Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·★★★★★4.9 from 18 reviews
You’ll love this recipe for meatless chicken nuggets (with a gluten-free option for those who need it!).
They’re crispy and tasty, and the perfect way to enjoy nuggets as a vegan or vegetarian! I love this recipe because you can make a large batch, freeze them, and then just reheat in the oven when you’re in need of a hassle-free meal.
♡ PS: for more delicious and simple vegan recipes, check out my cookbook Liv B’s Vegan on a Budget!
Vegan Chicken Nuggets (with gluten-free option!)
- Author: Liv B
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 nuggets
Description
If you have been missing the convenience or flavour of chicken nuggets, make a batch of these to enjoy right away or freeze for a later date. They reheat perfectly so you can double up on the recipe and have store-bought quality nuggets in no time! The prep take a little bit of time but is super easy, which is why I love to make a double or triple batch on a weekend when I have some extra time.
Ingredients
- 12 oz. block of firm tofu
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (or gluten-free breadcrumbs)
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup flour (or brown rice flour)
- 1/3 cup non-dairy milk
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Slice tofu into 12 rectangles (see video).Optional step: cut into “nugget” shapes.
- Press with paper towel and or dish towel to remove excess moisture.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, corn starch, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper. Add the flour to another bowl, and the non-dairy milk to a third bowl.
- Dip each piece of tofu in the flour, then the non-dairy milk, and finally in the breadcrumb mixture to coat. Repeat with all the tofu.
- Add some oil to a frying pan on medium heat and wait until it is heated. Add the tofu pieces into the pan and fry a few minutes per side until golden.
- Once golden, place on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
Liv B
42 Comments
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Carly
February 10, 2019 at 1:38 pm ·Reply
Thank you for this recipe, Liv! I love finding cheaper ways to make vegan meat alternatives, so I don’t have to rely on the more expensive, processed meat alternatives you’ll find in the grocery store. My tofu nuggets are in the oven right now and I’m really excited to try them! For reference, I live in America (more specifically, I live in Florida and have access to a Lucky’s Market, which is very vegan-friendly!), and the most common meat alternative brands my grocery offers are Gardein, Simple Life, etc. and for a package of nuggets, they’re $4.99. A 14oz block of tofu is frequently on sale at the same location for 89 cents, and they yield the same amount! As a newly financially independent college student, this is well worth it! I even ended up adding 1/4 tsp each of onion and garlic powder, and the smell from the oven is really nostalgic because I too really loved chicken nuggets as an omnivore. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
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dj
March 4, 2019 at 1:07 pm ·Reply
Hi I watch a couple of your videos and I like them but I notice you don’t list the nutrition value.Do you plan on adding it to your receipe? Tku dj
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Laurence
February 13, 2019 at 12:36 pm ·Reply
Just made this recipe and it’s DELICIOUS! Thank you soooo much. ?
★★★★★
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Kourtney
February 20, 2019 at 1:34 pm ·Reply
This is THE BEST RECIPE FOR VEGAN NUGGETS!
I have tried MANY recipes, and overall, this one is flawless. Another plus is that the ratios are perfect so almost no ingredients are wasted! I am making big batches to freeze.
Thank you Liv! Going to try a few sweet recipes of yours next!★★★★★
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Ashley
February 23, 2019 at 11:00 pm ·Reply
Amazing! They were so delicious and easy to make.
★★★★★
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Paige
March 5, 2019 at 7:20 pm ·Reply
Yum!
★★★★★
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Tracey
March 24, 2019 at 9:50 pm ·Reply
This is the first tofu recipe my fussy vegetarian daughter actually liked and asked me to make again,, thank you
★★★★★
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Liv B
March 25, 2019 at 8:32 am ·Reply
So happy to hear that! <3
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Megan
August 4, 2020 at 10:57 am ·Reply
Made these last night! Turned out perfect, way better than store bought ones! Will definitely make again
★★★★★
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Sue
March 31, 2019 at 7:57 pm ·Reply
This was so good!
★★★★★
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Justen
April 5, 2019 at 7:04 pm ·Reply
Do we press the tofu?
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Liv B
April 6, 2019 at 10:53 am ·Reply
I do! 🙂 I show in the video tutorial how I like to press it.
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Caro
April 10, 2019 at 4:53 pm ·Reply
These were great. Thanks for receipe
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Lea
April 16, 2019 at 10:31 am ·Reply
just made these for my non-vegan/vegetarian family and they loved them just as much as i did ? thank you for this amazing recipe and all your other ones as well, i love making and tasting them ✨ much love
★★★★★
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Caro
April 10, 2019 at 4:53 pm ·Reply
10
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Dacia
April 15, 2019 at 11:52 pm ·Reply
Omgggg these are amazing. I made them with xtra from tofu and they turned out wonderfully:)
★★★★★
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Gretchen
April 23, 2019 at 2:57 pm ·Reply
I found this recipe recently and I’ve already made it so many times! It was pretty delicious when swapped for tempeh as well.
