Oh tofu. I love love love ya.
I know that’s a very vegan thing to say. But it’s true!
I’m not arguing with you –– right out of the package, tofu isn’t great. But if you treat it the right way, say, by making these Crispy Baked Tofu Nuggets, tofu can (and should!) be incredibly delicious.
I have a few other tofu recipes on the blog (here and here are two fab examples), but this one might be my favorite.
It takes a little bit of time (just 40 minutes baking –– I like to workout during that time!), but one batch yields a few servings. In fact, I love making a batch at the beginning of the week to make dinner a bit easier for a few nights!
Yay for working smarter, not harder!
The reason why I love this recipe so much is because of the very scientific way we make nuggets from a big block of tofu –– we tear the block into bite-sized pieces.
Why is tearing your tofu better than cutting your tofu (in my highly opinionated opinion)? Because you get a lot of craggily edges!
The uneven texture of torn tofu helps collect that marinade (aka. more flavor!) and creates peaks and valleys that get extra crispy and crunchy. Plus, we’re using cornstarch for even more of that crunch-factor.
Yes, you can do a traditional breading situation where you have multiple bowls of liquids, seasoned breadcrumbs, and flour and need to coat each nugget in stages and whatnot. But I certainly do not have time for that, and cornstarch is a one-and-done solution that really works great and yields a perfectly crispy nug!
I make these all of the time, and I’m so excited to finally share them with you! Two of my new favorite ways to dress up these cute little nugs will be on the blog within the next few weeks, so be sure to check back if you’re looking for some ideas! Enjoy, my tofu-lovin’ friends!
PrintCrispy Baked Tofu Nuggets
Torn tofu pieces, a simple 6-ingredient marinade, and a cornstarch coating makes these baked tofu nuggets extra crispy and tasty!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra-firm or super firm tofu*
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or another high-heat oil)
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- a few cranks of freshly-ground pepper
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove your tofu from the packaging and pat dry with a clean towel. Wrap with the towel and allow to drain while you’re prepping the rest of the ingredients.
- In a large bowl, add your oil, granulated garlic, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine.
- Take your block of tofu and tear off irregular but bite-sized pieces and add it to the marinade. Once all of your pieces have been formed, carefully toss them in the marinade with your hands, taking care to not break up the pieces too much.
- Sprinkle your cornstarch on top of the nuggets and toss again with your hands.
- Place each nugget on your prepared baking sheet so that it’s not touching the other tofu pieces. If you have a few small bits of broken tofu at the bottom of your bowl, add a bit more cornstarch and squeeze the bits together to form nugget-sized pieces. These guys get EXTRA crispy when baked!
- Bake your nuggets for 20 minutes. Carefully flip each nugget and then bake again for another 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle a bit of salt over your nuggets once you remove them from the oven. Toss in your favorite sauce or eat with your favorite dipping sauce!
Notes
*I love the High Protein Super Firm pack from Trader Joe’s!
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