Make Fried Tofu Nuggets

Fried tofu nuggets are a vegetarian alternative to chicken nuggets. Tofu nuggets are a great way to introduce kids to tofu, or to simply enjoy on your own for lunch or dinner. These nuggets are simple to make and only take about 35 minutes to complete.

Ingredients

• 1 package of extra firm tofu
• 1/2 cup (68 g) of all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) of nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) of garlic powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon (7.5 g) of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) of paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 g) of black pepper
• 2/3 cup (157.7 mL) of water
• Coconut or peanut oil

Makes 6 servings

Steps

Draining and Cutting the Tofu

1. Place the tofu on a flat strainer. Take the tofu out of the package and place it on a flat strainer. Put a heavy pot on top of the tofu. The heavy pot will help the moisture drain from the tofu. Then, put a plate on top of the pot.
2. Let the tofu drain for 30 minutes. The tofu should be properly drained after 30 minutes. If not, you can gently squeeze the excess moisture out of the tofu with your hand. You can also blot the tofu with a paper towel.
   • Ideally, all of the water should be drained out of the tofu, giving it a firm, meaty texture.
3. Cut the tofu into cubes, slices, or triangles. You can cut the tofu into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes. It is also an option to cut the tofu into slices or triangles. Cut the tofu into whatever shape you would prefer the nuggets to be.

Making the Batter

1. Stir together the flour, yeast, and seasoning. Pour the flour, yeast, garlic powder, salt, paprika, black pepper, and water into a medium-sized bowl. Use the stirring utensil of your choice to stir the ingredients together until the batter becomes smooth.
2. Pour oil into a medium pan. Turn the stove to medium heat. Pour 1/3-inch (0.8 cm) of oil into the pan. You can use vegetable or coconut oil.
3. Coat the tofu in the batter. Coat the tofu completely in the batter you’ve made out of flour, yeast, and seasoning. Make sure each piece of tofu is generously coated. You can coat each piece of tofu individually or work in small batches.

Frying the Tofu

1. Fry the bottom of the tofu. Put the tofu into the pan with the heated oil inside of it. Do not overcrowd the pan. Work in batches if you have to. Fry the bottom of the tofu. Fry it until the bottom turns a crispy golden brown.
2. Flip the tofu to fry the rest of the cubes. Once the bottom of the tofu has turned golden brown, flip the tofu to fry the rest of the cube. Continue to flip until all of the tofu has turned a crispy golden brown. Work through all of the tofu if you have multiple batches to fry.
3. Put the finished tofu on a plate. Line a plate with a paper towel. Place the finished tofu on the lined plate. Allow the tofu to cool for five minutes and then serve warm.
   • You can store the leftover tofu in the refrigerator for no more than a few days in a covered container.
4. Choose a dipping sauce. Serve the fried tofu nuggets with the dipping sauce of your choice. Ketchup and honey mustard are a couple of common choices. You can also make your own vegan sauce.

Tips

• Serve with a side of vegetable fries for a healthy alternative to French fries.
• Nutritional yeast can be found in the health food section around the bulk spices.

Warnings

• Make sure the tofu is still good before incorporating it into the recipe. Tofu will last 3-5 days in the refrigerator and 3-5 months in the freezer.

Things You’ll Need

• Flat strainer
• Flat plate
• Heavy pot
• Stirring utensil
• Medium bowl
• Medium pan

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make Tofu Cheese Pie
• Make Tofu
• Prepare Tofu
• Cook Tempeh
• Marinate Tofu
• Make Tempeh Bacon