Marinated tofu baked with a deliciously crunchy breadcrumb crust and baked to crispy perfection! #tofu #tofurecipes #howcocooktofu #tofumarinade | Recipe on thecookandhim.com

Posted in Recipes on 05.07.2019

Baked Tofu Nuggets

prep: 15 mins / cook: 30 mins / inactive: 30 mins / total: 1 hour 15 mins / quantity: 24 bite sized nuggets Print recipe?

Marinated tofu baked with a deliciously crunchy breadcrumb crust and baked to crispy perfection! #tofu #tofurecipes #howcocooktofu #tofumarinade | Recipe on thecookandhim.com

Marinated and baked tofu nuggets with a gently spiced, crispy breadcrumb crust – easy and delicious!

I know that tofu isn’t for everyone – vegan or otherwise.  It inherently has quite a unique texture and that everyone is after the ultimate crispy tofu rather than the boingy, rubbery stuff that we can end up with.  Personally I love the stuff.  I love how it just soaks up the flavours round it and that it’s versatile enough to be baked, scrambled, stir fried or even put in a sweet vegan chocolate pie.  And these baked tofu nuggets are just about crispy enough to make you forget about that unique texture.

Proof:  Phil’s not a fan of tofu because of the texture.  I think I say “Phil’s not a fan of” a lot.  You’re gonna start thinking I make food I KNOW he won’t eat just so I don’t have to share.  BUT – the first time I made these I intended them to be for my dinner only but I shared a few and he asked me to make them again.  And include him in the meal plan 😉

Marinated tofu baked with a deliciously crunchy breadcrumb crust and baked to crispy perfection! #tofu #tofurecipes #howcocooktofu #tofumarinade | Recipe on thecookandhim.com

I normally eat tofu at least weekly.  In fact I plan on having this Teriyaki Tofu again this week – adding it to some whole wheat noodles and stir fried veg.  Tofu has a pretty good nutritional profile being low in saturated fat and calories but reasonably high in protein.

Where do vegans get their protein?

It’s an age old question and I’ve answered it here.  It’s actually pretty easy, especially with things like tofu and all the other amazing products and ingredients that are becoming more and more readily available.

Marinated tofu baked with a deliciously crunchy breadcrumb crust and baked to crispy perfection! #tofu #tofurecipes #howcocooktofu #tofumarinade | Recipe on thecookandhim.com

How to make crispy Baked Tofu Nuggets

Breading anything vegan is still a very similar process to non-vegan.  You need something that helps stick the coating (panko breadcrumbs in this case) to the filling.  And for these tofu nuggets I thought I’d try and combine the marinade with the ‘glue’ in a similar process I used for the Teriyaki Tofu. Whisking together the liquid aminos (or soy sauce) with the spices and gram flour (also known as chickpea flour) gave a really good base for the breadcrumbs to stick to.

  • I used gram flour because it’s really fine and easy to whisk into a liquid without just creating loads of lumps!
  • And I used panko breadcrumbs because they give a really crisp and crunchy coating to practically anything you want to fry or bake!
Marinated tofu baked with a deliciously crunchy breadcrumb crust and baked to crispy perfection! #tofu #tofurecipes #howcocooktofu #tofumarinade | Recipe on thecookandhim.com

Feel free to vary the spices in your maridade.  Or even add some herbs to the breadcrumb mixture.  These baked tofu nuggets are VERY amenable to your own favourite flavours!

As for how to serve – our favourite is a big bowl of salad mixed with roasted veggies and a sprinkle of nuggets.  The soft roasted veg and mild salad flavours are an absolutely delicious contrast to the spicy, salty and ultimately crispy baked tofu!

Marinated tofu baked with a deliciously crunchy breadcrumb crust and baked to crispy perfection! #tofu #tofurecipes #howcocooktofu #tofumarinade | Recipe on thecookandhim.com

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Baked Tofu Nuggets

prep: 15 mins / cook: 30 mins / inactive: 30 mins / total: 1 hour 15 mins / quantity: 24 bite sized nuggets

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (400g) firm tofu
  • 3 tblsp liquid aminos (or sub with soy sauce)
  • 1 + 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1-2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 heaped tsp dijon mustard (or sub for wholegrain or English)
  • 3 tsp gram flour (also known as chickpea flour)
  • 1/2 cup (40g) panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tblsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tblsp sesame seeds
  • few grinds of black pepper

Instructions

  1. Drain all the water from the tofu and pat dry with some kitchen towel
  2. Cut into roughly 24 bite sized nuggets
  3. In a shallow dish whisk together the liquid aminos, garlic powder, paprika and mustard then whisk in the gram flour
  4. Add the tofu to the bowl and turn each nugget to coat. Set aside for 30 minutes (see note)
  5. In another shallow dish mix together the breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, sesame seeds and a few grinds of black pepper
  6. Preheat your oven to 180 Fan / 200 C / 400 F / Gas 6 and line a large baking tray with parchment or a silicon mat
  7. To coat the tofu just drop 1-2 pieces at a time into the breadcrumb mixture, turning and pressing the crumbs over all sides of the pieces of tofu. You can press quite firmly, the tofu can handle it ;)
  8. Lay each piece of tofu onto your prepared tray and repeat until you've covered each piece
  9. Bake for 30 minutes until crisp and lightly golden
  10. These nuggets can be eaten immediately or left to cool. Once cooled they become crouton like and are lovely sprinkled into a chopped or mixed salad!

Notes

  • You can marinate the tofu up to 24 hours in advance but 30 minutes is also long enough to absorb plenty of flavour
Baked Tofu Nuggets

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Hello there!  I’m Sam, devoted dog mum to Nooch and Baxter and your go-to vegan foodie on a mission to make plant-based eating a delicious adventure!  Join me as I whip up mouthwatering recipes that celebrate FLAVOUR.  From cozy comfort foods to vibrant salads and decadent desserts, there’s something for everyone in my kitchen.

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