Pop these crispy baked tofu nuggets in a sandwich, on your favourite salad, or dip them in my easy maple-mustard sauce. These versatile little bites are utterly delectable any way you eat them, and super easy to make! A nutritious, family-friendly recipe.
- 300 g extra firm organic tofu
- 3 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 tbsp garlic granules
- 1 tbsp onion granules
- 1 tsp dried chives
- 1/2 tsp salt optional (I don't include it)
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 3 tbsp flour gluten-free is fine
- 1/8 tsp ground turmeric for colour only; optional
- 30 g panko breadcrumbs or other dried breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast optional but encouraged
- Oil spray
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise vegan or egg-based
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar optional
- 1/8 tsp white pepper
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Preheat the oven to 190C fan/210C/425F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. I like Bacofoil brand as the dimples encourage good browning. Or use a Silpat sheet.
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Gently press the tofu with a tea towel. If you are using extra firm tofu (I like Tofoo brand), no other treatment is needed. If you have "normal" tofu, you may wish to cut it up as described as follows, and press tea towel-wrapped tofu with a baking tray, to which you might add a few tins or pan of water. Leave for 10 minutes to release the water.
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Cut the tofu into nugget -sized pieces. With mine I got 12 pieces. You could have planks instead.
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Mix together the parsley, dill, garlic and onion granules, dried chives, salt (if using) and pepper.
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Take a small bowl and add the flour, turmeric and all but 1 tbsp of the ranch herb mixture. Now pour in 4 tbsp water and mix well. Allow this mixture to sit for 10 minutes before using.
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In a separate, shallow dish mix the panko breadcrumbs with the nutritional yeast and the remaining ranch herb mix. Place this dish next to the wet coating bowl.
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Take one tofu piece and dredge it in the batter to completely coat; gently brushing off excess with a finger. Now put the coated piece into the panko mix and gently roll around. Carry on with the remaining pieces, placing each coated piece onto the prepared tray.
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Spritz the nuggets with oil spray and place the tofu nuggets into the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
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Remove the nuggets from the oven and carefully turn the all over, spritzing with more oil spray before returning to the oven for 10 more minutes.
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Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust as needed.
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Serve the Tofu "Chicken" Nuggets warm with the Maple-Honey Sauce. They can also be eaten at room temperature so are perfect for school lunchboxes, a quick snack or even on a picnic. If you do't fancy making the easy dipping sauce, serve with ketchup or mix ketchup and American yellow mustard
The nutritional values do not include the optional salt. If you add the 1/2 tsp to the batter this will give you approximately 700mg per 4 nuggets.
The nutritional value does not include the optional sauce.
If you are using a larger pack of tofu, adjust the ingredients accordingly. For a 500g pack I would double the ingredient amounts.
The nuggets can be reheated in the oven for five minutes at 180C/350F. OR reheat in a warm pan, turning once or twice. But these are still good at room temperature.