Vegetarian and Vegan Breaded Tofu Nuggets Recipe (Fried or Oven Baked)

Baked tofu nuggets - yum!
Baked tofu nuggets - yum!.
  • 20 mins
  • Prep: 10 mins,
  • Cook: 10 mins
  • Yield: 2-3 servings
Ratings (42)

By Jolinda Hackett

Updated 10/25/17

Kid-friendly tofu nuggets are reminiscent of chicken nuggets and can be dipped in ketchup, barbecue sauce, a vegan ranch dressing or any of your favorite vegan salad dressings. In this recipe, tofu is coated in a seasoned breadcrumb mixture, just like chicken, then baked or fried to crispy, addicting perfection. Yum. You can either oven-bake or fry these easy tofu nuggets, depending if you want them to be low-fat or not. The perfect snack or dinner for kids and picky vegetarian and vegan eaters!

If you're new to cooking with tofu, these little breaded tofu nuggets are one of the best recipes to try, in my opinion, because the flavors are so familiar, and you really don't feel like you're eating tofu at all. Another good recipe for tofu novices? Try a simple baked tofu recipe such as ​this two-ingredient barbecue baked tofu. 

Looking for more easy family-friendly tofu recipes? Here is a complete list of tofu recipes.

These baked and breaded tofu nuggets are both vegetarian and vegan.

See also: 

What You'll Need

  • 1 block firm or extra-firm tofu, well pressed
  • 1/3 cup soy milk or another non-dairy milk substitute
  • 2 tablespoons mustard
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley or Italian seasoning blend (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or seasoned salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)

How to Make It

  1. First, prepare your tofu. Like most vegan tofu recipes, this one will taste best if you press the tofu first. This allows the tofu to absorb more of the flavorings and seasonings which you add to it. If you're new to vegetarian cooking and you're not sure how to press tofu, see this easy step-by-step guide: How to press tofu.
  2. Once your tofu is pressed, slice your tofu into the desired shapes. For this recipe, 1-inch cubes, "finger" shapes or nuggets (about the size of frozen chicken nuggets) are all fine. 
  1. Next, whisk together the soymilk, mustard, nutritional yeast, and spices until smooth in a wide and shallow bowl and place the breadcrumbs or panko in a separate bowl.
  2. Take each piece of tofu and dip it in the soymilk and mustard mixture, then carefully dip it in the breadcrumbs until it is well coated.
  3. Fry each piece of tofu in heated oil until golden brown on all sides.
  4. Serve your vegetarian tofu nuggets with ketchup, barbecue sauce or other dipping sauce (I like Sriracha sauce) and enjoy!
  5. For a lower fat alternative, you can also bake your tofu nuggets. Lay each tofu piece on a covered baking sheet in a single layer and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, turning once, until golden brown.

Makes 2-3 servings of vegetarian tofu nuggets.

Nutritional information, based on baked (not fried) tofu nuggets:
Calories: 294, Calories from Fat: 75
% Daily Value
Total Fat: 8.3g, 13%
Saturated Fat: 1.2g, 6%
Cholesterol: 0mg 0%
Sodium: 909mg, 38%
Total Carbohydrates: 40.9g, 14%
Dietary Fiber: 5.7g, 23%
Sugars: 5.9g
Protein: 16.0g
Vitamin A 1%, Vitamin C 3%, Calcium 25%, Iron 29%

More Vegetarian and Vegan Tofu Recipes:

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
Calories 175
Total Fat 10 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Unsaturated Fat 2 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 529 mg
Carbohydrates 9 g
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Protein 17 g
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)