Sometimes, it can be a good idea to take a few steps back and evaluate your food choices. Are you eating healthy options? Is there anything that you could be doing differently? If you alter the contents of your diet, will you be sacrificing flavor for fewer calories? If you determine that change is a necessity, try out this recipe which calls for all the goodness of a chicken nugget, but without the chicken. Instead, it’s a cube of healthy, low calorie, high protein tofu, that’s has been breaded and deep fried in oil (healthily).
So give this a try and be proud of yourself for making healthier diet choices.
Prep your Tofu
Very little of this recipe involves knife work or prep work. The main focus is to induce as much flavor into the otherwise bland tofu, so that the resulting dish can match the taste level of a chicken nugget. First, cube your tofu and allow it to sit in a marinade of soy sauce, water, garlic powder (I use granules), onion power, paprika, and salt. Let this sit in the marinade for AT LEAST 2 hours or even overnight. The longer it sits, the better it will taste.
Getting it all together
The next day, or if you’re the impatient type, after the minimum 2 hours, prepare your breading station. To start, add flour with vinegar and mix enough water to make a thick batter. The vinegar provides a subtle tang to the tofu. Make sure that enough water is added to make the batter thick enough to coat the tofu. You may need to add more flour if the batter is too thin.
Next, mix bread crumbs with paprika, dried thyme, and salt to make the breading. Panko bread crumbs work best here. Panko will provide the best crunch and golden brown exterior.
Finally, stir together the mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, and a squeeze of lime juice to make a simple yet delicious dipping sauce. This mixture will also go well with traditional chicken nuggets! Season this mixture with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.
Finally, when you think your tofu has had enough time marinating, set up a breading station with the batter and breading mixture next to the tofu, in that order. Coat each tofu cube in the batter thoroughly before shaking off the excess and tossing it into the bread crumbs. Repeat this process until all of the tofu cubes are fully coated.
FRY!
Get a pot of oil on the high heat. Once the oil starts to shimmer or read a temperature of 355°F, gently place the nuggets into the oil. Be careful not to over crowd the pot.
After 5 minutes, or once the nuggets have turned a golden crown brown, take the nuggets out and drain on a paper towel. Repeat with the rest.
Pile these beauties onto a plate and serve alongside the dipping sauce. Garnish with a lime wedge. Enjoy!
Tofu Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
- 250 Grams Tofu Cubed
- 30 Ml Soy Sauce
- 60 Ml Water
- 5 Grams Onion Powder
- 5 Grams Garlic Powder
- 10 Grams Paprika
- 100 Grams Flour
- 10 Ml Vinegar
- 100 Grams Panko Bread Crumbs
- 5 Grams Dried Thyme
- 30 Grams Mayonaisse
- 25 Grams BBQ Sauce
- 5 Ml Lime Juice
- To Taste Sale and Pepper
Instructions
- Cut the tofu into cubes. Marinate in soy sauce, water, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika (5g) and salt. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours.
- Make the batter by mixing the flour, vinegar and enough water to create a thick batter.
- Make the batter by mixing the flour, vinegar, and enough water to create a thick batter.
- Make a dipping sauce by mixing mayonnaise, BBQ sauce and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Make a dipping sauce by mixing mayonnaise, BBQ sauce and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Fry until golden brown (around 5 minutes) and allow to drain.
- Serve alongside the dipping sauce, garnished with a lime wedge.
Notes
| The longer the tofu marinades, the more flavor it will absorb. So allow it to sit in the marinade overnight when possible. |
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this recipe vegan friendly?
The nuggets themselves are fully vegan. However, the dipping sauce has mayo, which isn’t vegan. However, the mayo can easily be substituted with a plant based alternative.
- 2. What needs to be done if the batter doesn’t stick to the tofu cubes?
This will happen if the batter isn’t thick enough. Simply whisk in more flour to thicken it up.
Tips to Improve or Alter the Recipe
- The bread crumbs can be flavored with pretty much any powder or dried herb PROVIDED it’s dry. Try a curry powder, Old Bay seasoning, or even a soup cube for a different flavor profile.
- Spice up the marinade with some green chilies, ginger, or tamarind paste for a change in taste.
- Instead of a creamy dip, go with a soy tamarind glaze for dipping.
Things to Serve With
The Tofu works best with just a dipping sauce that you can tweak or alter to suit your preferred taste profile. The nuggets could also be used as a garnish atop a hearty salad.
Tips for Storage
Once cubed, the tofu nuggets can be kept frozen for up to a month and chilled for up to 3 days. Make sure to either thaw the tofu or allow the cubes to come up to room temperature before frying. If not, you risk the center of the nuggets being cold after frying.
Final Words
Take a chance and see how easy it is to create healthier options to give your diet the boost it needs.
As always thanks for reading and be sure to keep your kitchen Hot and Salty!
