This vegan 'chicken' sandwich will soon become your favorite meal to prepare when craving fried food. Simply made using tofu that's first rubbed with lots of flavoring spices and then breaded using an easy homemade vegan buttermilk and a simple breadcrumb mixture. They are oven-baked until crispy and then covered with a vegan buffalo sauce. You won't miss the chicken at all!
Craving fried junk fast food? Yum. I do too.
But you may be wondering what's wrong with me when seeing this gorgeous looks.like.a.chicken.breast sandwich.
Well, let's make it clear right away: there is obv no chicken in there. No processed fake meat either. Just healthy regular tofu.
Plus, despite its very crispy appetizing fried look, the vegan battered 'chicken' patty is not deep fried. Actually, not fried at all.
Isn't wonderful?
My husband likes to say he probably ate fried chicken everyday at school (!) growing up. That guy still craves fried chicken all.the.time. He won't eat it anymore, but I think he can still taste it if just thinking about it.
Anyway, needless to say that these vegan buffalo 'chicken' sandwiches were ravenously eaten over here. We love how crispy the breading came out even if oven-baked and the flavor you get from coating the tender tofu with all of the spices. Plus, y'all, that.buffalo.sauce.is.no.joke.
Oh and just as a side note. These chicken-less battered tofu are great without the buffalo sauce too if you are not that much into spicy food. I usually keep some patties free from the sauce for my kids and then smother their buns with mayo and ketchup. They go nuts for it.
Ingredients you'll need to make it
- Extra firm tofu: I absolutely love our local tofu from Hewia, but any kind will work, as long as it is extra firm. 'Regular' tofu isn't solid and compact enough and might fall apart while breading.
- Flour: all-purpose or whole wheat will work.
- Cornstarch: helps set and crisp the tofu.
- Breadcrumbs: I used regular breadcrumbs. You could do half regular + half panko, but I don't think using only panko breadcrumbs would work very well as I am worried it wouldn't give you a nice compact and uniform battered tofu.
- Spices: paprika, chili powder, salt, garlic powder and onion powder.
- Plant-based milk: use any plain and unsweetened vegan milk.
- Apple cider vinegar: when mixed with the milk it creates a mixture that acts like buttermilk.
- Vegan mayo: combined with the milk to make it thicker, which helps coat the spice rubbed tofu nicely. Homemade cashew mayo or store bought both work well.
- Buffalo sauce: we are obsessed with this vegan hemp buffalo sauce!
How to make it
If not already done, make the homemade vegan buffalo sauce (or use store-bought). This can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge.
Pre-heat the oven to 400º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare the tofu
Drain the tofu and roll the block in a clean towel. Remove as much water as you can while being delicate. Do not press too much on the tofu as it might break/crack and it will be harder to slice it into nice patties. I mostly just pat dry it.
Then, slice as you wish to make 4 equal size patties. I usually cut mine in 2 lengthwise, then cut each halves in 2 as well, so I end up with 4 similar size square/rectangular pieces. This is a delicate step since depending on your tofu, it might crack or break easily. So take your time!
Then, in a small bowl, combine the chili powder, paprika, salt, onion and garlic powder. Stir well and dust the mixture over your tofu covering all the surfaces on both sides. Use your hand to rub the spices over the tofu so it sticks well. Set aside.
Bread the spiced tofu patties
Make the vegan buttermilk in a medium shallow bowl by combining the milk, apple cider vinegar and vegan mayo. Whisk well until uniform. In a second shallow bowl, add the breadcrumbs, cornstarch, flour, salt and chili powder. Stir to combine.
Then, bread the tofu pieces:
1- Dip in the buttermilk mixture. You have to "quickly dip" the pieces, only once on each side, then take out. If you move the pieces around too much, you will lose all the spices from the tofu.
2- Then, toss in the breadcrumbs and cover all of the surfaces. Use a dry hand to sprinkle the breadcrumb over any uncovered spot and gently press so it sticks well.
3- Dip quickly again in the buttermilk.
4- And then, cover for a second time with the breadcrumbs. Make sure the tofu is FULLY covered and nice and thick.
Place on the prepared baking sheet and keep going with the remaining pieces of tofu.
Bake
Bake for about 15-20 minutes. Then, gently flip (careful, the pieces will still be delicate!), and bake for 15 more minutes. The surface of the tofu tends to crack, that's ok, and you should get a subtle golden brown surface.
Build up your sandwich
Toast your buns/bread and prepare all your burgers/sandwich fixings. Then, only when ready to eat, covered the breaded vegan chicken patties with the buffalo sauce. Build your sandwich and enjoy!
Watch how to make it
Cooking tips
- Don't forget to do a double breading. It creates a thick battered tofu patty that gets very crispy after baked.
- Be sure to only *quickly* dip the tofu in the buttermilk as opposed to shaking it. You want to prevent all the spice rub from going in the milk.
- Be gentle with your tofu! Try as much as you can to keep your slices intact so you can bread them nicely in patties. If they do break, that's fine, just bread the smaller pieces and you can still cover them with the buffalo sauce and use in your sandwich. When I have a piece of tofu that cracks and feels more delicate, I use both my hand to bread it to keep it intact. It seems like after breaded and baked, these delicate pieces hold better from being covered with the breading.
- I have tried making this recipe without the vegan mayonnaise. It worked out well, although was harder for the spices to stay on the tofu as the vegan buttermilk wasn't as thick. You can try without it if you don't have mayo.
- Use a spatula to flip them and not tongs as they could break.
