Easy, Crispy Vegan Tofu Popcorn Chicken
Extra-firm tofu serves as the meaty substitute for these crispy, golden nuggets.
July 27, 2024
Serve these fried-to-perfection, battered vegan chicken morsels from the Plantiful cookbook with sriracha mayo, or toss in your favorite BBQ sauce for an extra pop of flavor.
What you need:
1 (16-ounce) block super-firm tofu
For the batter:
⅔ cup flour
⅔ cup vegan milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the breading:
½ cup flour
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1½ cups canola or vegetable oil, for frying
Black pepper, for garnish
Sliced green onions, for garnish
What you do:
- Cut tofu lengthwise into thirds to create 3 large rectangles of equal size. Using hands, break each rectangle into 20 bite-sized pieces, yielding 60 pieces of tofu.
- For the batter, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk flour, milk, salt, and pepper. For the breading, on a large plate place all ingredients and stir with a fork.
- In a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, warm oil to 350 degrees. Oil should be about 2 inches deep. Dip 5 pieces of tofu into batter, then remove, allowing excess batter to drip off. Transfer to plate with breading and coat well. Place on a separate plate until ready to fry. Repeat with remaining tofu, batter, and breading.
- When oil is hot, add 10 pieces of tofu (tofu should be mostly covered in oil) and fry for about 5 minutes, until golden and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove from oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with remaining tofu. Serve hot, garnished with pepper and sliced green onions.
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