Tofu “Chicken” Nuggets with Sriracha Mayo
Posted: 02/27/14
Updated: 12/13/21
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
I certainly hope that O and I get to the point in our laid-back veganhood where we crave lentils and kale and faro, day-in and day-out. But we’re just not there. Instead, we crave chewy, savory, fried chicken nuggets and sriracha mayo, straight up. Real talk. True story.
O fell in love with chicken fried tofu when we were pushing the limits of the “fill it up for $12” bowl at Whole Foods. My bowl clocked in at over 2.25 pounds, about which I was prrrrretty dern proud, and even prouder still on my second day of leftovers. My ability to overfill compostable bowls aside, O was immediately attracted to the crispy, golden cubes of chicken fried tofu nuggets and loaded up on them, begging me to make them again at home. And who am I to deprive the poor boy of those little bites?
I mimicked a meaty texture by draining, freezing, then thawing an entire block of tofu, then infused some chicken flavor in it by soaking the cubes by marinating it in double-strength “chickn” broth. I tossed it in a simple flour coating and voilà! Tofu chicken “nuggets”: the perfect little finger food and guilty pleasure. We dipped them in a sriracha mayo, made simply from whisking together my tofu mayo and enough sriracha for our perfect taste and level of spiciness.
Tofu "Chicken" Nuggets with Sriracha Mayo
Savory, crispy little bites of tofu, full of chicken flavor, and perfect for dipping in a spicy, creamy sriracha mayo.
Ingredients
- 1 (14 ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained, frozen, and then thawed
- 2 cups double strength chicken-flavored , vegan broth (from bouillon)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Cube tofu that's been drained, frozen, and thawed. Place tofu into a shallow pan, and pour broth over the top, making sure tofu is covered. Set aside to soak overnight (or for at least a couple hours), refrigerated.
- Meanwhile, make sriracha mayo. Spoon out about 1/4 cup mayo and squeeze a bit of sriracha in, stir, taste.. add more sriracha to taste. Really scientific process, eh?
- Once tofu has marinaded, stir together flour, yeast, salt, pepper, and spices. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-low heat. Remove tofu from broth and transfer to breading, a few at a time. Toss cubes in flour mixture, making sure to coat completely.
- Gently place tofu in hot oil; fry until crisp and browned on all sides. Each side took about 2-3 minutes. Remove from oil and set on wire rack with paper towels underneath to catch any drips.
- Serve immediately with sriracha mayo.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 3g, Calories: 435kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 26g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 1439mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 1g, Net Carbs: 20g
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.
Tofu "Chicken" Nuggets with Sriracha Mayo
Savory, crispy little bites of tofu, full of chicken flavor, and perfect for dipping in a spicy, creamy sriracha mayo.
Ingredients
- 1 package extra-firm tofu 14 ounce, drained, frozen, and then thawed
- 2 cups double strength chicken-flavored from bouillon, vegan broth
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For sriracha mayo
- tofu mayo or Veganaise
- sriracha to taste
Instructions
- Cube tofu that's been drained, frozen, and thawed. Place tofu into a shallow pan, and pour broth over the top, making sure tofu is covered. Set aside to soak overnight (or for at least a couple hours), refrigerated.
- Meanwhile, make sriracha mayo. Spoon out about 1/4 cup mayo and squeeze a bit of sriracha in, stir, taste.. add more sriracha to taste. Really scientific process, eh?
- Once tofu has marinaded, stir together flour, yeast, salt, pepper, and spices. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-low heat. Remove tofu from broth and transfer to breading, a few at a time. Toss cubes in flour mixture, making sure to coat completely.
- Gently place tofu in hot oil; fry until crisp and browned on all sides. Each side took about 2-3 minutes. Remove from oil and set on wire rack with paper towels underneath to catch any drips.
- Serve immediately with sriracha mayo.
Notes
Adapted from Whisk Flip Stir
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.
Cheryl – Thanks so much for sharing! I made these myself and they were the single best thing I have made since being vegan! Hands down!
I didn’t use yeast, but did add a little baking soda. I used a knock-off veganaise (next time I’ll use the name brand!) and I deep fried them instead of using a pan. Even though I didn’t follow directions well (LOL), these turned out AMAZING!!! Will definitely make again!
Ha! I’m glad you liked and that they were, well, versatile! I honestly never follow a recipe to the letter. Deep fried sounds amazing… Don’t say it too loud. My tastebuds might hear. And congrats on going vegan!
Hi Cheryl,
Thanks for putting up this recipe and pictures!
Tried this recipe out today for lunch which I thought was perfect for a rainy Sunday.
I didn’t have the poultry spice blend so I just omitted it and used only a pinch of salt to the flour mixture.
I also didn’t have sriracha so instead I mixed in fresh thyme into the veganaise.
Would totally recommend this recipe to anyone.
Thanks again!
Thanks Lara! I’m so glad you liked it and found it versatile 😀