These vegan chicken nuggets are crispy, smoky, saucy, and made with tofu in a way that actually gives it flavor before it ever hits the air fryer. They’re crunchy on the outside, tender in the middle, and perfect with ranch for dipping.
And, if you’re looking for more delicious tofu recipes, I highly recommend my honey baked tofu ham, crispy gochujang tofu, and my shredded tofu tacos!
Quick Look: Vegan Chicken Nuggets
✅ Recipe Name: Air Fryer Buffalo Vegan Chicken Nuggets
🕒 Ready In: 30 minutes
👪 Serves: 4
🍽 Calories: Estimated calories will depend on your tofu brand, sauce, and oil spray
🥣 Main Ingredients: tofu, soy sauce, liquid smoke, all-purpose flour, panko breadcrumbs, Kashmiri mirch, buffalo sauce
👌 Difficulty: Easy to medium. The breading process takes a little patience, but the air fryer does most of the work.
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Key Ingredients and Why They Matter
- Extra-Firm Tofu: Extra-firm tofu gives these vegan chicken nuggets the best texture. It holds its shape while boiling, coating, and air frying, so the nuggets stay tender and chewy instead of falling apart.
- Soy Sauce, Bouillon Paste, and Liquid Smoke: These create the savory boiling marinade. The soy sauce adds umami, the bouillon paste brings a subtle “chicken-style” flavor, and the liquid smoke adds depth.
- Flour and Panko Breadcrumbs: Flour helps the wet batter and dry coating cling to the tofu, while panko adds that crispy, golden nugget-style crunch.
- Spices: Onion powder, garlic powder, Kashmiri mirch, smoked paprika, and salt season both the wet and dry batter. They add savory flavor, mild heat, color, and a little smokiness.
- Buffalo Sauce: Buffalo sauce gives the nuggets their spicy, tangy finish. Toss the nuggets after air frying so they stay crispy but still get fully coated.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Buffalo Sauce: To keep these vegan chicken nuggets fully vegan, use a store-bought vegan buffalo sauce or make your own by mixing Frank’s RedHot with melted vegan butter. Use about 1/4 cup of hot sauce with 1 tbsp of vegan butter, and adjust as necessary base on your spice tolerance!
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Regular breadcrumbs will work, but panko gives the nuggets a lighter, crispier coating. Use gluten-free panko if needed.
The full vegan chicken nuggets recipe with measurements is below on the recipe card.
How to Make Buffalo Vegan Chicken Nuggets
- Make the boiling marinade: Add the water, soy sauce, vegetable bouillon paste, and liquid smoke to a pot. Stir until combined.
- Boil the tofu: Add the extra-firm tofu pieces to the marinade, bring to a boil, and boil for 7 minutes.
- Drain and cool: Carefully drain the tofu, then let it cool for about 10 minutes so it is easier to coat.
- Coat in wet batter: Dip each tofu piece into the wet batter until fully coated. Let the excess drip off.
- Coat in dry batter: Transfer the tofu to the dry panko mixture and coat well on all sides.
- Spray and air fry: Spray the nuggets generously with oil, then air fry at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Coat in buffalo sauce: Toss the crispy nuggets in buffalo sauce right before serving.
- Serve: Serve immediately with ranch or vegan ranch for dipping.
My Expert Recipe Tips
Don’t skip the boiling marinade: This step seasons the tofu before breading. It helps the center taste savory and smoky, instead of plain tofu wrapped in a crispy coating.
Let the tofu cool before coating: After boiling, drain the tofu and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Hot tofu can make the batter loosen or slide off.
Use one hand for wet batter and one hand for dry batter: This keeps the breading process cleaner and helps prevent clumpy fingers. Very glamorous, I know.
Spray generously with oil: Air fryer recipes still need some oil for that golden, crispy finish. A light mist won’t give you the same crunch, so coat the nuggets well.
Vegan Chicken Nuggets Recipe FAQs
Vegan chicken nuggets can be made with tofu, seitan, soy protein, mushrooms, or other plant-based ingredients. This version uses extra-firm tofu because it holds its shape well and creates a tender, chewy center once battered and air fried.
For this recipe, you do not need to press the tofu for a long time. Since the tofu briefly boils in a savory marinade, just drain it well and let it cool before coating. If your tofu seems very wet, gently pat it dry before dipping it into the wet batter.
For an easy vegan buffalo sauce, mix Frank’s RedHot with melted vegan butter. This gives you that classic spicy, tangy buffalo flavor while keeping the recipe dairy-free. Start by adding about 1 tbsp of vegan butter per 1/4 cup of sauce. Add more melted butter to make it less spicy.
Yes, but the air fryer gives the crispiest result. To bake them, place the coated nuggets on a lined baking sheet, spray generously with oil, and bake at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Bake until the coating looks golden and crisp, then toss with buffalo sauce right before serving.
Other Tofu Recipes You’ll Love
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Please remember to leave a review if you make this recipe! The feedback helps me to become a better cook and develop amazing recipes for you.
Air Fryer Buffalo Vegan Chicken Nuggets
Equipment
- 1 air fryer Oven instructions are below as well if you don't own an air fryer!
Ingredients
Boiling Marinade
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tsp vegetable bouillon paste
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 block extra-firm tofu, drained and torn into nugget-sized pieces
Dry Batter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri mirch
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet Batter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp water
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri mirch
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
For Air Frying and Serving
- spray oil, as needed
- buffalo sauce, as needed, for coating
- ranch or vegan ranch, for serving
Instructions
- Make the Boiling Marinade: Add the water, soy sauce, vegetable bouillon paste, and liquid smoke to a pot. Whisk everything together until the bouillon paste dissolves.
- Boil the Tofu: Add the extra-firm tofu pieces to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, let the tofu boil for 7 minutes so it can soak up the savory, smoky flavor.
- Drain and Cool: Drain the tofu carefully, then let it cool for about 10 minutes. This helps the tofu firm back up slightly and makes it easier to coat without the batter sliding off.
- Prepare the Dry Batter: In a shallow bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, panko breadcrumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, Kashmiri mirch, smoked paprika, and salt until evenly combined.
- Prepare the Wet Batter: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, water, onion powder, garlic powder, Kashmiri mirch, smoked paprika, and salt until smooth. The batter should be thick enough to coat the tofu, but still loose enough to dip.
- Coat the Tofu: Dip each tofu piece into the wet batter, letting any excess drip off. Then transfer it to the dry batter and coat it fully on all sides, making sure to press the batter in firmly. Repeat until all the tofu pieces are breaded.
- Air Fry: Place the coated tofu nuggets in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spray generously with oil until all sides are coated. Air fry at 400°F for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crispy.
- Sauce and Serve: Toss the crispy nuggets in buffalo sauce right before serving. Serve immediately with ranch or vegan ranch for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
