Crispy Tofu Fingers will bring you back to your childhood. Tofu is marinated in a light lemon-mustard sauce, tossed in a crispy breadcrumb mixture, and baked until super crispy. It’s impossible to just eat one!
These tofu fingers are healthy, low-fat, gluten free, high-protein AND very cost-effective. I read this article last week and tofu is making a comeback in a major way (yay!!). Which makes me super happy since tofu has a pretty bad rep. First off, if you hate tofu (I couldn’t stand it growing up) it’s probably because you’re eating non-marinated tofu or tofu that was not marinated long enough. I know I was.
The secret to delicious tofu is in the marinade.
Marinating the tofu is E-S-S-E-N-T-I-A-L in giving these Crispy Tofu Fingers their nostalgic flavor. If you can marinate your Tofu fingers overnight (or at least up to 4 hours), the better. The tofu SOAKS up the marinade, making them perfect for tossing in bread crumbs and baking until golden brown and crispy.
If you make these Vegan Crispy Tofu Fingers at home, snap a photo and tag #CearasKitchen on Instagram or leave your feedback below.
Buuut I’m gonna warn you, these tofu fingers are addicting. Baked-Vegan-Avocado-Fry addicting. Why are things that go well with dip always the easiest to munch on? ↓↓↓
- 1 package organic tofu, extra firm (350 gr.)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard*
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1½ tsp paprika
- 2-3 splashes hot sauce
- 4 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
- 1½ tbsp almond meal (or oat flour)
- 1 tbsp tapioca starch or corn starch
- pinch pepper
- Cut tofu block horizontally across about 5-6 times and then cut tofu down the middle (through the center of the block) so you have about 10-12 tofu "fingers".
- Place tofu fingers on a plate lined with paper towel. Place another paper towel on top of the tofu. Place a plate on top of the tofu so that the excess liquid squeezes out of the tofu (this allows the tofu to "suck up" the marinade better).
- In a medium size bowl, mix together all of the marinade ingredients (soy sauce through to hot sauce). Toss the tofu in the marinade and cover (or alternatively, place the tofu and marinade together in a ziploc bag to marinate). Leave the tofu to marinate in the fridge for a couple hours up to overnight. I recommend leaving the tofu to marinate for at least four hours for best results.
- Preheat the oven to 450F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix together the panko breadcrumbs, almond meal, tapioca starch and pepper in a deep plate.
- Roll the tofu fingers in the crispy breadcrumb mixture, pressing the mixture onto the tofu fingers as you roll them.
- Place the tofu fingers on the baking sheet. Make sure to not place them together too closely to ensure they crisp up while baking (see photo). Bake for 13-17 minutes until crispy and light golden brown. Serve warm as an appetizer or with salad and rice for a complete meal!
2) Use certified gluten-free ingredients for this recipe to be gluten-free.
10 comments
Ooh, I love that you marinade these first and then coat and bake. They look too perfect and sound so flavorful.
I totally agree on the tofu thing, it has NO taste on it’s own and needs a good sauce! And if baked correctly it is amazing. I have had bad bad tofu and it’s gag worthy. But when done right it’s so good! These look delicious and I’m drooling over the sauce!
Those look so good! I love crunchy food, and marinated food, so I know that I’d love these. I actually love tofu, marinated or not. I’m one of the few weirdos who don’t mind the nonexistent taste of spongy soy-haha.
Oh my word, they look so good! That mustardy marinade sounds so delicious! Great recipe :O)
I just made these for dinner tonight and they were so yummy! The recipe is easy (my kind of recipe) and I will definitely be making these again. Also, I followed the recipe exactly – didn’t change a thing!
Oh, I would be all over these tofu fingers. I’m glad that tofu is getting its well-deserved comeback. I didn’t used to like tofu either, but it really was a matter of getting tofu that was prepared well and learning how to do that myself. So often in restaurants when I have lackluster tofu it’s because it was made by people who aren’t familiar with it.
Definitely feeling hungry now! Love those seasonings, sounds delicious!
I think I’m in love! I have been on a tofu kick lately. Done right, it’s so addictive. I can’t wait to try this! Loving the sound of that mustard marinade!
One look at these and I already knew they would be addictive if ketchup was anywhere nearby! The marinade sounds awesome, sorta reminiscent of “honey” mustard, which I love 🙂
These look great, Ceara!