First thing’s first: these are actually fried. Sometimes I post recipes for things that look like they’re fried but aren’t. This is not one of those times. And I know I’m going to get a bunch of questions on how to make this without frying. My answer is to try a different recipe. How about some delicious baked tofu nuggets? Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I’m assuming you’re still here because you’re ready to live on the edge and fry some stuff. I’m happy to help you out with that. I’ve been playing around a bit with ways to make tofu not taste so much like tofu. Not that tofu tastes bad! I’m one of those weirdos who actually likes the stuff right out of the package. But can it be better? Yup! And can it actually be tasty to people who think they hate tofu? Heck yeah! I used a couple of tricks to make the fried tofu for these sandwiches taste amazing. First: the marinade. Drench your tofu in a super savory marinade that tastes chickeny, and your tofu will taste pretty chickeny. It’s probably not going to fool anyone, but it is delicious and perfect for satisfying savory cravings. Second, I froze the tofu first. Freezing tofu changes the texture, making it spongy so it has a nice bite and soaks up the marinade. More marinade means more flavor and some juiciness, which conveniently gets locked into your tofu when you dip and fry it. So, start by freezing your tofu. Make sure you freeze it solid, and then thaw it out. Whip up your marinade and cut your tofu. Ideally you want a nice square slab of tofu, so your best bet for making four sandwiches is to use two packages. Cut about a third off of the end of each tofu block, so you’re left with a nice thick square, then slice the square in half thickness-wise. Do that to both packages and you’ll have four slabs, plus some leftover tofu, which you can save for another use. Freeze it again if you’d like. (And then make these tacos!) But feel free to divide your tofu up however you like. Soak the tofu in the marinade for a bit. Next you’ll be mixing up a non-dairy milk based batter and a dry flour-based mixture for dredging. First dip the tofu in the flour mixture, then the batter, then back into the flour. Fry for a few minutes on each side, until crispy and golden. Top with spicy Buffalo slaw. Devour.
Tips for Making Amazing Fried Tofu Sandwiches
Always be super careful when cooking with hot oil. Keep a close eye on the pan, and if it starts to sputter, turn down the heat. Also make sure you have a lid handy to put out a grease fire should one occur.Don’t pour your leftover oil down the drain. It can clog it up. Instead, pour it into a sealable container (ideally something that you’re throwing out anyway), and trash it. You can also save it for later.Use a really tasty vegetable broth! Since the goal here is to make these sandwiches taste like chicken, pick a broth that tastes like chicken.Feel free to play around with the seasonings in the breading mixture. I kept it simple with some cumin, garlic and onion powder, but you can switch things up with Cajun spice, taco seasoning or savory dried herbs!Plan ahead and don’t forget to freeze the tofu! I like to keep a couple of packs stashed away in the freezer at all times for recipes like this.How do the leftovers keep? As with most fried foods, the tofu patties have a tendency to lose their crispness over time. Your best bet is to cook them right before serving, but if you do end up with leftovers, try sticking them under the broiler to re-crisp for a few minutes.Can this recipe be lightened up? Not really. It is what it is, which is fried and delicious and what I consider a treat. Your best bet for reducing the fat/calories is to try a different recipe. These tofu nuggets could easily be made larger and served as sandwiches. You could even incorporate the freezing and marinating steps form this recipe.
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