Crispy Pizza Tofu Nuggets

Crispy Pizza Tofu Nuggets — Kid Approved! — Fried Dandelions — Plant Based Recipes « Fried Dandelions — Plant Based Recipes (2024)

July 22, 2015 By Sarah 27 Comments

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All the flavors of pizza in a bite of tofu! These homemade crispy Pizza Tofu nuggets are sure to be a hit with your kids!

I didn’t plan to post two tofu recipes back to back, but I made this yesterday and it was so good—I had to share. In fact, I did share the picture on What Fat Vegans Eat and the picture received over 100 likes! I figured I’d switch up the order and share the recipe today. I’ll give you the ‘Smores Cookie recipe later this week!

Years ago, before I was on Pinterest, I saw a recipe for some pizza tofu and I copied and pasted the recipe into a word doc. Old school. Yesterday I was in the mood for some tofu to go with a pasta dinner and I remembered that old recipe. Of course, I didn’t actually use the recipe, because I never do things like follow directions. I just sort of set out on my own path of experimentation to see what would happen.

^^^ Just look at that crispy texture!

I marinaded the tofu for about 2 hours, then I breaded it and baked it. It came out perfectly crispy and devourable. That’s a word, right? By the time Irving walked in the door for dinner I had finished several slices! So good. The texture reminds me of our very favorite “Chicken Fried Tofu” from Whole Foods, but the flavor is just like a pizza/Italian sausage/pepperoni/marinara sauce. I was pleasantly surprised at how crispy it got without frying it!

So many serving options!

This delicious Pizza Tofu would be great served with pasta, on it’s own in lieu of veggie nuggets (dip in marinara sauce!), in a sandwich—ooh….an Italian “Meatball” sub—, or even sliced up on an actual pizza. I’m looking forward to making this again….and again…and again!

I hope you have a chance to try these for your next Friday night dinner/football watching/happy hour/kid sleepover! They are likely to be a hit with everyone! I’d love for you to follow me onInstagram, and tagphotos you post of my recipes with#frieddandelionsso that I can see! I love to see what you’re cooking!

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Pizza Tofu

All the flavors of pizza in a crispy bite of tofu! These homemade nuggets are sure to be a hit with your kids!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Ingredients

2 blocks firm tofu preferably organic

Marinade:

2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon no-chicken stock concentrate I like Better Than Boullion No-Chicken, or use veggie bullion cube)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds whole or ground is fine
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 Tablespoon agave

Breading:

2/3 - 3/4 cup rice flour you can sub regular all purpose flour if you don't need to be gluten free
2 T corn starch to help the rice flour to stick better, you can omit if you use all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
Marinara sauce for dipping if desired

Instructions

Press your tofu to release as much water as possible. Set aside. Mix together the soy sauce, water, spices, boullion, tomato paste and agave. Slice the tofu into whatever size you want—I sliced each block into 8 pieces for easy cooking/flipping in the oven. Marinate the tofu for at least 1 hour, but you could do up to 3 or 4.
Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Remove the tofu from the marinade and use your hands to wipe off the excess marinade. Set aside. (Trust me, do this first, all at one time rather than for each dip—it gets messy).
Mix rice flour with 2 T cornstarch and 1 t salt. In separate bowl pour 1/2 c of unsweetened milk (I just blended 1/2 c water with 2 T hemp seeds and did not strain—I was out of milk). Dip tofu into flour mix, lightly coating all sides, give it a slight shake, then dip quickly into the milk, then back to the flour to coat again. Shake once again to remove excess dry flour. Place on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. (If you have dry spots of flour on the tofu you can give it a quick spritz with a spray cooking oil (I have spray olive oil) and that will help the dry flour to crisp up as well!)
Bake for 30 minutes. Flip all tofu carefully and return to the oven for 15 more minutes. Remove from the oven and serve right away. Enjoy!

Notes

Cook time includes time to marinate the tofu.

Want more great Tofu Recipes?

: Baked Tofu Feta

: Teriyaki Tofu

: Baked Tofu

: Fajita Tofu Scramble

: Din Tai Fung Tofu

: Triangle Sweet & Sour Tofu

Previous Post: « Din Tai Fung Tofu

Next Post: S’mores Chip Cookies »

Crispy Pizza Tofu Nuggets — Kid Approved! — Fried Dandelions — Plant Based Recipes « Fried Dandelions — Plant Based Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is crispy tofu made of? ›

Crispy Tofu Method: Dredged in Cornstarch and Pan-Fried

You simply cut the tofu into sort of flat squares by cutting the block in half lengthwise, then cutting those halves crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. After quickly dredging the pieces in cornstarch, you pan-fry them in a little oil.

Keep Reading ›

Can you use flour instead of cornstarch for crispy tofu? ›

Substitutions: If you prefer not to cook with cornstarch, you can substitute in an equal volume of all-purpose flour or potato starch. Tofu: This recipe can also be made with medium-firm tofu, but you'll need to be a bit more gentle while pressing and coating it.

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How unhealthy is fried tofu? ›

Frying tofu can give it a crispy texture, but comes at a cost – it can be high in calories, up to three times more than baked or air-fried tofu. This is because frying requires added oil as a heat conductor, which cooks the tofu evenly but also makes it absorb more oil, resulting in more fat and calories.

Learn More Now ›

Is fried tofu healthier than chicken? ›

Tofu nutrition. This meatless option is a staple for vegetarians, and rightfully so. It boasts more fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and folate than chicken and contains fewer calories.

Know More ›

What is the best oil to fry tofu in? ›

Type of oil to use for frying tofu: Canola is great and so are vegetable/soybean oil and refined peanut oil. In general, choose a neutral-flavored oil that has a high smoking point. That is, don't deep-fry with sesame oil.

Get More Info ›

What to use instead of cornstarch for crispy tofu? ›

If you want a crispy outer coating for your tofu, flour can be a great substitute for cornstarch. Simply coat the tofu cubes or slices with a dusting of all-purpose flour before frying.

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Can I fry with cornstarch instead of flour? ›

Both flour and cornstarch are used to coat chicken, fish, and vegetables before deep-frying. Cornstarch typically makes for a crispier finish than flour. Cornstarch absorbs moisture from the food and expands, giving deep-fried foods a crispy coating.

What is tofu made of? ›

Tofu is made from dried soybeans that are soaked in water, crushed, and boiled. The mixture is separated into solid pulp (okara) and soy “milk.” Salt coagulants, such as calcium and magnesium chlorides and sulfates, are added to the soy milk to separate the curds from the whey.

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What's the difference between fried tofu and tofu? ›

Fried tofu is exactly what it sounds like: squares of tofu fried and pre-packaged for your easy consumption. It's not as crispy as you might suspect, nor is it as compact and crumbly as firm tofu, but instead has a spongy, airy texture perfect for absorbing sauces.

Why is fried tofu healthy? ›

Fried tofu is high in protein and lower in saturated fat than most meat. However, it is high in calories and typically fried in omega-6 rich vegetable oil. Since the Western diet already has too much omega-6, fried tofu could increase inflammation. Air-fried tofu is the healthiest kind of fried tofu.

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Crispy Pizza Tofu Nuggets — Kid Approved! — Fried Dandelions — Plant Based Recipes « Fried Dandelions — Plant Based Recipes (2024)