These tofu nuggets are gonna rock your socks! I became a vegetarian in 2011 (and now a pescetarian in 2013), and I knew I had to eat something other than veggies for dinner. That is when I tried (and fell in love with!) tofu. One of my friends, Stephanie, has cooked tofu a time or two and said she didn't like it. She tried this recipe today and said it tasted great.
Wait! Don't go!
Hear me out. If you cook tofu properly – with the right seasonings and get it the right texture – it's delicious. Tofu Nuggets are kid friendly, which is a plus.
Tofu Nuggets | Kid Friendly Vegetarian Recipe
To be honest, I have an extremely hard time following a recipe, much less creating one. I usually just cook. Whatever it is, I just smother it in seasonings and go for it. Most of the time, it turns out quite awesome (if I might say so myself). So when you're following this recipe, follow it loosely. Remember to improvise if you feel like it, and my measurements are just estimates so you can add or take away as you wish.
It takes over an hour start to finish for this recipe, so it's not one that you can just randomly decide on when you have nothing else to cook. It will take a bit of planning, but it's oh so worth it.
The most important part of this recipe is the EZ Tofu Press! It's a life saver for us – we HATE soggy tofu!
The EZ Tofu Press
Ingredients:
Extra firm tofu
breading (I used a breading mix from the Farmer's market, mixed with cajun seasoning)
hot sauce – optional
Pre-cooking Directions:
You will need to drain the tofu before working with it. To drain the tofu, take it out of the package and place it inside your EZ Tofu Press. Make sure it's as tight as you can get it, especially if you prefer extra firm tofu. You want the tofu to be drained as much as possible.
Directions:
After the tofu has drained for 20 minutes, preheat the deep fryer to 350*. Or you can cook them in a skillet without oil – just spray the pan.
Slice the tofu into 1″ cubes. The slab of tofu will be thick, so you will need to cut it in half and then cut it into cubes. Be careful when handling the tofu, as it is fragile.
The tofu will still be a bit moist, so you don't need to dip it in eggs or anything to be able to bread them. Grab your breading (Hooter's wing breading is great), and mix it with cajun seasoning if you want it to be spicy. Put it in a gallon zip loc bag, and place the tofu inside. Pour the remaining breading in a bowl and save it, you will need it again in a moment. Shake until well covered. Drop the tofu into the deep fryer. Fry for about 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, the tofu is still going to be very… for lack of a better word, mushy. Dump it out into a bowl of hot sauce, and then bread it again. If you aren't using hot sauce, just bread it again. The oil from the deep fryer is going to make the breading stick. Deep fry for another 15 minutes or so. Take a piece out and test it, but it's probably not done at this point. It took about 30 minutes total for my tofu to be ready. Just keep checking it every few minutes. It will be crunchy on the outside, but unless you cook it long enough it will be too soft on the inside. Keep frying it. :)
We used spicy ranch to dip ours in (hot sauce mixed with ranch), and it was so good! The kids not only asked for seconds, they asked for thirds.
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To get your own EZ Tofu Press, click here!
Tofu Nuggets
Kid friendly and delicious, these crunchy tofu nuggets are satisfying on every level!
- 1 Pkg. Extra Firm Tofu
- Breading of your choice.
- Hot Sauce (Optional)
- Before cooking, drain the tofu. To drain, take it out of the package and place it inside your EZ Tofu Press. Make sure it’s as tight as you can get it, especially if you prefer extra firm tofu. You want the tofu to be drained as much as possible.
- After the tofu has drained for 20 minutes, preheat the deep fryer to 350* Degrees F.
- Slice the tofu into 1″ cubes.
- Mix your breading with cajun seasoning.
- Put it in a gallon zip lock bag with the tofu. Shake until well covered.
- Drop tofu into the deep fryer to fry about 5 minutes.
- Pour the remaining breading in a bowl and save it.
- After 5 minutes, dump the tofu into a bowl of hot sauce and then bread it again.
- Deep fry for another 15 minutes or so before testing, then every few minutes until tofu is cooked thoroughly.
- Serve with dips of your choice. Enjoy!
I can vouch that this actually tasted pretty good. The texture inside was a lot better than i have had in my previous experiences. It had less of the cottage cheese texture and more of a solid texture crispy but not crunchy. I would toss this on some salad and have at it.
That actually looks REALLY good, and I am a die-hard fan of chicken. I’d definitely be willing to try some tofu in my future!
Very cool ladies, this sounds really scrumptious!
that actually looks delicious! I will need to give these a try! Thanks for linking up to Artistic Tuesday!!
This is one tofu recipe I will try!
It does look good, but tofu isn’t something that I would put on my grocery list. However, it does make me want to try it just to see if the kids would tell the difference since it looks like chicken nuggets and they love chicken nuggets.
My 15 month old HATES meat so this is a great option! I can’t wait to try it out on him! Thanks Sadie!
They look great actually. I am allergic to the main ingredient in tofu but I bet my little man would love these considering he seems to think he is a vegetarian! LOL YUMMY! :)
“Hardcore Carnivore” I swear you’re a trip. I want to make these now! They look just like chicken. Yummy.
