• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Lettuce Veg Out
  • Vegan Recipes
    • Vegan and Gluten Free
    • Breakfast
    • Dinner
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
    • Appetizers
    • Side Dishes
  • Vegan Nutrition
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Nutrition
  • About
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Nutrition
  • About
×

Home > Vegan Recipes

Buffalo Tofu Nuggets Recipe (Vegan Buffalo Wings)

7/30/20 by Nicole | 2 Comments

Jump to Recipe Video Print
5 from 3 votes. Leave a review!

Buffalo tofu nuggets are a simple and delicious way to enjoy a classically non-vegan buffalo wing! This recipe is the ultimate spicy vegan appetizer, especially when dipped into a creamy Caesar dressing for ultimate flavor.

Plate of breaded buffalo tofu nuggets with jar of buffalo sauce and sour cream dip in back

Vegan Buffalo Wings: Tofu vs Cauliflower

BBQ cauliflower bites is a very common way to make vegan wings. You can certainly make that recipe and use vegan buffalo sauce instead of BBQ sauce to make a cauliflower buffalo wing.

But for a completely different taste and texture, this buffalo tofu nugget recipe is delicious. The breaded and baked tofu offers a completely different texture compared to battered cauliflower.

Hand holding up a buffalo tofu wing with bite taken to show tofu texture

Tofu is firmer and the breadcrumb coating offers a much crispier texture. Cauliflower is softer and the baked batter makes for a tasty, but softer texture. The cauliflower batter doesn’t get crispy the same way the breadcrumb coating in this tofu nugget recipe does!

Tofu nuggets also offer more protein and are therefore more filling. This works better if you want to serve these buffalo tofu nuggets as part of a meal rather than appetizer (but they make a great appetizer too!).

Tray of breaded and baked tofu nuggets

How to Make Perfect Buffalo Tofu Nuggets

Great buffalo tofu nuggets start with selecting extra firm tofu. Next, bread and bake the tofu pieces for the ultimate crispy vegan wing!

Breaded and Baked Tofu Nuggets

To make the best vegan buffalo tofu nuggets, you need a delicious breadcrumb coating that will bake to crispy perfection.

Lots of vegans struggle with breading tofu in a way that allows the breadcrumbs to stick. After lots of trial and error, I’ve found the ultimate way to bread tofu nuggets!

The trick is to first coat the tofu in starch, then dip the starch-covered tofu in plant-based milk (soy works best because it’s thicker and creamier). This starch-milk layer is sticky enough to hold the breadcrumbs and is a great replacement to eggs which are often used in non-vegan recipes.

Spray with some cooking oil to allow the nuggets to brown and get extra crispy (not to mention more flavorful).

Plate of vegan buffalo tofu nuggets with one cut open to show tofu texture

Do you Need to Press Tofu to Make Nuggets?

Pressing tofu is a common practice and people swear that it makes their tofu taste better and have a better texture.

I’ve honestly never pressed tofu because I like it just the way it is and don’t feel I need to spend the extra effort pressing it. However, if you’re someone who regularly presses tofu, you may want to add that step!

How to Serve Vegan Buffalo Tofu Nuggets

There are two ways you can serve these buffalo tofu nuggets:

  • Toss the nuggets with the buffalo sauce
  • Serve the nuggets with the buffalo sauce on the side

Classic buffalo wings are tossed in sauce, so this is certainly an option. However, this makes for messy eating and the breadcrumbs start to get soggy as they sit in sauce. If you choose this option, toss the nuggets with buffalo sauce just before serving.

If you prefer to dip the nuggets into sauce, this keeps them nice and crispy. It also leaves the option of using different sauces to dip the nuggets into. If you’re not a fan of spicy heat, regular BBQ sauce or ketchup are great options!

It’s also nice to serve the buffalo tofu nuggets with a creamy sauce. This is especially satisfying if the buffalo sauce is spicy because the creamy sauce cuts through the heat.

You can check out my recipe for vegan Caesar salad dressing which works amazingly as a dip. The sour cream sauce in my vegan crab cake recipe is also fantastic!

Hand holding up a buffalo tofu nugget above plate of nuggets

If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below to help others benefit from your experience!

Close up of a pile of breaded, triangular tofu nuggets that are covered in a red sauce and topped with a sprinkle of chopped green onion.

