I’ve never had a Buffalo wing in my life, but I LOVE Buffalo sauce. So I figured it was time for me to have some wings…you know, vegan wings! The kind made out of tofu. Guys, I tried like 6 different variations on this recipe before settling on this one. I baked, fried, battered, played around with the likes of beer and maple syrup, before finally settling on super simple baked Buffalo tofu wings, coated in good old panko breadcrumbs. Nothing else stood up to the sauce quite like panko breadcrumbs. Literally every other version of the recipe came out soggy. But not this one! These babies were crispy, and spicy, and pretty darn addictive. Next time football Sunday rolls around…well, I’ll probably be watching Downton Abbey in lieu of the big game. But I will also be shoveling these delicious vegan Buffalo tofu wings into my face. I hope you will too!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Non-dairy milk. Any variety that’s unsweetened and unflavored will work. Flour. The recipe calls for all-purpose wheat flour. Whole wheat flour will also work.Ground flaxseed.Salt.Panko breadcrumbs. Or use any variety of unseasoned vegan breadcrumbs.Onion & garlic powders.Tofu. Super-firm tofu works best for this recipe. It has a great texture and requires minimal prep. Extra-firm tofu could be substituted, but you’ll need to press it first.Frank’s hot sauce. Frank’s is the brand of hot sauce that has the distinctive Buffalo sauce flavor, so I highly recommend using it. You could technically get away with another brand, but the flavor won’t be quite that of Buffalo sauce. If you do substitute, make sure to use a vinegar-based cayenne pepper hot sauce that’s relatively mild (we’re using a LOT of it). Also, make sure you’re using the basic Frank’s hot sauce (product page here) and not their wing sauce, which may or may not be vegan (I can’t tell from the ingredients list.Vegan butter. Skip this ingredient if you prefer to cook without it. If you do use it, look for it near the regular butter at your supermarket. Miyoko’s and Earth Balance are a couple of popular brands.Oil mister. You can also use cooking spray if you don’t have a mister.Dressing. Serve your tofu wings with vegan blue cheese or vegan ranch.Chives. These are totally optional! Sprinkle them on top before serving if you’d like.
How to Make Buffalo Tofu
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Grab a couple of bowls. In your first bowl, mix up non-dairy milk, flour, flaxseed, and salt. This is your batter. In your second bowl, stir together panko breadcrumbs, flour, onion and garlic powders, and salt.Slice your block of tofu into twelve triangles. To do this, slice the block into 6 rectangles, then cut each rectangle on a diagonal. Feel free to cut the tofu into different shapes though! I like triangles because they’re wingy. Cubes or strips are fine, but keep in mind that you might need more batter and breading for smaller pieces, since there’s more surface area to cover.
Grab a tofu triangle and dip it into the batter, coating all sides. Transfer the tofu triangle to the breading and coat all sides.Repeat the process and arrange your breaded tofu triangles on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Lightly mist the tofu with oil, then bake for about 10 minutes on each side, until crispy.
While the tofu bakes, melt your butter and stir it together with the hot sauce. This is your vegan Buffalo sauce!Take your baked tofu out of the oven and coat all sides of each piece in Buffalo sauce. I like to dip the pieces in with tongs, then use a brush to touch up any spots I missed.Pop the baking sheet back into the oven. A final ten minute bake will set the sauce and breading to keep your wings from getting soggy.
Serve your Buffalo tofu bites with dressing and celery sticks. I like to garnish mine with some fresh chives as well. Enjoy!
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover Buffalo tofu will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. To reheat, just pop the wings under the broiler for a few minutes on each side, until they start to crisp back up.
More Vegan Game-Day Appetizers
Ultimate Vegan NachosVegan French Onion DipVegan Mozzarella SticksVegan Stuffed MushroomsVegan Jalapeño Poppers
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