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I have a confession to make….
I love(d) Chick-fil-A. I know, I know! It’s not healthy, it’s not good for the environment, and it’s definitely not good for our social climate. But there’s something about it I crave–often intensely–until I sate what could’ve been a brisk but shameful dip into, let’s face it, some hateful junk food.
Except when I say brisk, I actually mean we’d be sitting in line, out in the middle of one our city’s busiest streets, behind 40 other cars doing the same thing. O and I at one time, pre-gay-hatred-exposure, considered franchising one of those places and putting it downtown (packed full of 9-to-5ers rushing to work, no other Chick-fil-A around for miles), sheer dreams of diving into a sea of coins, Scrooge McDuck-style.
But these days, we’re pretty conscious of where and what we eat, trying to avoid a lot of meat–especially highly processed, factory farmed meat with more injections than Heidi Montag–and spend our money only with companies whose values don’t.. totally clash with what we think is right and acceptable in this life. Sometimes we falter, but most of the time we stay pretty true to that. So what to do when the Chick-fil-A craving strikes?
Chick-fil-A tofu nuggets, people. Chick-fil-A tofu nuggets. With vegan “honey” mustard dipping sauce.
I took a few Chick-fil-A nugget copycat recipes and essentially converted it into a fried tofu recipe, complete with a powered sugary breading and pickle juice marinade. We were both amazed at how well these turned out, how similar to the addictive little nuggets we so guiltily crave! The breading is crunchy and flavorful without being too heavy, the torn tofu is equally flavorful and packed with seasoning thanks to the pickle brine, and the tearing leaves little nuggets that are not so perfectly cubed that they seem immediately “chickenless”.
The honey mustard sauce is just like I remember honey mustard sauce, subbing really only vegan mayo for the mayonnaise and agave nectar for the honey. Because really, what’s a chicken nugget without a sauce in which to dunk your little bites?
Even better, these come together quickly and without much oil, making them much healthier than the originals. And guess what, none of your money is going towards the “questionable giving” that made Chick-fil-A known for more than its unfortunately delicious bites. About that, you can feel even better about swapping chicken for tofu and a quick jaunt to that infamous locale for a delicious fast-food-inspired spread at home.
Chick-fil-A Tofu Nuggets
Equipment
- medium bowl with lid or plastic wrap to cover
- 2 small bowls
- Large skillet
- Large plate or wire cooling rack
- Paper towels
Ingredients
- oil for frying; vegetable, canola, or peanut oil preferred
For the Tofu Nuggets
- 1 pound tofu firm or extra-firm
- ¾ – 1 cup dill pickle juice (you want the old-school, bright green juice; not the deli-pickle kind)
For the Tofu Nugget Breading
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 2 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon powdered mustard
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the Honey Mustard
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar
- ¾ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
Instructions
- Tear tofu block into nugget-sized pieces and place pieces in medium bowl. Pour pickle juice over tofu and cover bowl. Let tofu marinate in pickle juice 25 minutes.
- While tofu marinates, whisk together breading ingredients in small bowl until mixture is fully combined. Set aside.
- In third small bowl, mix together all honey mustard ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
- After tofu has marinated 25 minutes, drain all liquid and transfer tofu to breading mixture. Toss or stir well to thoroughly coat tofu pieces in breading.
- Pour thin layer of oil (approximately 1 tablespoon) in skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot and shimmering, add breaded tofu to skillet in one even layer, working in batches as needed to avoid overcrowding. Turn pieces over regularly to brown on all sides.
- Transfer browned tofu pieces to plate lined with paper towels or wire cooling rack over paper towels. Let excess oil drain and repeat process with any remaining breaded tofu, until all tofu has been fried. Serve warm with chilled honey mustard sauce.
- For crispier breading, drain the tofu on a wire cooling rack rather than a plate lined with paper towels.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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oh my gawd, so intrigued by the pickle juice?! I love this and have to try this! Pinned!
You mean you don’t use pickle juice in every recipe you make? Ha 🙂 It really does add that Chick-fil-A-y flavor and is so kitschy I feel I might burst with smugness every time I buy a jar. And I totally don’t eat the pickles late at night for no reason (yes I do). Thanks Alice! 🙂
This is amazing! They look just like real cf nuggets! We don’t have them near us in WI (or in France, obviously), but we were near one recently and I totally wanted to stop so badly. Luckily, Marc nicely reminded me of their political standings and we skipped it. These would be such a great way to satisfy a craving though!!
That’s awesome for you guys! And yes.. the cravings call frequently for us. Especially since they’re right down the street and O has a particular fondness for the little bites. If you wanted to try it with chicken you could try this recipe I put together – but I actually like the breading in this recipe a little better. Swaperoo! Do they have yellowy pickles in France? I know you are up to your eyeballs in cornichons!
Wow, that sounds like a delicious way to make tofu. I love your photography skills btw, I am still working on mine!
Thanks Raymond! I’m actually coming out with an ebook soon to help improve food photography almost instantly. I hope you read it! 🙂
These are amazing! I can’t wait to try these again!
Thanks O! You’re amazing, just saying!
I love this idea! I love tofu and just finished the last I have at home last night in a stir fry, but definitely want to try these!
Good for you guys to live your values, I won’t go to Chick-fil-A anymore either. I’m going to have to try these guys, they look and sound addictive!
Thanks Nicole 🙂 And yes, fighting the cravings is not always easy, especially since it’s so damn convenient. But not really something I want to promote. Hope you try and like them!
NO WAY! Whaaaa is THIS? Cheryl, you’ve done it again! I used to love CF too, but those days are gone. But THIS! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I spied your tofu chkn’ nuggets with that dipping sauce! OMG! They look like the real deal and I love tofu, so this will suite me just fine. Good on ya for staying true… not always an easy thing to do. Thank you, Cheryl!
Ha, Traci, you’re the best! Ugh, even if CF didn’t have so much money pumping into less-than-savory projects (to put it um, Mother-Teresa-level nicely) I’m just not down with eating antibiotic-ridden chicken deep-fried too frequently.. you know? Just saying.. But these, these puppies are damn delicious! Fun and a bit tongue-in-cheek, especially for someone like you, whose recipes are so seasonal and elegant!
I’ve never had tofu nuggets!!! I must try this recipe because I love tofu. Thanks for sharing 😉
Leave it to me to take something sort of healthy and make it definitely less healthy! But so totally worth it. Hope you try and like them, Olivia! 🙂
Oh my, these look sooo good!! And using pickle juice to marinate the tofu… whoa. I haven’t had the fortune (?) of trying Chick-Fil-A before, since I was already vegetarian when I first moved to this side of the country. But if they served this I would totally pay them a visit 🙂
Oh man, I hate to say it but their stuff really is painfully good. Which is unfortunate.. and in so many ways. We should lobby for them to start serving this in addition! And stop with the um, gay rehabilitation centers too. That actually might be asking for a lot from them, so might as well just keep this recipe as a regular in the repertoire, eh? Thanks Shannon 🙂 I’m so impressed with your long-time vegetarianism!
Aaaaand my mouth just filled with saliva. These. look. AMAZING. I need them in my life (and my belly) ASAP. I can’t even.
Do it! The only trouble with making these is that now my husband begs for them like…. every 18 hours. So.. make them if you dare. IF YOU DARE!
Hey guys,
for all the vegans out here wanting some honey, instead of agave you could use honee(yes i spelled it right)