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Plate of tofu chicken with sriracha mayo on marble benchtop with linen napkin.
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Crispy Vegan Tofu Chicken

This delicious crispy vegan tofu chicken is made by freezing, thawing and pressing a block of extra firm tofu until it becomes dense and pulls apart into meaty chunks. A delicious substitute for fried chicken.
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword crispy tofu, crispy tofu chicken, mock chicken, tofu chicken, vegan chicken, vegan fried chicken, vegan junk food, vegan meat, vegan tofu chicken
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Pressing & freezing time (for tofu) 9 hours
Total Time 9 hours 25 minutes
Servings 2 people
Calories 141kcal
Cost $7

Equipment

  • Large frypan

Ingredients

  • 370 g block of extra firm tofu
  • 1/2 cup soy milk
  • 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sriracha or hot sauce
  • 75 g chicken coating mix check it's vegan friendly, I used Tandaco Coating Mix For Southern Fried Chicken
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • The evening before you want to cook, press block of tofu for 30 minutes. To do this, remove the tofu from packaging, place between two sheets of paper towel or clean tea towel. Place onto a flat surface and weigh the tofu down by stacking a heavy object on top, like a chopping board and some large books.
  • Place tofu into a tupperware container and freeze overnight, or for 8 hours.
  • Thaw tofu. The fastest way to do this is in the microwave, slowly, on a low seating so it thaws evenly.
  • Once tofu is thawed, press it again for an additional 30 minutes. While the tofu is pressing, prepare the buttermilk coating and crumb.
  • To make the buttermilk coating, combine soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl. Mix well then leave to curdle for a few minutes, until thickened. Then add hot sauce, soy sauce, plus a pinch of salt and pepper. Place the chicken seasoning mix into a separate bowl.
  • Once the tofu has been pressed, tear it into large bite size chunks. Place chunks of tofu into buttermilk mixture and leave to soak for 30 minutes, or overnight if that suits.
  • Coat tofu chunks in seasoning mix. Heat a few generous lugs of oil in a large fry pan to shallow-fry the tofu. There should be approximately 1cm of oil on the base of the pan. When the oil is hot (around 350F/175C), add the tofu. Cook on one side for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown, then move the pieces so they cook evenly on all sides.
  • Drain tofu on a paper towel. Serve immediately with your favourite condiments.

Nutrition

Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1324mg | Potassium: 418mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 242IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 3mg