Vegan Buffalo Tofu Nuggets or Wings Recipe (2024)

by Nicole | 2 Comments

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5 from 6 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.

Vegan Buffalo Tofu Nuggets or Wings Recipe (1)

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.

Vegan Buffalo Tofu Nuggets or Wings Recipe (2)

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!).

Vegan Buffalo Tofu Nuggets or Wings Recipe (3)

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).

Vegan Buffalo Tofu Nuggets or Wings Recipe (4)

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!

Vegan Buffalo Tofu Nuggets or Wings Recipe (5)

📖 Recipe

Vegan Buffalo Tofu Nuggets or Wings Recipe (6)

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 6 votes. Leave a review!

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 302 kcal

Cuisine American-inspired, Vegan

Ingredients

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!

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 Sandwich Recipe (Lemon Herb Spread)
  • Vegan Cucumber Roll Ups (Avocado + Pistachio Filling)
  • Vegan Cauliflower Wings (with BBQ Sauce)
Vegan Buffalo Tofu Nuggets or Wings Recipe (10)

About Nicole Stevens

Nicole is a long-time vegan with a Masters of Science in Food and Nutrition.

She helps people thrive on a vegan diet with balanced recipes.

Vegan Buffalo Tofu Nuggets or Wings Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are vegan buffalo wings made of? ›

Most vegan chicken wings are made from soy protein or seitan. Seitan is a high-protein vegan meat substitute made from vital wheat gluten. Vital wheat gluten is the natural protein found in wheat. While you can make wings using tofu alone, the seitan is what provides the most meat-like texture and chewiness.

Is Frank's Red Hot Wings buffalo vegan? ›

Many brands, including Cholula, Frank's RedHot, Tabasco, Tapatío, and most Sriracha brands are vegan.

Is most buffalo sauce vegan? ›

Buffalo sauce, however, is a cayenne-based hot sauce with an extra special ingredient, that being equal parts butter. As butter is a dairy product and is produced from the milk of an animal, it would of course be against a vegan diet.

How long do you air fry veggie buffalo wings? ›

Doing this review almost felt like a cop-out, because this is a real late night staple in the Striepe house. So I guess the short story here is that we both love these vegan buffalo wings! We make them in the air fryer (of course!) at 400° F for 12 minutes.

What do they use for the bone in vegan wings? ›

Sugar cane sticks – These are the “bones” that will stick out of the vegan wings.

What sauce can vegans eat? ›

21 Stellar Vegan Sauces: So Much Better than Store-Bought!
  • Thai Red Curry Sauce. ...
  • Homemade Harissa. ...
  • Masala Simmer Sauce. ...
  • Homemade Vegan Pesto. ...
  • Fresh Tomato Ketchup. ...
  • Del's Basic Barbecue Sauce. ...
  • Easy Vegan Ranch Dressing. ...
  • Vegan Potato “Cheese” Sauce.
Dec 1, 2021

Are Buffalo Wild Wings cauliflower wings vegan? ›

Are the cauliflower wings at Buffalo Wild Wings vegan? No. The cauliflower wings, and all of BWW's fried items, are fried in beef shortening and therefore not vegan.

Why is hot sauce not vegan? ›

The base of most hot sauces is chili peppers, vinegar, and salt, all of which are vegan ingredients. Most commercially produced hot sauces are going to contain more than those simple ingredients, but most of them still use a vegan lineup. That being said, buffalo sauce is a common exception.

Can vegans eat buffalo mozzarella? ›

So while mozzarella is not traditionally vegan because of its basic ingredient, cow or buffalo milk, it is often not even vegetarian – because it contains rennet. Cheese rennet is a mixture of different enzymes, which is produced in the stomach of calves, for example, and is used to make cheese.

Is Chick Fil A buffalo sauce vegan? ›

Zesty Buffalo Sauce

This item contains dairy, egg. View all Chick-fil-A® allergen information here.

Why is HP brown sauce not vegan? ›

Is HP Sauce vegan? Yes, HP Sauce is entirely plant-based and vegan-friendly, so continue covering whatever you like in it with a clear conscience. Unfortunately, HP Honey BBQ isn't vegan as it contains, you guessed it – honey!

Are MorningStar buffalo wings vegan? ›

Vegan Buffalo Wings | MorningStar Farms®

Did MorningStar Farms discontinue products? ›

“We are always looking for ways to innovate our product offerings at MorningStar Farms,” the CPG giant said. “While we have discontinued the Incogmeato Burger, we continue to add products to our lineup every year, providing new ways for people to enjoy easy, delicious, veggie-filled meals at every occasion.”

Are air fryer wings healthy? ›

Air fryers may be better for you than deep fryers, but they're only as healthy as the food you put inside. They won't magically remove the saturated fat from bacon or the trans fats from a bag of processed chicken wings. To reap the benefits, reach for better-for-you options like vegetables and lean proteins.

What are vegan wings made of on Hot Ones? ›

Since the series first aired, a number of Hot Ones guests have opted to dine vegan, exercising their spice endurance while eating seitan or cauliflower wings.

What is vegan chicken made of? ›

Although components vary, certain materials are commonly used in meat and meat-free chicken products. These include water, wheat flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and other spices. The main difference is that plant-based chicken is usually made from soy protein and wheat gluten instead of animal flesh.

What is seitan made of? ›

Seitan is a plant-based meat substitute made from wheat gluten that mimics the flavor and texture of chicken. You can buy it in many health food supermarkets, or you can make it yourself. It's typically made out of vital wheat gluten, an ingredient that has a similar texture to flour but is mostly, well, gluten.

What are Pizza Hut vegan wings made of? ›

Pizza Hut says the plant-based wings are made from wheat protein and have a meaty like texture to imitate chicken.

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