- Rinse and dry your hands in between each pieces of tofu when breading. If your fingers are covered with the batter/breading, it will be harder to get the breading to stick to the tofu as it tends to actually get stuck on your sticky fingers. I like to keep one hand for the wet and one hand for the dry as well.
- Wait for the last minute before spreading the buffalo sauce over the breaded tofu so your pieces remain as crispy as possible.
Which vegan buffalo sauce to use
It isn't that hard to find a buffalo sauce that's fully vegan and dairy-free. As mentioned, I love making my own vegan buffalo sauce as I can make it oil- and butter-free. But, this plant-based buffalo sauce from Chef HAKS and this avocado oil buffalo sauce from Primal Kitchen are also good choices.
You can also simply use your favorite hot sauce mixed in with vegan mayo or vegan yogurt to get the same effect!
Serving suggestions
Other than smothering in yummy buffalo sauce, there are so many other ways you can serve this crispy vegan 'chicken' sandwich.
Try the classic mustard, pickles, ketchup and tomatoes with crunchy lettuce. Also, add some creamy coleslaw and spread a vegan ranch sauce for the ultimate classic buffalo sandwich combo.
You can also make other quick sauces if you don't want a spicy meal such as vegan mayo + cajun spices + garlic OR vegan mayo + chili powder + lime juice OR vegan plain yogurt + fresh herbs + garlic.
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. They do lose on their crispy texture, but they are still very good. Be sure to store the breaded tofu and the buffalo sauce apart.
I recommend to reheat them in the oven at 350º just for a few minutes (I love to use a counter mini oven to do that) or warm in a non-stick pan on medium heat flipping often until heated through. You could use a microwave if in a pinch, but I don't recommend it as it might harden their texture.
FAQ's
I wanted to pan-fry these so bad and tried it a bunch of times. My problem was that they simply didn't cook as evenly that way. If you absolutely want to pan-fry them, then you might have to use more oil so they roast better and make sure the edges are also cooked through.
Depending on the shape of your tofu, you might end up with large squares like I did. In that case, look for large buns or even regular square shaped bread slices. I love to make my own whole wheat buns too when I have the extra time! Other ideas would be brioche bread, sourdough or even panini.
Other tofu recipes you might like
- Vegan panko tofu nuggets
- Sticky tofu
- Crispy coconut tofu
- Tofu bolognese
- Sweet and sour tofu
- Silken tofu scramble
- Marinated smoky tofu
- Balsamic tofu wraps
- Tofu scramble breakfast sandwich
I hope you like this vegan 'chicken' sandwich as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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Vegan Spicy Buffalo Crispy 'Chicken' Sandwich
Ingredients
For the spiced tofu
- 1 block of extra firm tofu (about 454 g or 425g.)
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked or sweet paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried herbs such as oregano or Italian mix or basil
- ½ tsp salt
For the breading
- ½ cup plant-based milk - plain and unsweetened
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1 cup regular breadcrumbs
- ½ cup flour - all-purpose or whole wheat
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
For the sandwich
- 1 batch vegan buffalo sauce - see notes
- hamburger buns
- lettuce
- tomato or cucumber - sliced
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare the spiced tofu
- Pat dry the block of tofu while being gentle so it does not break or crack. Then, slice in 4 equal pieces.
- In a small bowl, combine all the spices together and stir to combine. Then, sprinkle the spice mix over the slices of tofu making sure to cover them on both sides. Set aside.
Bread the tofu
- In a medium shallow bowl, make the vegan buttermilk by combining the plant-based milk, apple cider vinegar and vegan mayo. Whisk well to break all the clumps.
- In a second medium shallow bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, cornstarch, flour, salt and chili powder. Stir to combine.
- 1- Dip the spiced tofu once or twice in the buttermilk (be gentle and go quickly so the spices remain on the piece of tofu as much as possible). 2- Then, cover completely with the breadcrumb mixture. 3- Dip once more quickly in the buttermilk and 4- Finish up with a second time covering with the breadcrumbs. Use your fingers to press on the tofu and make sure it is nicely covered with a nice thick layer of breadcrumbs.
- Transfer on the prepared baking sheet and keep going with all the pieces of tofu.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, then gently flip (careful they will still be soft, use a spatula and not tongs) and bake for 15 more minutes. Let them sit for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet after done.
- Cover with the vegan buffalo sauce and serve in sandwiches with tomatoes and lettuce. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They will lose on their crispiness, but will still be good. Reheat in the oven at 350º for a few minutes or use a non-stick pan on medium-high heat flipping a few times.
- Be sure to only *quickly* dip the tofu in the buttermilk opposed to shake them in. You want to prevent all the spice rub to go in the milk.
- Be gentle with your tofu! Try as much as you can to keep your slices intact so you can bread them nicely in patties. If they do break, that's fine, just bread the smaller pieces and you can still cover them with the buffalo sauce and use in your sandwich. When I have a piece of tofu that cracks and feels more delicate, I use both my hand to bread it to keep it intact.
- I have tried making this recipe without the vegan mayonnaise. It worked out well, although was harder to hold on the spices on the tofu as the vegan buttermilk wasn't as thick. You can try without it if you don't have mayo.
- Rinse and dry your hands in between each pieces of tofu when breading. If your fingers are covered with the batter/breading, it will be harder to get the breading to stick to the tofu as it tends to actually get stuck on your sticky fingers. I like to keep one hand for the wet and one hand for the dry as well.
- Wait for the last minute before spreading the buffalo sauce over the breaded tofu so your pieces remain as crispy as possible.
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