Plain Panko Bread Crumbs (make sure to read ingredients to confirm these are vegan)
- Paprika
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Salt
- Black Pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Air Fried Tofu Nuggets
Ready to be amazed? Let's prep the tofu.
Drain, press, and break apart tofu block. (I prefer to break them apart roughly for a more chicken-like look rather than cut into tofu cubes - I typically end up with 25-30 nuggets per tofu block.) In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon paste with 2 tablespoon water and add into the tofu to marinate. (Sometimes I do this in a meal prep container with a lid so that I can shake it and let the marinade sit a few minutes).
Place almond milk and apple cider vinegar in one bowl. Then place panko breadcrumbs and spices in another bowl. (Optional: add some nutritional yeast to the spice mixture for even more flavor)
Add in flour. Stir gently so the tofu doesn't break apart.
Add the almond milk and ACV mixture and stir gently.
Coat individual tofu pieces with the bread crumb mixture.
Place the vegan tofu nuggets in the basket of your air fryer and spray lightly with olive oil spray (optional, but helps with crispiness). Cook at 375F for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!
Pro Tip: use foil in the air fryer for quick & easy cleanup.
What's The Difference Between Extra Firm and Super Firm Tofu?
Extra-firm tofu is more commonly used in recipes because it is more widely available. However, super firm tofu has, in my opinion, totally changed the game.
Super firm tofu is simply tofu that has had most of its water already removed. It is much more dense than extra firm tofu and doesn't require the tofu to be pressed before using.
Nasoya, Sprouts, and Trader Joe's all have a super firm tofu available. I can find Nasoya super firm tofu at my local Walmart.
But if you're unable to find super firm, you can also use extra firm tofu. However, you will need to properly press tofu with a tofu press, paper towels, or wrapped in a clean kitchen towel with something heavy on top for at least 20 minutes to remove the excess water.
The Secret To Getting Crispy Tofu Nuggets
The absolute most important factor in getting crispy tofu is removing as much water as possible before using the tofu as I mentioned above. That's why I prefer to use super firm tofu instead of other types of tofu as it has the least amount of liquid in it and requires no pressing.
Second, using oil in the air fryer will also greatly help with the crispiness. I use the Misto olive oil sprayer, which uses air pressure instead of butane and the other concerning ingredients that are in non-stick cooking spray. It's not a perfect mist, but it still helps the olive oil to spray in small amounts without using conventional non-stick spray.
You can choose to omit the oil, but it definitely helps get a crispy crust and golden brown color. Ingredients like breadcrumbs also contribute to getting perfectly crispy air fried tofu nuggets.
Furthermore, I love the meaty texture of leftover nuggets that have been frozen and reheated in the air fryer. The freezer pulls out even more of the moisture and leaves you with the most delicious vegan popcorn 'chicken' nuggets.
Best Sauces To Use With Air Fried Tofu Nuggets
I love to switch up the sauces for these vegan chicken nuggets. Here are my favorite:
- Ketchup - Of course. You can't have fried "chicken" without ketchup, right?
- Buffalo Sauce - Want bomb buffalo wings? Simply coat in vegan buffalo sauce after cooking and serve with vegan ranch.
- Ranch - Maybe you'd rather skip the buffalo sauce and just eat with vegan ranch. My all-time favorite ranch is the Follow Your Heart Vegan Ranch.
- BBQ - Want that sweet and smokey taste? Eat with some BBQ sauce.
- Hot Sauce - Pick your favorite hot sauce and go to town.
- Tahini Sauce - For a Mediterranean spin, use the tahini sauce from my Vegan Buddha Bowl recipe!
What's your favorite dipping sauce? Let me know in the comments!
Equipment Needed
All you need for this recipe is an air fryer. I use an inexpensive air fryer, but there are larger and more expensive air fryers also available on the market.
These taste best and are more crispy with an air fryer. But if you don't have one, you can also bake these at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or until golden brown, flipping halfway.
Storage
These air fried tofu nuggets are best served immediately or reheated in the air fryer.
Because the prep process can take some time, I like to make a huge batch and freeze them for easy vegan frozen popcorn chicken nuggets to use whenever I want. To avoid them sticking together, you can first freeze them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Then once frozen, place them in a large glass airtight container or freezer bag.
All I do when I'm ready to eat is place one serving in the air fryer basket for a few extra minutes than the recipe calls for and they're just as good!
These will stay good in the fridge for 3-5 days. If you store them in the fridge after cooking, I would still recommend reheating in the air fryer to get them crispy again.
Air Fryer Tofu Nuggets Recipe
Recipe
Air Fried Tofu "Chicken" Nuggets
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 2 Medium Bowls
- 1 Plate
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Foil (optional)
- Air Pressure Olive Oil Sprayer (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 block super firm tofu (drained)
- 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon paste
- 2 tablespoon water
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 ¼ cup plain Panko bread crumbs (vegan)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- spray olive oil for cooking
Instructions
- If using extra firm tofu instead of super firm tofu: drain, wrap in a clean kitchen towel, and press using a tofu press or a heavy book for at least 20 minutes to remove excess water.
- Break tofu apart with your hands into imperfect but roughly equal pieces about the size of popcorn chicken and place into a large mixing bowl. (I typically end up with 25-30 nuggets per block of tofu. Keeping the nuggets on the larger side makes it easier and quicker to bread them.)1 block super firm tofu
- In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon paste with 2 tablespoon water and add into the tofu to marinate. (Sometimes I do this in a meal prep container with a lid so that I can shake it and let the marinade sit a few minutes). Combine so that all nuggets are as evenly coated as possible. Set aside.1 tsp vegetable bouillon paste, 2 tbsp water
- Get out two medium bowls. Combine unsweetened almond milk and apple cider vinegar in one bowl. In the other bowl, combine bread crumbs, salt, black pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. Set aside.¼ cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 ¼ cup plain Panko bread crumbs (vegan), 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp paprika, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 tbsp garlic powder
- Add all-purpose flour into the large mixing bowl of tofu. Stir gently to coat the nuggets without breaking them apart.¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Pour the bowl of almond milk and apple cider vinegar into the large mixing bowl of tofu nuggets and gently stir until just combined.
- Dip each individual tofu nugget into the bread crumb and spice mixture and pack the coating on well so that no tofu is exposed. Set the coated tofu nuggets on a clean plate or parchment paper. Depending on the size of nuggets you made, you may have leftover bread crumb-spice mixture.
- Place the tofu into the air fryer in a single layer and lightly spray with olive oil (optional, but helps with crispiness). Cook at 375°F for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown, flipping and spraying with more olive oil halfway. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook in batches.spray olive oil for cooking
- Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce!
Notes
Nutrition
Want to lose fat sustainably — without counting every calorie or giving up carbs?
If you're loving these high-protein vegan recipes and you're ready to take things to the next level, check out my course:
FAQ
How can I make these tofu nuggets gluten-free?
Use gluten-free bread crumbs and a gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour.
How can I make these tofu nuggets nut-free?
Use a different non-dairy milk such as unsweetened soy milk or unsweetened oat milk.
How do I make sure my Panko bread crumbs are vegan?
Some brands of bread crumbs contain milk, egg, and/or honey, which make them not vegan. Look closely at the ingredients of bread crumbs before using. Try to find Panko bread crumbs that only have wheat flour, sugar, yeast, and salt on the ingredient list.
How do I make these more mild?
Depending on the type of paprika you use, these can have a little heat. If that's not your thing, decrease the amount of paprika in the spice mixture.
How do I make these more spicy?
Try adding some cayenne pepper to the spice mix or eat them with your favorite hot sauce.
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