Last Updated on January 28, 2023
Today, we recreate the original chicken fried tofu recipe by Whole Foods. Our vegan tofu is uber-crispy and packed with spices and herbs.
The first way these crispy bites are made is in a deep-fryer. However, you can also make them in your air-fryer, which is the second alternative method we will be discussing in the tips section below.
What Is This Chicken Fried Tofu Recipe By Whole Foods About?
Whole Foods, or Whole Foods Market, is an extremely well-known and well-established health-focused chain supermarket. They are based in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
The franchise focuses on selling products that are much healthier than what you get at regular supermarkets. This includes selling organic produce, products free from chemical additives and artificial flavorings, and free from preservatives and hydrogenated fats.
Now, Whole Foods are also well-known for making delicious products. One of these is their vegan fried tofu chicken nuggets they sell at their food bar. Not all the chains have a bar like this, and even if they do, it’s not always open.
So trust us when we say, when that craving hits, it hits badly! Not only are these bites delicious, but they are incredibly healthy! You don’t need a lot of ingredients to make them, but simultaneously you can get very creative with these!
For our recipe today, we simply drew inspiration from the chicken fried tofu recipe by Whole Foods. We’ve made some adjustments to give them an even better flavor and a more crispy texture.
But remember, as with all of our recipes, these are incredibly easy to make and very versatile. You can play around with the flavors as much as you’d like. And, you can make adjustments that better suit your dietary needs.
So, let’s take a look at how to make tofu chicken from scratch.
What You Need To Make Chicken Fried Tofu Recipe By Whole Foods
Ingredients for the tofu marinade
- 14 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
Ingredients for the crumb
- 2 cups oat milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds or chia seeds
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Knife
- Chopping board
- Mixing spoon
- Baking pan or plate
- Deep-fryer or air-fryer
- Tongs
- Paper towel
Nuwave Brio 7-in-1 Air Fryer Oven, 7.25-Qt with One-Touch Digital Controls, 50°- 400°F
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Marinade the tofu
To start, cut or break the extra-firm tofu into bite-sized pieces. You can choose any size that you’d like. Keep in mind, the size will affect the marinating and cooking time.
Next, whisk together the vegetable stock, soy sauce, and sliced garlic cloves. Place the marinade into a bowl and add the portioned tofu pieces.
Leave the tofu to marinate for at least 15 minutes. We like to leave it for 30 -45 minutes.
Step 2: Soak the tofu in vegan buttermilk
Whisk together the oat milk, lemon juice, and chia seeds. Allow this mixture to stand for 5 minutes.
Then, add the marinated tofu (make sure that it’s drained well) to the vegan buttermilk mixture. Allow them to sit for another 5 minutes or so.
Step 3: Make the breading
While the marinated tofu is resting in the buttermilk, assemble the breading mixture.
In another large mixing bowl, mix together the cake flour, cornstarch, and all of the ground and dried spices and herbs.
Make sure these ingredients are mixed very well. Otherwise, the flavors won’t be evenly distributed.
Step 4: Crumb-coat the tofu pieces
First, dip the now buttermilk-soaked pieces into the breading mixture. Make sure each piece is covered very well with the dry seasoned mixture.
Then, dip it back into the vegan buttermilk. And finally, dip it in the seasoned flour mixture again. This technique is called “double pane.”
Repeat the process until all of the tofu pieces have been crumbed. Set them aside on a tray or plate.
Step 5: Finish off your chicken fried tofu recipe by Whole Foods
Heat the frying oil over medium-high heat. If you’d like, you can measure the temperature. The oil should be between 320-360ºF (160-180ºC).
Then, fry each piece for about 3 minutes per side. Once filled, you can leave it for 4-5 minutes. The total cooking time for each batch will be about 7-8 minutes.
Once cooked and beautifully golden brown, you can remove the chicken fried tofu and drain the pieces on paper towel.
Expert Tips And Tricks
- The tofu can be marinated in advance. Simply leave it in the marinade in an airtight container overnight. It’s a great way to get a head start on the prep and add a ton of flavor to the tofu!
