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I’ve taken everything delicious about Chick-Fil-A nuggets (the crispy, powdered sugary coating, plus the pickle juice marinade) and turned them into Chick-Fil-A-style tofu nuggets with a vegan honey mustard dip which will help sort all your fast food cravings! Serve them as a vegan appetizer, or alongside waffle fries and perhaps some corn for a family treat.
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why You’ll Love These Tofu Nuggets
- The crispy breading on these tofu nuggets tastes just like the coating on Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets, but without the meat, and without the need to go to Chick-Fil-A! They’re the perfect guilt-free way to meet those cravings, complete with an also vegan creamy honey mustard dipping sauce.
- As we’re tearing instead of dicing the tofu before bathing it in pickle brine the shape and texture of these nuggets is more like the chicken original, plus the craggy edges help the coating stick much better. Hands up who else has had a tofu nugget before where the coating just slips off when you try and take a bite?!
- The honey mustard sauce is just like the one I remember from Chick-Fil-A, subbing really only vegan mayo for the mayonnaise and agave nectar for the honey to make it compliant. Because really, what’s a chicken nugget without a sauce in which to dunk your little bites?
- These nuggets come together quickly and without much oil (only about 1 tablespoon), making them much healthier than the original!
If you’re not following a plant-based diet, I also have a recipe for regular copycat Chick-Fil-A Nuggets, cooked in the air fryer!
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What I Learnt Testing This Recipe
- Press the tofu before marinating it, as the more liquid you remove from it the more flavor it will absorb from the brine.
- Chick-Fil-A nuggets have a coating which is much lighter than other fast food chicken nuggets, which is why I’ve used cornstarch instead of all purpose flour as it created the more authentic-tasting nugget in testing. It came with the added bonus of making these nuggets naturally gluten-free!
- Avoid moving the nuggets around too much when you first add them to the pan. I found both the best way to get the nuggets to turn nice and crisp, and to make sure the coating stays stuck to the nuggets in the pan was to move them around as little as possible.
- As you fry the nuggets in batches, transfer them to a wire rack rather than a plate as I found they stayed much crispier that way!
Ingredients
Tofu – You’ll want to use firm tofu, or even better extra-firm tofu if you can find it for the best nuggets.
Dill pickle juice – You want the old-school, bright green juice; not the deli-pickle kind!
Cornstarch – This forms the bulk of the chicken coating, helping make them nice and crisp.
Powdered sugar – Also sold as confectioners sugar, this is what gives the nuggets that signature Chick-Fil-A sweetness. It will also help the tofu nuggets brown.
Paprika, Garlic Powder, Salt, Powdered Mustard and Black Pepper – This combination of seasonings also helps you get that signature Chick-Fil-A taste.
Vegetable, canola or peanut oil – For frying the nuggets. Any neutral oil with a high smoke point will work; Chick-Fil-A fry their nuggets in peanut oil.
Vegan mayonnaise – Choose your favorite brand.
Yellow mustard and Dijon mustard – Using both types of mustard helps add complexity to the sauce, and means you can add more mustard flavor without making the sauce too hot.
Agave syrup – This is what will add the sweetness to the ‘honey’ mustard sauce while still keeping it vegan-friendly.
Lemon juice – This adds an essential fresh acidity to the dip.
Turmeric – I’ve added this to the sauce mostly for color, but it does add a nice earthiness too helping stop things tasting too sweet.
Serving and Storage Suggestions
I like to serve these tofu nuggets as an appetizer or a game day snack, but you can also turn them into a fast food-style meal at home by adding a side of waffle fries and some boiled corn. They’d also be great in place of the chicken in my Chick-fil-A Southwest Salad.
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and should be heated through either in the oven or air fryer to re-crisp the coating. The sauce will keep for up to 5 days, again in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but it really isn’t necessary. All it will do is intensify the pickle flavor, and I think the 25 minute brine is about right.
A few things might have caused this. Your pan may not have been hot enough, you might have overcrowded the pan with too many nuggets at once (meaning they steam rather than crisp!), or the nuggets may have been left sitting on a solid surface after frying. A wire rack allows steam to escape and keeps the coating crispier!
Yes, but the texture won’t be exactly the same. I’d lightly spray the coated tofu with oil and air fry in a single layer, turning halfway through cooking. If you give this a go, do let me know how you get on!
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
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.
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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These were outstanding! I was hesitant about soaking the tofu in pickle juice, but it gave it the most amazing flavor. I am hooked. I put them in the fridge for about an hour (got distracted LOL) after I breaded them and cooked them in the air fryer for 10 minutes @ 400 shaking half way. They were so crispy and delicious. Thank you and I will be making them again and again!!!!
I’m sooooo glad you loved it!!
I had been searching for a relatively easy “chicken” nugget recipe and this one ended up being the one I cooked (because I didn’t have to go to the store to get any of the ingredients, haha). Oh my goodness. My roommate and I are in love and already planning on making more later this week. I had never made any type of nuggets and had no idea what to expect but I was not disappointed!
I’m sooooo glad you liked it so much!! 😀
Thank you so much for this recipe! They were SO GOOD I almost cried. I was so sad immediately after I made them, though, because I only have pickle juice available every couple of months, so this is only ever going to be an occasional treat. I packed the leftovers for lunch with a salad and used the dip as a salad dressing, and it has become one of my favorite salad dressings. An all around win.
Here’s my effort: http://foodfordissertating.blogspot.com/2017/08/eco-lunchbox-three-in-one-58.html
Ha! Tear-inducing tofu is the best compliment ever. I’m so glad you liked it!
Soooo delicious! I’m not a big tofu fan, my wife is and always tries to shove it down my face.
I loved them! We fried them in the air fryer and they were so crispy and delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad you loved them! And that’s great to know that they work well in the air fryer. Thank you for your comment!
I am so on this for supper! They look just like their nuggets!
I swear they taste a lot alike! It’s one of my family’s favorites 😀 I hope you like!
Can these be baked?
Since it’s a batter and not a breading, I wouldn’t recommend it. You can try it, though! if you do, let me know how it worked 🙂
Help, please? This may be a stupid question, but do I use sweet pickle juice or dill/sour pickle juice? I have never had chic filet so have no idea what I am going for.
It’s dill! Sorry 🙂
Is it dill pickle juice or bread & butter? Thanks
It’s dill! I will clarify in the recipe 🙂
Hi! Great recipe! Quick question that might be obvious – where do I find pickle juice?! Is it just the juice that comes in a jar of pickles? Thanks!!
Yep! Just get a cheap jar of pickles – the neon green juice! – and use that. Cooked pickles (shelf-stable) are better for this recipe than the fresh, refrigerated type.
Tearing tofu to make little chunks, I’ve never thought about that before! Thank you–
It definitely helps with that slightly unnatural cube feeling from tofu!