Baked Tofu Nuggets

These crispy baked tofu nuggets are breaded in potato chips and served with a vegan maple mustard dipping sauce. They're made with just a few simple pantry ingredients, naturally gluten free, kid friendly, and SO. GOOD.

Trying to get your kids (or picky spouse) to eat more tofu? These baked tofu nuggets are for you!

We took plain old, boring tofu and dunked it in a flavorful batter, covered in crispy, salty, delicious crushed potato chips and oven-baked it to perfection. Did we mention the maple mustard dipping sauce?

Vegan dinner heaven.

Serve them up alongside vegan mac and cheese or roasted tomato soup. Or, keep things a bit lighter with a simple salad or roasted vegetables. Either way, we're pretty sure you won't have any leftovers!

How to make potato chip breaded tofu nuggets

We're pretty sure these baked tofu nuggets will become a staple in your weekly meal plan. It's easy to make, perfect for kids, and baked instead of fried!

Best tofu to use for crispy baked tofu

Extra firm tofu works best for any kind of crispy baked tofu. Anything below firm will not hold up well enough to the breading.

To best prepare tofu for baking, remove from packaging, drain excess liquid and pat dry with a clean towel. To remove even more moisture, wrap the block of tofu in a clean towel and set something heavy on top, like a cookbook or cast iron pan.

Let sit for at least 30 minutes to remove as much excess moisture as possible. Then, turn the block on its side and slice in half lengthwise. Slice each block into three long strips, then cut into thirds to form nuggets.

Step one: batter

Since we can't use eggs for the batter, we had to get a bit creative to make sure the breading sticks well.

We found that a mixture of vegan mayo, dijon mustard and a few spices works well both as a coating and to add plenty of flavor. There are plenty of vegan mayo brands on the market – we most often use Sir Kensington's and Follow Your Heart.

Dijon mustard is the best choice and adds the most flavor. Whisk in a pinch of onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper for seasoning.

Use one hand to coat each cube of tofu in the batter. Make sure it's evenly coated on all sides, otherwise the breading won't fully stick. To avoid getting your hands too messy, reserve one hand for batter and one hand for breading!

Step two: breading

The breading is one simple ingredient: crushed sea salt potato chips. Just about any brand will do – we used Kettle chips for more crunch. Transfer potato chips to a separate bag, seal and use a rolling pin to crush into crumbs. (See image for reference on texture.)

Once you coat a cube of tofu in the batter, transfer to the bowl of potato chip breading. Make sure to evenly cover all sides. You may have to press gently to make sure they stick well.

Step three: bake

Once the tofu is battered and breaded, transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping the tofu (carefully) halfway through the cook time. That's it! Perfect baked tofu nuggets.

Maple mustard dipping sauce

While the crispy baked tofu is cooking, whip up a super easy vegan honey mustard dipping sauce!

Since honey isn't vegan, we simply swapped in maple syrup. Honestly, I think it tastes even better. If you do eat honey, feel free to use either!

The sauce is a simple mixture of vegan mayo, dijon mustard, maple syrup, and a touch of cayenne and salt. Whisk it all together – the whole thing takes less than 5 minutes.

I love this dipping sauce so much. We had these baked tofu nuggets alongside roasted brussels sprouts the other day and the sauce is amazing with vegetables, too! So addictive!

If you think you'll use extra, make a double batch. It stores well in the refrigerator for up to a week.

More ways to make tofu taste good

Let's be honest, tofu isn't always the most glamorous food. But we've spent the last few years working on tofu recipes that your whole family will love. Here are a few of our favorites!

• Grilled Tofu Kebabs with Peanut Sauce
• Vegan Rice Noodles with Crispy Tofu and Mushrooms
• Spring Roll Bowls with Crispy Tofu
• How to Make Scrambled Tofu (perfect for using in this breakfast sandwich!)
• Roasted Vegetable and Tofu Sheet Pan Dinner

If you make these baked tofu nuggets, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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