- You have to drain the tofu of the marinade before soaking it in the vegan buttermilk. You can gently give the marinated tofu a few presses to “squeeze” out the excess marinade. But don’t worry if there isn’t a ton that comes out.
- Always work in small batches when crumbing and cooking crispy foods. You don’t have to overload the oil. This will bring down the temperature, ultimately causing the tofu to take longer to cook.
- You can also make chicken fried tofu in an air-fryer. It is just as easy and quick. Set the air-fryer to 320ºF (160ºC). Then, allow the tofu pieces to bake for about 7-8 minutes or until they are golden brown. The only reason this recipe isn’t originally made using an air-fryer is first that not everyone has this appliance. Secondly, if you’re crumb-coating isn’t firm and “dry” it could fall off in the air-fryer. Oil instantly sets the mixture onto teh tofu. The air-fryer simply cooks it around the tofu. Nevertheless, it’s still a great, and super-healthy, alternative.
Preparations Times And Servings
| Preparation Time | Baking Time | Servings |
| 50 minutes | 20 minutes | 4 |
Wrapping Things Up – Chicken Fried Tofu Recipe By Whole Foods
Personally, we love our take on the original chicken fried tofu recipe by Whole Foods a lot better. It is stuffed with more savory flavors and an unbelievably crispy texture. And, it’s sometimes still hard to believe that it’s all vegan!
Let us know what you think about these snacks in the comments below.
Chicken Fried Tofu Recipe By Whole Foods - 2 Easy Ways
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Knife
- Chopping board
- Mixing Spoon
- Baking pan or plate
- Deep-fryer or air-fryer
- Tongs
- Paper towel
Ingredients
Ingredients for the tofu marinade
- 14 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
Ingredients for the crumb
- 2 cups oat milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds or chia seeds
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Marinade the tofuTo start, cut or break the extra-firm tofu into bite-sized pieces. You can choose any size that you'd like. Keep in mind, the size will affect the marinating and cooking time.Next, whisk together the vegetable stock, soy sauce, and sliced garlic cloves. Place the marinade into a bowl and add the portioned tofu pieces.Leave the tofu to marinate for at least 15 minutes. We like to leave it for 30 -45 minutes.14 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained, 1 cup vegetable stock, 1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- Soak the tofu in vegan buttermilkWhisk together the oat milk, lemon juice, and chia seeds. Allow this mixture to stand for 5 minutes.Then, add the marinated tofu (make sure that it's drained well) to the vegan buttermilk mixture. Allow them to sit for another 5 minutes or so.2 cups oat milk, 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds or chia seeds
- Make the breadingWhile the marinated tofu is resting in the buttermilk, assemble the breading mixture.In another large mixing bowl, mix together the cake flour, cornstarch, and all of the ground and dried spices and herbs.Make sure these ingredients are mixed very well. Otherwise, the flavors won't be evenly distributed.2 cups cake flour, 1/3 cup cornstarch, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Crumb-coat the tofu piecesFirst, dip the now buttermilk-soaked pieces into the breading mixture. Make sure each piece is covered very well with the dry seasoned mixture.Then, dip it back into the vegan buttermilk. And finally, dip it in the seasoned flour mixture again. This technique is called "double pane."Repeat the process until all of the tofu pieces have been crumbed. Set them aside on a tray or plate.
- Finish off your chicken fried tofu recipe by Whole FoodsHeat the frying oil over medium-high heat. If you'd like, you can measure the temperature. The oil should be between 320-360ºF (160-180ºC).Then, fry each piece for about 3 minutes per side. Once filled, you can leave it for 4-5 minutes. The total cooking time for each batch will be about 7-8 minutes.Once cooked and beautifully golden brown, you can remove the chicken fried tofu and drain the pieces on paper towel.
Notes
Lindy is an experienced chef with a passion for creating delicious and unique dishes. She has worked in some of the most renowned kitchens in the country, honing her skills in both traditional and modern cuisine. With an innate ability to create beautiful and flavorful dishes, Lindy loves to explore new ingredients, techniques, and flavors. She loves to experiment with different flavors, textures, and cooking styles to make her dishes as interesting as possible. Lindy‘s dishes are always a hit, as her focus on freshness, quality, and presentation always shines through.