Vegan Buffalo Tofu Nuggets

Create delicious and spicy buffalo tofu nuggets! This vegan hot wings recipe packs in as much or as little heat as you like.
5 from 3 votes. Leave a review!
Prevent your screen from going dark
Prep Time 25 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 302 kcal
Cuisine American-inspired, Vegan

Equipment

  • Baking tray
  • Silicone baking mat
  • Cutting board
  • Knife

Ingredients
  

  • 350 grams extra firm tofu
  • ¼ cup plant-based milk (I recommend soy milk)
  • 3-5 tablespoons starch
  • ⅔ cup panko breadcrumbs (I use whole wheat)
  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed (or additional breadcrumbs)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (or seasoning salt)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • black pepper (to taste; about ¼ tsp)
  • oil spray
  • vegan buffalo sauce
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 °F.
  • Slice the tofu into nugget-sized pieces. You can cut them into whatever shape or size you like. I prefer to make triangles that are ¼ the thickness of the tofu block (but this depends on the brand of tofu you use).
    350 grams extra firm tofu
  • Ready a baking tray by covering it in parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and spray with a cooking/ oil spray. I use an avocado oil spray.
  • Set up 2 small plates and 1 small bowl to bread the tofu. On one plate, spread half the starch (start with 3 tablespoons). Add plant-based milk to the bowl. On the second plate, toss together panko breadcrumbs, ground flaxseed, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, Old Bay, salt and black pepper.
    ¼ cup plant-based milk, 3-5 tablespoons starch, ⅔ cup panko breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, ¼ teaspoon salt, black pepper
  • Bread each piece of tofu by coating it with starch (brush off excess starch; you want it covered but not a super thick layer) then dipping into the plant-based milk. Place the piece of tofu into the bread crumbs and lightly press onto all sides of the tofu. Place breaded tofu onto the prepared baking tray. Repeat for all tofu pieces.
  • Spray the tofu nuggets with cooking/ oil spray then bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the nuggets are browned and crispy (browning may be difficult to see if the breadcrumb coating is made with whole wheat panko).
    oil spray
  • To prepare the buffalo tofu nuggets, place baked nuggets into a large bowl and toss them around with buffalo sauce. Alternatively, you can dip the nuggets into buffalo sauce; this way the nuggets stay crispy.
    vegan buffalo sauce
  • Serve with a creamy sauce or dip!

Video

Notes

Accuracy of nutrition information cannot be guaranteed (certain ingredients may not have all nutrients listed in the database); amounts may vary (and will vary depending on brands of ingredients used); all nutrition fact values rounded to the nearest whole number.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 Serving (¼ of recipe)Calories: 302 kcalCarbohydrates: 21 gProtein: 14 gFat: 19 gSaturated Fat: 4 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7 gMonounsaturated Fat: 7 gSodium: 937 mgPotassium: 225 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 1 gVitamin A: 911 IUCalcium: 353 mgIron: 3 mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Vegan Appetizer Recipes

Like this recipe? You should also try:

  • Vegan Cucumber Roll Ups (Avocado + Pistachio Filling)
  • Vegan Cauliflower Wings (with BBQ Sauce)
  • Vegan Kale Salad (with Orange-Tahini Dressing)

About Nicole Stevens

Nicole is a vegan Registered Dietitian (RD) and founder of Lettuce Veg Out.

She helps people thrive on a vegan diet with balanced recipes and easy-to-understand nutrition science.


Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jeannette Stevens

    September 07, 2020 at 10:58 am

    Absolutely Amazing!! Wish I would have made double batch!!

    Reply
    • Nicole Stevens

      September 08, 2020 at 6:50 am

      So happy you liked them!

      Reply

Reply to comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Nicole! As a vegan Registered Dietitian, I empower vegans to live a balanced life and gain confidence in the kitchen.

More about me →

Latest Vegan Recipes

  • Vegan Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe
  • Vegan Orange Chicken Recipe
  • Cashew Mayonnaise Recipe (Vegan)
  • Vegan Chipotle Mayo (Aioli) Recipe

Footer


About

  • About Lettuce Veg Out
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Service
  • Contact Nicole

Email Updates

© 2016–2023 Lettuce Veg Out

Manage your privacy
To provide a quality experience, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies allows us to process data such as browsing activity or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting, or withdrawing consent, may affect site features and functions.
Functional Always active
Necessary to enable a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
Required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
Manage options
{title} {title} {title}