Strips of tofu are marinated, battered, dredged in flour and then air fried to make vegan chick’n tenders. Paired with a vegan buffalo mayo making the perfect dip!
I don’t know why but I keep seeing TikToks all about chicken tenders so it just started to make crave vegan chicken tenders! I originally wanted to make a dipping sauce similar to the one from Raising Cane’s but I’ve never had it before and don’t really know what the flavor profile is. So, I decided to just make a much simpler 2 ingredient dipping sauce. However, one day I will try and do the Raising Cane’s sauce because it does sound very delicious.
I had first thought about baking these but then I decided to go with my favorite appliance the air fryer. If you have been around the blog or my YouTube channel before you know how much I love my air fryer. I use one from Ninja, I love that it has the two baskets but it is pretty big which if you don’t have the space for it can make it a bit inconvenient. However, there are plenty of great air fryers out there now though.
Air Frying vs Baking
So, in all honesty air frying is actually not all that different than baking. The idea behind both things are pretty much the same. BUT air fryers are smaller which makes them get hotter quicker, no preheating involved, and they can get things crispier making them more as if they were deep fried. While I find that the oven can get things crispy I have definitely found the air fryer makes it way crispier. Air frying is also a great way to get the fried-effect without going through the hassle of deep frying.
FAQs
- Can this be made gluten free? You can try to use a gluten free all purpose flour or something that works as a 1:1 substitute. I haven’t tried it so if you do please leave a comment and let us all know how it went!
- Can this be made soy free? You can use homemade seitan instead of tofu. You can find a recipe for these vegan chick’n nuggets and prepare them up to step 11, then follow this recipe.
- Can I bake these? I haven’t tried and I am not sure if it will work. If you do please leave a comment to let us know how it all went.
- Can I deep fry these? Yes, you can.
- Can I freeze these? Yes, you can freeze either prior to baking or after they are prepared. Whichever you prefer.
These vegan chick’n tenders are perfect for a snack and dipping in your favorite condiment or you can use them in wraps, salads, bowls anything you like. I enjoyed these on their own and then the next day I chopped it up and put it on a salad. Even my non-vegan sister said they were good and she liked them.
Pressing and Marinating
An important step for these vegan chick’n tenders is marinating the tofu. This helps to give the tofu some flavor. If you are making these quickly you can marinate for 20 minutes but of course the longer you let things marinate the more flavor they have. I also used super-firm or high protein tofu for this. It has the least amount of water in it and holds its shape the best.
For this recipe I took it a step further though and also pressed it. This is the tofu press I used, my sister got it for me for Christmas. Now, I usually do not press super firm tofu because it’s just something you don’t really need to do. However, I wanted the tofu to be a bit more pressed and get out that extra water. So, if you don’t want to press the tofu you don’t have to but it can be something that just helps the texture of the tofu a bit more.
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Air Fried Vegan Chick’n Tenders
Ingredients
- 1 block super firm tofu (16 ounce [454g])
Marinade
- 1 cup nondairy milk unsweetened and unflavored (240ml)
- 2 tablespoons pickle juice (30ml)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
Breading
- ½ cup all purpose flour (60g)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Spray oil
Buffalo Mayo
- 2 tablespoons buffalo sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegan mayonnaise
Instructions
- Remove the tofu from the packaging. Press the tofu for 1-2 mins to remove any excess water. You can use a tofu press or place a large skillet with cans on top.
- Cut the tofu into 4- ¼ inch rectangles, so you have 4 rectangles are the original size of the tofu block just thinner. Then cut each in half, so you have 8 rectangles.
- Optional step: to make these more tender shaped you can cut off the corners of each rectangle making it more pointed on top. You can save the scraps for a stir fry, tofu ricotta or anywhere else.
- In a large bowl add the marinade ingredients. Mix together. Then add the tofu. Marinate for at least 20 minutes or up to 8 hours.
- When ready to bread combine the breading ingredients on a large flat plate or large flat bottomed bowl. Mix together with a fork.
- Take a piece of tofu out of the marinade and coat it in the flour. Then dip it back in the marinade, and then back for a final coating in the breading. Set aside on a plate and repeat until all tenders are coated.
- Spray the tenders generously with an oil spray.
- Place in the air fryer and leave enough space, do not let them touch. Air fry at 390°F (198°C) for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. If after, air frying the tenders look dry you can just spray with a bit more oil.
- Meanwhile, prepare the buffalo mayo by mixing both ingredients in a small bowl.
- Top the tenders with some sea salt and black pepper and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- If you plan on marinating for more than 20 minutes be sure to place in the fridge.
- If after air frying the tenders appear a bit dry and there are some white spots just spray with a bit more spray oil. It is fully cooked but may have just been a spot you missed when initially spraying.
- If you use extra-firm tofu for this (which I don’t recommend because some are more firm than others and may break) make sure to press for longer.
- These can be frozen after being made and then reheated in the air fryer or oven.
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This looks yummy! What could I replace the pickle juice with? Maybe the water in the jar of olives? I can’t eat vinegars. Thanks!
hi Deborah! yeah sure you could do a bit of that!!! i would maybe only do 2 teaspoons since it is a much saltier brine!