I like to make a couple changes and marinate the tofu in a vegan chicken broth beforehand for more flavor. I also add some garlic and onion powder into the breadcrumb/seasoning mix. I always have extra nuggets, so I just refrigerate them and throw them back into the oven before eating to heat and get them crispy again! They’re definitely best when dipped in a sauce 🙂 Thanks Liv!
★★★★
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Aleksandra
May 22, 2019 at 2:57 pm ·Reply
Liv, thank you so much for this recipe! These nuggets are amazing, I will definitely add them to my weekly rotation!
★★★★★
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Adrienne
June 2, 2019 at 8:53 am ·Reply
I love this recipe. We made it yesterday and found it simple and quick. It was such a tasty, cozy snack that I will definitely make it again.
★★★★★
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Lucy
July 29, 2019 at 9:05 pm ·Reply
Can the nuggets be baked instead of fried?
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Liv B
July 31, 2019 at 10:42 am ·Reply
yes 🙂
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Aldy
July 30, 2019 at 11:33 pm ·Reply
Could these be frozen then reheated in the toaster oven?
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Liv B
July 31, 2019 at 10:42 am ·Reply
yes!
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Nicole
September 7, 2019 at 5:27 pm ·Reply
Can I substitute the flour for whole wheat flour or almond flour?
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Liv B
September 12, 2019 at 9:43 am ·Reply
whole wheat would work!
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Leah
October 7, 2019 at 4:51 pm ·Reply
Super yummy! We made them popcorn tofu style with cubed tofu. I always freeze my tofu before cooking with it, so I started out with thawed tofu cubes, followed the recipe exactly! I used cashew/almond/pea milk and gf breadcrumbs.
I even baked some instead of trying and my kids like both!
All 3 of my kids and even my Omni husband are loving them!
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allissa
October 13, 2019 at 6:52 pm ·Reply
i love these sm, i had them with bachan’s japanese barbecue sauce and they’re super good with it (and without)
★★★★★
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Lauren
October 20, 2019 at 7:33 pm ·Reply
These are amazing! Our family is newly began and I’ve had a tough time finding substitutes for the foods my kids love to eat. Chicken nuggets are always a winner and an easy thing for me to prepare. These vegan nuggets are seriously so similar to regular chicken nuggets. They’re delicious! The outside crust is incredible and exactly how you’d want the texture and taste of a nugget to be.
★★★★★
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mary beth
November 14, 2019 at 10:55 pm ·Reply
What kind if breadcrumbs do you use , are they homemade or boxed? they look finer that Panko…..really want to try these. Thank you!
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Liv B
November 15, 2019 at 12:15 pm ·Reply
Just panko!!
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Billie
November 26, 2019 at 12:18 pm ·Reply
I haven’t tried the recipe yet and it looks delicious. I just wanted to thank you for keeping your narrative short and posting the recipe very close to the top of your page!
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Veggie Mama
December 8, 2019 at 2:54 pm ·Reply
I *completely* destroyed this- all my own fault, not the recipe (I didn’t use enough oil, so the fry part was kind of a catastrophe… think patches of nothing and then burned black highlights) and even having completely butchered it from an aesthetic standpoint, they still TASTED awesome. I will make them again and again… using more oil!!!
★★★★★
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Angela
January 7, 2020 at 6:36 pm ·Reply
Made these with Ian’s Italian gluten-free breadcrumbs and cooked them in the air fryer. Next time I think it’s worth spraying them with a coat of olive oil to see if they turn out a little more crisp. My kids loved these!
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Stephanie Beer
January 16, 2020 at 6:49 pm ·Reply
They are great!! I made a few changes like instead of breadcrumbs i used corn chips, and added a dash of garlic & onion powder!! I made them, turned around for two seconds an by the time i turned back the plate was nearly empty!! I would say my kids LOVED them!
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Whittany
July 31, 2020 at 5:57 pm ·Reply
In the video you mention freezing for later. How long do you reheat in the oven from frozen?
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Liv B
August 7, 2020 at 10:14 am ·Reply
about 15-20 minutes on 350 F 🙂 same as any frozen nuggets!
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Anna
March 14, 2021 at 5:43 pm ·Reply
Made this and honestly love it. Would recommend slicing your tofu pieces on the thinner side as they get crispier that way. Will make agaiN!
★★★★★
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Ayman Diouf
November 18, 2021 at 1:20 pm ·Reply
chimken nuggrs juicy
★★★★★
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Ana
January 14, 2022 at 7:48 pm ·Reply
I haven’t tried these yet, is it possible to skip the oil frying and just do the oven?
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Liv B
January 17, 2022 at 2:57 pm ·Reply
yep!
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Will
September 22, 2023 at 12:15 pm ·Reply
To me these come out too soft it jiggly. I used extra firm tofu. Any way to make them firmer?
I eat tofu all the time and love it, so it’s not that. For some reason, I just find them off putting like this.
I’ve tried cauliflower and have the same reaction.
★★★★
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Liv B
October 13, 2023 at 8:03 am ·Reply
Did you press the tofu really well? Some tofu brands, although called “firm” are less firm than others. The one I buy is Sunrise brand and it is super dense!
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