Wow, those look really delicious!
That looks really yummy!
I’ve had tofu before and couldn’t get over the texture. It just didn’t work for me. The tofu in the picture above actually looks like chicken so maybe it’s time for me to re-visit it again.
That is the big problem with tofu. The consistency is gag-worthy unless it is REALLY really cooked.. lol.
This might be something that my son will eat.
I can’t believe how much these look like chicken nuggets! We just bought tofu for the first time, so I’m going to try this recipe. :)
Let me know how it turns out, Angela! :) Be sure to drain it WELL.
Another tip: freeze the tofu for a more “meat” tasting consistency. Just press excess water out, toss in freezer until frozen then cut them into pieces once theyve thawed. People swear by it!
Just wanted to let you guys all know that regular tofu that is packaged in water isn’t my favorite at all. In fact, I can’t get over it when veggie restuarants use that kind. There is tofu that I absolutely love to eat. I eat tofu all thetime btw. I wish everyone had quick acsess to it. It is from New Frontiers Grocery Store in San Luis Obispo, California. The consistency is 3 times firmer than any extra firm tofu you usually find in other grocery stores, and the flavor is clear and perfect in my opinion. Also, my second favorite brand of tofu that I buy is Trader Joe’s tofu made with nigari. It has a distinct flavor mild almost taste free of course unlike all other tofu’s which taste, taste free and clear, and it comes in 16 oz. blocks. It also has the hard consistency which is about 3 times the consistency as the extra firm tofu packed in water you find in regular grocery stores. The tofu at New Frontiers (they have a store in Flagstaff, Arizona and Solvang, Ca and San Luis Obispo, Ca) is in fresh water clear barrels with tongs to retrieve slabs to put into a plastic bag and it is made in San Francisco Ca. Awesome stuff.
Good to know, I’ll check it out at Trader Joe’s!
I have a package of shelf stable tofu in the pantry I’ve been saving for the perfect recipe. I think I just found it.. Thanks for sharing.
Hmm, I wouldn’t have thought to add breading, but it probably adds a lot to the taste. I think I’ll have to do that next time. I love tofu to be honest! It’s plain but you can dress up it, like breadcrumbs as seen here with this recipe, or anything else. Or just dipping it in peanut sauce? It’s my favorite! YUM!!
I’ve heard that cooking it right and the right seasonings is the trick. I tried it once in a stir fry and I just couldn’t do the texture. I must’ve done it wrong.
These are so cute. You are right about tofu, it’s really good if you know what you’re doing with it. Endless possibilities.
I’ve had tofu a few times. I’m a newer vegetarian, so I’ll add this to my recipes to try!
I love tofu nuggets, thanks for the shake n bake idea using the bag! I usually bread after pressing…I use the EZ Tofu Press, it take the water out and makes tofu chewy-better texture. The tofu is still moist enough on the outside to hold the breading for frying.
I am always looking for ways to cut meat from our diet, and that my daughter will eat and like. These look just like chicken nuggets and I bet my daughter will love them, thank you for the awesome recipe:)
I’ve never tried tofu, so now I’m kind of curious!
I’m anxious to try these tofu nuggets. I bet super firm or high-protein tofu would work well here. No need to press the tofu before making the recipe.
I still press the super firm but it’s really up to you and what texture you are okay with. :)
They look good & you could add so many different spices to get different tastes too!
Visiting your from The SITS Girls. Loved your post on where to find free stock photos for our blogs. We are vegan at home and use lots of tofu, so I know just how delicious, crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, tofu nuggets can be!
My husband and I recently became vegetarian a few months ago. I’m always looking for new meal ideas so that we aren’t always eating the same things over and over again. I’ve always been a little wary of tofu because I wasn’t sure of the texture, but I have to say that this post has me really interested in trying tofu! We don’t really do much frying in our house, so I was wondering if you’ve ever baked these? Or is frying the best way to go to get them to be crispy and good?
Frying is the best way to get them crispy but you can do tofu steaks .. bake them in the oven on a low temp for a long time.. kinda like you would beef jerky :)
Mmmm I think I’ll try them fried. Never been one for steak, even when I did eat meat! Also… have you ever tried making a bigger batch, freezing the extra ones and tossing them into the oven the next time?
I haven’t, mostly because we eat a LOT… so there’s never any left to freeze lol. I’m not sure how it’d do. :/
I’ve never had tofu before, but these look tasty. Thanks for sharing at Simple Supper Tuesday.
I love tofu and never made it this way. I can’t wait to try it out, thanks for sharing at Mix it up Monday :)
I love tofu and these nuggets are looking WONDERFUL
I’m not a vegetarian, but I do like tofu. these look great. Thanks for sharing them at The Wednesday Roundup. I’m pinning them to The Wednesday Roundup board!
I actually like tofu. I would love to try the double fry method. It works for potatoes, why not tofu? Pinning to my Tofu Board (I told you I like it :))
How many does a block of tofu nuggets feed? I have 6 hungry adults in the house that love finger foods since cooking doesn’t seem cross their minds?
I would do at least 2 if not 3 blocks. :)