if you have ever had chicken francese but you’ve been missing it in a vegan version then this is for you! this tofu has an “egg-like” batter and then cooked in a lemony pan sauce it is delicious. pair it with your favorite grain and veggie for a delicious meal.
This tofu Francese is so easy to make! I love it because it really only takes about 30 to 45 minutes from start to finish. The flavor is so light and the tofu almost melts in your mouth. You only need 1 pan for the whole recipe too which makes it really great for weeknight dinners.
the ingredients
- Super Firm Tofu: the base of the recipe. The super firm tofu is the most firm tofu which gives it great texture for the recipe. If you want to use extra firm tofu you can just make sure to press it.
- All Purpose Flour: the tofu is first coated in all purpose flour before battering.
- Chickpea Flour: this is used as an egg replacer to make an egg battering like effect on the outside of the tofu! When mixed with water is is so good.
- Olive Oil: I like to use light olive oil to get the tofu nice and crispy.
- Vegan Butter: this is used in the lemony butter sauce to add flavor.
- Better than Bouillon: this is also used in the sauce when mixed with water to add flavor.
- Lemons: the main flavor in tofu Francese is lemons! Make sure to roll them before you cut them in half.
- Salt and Pepper: used to add flavor in the breading and chickpea flour batter.
cutting the tofu
When it comes to cutting the block of tofu there isn’t too much you need to be specific about! I like to cut the block in half right in the middle and then I can cut those halves into 4 pieces this will give me 8 pieces of tofu. I like to keep these on the thicker side to ensure they don’t break apart when cooking. Of course, you can cut these however you like but that is just the way I do it!
coating the tofu
When I first started making tofu Francese there was no Just Egg around, so I had to figure out how to make an egg replacement for this. Chicken Francese is typically dredged in flour and then egg battered. So, I decided to use one of my favorite ways to replicate an egg which is using chickpea flour! The chickpea flour works so well here to make that “eggy” feeling batter and it is so delicious. I also love chickpea flour because it adds in some extra nutrients. I like to add salt and pepper into the all purpose flour and chickpea egg to add flavor in each step.
cooking the tofu
To cook the tofu it is very simple! Before you even doing any dredging and battering of the tofu start by heating up the oil in a very large fry pan. You want to heat it up and have it hot and ready to go because once the tofu is put in the chickpea flour, you’ll want it to go directly in the pan. Then you will cook each side of the tofu for 5 to 7 minutes until that chickpea “egg” turns golden and crispy.
is tofu francese Italian?
So, like many things you typically find in an “Italian” restaurant I am looking at you: spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parm, and penne alla vodka… these are more Italian-American dishes. For example, baked ziti is not a traditional Italian dish but it does have its roots in pasta al forno (baked pasta). So, any Francese style dish is definitely Italian-American and don’t expect to find it on a menu in Italy. However, it is so delicious and something everyone should try.
more tofu recipes
the sauce
There are so many reasons to love this recipe but a big reason is how easy the sauce is to make! It is just a very basic pan sauce that comes together super quickly. Once you finish crisping the tofu, remove it from the pan. Then in that same pan add Better than Bouillon, vegan butter, water, and lemon. Let the sauce cook for a few minutes and mix to incorporate it all. Then pop the tofu back in there and let it cook in the sauce for a few more minutes. It is so easy!
tofu francese faq
- Is this recipe soy free? No the main ingredient is tofu. However, if you want to use a soy free tofu you can. You can also substitute in a vegan chicken if you like. Better than Bouillon does contain soy as well, so be sure to substitute for a different vegetable bouillon.
- Is this recipe gluten free? No, but you can swap the all purpose flour for gluten free all purpose flour or cornstarch.
- Is this recipe nut free? Yes, as long as you use a nut free vegan butter.
- How long will this recipe last? Up to 3 days in the fridge.
- How do I reheat tofu Francese? You can either microwave or heat up in a pan.
- Can I freeze the leftovers? I personally wouldn’t advise doing that.
- What should I eat with this? I personally love mine with either rice or mashed potatoes and some sort of green veggie like broccoli or string beans!
