Ready in 40 minutes or less, these baked tofu nuggets with creamy maple mustard sauce get their crunch from a coating of crushed tortilla chips. These vegan and gluten free nuggets are perfect for pairing with salads or adding to buddha bowls or tacos and can easily be added to your weekly meal prep routine.
Vegan “chicken” nuggets are becoming increasingly expensive so how about a more budget friendly option that’s super easy to make?! These tofu nuggets come together with just 8 ingredients in about 40 minutes. A coating of crushed tortilla chips ensures these vegan and gluten free baked nuggets are nice and crisp on the outside. Plus, it makes them taste absolutely amazing! I love to eat these with a creamy maple mustard dipping sauce (that is also incredibly delicious with fries!) but feel free to use your favorite sauce instead. Let me show you how easy it is to make a batch!
Notes on Ingredients
The ingredient list is fairly simple but one ingredient is non-negotiable in my opinion: the mayo. I used a vegan mayo in the batter and as the base for the maple mustard sauce. It helps create a thick batter that adheres to the tofu while also creating a super creamy base for the dipping sauce. Use vegan or regular mayo — your choice! A super firm tofu will be the quickest option since it doesn’t really need to be pressed beforehand. If you use extra firm tofu, be prepared to press it for 20-30 minutes before proceeding with the recipe. Use any tortilla chip that you like here! I’ve included the measurement in volume as well as weight since all chips are different sizes — go with the weight measurement for accuracy.
Don’t like the creamy maple mustard sauce? These baked tofu nuggets would be delicious dipped into this creamy poblano sauce (especially on a taco!) or this jalapeno ranch!
Baked Tofu Nuggets with Creamy Maple Mustard Sauce in 6 Easy Steps
Courtney’s Tips for Recipe Success
- The smaller the tortilla chip crumbs, the easier they will adhere to the batter. You can crush them by hand but it’s much easier to do this with a rolling pin. Or, if you don’t mind doing extra dishes, put them in a food processor and pulse several times.
- Use one hand for dipping the tofu in the batter, and the other for coating the dipped tofu with the tortilla chip crumbs. This keeps things a little less messy.
- Keep in mind that the tortilla chip breading is on the delicate side. This is why I don’t recommend flipping the nuggets halfway through the baking time and letting them cool a few minutes before eating.
Make it a Meal
These tofu nuggets are a great base for so many different meals — the possibilities are endless! I love pairing them with an easy side salad like this kale, apple, and celery one during fall/winter and this cucumber tomato salad with cashews and mint in spring/summer. Since these nuggets are coated in tortilla chip crumbs, they work really well as a taco filling, especially with this vegan green chili queso or this mango gaucamole. Or, add ’em to a bowl like this one with cooked fonio, carrots, and kale.
Baked Tofu Nuggets with Creamy Maple Mustard Sauce
- Total Time: 37-40 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Ready in 40 minutes or less, these baked tofu nuggets with creamy maple mustard sauce get their crunch from a coating of crushed tortilla chips. These vegan and gluten free nuggets are perfect for pairing with salads or adding to buddha bowls or tacos and can easily be added to your weekly meal prep routine.
Ingredients
- 1 16–ounce block super firm tofu
- 1/2 cup vegan mayo
- 5 tablespoons plain soy milk
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Sea salt, to taste
- 4 ounces tortilla chips, roughly 4-6 cups
- Chopped chives or parsley, optional for serving
- 1/2 cup vegan mayo
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Sea salt, to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Drain the tofu and pat it dry. Cut or tear it into roughly 1-inch cubes. Set the tofu pieces aside on a paper towel or clean kitchen tofu for now.
Add the vegan mayo, soy milk, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and a big pinch of salt to a wide shallow bowl and whisk to combine. This is the batter.
Crush the tortilla chips into small crumbs. Add the crumbs to a separate wide, shallow bowl.
Set down the bowl of batter on your work space, followed by the bowl of chip crumbs to the right, and finally the lined baking sheet to the right to create your assembly line. Use one hand to dip a piece of tofu into the batter and gently shake off excess. Place the coated piece of tofu in the next bowl with the chip crumbs. Use your other hand to coat it in the chip crumbs. Place the coated piece of tofu on the lined baking sheet. Repeat with all of the tofu pieces, keeping them about 1-inch apart on the baking sheet.
Bake the tofu nuggets in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes until golden and crisp. Allow the nuggets to cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet before sprinkling with chopped herbs (optional) and eating.
While the nuggets bake, make the sauce. Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Taste and add more salt as needed. If you want it tangier, add more Dijon.
Serve the nuggets with the sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days. Reheat leftovers in the airfryer (330-350 degrees for about 5 minutes) or the oven (350 degrees for 7-8 minutes).
Notes
- I like using super firm tofu (sometimes called “high protein tofu” depending on the brand), because it doesn’t need to be pressed first. You can use extra firm tofu instead, but you will need to press it for 20-30 minutes before using it in the recipe for the best results.
- The nuggets will get some seasoning from the salt on the tortilla chips. If your tortilla chips are unsalted, add more salt to the batter, about 1/2 teaspoon total.
- If you aren’t vegan and eat eggs, feel free to use a regular mayo instead of a vegan one.
- Any plain non-dairy milk can be used in place of the soy milk. Just make sure it’s plain/unsweetened! You can also use regular milk if dairy is not a concern.
- Feel free to use any dipping sauce you like with these if you don’t want to make the creamy maple mustard sauce!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 22-25 minutes
- Category: main
Clear instructions. Delicious outcome!
So happy you enjoyed them! Thanks for coming back and leaving a review!
I made a double batch of these half tofu and half chicken and they were so delicious. I preferred the ones with tofu, but my husband likes his meat.
I’m so happy to hear that you were able to make the recipe work for everyone to enjoy! Thanks for leaving a review, too!
I loved this coating! Right amount of crisp!
So happy you liked the tortilla chip coating! Thanks for coming back and leaving a review!
I’ve been trying to incorporate more high protein meals without meat into our dinner rotation and this one is going to be a staple! So good, thank you!
Awesome! So happy to hear that! Hope you enjoyed it.