Our Air Fryer Tofu Nuggets are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and full of flavor – the perfect vegetarian alternative to chicken nuggets! Dip in your favorite sauce for a fun meal that the kids love too!
There is no reason you have to be a vegetarian to enjoy tofu nuggets! They’re so versatile and tofu is a healthy protein.
We love how easy it is to customize these. You can season them with various spices and flavors to suit your taste preferences, or you can try out unique coatings for a different taste experience. We go the classic chicken nugget route and these are a great plant based option when you get that craving!
Unlike our previous air fryer crispy tofu recipe, this tofu is fully breaded! And something about that breading just makes it so much better for dipping. You all know we Americans love our dipping sauces!
If you’re new to tofu, this can be a great place to start. It has a familiar feel since we’ve most likely all enjoy a nugget before and the dipping options just make these tofu nuggets a universal hit!
Ingredient Notes:
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Tofu – You will need a 14-ounce package of extra firm tofu.
Batter ingredients– For our batter, we will use flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and buttermilk.
Breading ingredients – We use panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, and a surprise ingredient…powdered sugar. Don’t worry about the sugar, it is just a little bit, but it makes a difference!
You may want to pick up some dips to serve with your tofu nuggets also! We like to serve ours with ranch dressing, ketchup, or honey mustard!
We also like to have our nuggets a little bit spicy and add a teaspoon of cayenne. If you like a little kick in your tofu nuggies, you can add a teaspoon of cayenne also!
How to Make Tofu Nuggets in the Air Fryer:
- Prepare the tofu– Wrap the tofu in a tea towel and place it on a plate then place something heavy on top of that like a cast iron skillet, and let it sit for 20 minutes. For an easier alternative, if you have a tofu press, you can press it for 20 minutes. After it is drained you can slice it in half to make two thinner squares of tofu. Finally, tear your tofu into pieces that are about 1/2″ big. You can use your hands for that, you don’t need to cut it.
- Make the batter– In a shallow dish, whisk together your flour and batter seasonings. Dredge each piece of tofu into this flour mixture to lightly coat and set the tofu aside. Add your buttermilk to the flour mixture and stir to form a batter.
- Make the breading– Add all of the breading ingredients to a second shallow dish and stir to combine.
- Bread the tofu nuggets– Dip each piece of the already floured tofu into the batter to coat, then into the bread crumb mixture. When adding the breading, press the tofu into the breading a little bit to make sure it sticks to the tofu.
- Air fry the tofu– Arrange the tofu in a greased air fryer basket. Keep your tofu in a single layer and spritz the tofu with an oil spray. Air fry for 15-20 minutes at 380 degrees F.
This method of dipping the tofu in flour and then adding liquid to form a batter is similar to what we do with our Air Fryer Chicken Sandwich and it really makes for a tasty breading!
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FAQ:
For this recipe, we need 1 cup of buttermilk. You can make this yourself by adding a tablespoon of vinegar to 2% or whole milk and letting it sit to thicken. It should take 3-5 minutes to thicken to buttermilk.
You will need to swap out the buttermilk. Instead of using buttermilk, make your own vegan buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of vinegar to a cup of almond or soy milk. Let it sit for about 5 minutes then use it in place of your buttermilk.
I like to keep it simple by serving the nuggets with french fries. They go great with rice, cottage cheese, or a light salad also!
Recipe Tips!
We often call for flipping food halfway when cooking in the air fryer, but didn’t find it necessary with this recipe.
You may need to work in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer. Rewarm the nuggets in the air fryer for 1 minute, if needed.
Serve with a variety of dips, such as ranch, honey mustard, and ketchup.
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