These Vegan Chicken Nuggets are juicy in the middle and crispy on the outside. Coated in a flavorful breading and fried until golden-brown, these plant-based nuggets are sure to be a hit.
What are vegan chicken nuggets made of?
Vegan chicken nuggets can be made with a variety of ingredients including tofu, chickpeas, seitan, pea protein, soy protein, etc.
Today’s recipe is made with a base of firm tofu! It’s marinated, battered, and fried until crispy on the inside and juicy in the middle.
Ingredients
There are three parts to this recipe: the tofu, the marinade, and the breading…and they come together to make the best vegan chicken nuggets ever!
Marinade
- Tofu – firm tofu will provide the best texture. It’s firm enough to hold it’s shape, but tender enough to resemble a really juicy chicken nugget! Be sure it’s been drained, pressed, and cut into 24 (1 inch) chunks.
- Milk – any unsweetened, plain non-dairy milk will work. This recipe was tested using unsweetened almond milk, because that’s what we always have on hand, but if you’d like to keep this nut free, try soy milk instead!
- Pickle Juice – the secret ingredient to making these vegan chicken nuggets taste like Chick-fil-A style nuggets! Pickle juice helps break down the tofu, making it extra juicy and gives a really, great briny flavor!
- Hot Sauce – adds a kick of heat and helps to really flavor the tofu. I wanted this recipe to resemble fast food popcorn chicken and hot sauce is commonly used in those recipes.
- Spices: Salt and Taco Seasoning – a simple way to add a ton of flavor. Feel free to use store-bought taco seasoning or make your own!
Batter
- All-Purpose Flour and Cornstarch – work together to make a breading for the tofu. This combination creates a light and crispy coating that gets golden brown and crunchy once deep fried.
- Powdered Sugar – another secret ingredient that makes these nuggets taste like the kind you get from fast food restaurants! A little sweetness provides a nice contrast to the spices. Be sure to use organic powdered sugar to keep these vegan.
- Spices: Salt, Pepper, Cayenne, and Taco Seasoning – provides the tofu with even more flavor. If you’re sensitive to heat or serving these to kiddos, I’d recommend omitting the cayenne pepper.
- Marinade – after the tofu has been marinated, remove the tofu and use the leftover marinade to make the wet batter.
Other
- Oil – canola oil is the best oil for frying, because of it’s neutral flavor and high smoke point. Vegetable oil, peanut oil, and corn oil may also be used.
Pro tip
Don’t forget the dipping sauces! Serve these vegan nuggets with bbq sauce, ketchup, or your favorite vegan ranch dressing!
How to make
Marinade
- Whisk together milk, pickle juice, hot sauce, salt, and 1 tablespoon taco seasoning in a large bowl, then stir in tofu to let marinate for 15 minutes.
Batter
- Combine flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, pepper, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon taco seasoning in a bowl, then remove 1 1/2 cups of this flour mixture and place onto a large plate (this is our dry mixture).
- Add marinade (from above) to the remaining flour mixture and whisk until smooth (this is our batter).
- Take one piece of tofu and fully coat it with dry mixture, place it into the wet batter and fully coat, then coat the tofu in the dry mixture one more time. Repeat with remaining cubed tofu.
Frying
- Heat oil to somewhere between 350 and 375 degrees F in a large straight edged sauté pan, then fry tofu in the hot oil until golden and crispy.
Pro tip
Use your favorite tofu press or read this article on how to press tofu to get any excess moisture out of the tofu. The less moisture, the crispier and more flavorful it will be.
How to bake or air fry
Want to cut back on a little oil? No problem! Try baking or air frying these vegan nuggets instead.
To Bake:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Follow the recipe as written.
- Spread the tofu onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
To Air Fry:
- Preheat air fryer to 375 degrees F and grease basket with cooking spray.
- Follow the recipe as written.
- Working in batches, add tofu cubes to the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer (make sure no pieces are touching to ensure even cooking and crisping).
- Air fry for 15 minutes, gently flipping halfway through.
Pro tip
Keep in mind, the tofu won’t get quite as crispy! Pan fry for the best results.
