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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.
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.
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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.
servings
Equipment
- freezer
- large mixing bowl
- 2 medium mixing bowls
- cast-iron skillet
- wire cooling rack or large plate
- Paper towels
Ingredients
For the Tofu "Chicken"
- 1 16-ounce package firm tofu
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- neutral oil for frying
For the Breading
- 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 freshly cracked black pepper more or less to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt more or less to taste
Instructions
For the Tofu "Chicken"
- Place 1 16-ounce package firm 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 cover with 1 ½ cups vegetable broth and 1 tablespoon hot sauce. Set aside.
For the Breading
- In one medium bowl, mix together 1 ½ cups unsweetened non-dairy milk and 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar. Set aside.
- In separate medium bowl, mix together 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 freshly cracked black pepper, and 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Set aside.
- Dip tofu pieces into milk mixture, then dredge in flour blend. Tap pieces on side of bowl to shake off excess flour.
- Dip in milk and dredge in flour a second time. Shake off any excess flour and place breaded tofu on large plate. Set aside. Repeat process with remaining tofu pieces.
To Fry the Breaded Tofu "Chicken"
- In cast-iron skillet, heat approximately ½-inch of neutral 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.
- 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.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free all-purpose flour.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 393calProtein: 18gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1090mgPotassium: 157mgTotal Carbs: 64gFiber: 5gSugar: 1gNet Carbs: 59gVitamin A: 510IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 296mgIron: 5mg
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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I haven’t tried the recipe yet but what does it mean to “repeat process” in this part:
For the Tofu “Chicken”
Place 1 16-ounce package firm tofu in freezer. Once frozen, remove from freezer and defrost fully. Repeat process.
How many times would I freeze and defrost and what is the point of doing it multiple times? I’ve heard freazing could make it meatier but I don’t understand why it would need repeating.
Also, would one defrost completely or partially?
Hi Jane! You would only freeze and fully defrost twice. The first freeze begins the breakdown of the tofu’s texture, and the second freeze allows the tofu to become even chewier. We promise it’s worth it! 😊
The breading was well seasoned and flavorful. My poultry eating family had no complaints. I will make this again.
We’re so glad the whole family loved it! Thanks for sharing, Vee!
Fantastic ! Delish! Make these as slabs (8 per tofu block). Then freeze. Grab one and make grilled tofu sandwiches, with Swiss cheese and sprouts , and mustard and vegenaise. Thanks!
That’s such a great idea! We’re so glad you love it, Ilene!
Delish. I slice tofu into slabs…
Used GF flour
Make grilled sandwiches with Swiss cheese and sprouts, tofu and vegetarian mixed with mustard. A hit!
I freeze the tofu after cooking and remove pieces from freezer when desired…nuke them for a 0 seconds to defrost then assemble sandwich!
Thanks for sharing, Ilene!
Absolutely delicious! I’ve made it a few times already. Thank you for the recipe.
We’re so glad you love it! Thanks for sharing, Michelle! 😊
Just used regular firm. The seasoning was perfect! So flavorful.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing, Diana!
This gives me what I love about fried chicken, and skipping the meat, cruelty, unknown ingredients. I am thinking a double dredge or double fry and panko.
Let us know what you try and how it turns out!
So, you list hot sauce for ingredients, yet, nowhere in directions does it even mention using it?!?! If it’s just for dipping, then perhaps omit it from recipe.
Hi, Melissa! It’s not for dipping – it should be added with the vegetable broth, as shown in the photo for Step 3. It was just omitted from the instructions by mistake. We’re human after all. ☺️ Thank you for bringing it to our attention so we could fix the error! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Taste like chicken and crispy
So glad you enjoyed it, Glenda. 😊
This was delicious but I’m not sure I marinated the tofu long enough. How long do recommend for marinating before moving on?
It doesn’t need a very long time, but you can marinate it anywhere from 15-30 minutes up to 24 hours! The longer it marinates, the more flavor it takes on.