• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • meet the team
  • blogger resources
  • Contact Me
My Account
Member Dashboard
40 Aprons Premium (Ad Free!)

40 Aprons

Delicious, Healthy-ish Meals for the Whole Family

  • All Recipes
  • Most Popular
    • Cheryl’s Favorites
    • 30-Minute Recipes
    • Creamy Soups
    • Copycat Recipes
    • Casseroles
    • One-Dish Wonders
  • Method
    • Air Fryer
    • Baking
    • Crockpot
    • Grilling
    • Instant Pot
    • Sous Vide
  • Course
    • Appetizers
    • Cooking Basics
    • Breakfast
    • Condiments
    • Dessert
    • Main Course
    • Meal Prep
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Cuisine
    • American
    • Asian
    • Indian
    • Italian
    • Mediterranean
    • Mexican & Latin
    • Southern
Home Blog Cheap Healthy Meals Under $10 a Serving

Vegan Fried “Chicken” (Made with Tofu)

Jasmine Comer
Jasmine Comer Posted: 07/20/21 Updated: 01/13/22
5
/5
20 Comments
Jump to Recipe
DF Dairy Free GF Gluten Free V Vegan VG Vegetarian

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Pin graphic for vegan fried chicken
Pin graphic for vegan fried chicken
Pin graphic for vegan fried chicken
Pin graphic for vegan fried chicken
Pin graphic for vegan fried chicken
Pin graphic for vegan fried chicken
Pin graphic for vegan fried chicken
Pin graphic for vegan fried chicken
Pin graphic for vegan fried chicken
Pin graphic for vegan fried chicken
Pin graphic for vegan fried chicken
Pin graphic for vegan fried chicken
Pin graphic for vegan fried chicken
Pin graphic for vegan fried chicken

Crispy vegan fried “chicken” is a perfect plant-based recipe. The easy double breading is seasoned perfectly, and marinated tofu creates a juicy, flavorful “meat” that really does taste just like chicken.

Vegan fried chicken made from tofu

What Makes This Recipe So Good

  • This vegan fried “chicken” is an incredible meatless version of classic fried chicken that I just know you’re going to love. It tastes convincingly like the real thing – tender, juicy “meat” encased in a crunchy, golden, seasoned breading. Pair it with mashed potatoes and green beans for a totally vegan comfort meal.
  • A double-dip in the batter gives you a delicious breading that crisps up beautifully. It’s not too thick, and it doesn’t flake off. Perfect!
  • It’s a little time consuming because of the freezing & thawing process, but I promise you it’s 100% worth it. Freezing and thawing the tofu twice gives you the perfect chicken texture!

Key Ingredients

Firm Tofu – After freezing and thawing the tofu twice, you’ll want to press the tofu between two cutting boards to remove as much liquid as possible. After that, press on it with a kitchen towel to remove a little more. Be careful not to use too much pressure.

All-Purpose Flour – All-purpose flour and cornstarch give you the crispy breading you want with fried chicken. If you’re gluten free, you can sub this with a gluten-free all-purpose flour at a 1:1 ratio.

Seasonings – You can customize the seasoning blend for your vegan fried “chicken” breading however you like. Swap out the Italian seasoning for a Cajun blend, add red pepper flakes, skip the cayenne. Whatever your ideal fried chicken flavors are!

Chef’s Tips

  • It’s super important that you press all of the liquid out of the tofu. I mean, literally as much as you possibly can. If you don’t, your vegan fried “chicken” won’t have the right texture and won’t fry up like it should.
  • For really crispy fried “chicken”, drain it on a wire cooling rack over a layer of paper towels. If you lay them on a paper-towel-lined plate, the tofu will sit in the oil that drains off, which will keep it from getting as crispy as possible.
  • Use a deep-frying thermometer so you know exactly when your oil is hot enough to start frying! If it’s too hot, the breading will burn. Too cool, it’ll just soak up oil. If you don’t have a thermometer you can use, test the oil before dropping the battered tofu in it. Dip a the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil – if it bubbles immediately, it’s ready. If the bubbles are violent, though, it’s too hot.
  • You can fully prepare this recipe ahead of time, then let it cool completely and freeze it for later! Trust me, you’ll be so glad you did. Reheat the fried “chicken” in the oven at 400° Fahrenheit until warmed through. If you’ve got leftover vegan fried “chicken” you just want to refrigerate overnight, that works, too. Just let it cool completely then store it in an airtight container. Reheat it in the oven for the best texture.
Vegan fried chicken on a plate

Check Out These Vegan Recipes, Too!

  • Vegan Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping
  • How to Cook Tempeh
  • Vegan Zucchini Bread
  • Seitan Grilled Chicken with Vegan BBQ Sauce
  • The BEST Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Vegan Chili
  • The Best Vegan Alfredo Sauce (Made in 3 Minutes!)
  • 45 Incredible Vegan Instant Pot Recipes

Hey – you’ve made it this far, so now we’re basically best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook, too!

Vegan fried chicken on a white plate
5 from 9 votes

Vegan Fried “Chicken” (Made with Tofu)

Crispy vegan fried "chicken" is a perfect plant-based recipe. The easy double breading is seasoned perfectly, and marinated tofu creates a juicy, flavorful "meat" that really does taste just like chicken.
Print Save Saved! Click Here to Remove Ads
4

Ingredients

  • 1 16-ounce package firm tofu
  • 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce
  • 1 ½ cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
  • 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning blend
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • neutral oil for frying

Equipment

  • Freezer
  • Large bowl
  • Medium bowls (2)
  • Cast iron skillet
  • Wire cooling rack or large plate
  • Paper towels

Instructions 

  • Place package of tofu in freezer. Once frozen, remove from freezer and defrost fully. Repeat process.
  • When tofu is fully thawed a second time, open package and drain all liquid. Press tofu to remove any remaining liquid, then break tofu into bite-sized pieces.
  • Place tofu pieces in large bowl and pour vegetable broth over them. Set aside.
    Tofu in glass bowl with vegetable broth
  • In one medium bowl, mix together milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside.
    Milk and apple cider vinegar in white bowl
  • In separate medium bowl, mix together flour, cornstarch, onion powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt. Set aside.
    Breading mixture in white bowl
  • In cast-iron skillet, heat ½" of oil to 350°-360° Fahrenheit. Set up wire cooling rack over thick layer of paper towels to catch excess oil. Alternately, line large plate with paper towels.
  • Dip tofu pieces into milk mixture, then dredge in flour blend. Tap pieces on side of bowl to shake off excess flour, then dip in milk and dredge in flour a second time. Shake off any excess flour.
    Tofu in breading mixture in white bowl
  • Place battered tofu in oil and fry until golden brown, approximately 6 to 7 minutes, turning every 2 minutes or so.
  • Transfer fried tofu to wire cooling rack. Repeat until all tofu has been fried. Let cool and serve warm.
    Vegan fried chicken on white plate with paper towel

Notes

  • Make it Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free all-purpose flour.
 
Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving out of 4 using the ingredients listed. 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 4. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 391kcal, Carbohydrates: 64g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 1443mg, Potassium: 157mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 698IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 296mg, Iron: 5mg, Net Carbs: 60g

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.

© Author: Jasmine Comer

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @40aprons on social and be sure to leave a review on the blog post!

Rate Recipe Tag Me on Instagram

Jasmine Comer

Meet Jasmine Comer

Jasmine Comer is a food photographer and recipe developer from North Carolina. She grew up in the kitchen watching her mom cook all types of delicious meals. In 2016 she established Lively Meals, a food blog where she creates healthy recipes. This led to creating recipes for other blogs as well. In her free time she enjoys exploring new places and spending time in nature. Ultimately she’s grateful to be doing work she loves—cooking good food and sharing it with people.

Read more...

You may also like...

  • Gluten free fried chicken thighs and legs on a white plate
    Perfectly Crispy Gluten Free Fried Chicken
  • Tofu Mayonnaise (Vegan)
  • Overhead image of paleo greek chicken on white plate with fork.
    Paleo Greek Chicken (Dairy Free)

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below.

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Lisa says

    Posted on 1/23/23 at 11:01 am

    I messed up a bit ( don’t think they marinated as much as they should have) but wow! My non vegan daughter LOVED THIS —even the next day reheated!!! Trying again this week, without all the oil I really pray they turn out as good ❤️5 stars

    Reply
    • Molly | 40 Aprons TeamMolly | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 1/23/23 at 11:31 am

      Glad she enjoyed! Thanks so much for the review! Let us know when you give it a try again!

      Reply
  2. Emily says

    Posted on 9/15/22 at 9:20 am

    Could you cook these in the air fryer instead of frying?

    Reply
    • Megan | 40 Aprons TeamMegan | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 9/15/22 at 12:48 pm

      Definitely!

