My family devours these crispy tofu fingers! They’re a simple, kid-friendly snack or meal that even adults love. Easily made gluten-free, too!
If you want a new way to enjoy tofu, these crispy tofu fingers are a perfect place to start. In addition to our baked tofu, they are one of our family’s most made tofu recipes. I slice my tofu into strips or fingers, but you can always turn these into tofu nuggets by cutting them into cubes.
Similar to chicken nuggets or popcorn chicken, these are incredible with homemade ketchup or this incredibly good creamy honey mustard sauce. I can’t wait for you to make them!
Key Ingredients
- Tofu: Use extra-firm tofu for this recipe as it holds up well to the breading and pan-frying. Firm tofu should be okay if that is all you have.
- Oil: We pan-fry the breaded tofu fingers in avocado oil since it has a high smoke point. A higher-heat cooking olive oil or vegetable oil is fine, too.
- Flour: To keep these gluten-free, we use almond flour (sometimes called almond meal), but plain all-purpose flour is fine.
- Spices: I keep these simple and use garlic powder, salt, and pepper, but you can mix in more spices or spice blends if you’d like more flavor. Any all-purpose seasoning added to the flour would be excellent.
- Eggs: After rolling the tofu fingers in flour, I dip them in beaten eggs. If you want to make this recipe egg-free, you can substitute lightly beaten aquafaba, plant-based unsweetened yogurt, or vegan mayo.
- Cereal or Breadcrumbs: We wanted to keep this recipe gluten-free, so we use a gluten-free cereal like rice Chex. If gluten is not a problem, use other crunchy cereals like cornflakes or substitute them with panko breadcrumbs.
How to Make Crispy Tofu Fingers
These tofu fingers or nuggets are easy to make at home. You’ll want to press your tofu for 15 minutes first, removing extra moisture. I slice my block of tofu into slabs, cover it with paper towels, and then place a heavy baking sheet on top. The thinner slabs speed up the pressing process so you can get on with dinner!
Next, you’ll need a breading station. Flour and spices in one vessel, beaten eggs (or your egg-free substitute) in another, and finally, crushed cereal or breadcrumbs.
You’ll roll each tofu finger into the flour, dip in the egg, and roll in the crispy cereal (or breadcrumbs). Then, place them into hot oil in a skillet and cook until golden brown and crisp. From there, you can serve with your favorite dipping sauces. For us, that’s homemade ketchup!
Crispy Tofu Fingers
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PREP
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COOK
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TOTAL
My family devours these crispy baked tofu fingers! We roll tofu in almond flour, dip it in egg, then roll it in crushed rice cereal. Thanks to the almond flour and cereal, this is gluten-free. You can substitute the almond flour for all-purpose flour and the cereal for breadcrumbs.
4 Servings
You Will Need
1 (12oz) package extra-firm tofu
3 tablespoons avocado oil
3/4 cup almond flour or all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 large eggs, see tips for substitute
3 cups crushed gluten-free cereal like Chex or use panko breadcrumbs
Directions
1Slice the tofu into 1-inch slabs. Arrange in one layer onto a few paper towels or clean dish towels. Cover with more paper towels or another clean dish towel. Place a baking sheet with something heavy on top to weigh down the tofu, releasing some liquid. Leave alone for 15 minutes.
2Slice the tofu into fingers.
3Set up a breading station: Mix almond flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper on a plate. Add egg to a bowl and beat well. On a third plate, mix the crushed cereal or breadcrumbs with another pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
4Dip each tofu finger into the seasoned flour, the egg, and finally into the crushed cereal so they are well coated on all sides.
5Heat oil in a large skillet pan over medium-high heat. Add the tofu, 4 to 5 fingers at a time, and cook until golden brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel or clean dishcloth. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Eggs: You can substitute the eggs in our recipe with non-dairy yogurt, lightly beaten aquafaba, or vegan mayonnaise.
- Nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
1/4 of the recipe
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Calories
418
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Total Fat
21.8g
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Saturated Fat
9.9g
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Cholesterol
93mg
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Sodium
494.2mg
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Carbohydrate
24g
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Dietary Fiber
2.5g
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Total Sugars
2.9g
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Protein
17.5g