Tips
- Press the tofu. Be sure to give yourself at least 15-30 minutes to press out excess moisture before battering and frying the tofu.
- Don’t marinate for too long. Only marinate the tofu for 15 minutes. As it sits, the tofu will continue soaking up the marinade, and we need enough to make the wet batter to coat the tofu.
- Stay organized. While the tofu is marinating, make and divide the dry batter mixture, get your oil set up, and get all utensils out for cooking. Being organized will help the battering and frying go quickly, smoothly, and as mess free as possible!
- Make sure the oil is hot enough. You want the oil to be at least 350 degrees F before frying the tofu. If it’s not hot enough the breading will soak up too much oil and become soggy.
Are vegan chicken nuggets healthy?
1 serving (6 nuggets) has about 375 calories, 6 grams of fat, 64 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, and 15 grams of protein!
What to serve with vegan chicken nuggets
Serve these vegan nuggets with your favorite dipping sauce (we love BBQ sauce, ketchup, and vegan ranch) with a few other sides to make a complete meal:
How to store
Vegan chicken nuggets are best served right away, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or in the freezer for 4-6 months.
To reheat, thaw in the fridge, if frozen, then warm in the oven or air fryer to re-crisp.
– Jennifer
Vegan Chicken Nuggets
These Vegan Chicken Nuggets are juicy in the middle and crispy on the outside. Coated in a flavorful breading and fried until golden-brown, these plant-based nuggets are sure to be a hit.
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 people
Equipment for this recipe
(equipment shown are affiliate links)
Ingredients
Marinade
- ½ cup non-dairy milk of choice I used unsweetened almond milk
- ½ cup pickle juice
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce omit if you don’t like spice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 (1 pound) block firm tofu pressed, drained, and cut into 24 (1 inch) chunks
Batter
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup organic powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper omit if you don’t like spice
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- Marinade from above
Other
- Canola Oil for pan frying*
- BBQ Sauce for serving
- Ketchup for serving
- Vegan Ranch Dressing for serving
Instructions
Marinade
- In a large bowl, whisk together milk, pickle juice, hot sauce, salt, and 1 tablespoon taco seasoning.
- Stir in cubed tofu and set aside for 15 minutes, then drain, but reserve marinade.
Batter
- Combine flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, pepper, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon taco seasoning in a bowl.
- Remove 1 1/2 cups of this flour mixture and place onto a large plate (this is our dry mixture).
- Add reserved marinade to the remaining flour mixture and whisk until smooth (this is our batter).
- Take one piece of tofu and fully coat it with dry mixture. Shake off any excess.
- Place it into the wet batter and fully coat, allowing excess to drip off.
- Coat the tofu in the dry mixture one more time, shaking off any excess, then place onto a clean work surface.
- Repeat with remaining cubed tofu.
Frying
- Heat oil to somewhere between 350 and 375 degrees F in a large straight edged sauté pan**.
- Working with half the batch, fry tofu in the hot oil until golden and crispy, about 2-3 minutes per side, flipping once.
- Use a slotted metal spoon to remove the tofu and place on paper towels to drain.
- Repeat with remaining tofu and serve with bbq sauce, ketchup, vegan ranch, or your favorite dipping sauce.
- Take 5 seconds to rate this recipe below. We greatly appreciate it!
STORING
Room Temp:N/A
Refrigerator:4-5 Days
Freezer:4-6 Months
Reheat:Thaw, if frozen, then recrisp in oven or air fryer
*Storage times may vary based on temperature and conditions
Notes
*I used 2 cups canola oil, which covered the tofu halfway up, allowing me to only flip once to fry.
**Feel free to use a deep fryer instead.
**Feel free to use a deep fryer instead.
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Chicken Nuggets
Amount Per Serving (6 vegan nuggets)
Calories 374 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 1782mg77%
Potassium 69mg2%
Carbohydrates 64g21%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 330IU7%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 190mg19%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
Keywords: plant based chicken nuggets, tofu chicken nuggets, vegan nuggets
Mario
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy