Tofu Fried Chicken

This vegan buttermilk tofu fried chicken is perfectly seasoned, double breaded with panko or cornflakes, and fried into a perfectly crispy, utterly satisfying vegan fried chicken alternative!

Utterly Crispy Vegan Fried Chicken Recipe

If you find yourself craving KFC, Popeye’s, or other takeout chicken and battered cauliflower wings just aren’t hitting the spot this time (sorry, cauliflower wings—we still love you!), then it’s time to learn how to make tofu taste like chicken in this easy tofu fried chicken recipe.

Tofu is already a wonderfully cost-effective, sponge-like ingredient you can flavor and adapt endlessly. But did you know it can make convincing vegan fried chicken? It’s tender and juicy inside, coated with a crunchy, crackly, panko or cornflake-crusted, buttermilk-battered, crispy shell (double dipped for extra crunch!).

It’s fairly simple to prepare, too, and using this one recipe, you can make tofu nuggets, tenders, chunks, or tofu chicken breast pieces – perfect for game days, potlucks, parties, and fakeout Fridays. Looking for other vegan takeout favorites? Try tofu sushi, tofu pad Thai, and sticky sesame tofu.

The Ingredients and Substitutes

• Tofu: Use a block of super-firm tofu, which doesn’t require pressing (or extra-firm, in a pinch, but drain and press it) for the best vegan fried chicken.
• Oil: Use a high-heat neutral oil, such as canola oil, vegetable oil, or peanut oil, to deep-fry the vegan tofu chicken.

Chicken Fried Tofu Marinade

• Soy sauce: (regular or reduced sodium) To add savory, salty, umami flavor. If gluten-free, use tamari or coconut aminos.
• Seasonings: (optional) To boost the flavor, add garlic powder and/or smoked paprika.
• Oil: Any neutral oil, like avocado oil, canola oil, etc.
• Water: For more flavor, use vegetable stock or vegan chicken bouillon/stock.

Dry Coating

• Flour: Use regular or gluten-free all-purpose flour. Chickpea flour may work, too, for gluten-free vegan chicken.
• Cornstarch: This lightens up the flour coating and helps achieve the crackly, puffy, crispy coating when fried. Potato starch may also work.
• Breading: Use panko breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes, regular or gluten-free, for crunchy fried breaded tofu.
• Baking powder: For a lighter, puffy, crackly vegan crispy chicken fried tofu.
• Seasonings: At its most basic, you need sea salt and black pepper. For more flavor, add garlic powder and smoked paprika.

Wet Coating

• Vegan buttermilk: Make a plant-based buttermilk alternative with dairy-free milk (soy milk works best) and apple cider vinegar.
• All-purpose flour: Regular or gluten-free.
• Sea salt

Flavor Variations

Just like regular chicken, it’s easy to adapt this chicken tofu recipe with different herbs, spices, or seasoning blends, including:

• Homemade seasoning blend: Combine the garlic and paprika with onion powder, cayenne pepper, and optional dried oregano, thyme, rosemary, or Italian seasoning.
• Spice: Add chili or cayenne pepper to the dry coating or a tablespoon of hot sauce/sriracha to the vegan buttermilk coating and/or the marinade.
• Nutritional yeast: To add to the marinade for ‘cheesy’, umami-rich flavor.

How to Make Tofu Fried Chicken

Marinate The Tofu

• First, cut the tofu into:
  • Slabs (optionally shape into more ‘chicken breast’ like shapes)
  • Sticks (or shaped into vegan tenders)
  • Larger cubes or torn pieces (for vegan chicken nuggets/chunks)
  • Smaller cubes (for vegan popcorn chicken)

• Then, combine all the marinade ingredients in a lidded Tupperware container, mix well, and add the tofu. Close the lid, shake the container, and then leave it to marinate for 30 minutes (overnight for the best flavor).

If you’re in a rush, marinate the tofu for a minimum of 5 minutes. Score the tofu to allow the marinade to penetrate deeper.

• In a separate medium bowl, combine all the dry coating ingredients (flour, cornstarch, panko/cornflakes, baking powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder/smoked paprika if using). Mix well and set aside.

• In another bowl (wide enough to dip the tofu pieces), combine all the wet coating ingredients (plant milk, apple cider vinegar, flour, and salt), mix well, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes to curdle into ‘buttermilk.’

Batter It

• Working one piece at a time, remove the tofu from the marinade, shaking off excess.

• Then, dip it into the bowl of dry coating, flipping it to cover all sides evenly. Shake off any excess.

• Next, dip the tofu fully into the wet batter and lift it to drop off any excess.

• Place it back in the bowl of dry ingredients to coat it fully once more and transfer it to a plate. Remove the entire process with all the remaining pieces of tofu chicken.

To make things less messy, use one hand for the dry ingredients bowl and one for the wet.

Fry The Tofu Chicken

• In a heavy-based skillet, add 1 inch of oil and heat over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until it reaches 325-350F/163-180C.

If you don’t have a thermometer, test the oil by dropping a bit of wet batter (or a piece of the tofu) or the end of a wooden chopstick into it. It should sizzle immediately but not be so hot that it’s smoking.

• Carefully lower pieces of the tofu chicken into the oil in a single layer. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan (as it can reduce the heat of the oil).

• Fry the tofu for about 2 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.

• Then, using a slotted spoon, transfer the tofu fried chicken from the pan to a cooling rack with a plate beneath. This will help remove any excess oil.

To keep the vegan chicken warm, loosely tent the rack with foil or keep it in the oven at 200F/93C until ready to serve.

• Repeat the process with the remaining fried chicken tofu, then enjoy immediately!

FAQs

Pro Recipe Tips

• Marinate the tofu: We recommend 30 minutes at a minimum, though several hours or overnight is best for the most flavor.
• Don’t crowd the pan: This can reduce the oil temperature, which then leads to the batter soaking up additional oil for soggy results.
• Leave it to drain: Transfer the vegan crispy chicken from the pan to a wire rack to drain. This allows air to circulate for the crispiest vegan buttermilk chicken.
• Don’t skip the baking powder or cornstarch: This helps to make the super bubbly, crackly, crispy tofu fried chicken, similar to KFC.
• Cooking time varies: Based on the exact size of your tofu pieces. So keep an eye.

Serving Suggestions

Just like regular fried chicken, vegan fried chicken is a versatile vegan protein to enjoy in a plant-based burger, wrap, or sandwich (like vegan KFC), or with:

• Fries, sweet potato fries, or wedges
• Mashed potato (or mashed cauliflower)
• Corn on the cob
• Coleslaw
• Baked beans
• Fried green tomatoes
• Steamed/ roasted vegetables – like broccoli, green beans, etc.
• Pasta – like mac and cheese, cherry tomato pasta, pasta salads, etc.
• Salad – like Caesar salad, panzanella salad, or kale quinoa salad
• Gravy or dipping sauce – like BBQ sauce, buffalo sauce, vegan ranch, etc.

Storage Instructions

This tofu fried chicken will be crispiest immediately after frying. However, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

You can also freeze the vegan fried tofu. First, spread it across a tray to flash freeze until solid, then transfer it to a Ziplock/Stasher bag for 3-4 months.

More Tofu Recipes

• Crispy breaded tofu sticks
• Tofu vegan fish sticks
• Quick pan-fried tofu
• Crispy baked tofu
• Easy tofu adobo
• Buffalo tofu
• Grilled tofu steak

Photos by Alfonso Revilla