      Reply
  3. Samuel Jungeblut says

    Posted on 8/19/22 at 9:52 pm

    This recipe is so good. I found this recipe about three weeks ago and just took my time to very deliberately prepare this main piece which I drizzled lightly with sriracha sauce…SO GOOD, not dissatisfied to any degree only looking forward to the leftovers and making it again 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻5 stars

    Reply
    • Megan | 40 Aprons TeamMegan | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 8/20/22 at 6:35 pm

      I’m so happy this one was worth the wait, Samuel! Thanks so much for trying it and for sharing your review with us. 🙂

      Reply
  4. S. Kalani says

    Posted on 8/17/22 at 3:40 am

    This recipe was amazing! Thank you so much for sharing. I’m a meat eater and this was surprisingly good for vegan.5 stars

    Reply
    • Megan | 40 Aprons TeamMegan | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 8/17/22 at 1:42 pm

      That’s high praise, indeed! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback, we really appreciate it!

      Reply
  5. Regina says

    Posted on 8/9/22 at 3:30 pm

    this was soooo good! i didn’t get enough water out of the tofu and it was a little “melt in your mouth” than just juicy and moist, but that’s my fault! I will be making this again though ❤️5 stars

    Reply
    • Megan | 40 Aprons TeamMegan | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 8/9/22 at 8:29 pm

      Thank you so much for sharing your review, Regina! Next time you try it, be sure to let us know how you like it with the extra moisture pressed out.

      Reply
  6. Lo says

    Posted on 8/5/22 at 9:29 pm

    I loved this so much!! I noticed after frying them for 7 minutes and placing them on a plate with paper towels, they were still a little squishy/moist. I wanted them crispier so I tried putting them in the oven on a lightly oiled baking sheet on 350 degrees F for 10 min and they got AMAZINGLY crispy just how I wanted!5 stars

    Reply
    • Grace | 40 Aprons TeamGrace | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 8/8/22 at 1:44 pm

      Thanks so much for the recommendation! I’ll have to try that next time! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for sharing ♥

      Reply
  7. Stalis Edwards says

    Posted on 8/2/22 at 3:34 pm

    This was super delicious and crispy. I liked the texture I will most definitely be trying this again and again. I love this method to cooking the tofu!5 stars

    Reply
    • Megan | 40 Aprons TeamMegan | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 8/3/22 at 9:11 pm

      Thank you so much for your kind review, Stalis! I’m so happy you enjoyed this tofu recipe so much.

      Reply
  8. Andrea says

    Posted on 7/14/22 at 1:46 pm

    This might be a stupid question, but when thawing the tofu do you do it in the fridge or on the counter?

    Reply
    • Grace | 40 Aprons TeamGrace | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 7/22/22 at 12:20 pm

      There are no stupid questions here, Andrea! Depending on how much time you have, you can thaw tofu either on the counter or in the fridge. It would be best to stick your frozen tofu in the fridge and have it thaw throughout the day or overnight. It takes about 6 hours to thaw on the counter.

      Reply
  9. Kira R says

    Posted on 6/10/22 at 9:07 pm

    I halved the milk and flour mixtures, and had plenty. These were amazing! I also added some Poultry Seasoning to the flour and it made it really taste like chicken! Thank you!!5 stars

    Reply
    • Anna Claire | 40 Aprons TeamAnna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 6/12/22 at 4:36 pm

      Great tips! So glad you enjoyed it and got your fried chicken fix.

      Reply
  10. Rhonda says

    Posted on 3/17/22 at 7:26 pm

    Absolutely delicious!!!!5 stars

    Reply
    • Anna Claire | 40 Aprons TeamAnna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 3/20/22 at 3:14 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it!5 stars

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

What’s Popular?

Reusable meal prep trays with sweet potato, scrambled eggs, and sausage for a whole30 breakfast

Whole30 Breakfast Meal Prep

Crispy, golden air fryer tater tots in a large white serving bowl next to a small ramekin of bright red ketchup.

Air Fryer Tater Tots

Overhead view of marry me chicken in a cast iron skillet

Marry Me Chicken (Chicken in a Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce)

Instant pot chicken and rice in a bowl

Dreamy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

In Season

Whole30 In-n-Out burgers close up

Whole30 Burgers – Burger Joint Style (Paleo, Low Carb)

Overhead photo of keto chicken tortilla soup in a rustic bowl

Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup (Low Carb, Gluten Free)

Air fryer chicken wings on a platter with sauce

Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings in Buffalo Sauce

Instant pot frozen chicken breast - easy chicken recipes for dinners with few ingredients

Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast

As seen on:

More Goodies + NO Ads!

Become a 40 Aprons Premium Member!

All the 40 Aprons content you love - now even better.

  • Member-Exclusive Recipes
  • Meal Plans & Grocery Lists
  • eBooks
  • NO ADS!
Join now

Privacy Policy

Accessibility

Disclaimers

Contact

© 2023 40 Aprons
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top
7513 shares