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Tofu Francese
Ingredients
- 1 block (16 ounces) super firm tofu
- ½ cup chickpea flour
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon water for chickpea flour
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- Salt and pepper for various stages in recipe
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- ½ tablespoon Better than Bouillon
- ¼ cup water for sauce
- 2 to 3 lemons juiced (around ¼ cup to ⅓ cup lemon juice)
- Fresh parsley for optional garnish
Instructions
- Cut the tofu into 8 pieces. First by cutting in half down the center horizontally. Then cut each of those blocks in 4 rectangles to make about ½ inch thick slices. If you need a visual check out the youtube video.
- In a plate combine the all purpose flour with a dash of salt and pepper. In a separate bowl or deep plate whisk the chickpea flour with water and a dash of salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth and a batter has formed.
- In a large frying pan heat up the oil for 3 to 5 minutes over medium heat.
- Take one piece of tofu and first coat it in the all purpose flour. Then batter in the chickpea flour. Let any excess drip off and place directly in the pan.
- Repeat the process until all the tofu dredged, battered, and in the pan. Cook each side for 5 to 7 minutes until golden and then flip. Repeat on the other side.
- Remove the tofu from the pan and add in the vegan butter, Better than Bouillon, ¼ cup of water, and lemon juice. Mix together and cook for 1 to 3 minutes over medium low heat. Add the tofu back in and continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the tofu, cook for 1 more minute.
- To plate remove the tofu and add to a big dish. If you want you can add another ¼ cup of water into the pan to make a little more extra sauce to drizzle over the tofu Francese. Garnish with salt and fresh chopped parsley if desired. Enjoy.
Video
Nutrition
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This sounds amazing!! I’m not vegan and try to eat lower carb so would prefer to cut down on the flour if using egg is an option. How would I swap the chickpea flour in the batter for egg? Would I dredge in egg first then regular flour? Thanks!
Hi Jess! Totally understand wanting to make some swaps as I am a vegan blog I personally don’t have any recommendations about swapping in animal ingredients but you can definitely feel free to look at a regular Francese recipe for help there! However, the chickpea flour is only adding 28.9g carbs to the whole recipe and per serving this recipe has 16g of carbs so definitely not high carb at all if you decide you want to try the chickpea flour out 🙂
Which flavor better than bullion do you use?
Thank you.
Bouillon
Hi it is linked right when you click on the ingredient name, it is the vegetable base
When I say the recipe as a PDF it just shows better than bouillon please put the name of it in the ingredients I know it’s vegetable but yeah it could be vegan chicken too.
Thank you
Hi Tammy. Either Better Than Bouillon would one just fine here doesn’t matter whether its the vegetable based one or the vegan chicken enjoy!
I loved chicken francaise before being vegan so I was dying to try this when I saw your post a few days ago. I made it tonight and it turned out beyond my expectations! Thanks so much for sharing this incredibly delicious recipe, Francesca! I’d post a picture if I could!
Hi Dennis! oh yay I am so so glad you enjoyed it. thank you for trying it and taking the time to leave a comment and review!
Mine was a bit bland, sorry. I didn’t get much lemony sauce, I’ll have to up the sauce ingredients I think. I think adding some lemon zest to both the white flour and the chickpea flour could be interesting. I’ll try that next time!
Hi Suzy, thank you for trying it. I am sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it as much as I would’ve hoped. The tofu does soak up a lot of the sauce to get in all that flavor but if you want more sauce definitely double it. The lemon zest is an interesting idea. Hope the second time comes out a bit more to your liking!
This is so satisfying and yummy! I was unfamiliar with Better Than Boullion so tasting right out of the jar with its saltiness was a bit worrying, however it made the sauce delicious. This dish made my husband a believer that tofu can be delicious. I did wonder how to keep more crispiness and if spooning the sauce over the tofu would give the same flavor boost. I will try this next time. By the way, it is terrific as a leftover.
Hi Lyn! I am so glad to hear you and your husband enjoyed it. Yes, the BTB is a very concentrated paste so a little goes a long way in soups and sauces! Typically, the chicken francese dish is not crispy. It is a very soft coating because of the use of egg which of course we are recreating here all vegan. So, if you wanted it to be crispy you can of course just always make a crispy tofu and then make the sauce on the side and dip it in if you like. Yes, it definitely gets even better the next day! Thank you so much for trying it 🙂