Chicken Fried Tofu for a Stunning Vegetarian Sunday Dinner
When you think of classic Southern comfort food, does your mind automatically go right to fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy? Did your mouth start watering just thinking about it? Well, what if I told you I had a chicken fried tofu recipe that wouldn’t make you miss the meat?
How Do You Make Tofu Taste Good?
A lot of people hate tofu because it’s squishy, spongey, and has no real flavor. Those people are missing out, though. Tofu IS sponge-like in the way that it will soak up the flavors you give it. In this case, we’re going to add some classic chicken fried flavor to it.
Pressing Tofu is Very Important
You start by pressing the water out of your tofu. Letting go of the water gives it room to absorb the marinade. It’s as simple as wrapping it in a towel and squishing it between two plates with a weight on top. I use a cast-iron skillet and a can of crushed tomatoes.
The Best Tofu Marinade Ever
The marinade is key, though. I start with pickle juice, which is a trick I learned from a friend who was trying to replicate a Chik Fil’A sandwich. Pickle juice works for chicken, but it also does a number on tofu.
Into the pickle juice goes a healthy portion of nutritional yeast. This has a lot of B vitamins, but the main reason you need it is that it also adds that funky, kind-of-cheesy and kind-of-meaty flavor. In other words, it’s your secret weapon in vegetarian cooking.
Then, spice it with paprika, ground mustard, and onion powder. A little bit of liquid smoke also helps to trick your taste buds into thinking this tofu is something else. At this point, your marinade should smell like a cookout party.
Slice Your Tofu Before You Marinate
Slice the pressed and dried tofu into 16 equal slices. This adds surface area so the marinade gets soaked in deeper and more thoroughly. Nothing is worse than tofu that has flavor on the outside but not inside.
Lay it into your vessel in a single layer, and cover with your delicious-smelling liquid. If the tofu is not submerged you may need to add in water. Depending on your dish, you may need up to 2 cups.
Cover and agitate the dish to make sure the spices and nooch are dispersed a little. The powders will settle, but you still want to try and get a little bit on each piece for ultimate flavor absorption.
Now, let it sit on the counter for 3 hours.
A Little Bit of Chicken Fried… Tofu
Let’s talk about how to fry your tofu for the ultimate Sunday dinner experience. Like with any dredging station, you’ll need an egg bowl and a flour bowl (we’re not doing a bread crumb bowl).
The Egg Bowl
This bowl is super easy. It’ll take you 10 seconds. Just crack two eggs in, and whisk them really well. You can season with salt and pepper, but it’s not necessary.
The Flour Bowl
Here’s where the magic happens. You’re going to mix in baking powder to make your crust crispy and light, paprika, ground mustard, and onion powder to match the marinade, and salt and pepper to season.
Real quick, I want to highlight something important. This ingredients list looks cumbersome, but note that you’re using paprika, garlic powder, ground mustard, salt, and pepper a couple of times. That makes the shopping list less scary but it drives those flavors home.
Proper Dredging Technique
When it comes to chicken fried tofu, or any other chicken fried food, you want to establish which hand does what.
I use my right hand for flour and my left hand for eggs. This prevents what I refer to as “The Battered Claw from Hell.” Using one hand for everything will result in layers of egg and flour that will take an eternity to wash off.
Just trust me. You do need to wash your hands, but not for thirty minutes.
So, you’ll go flour mixture first so the egg sticks, then egg, and then flour again to get a really good crust on each piece. Set each prepared piece on a plate and get ready to fry.
How to Fry Chicken Fried Tofu
I use a 12 inch cast-iron skillet and vegetable oil to do my frying. I also use one cup of oil to fry one side at a time instead of deep-frying.
I have tried this recipe in the air fryer, but you have to douse the pieces in oil to get any good result on the crust, and then you have to clean the oil out of the fryer and off the heating coil. For me, it wasn’t worth it. Just accept the calories this time.
You can use a thermometer to get the oil up to 350ºF. My thermometer met its maker, so I have to use a little trick. Wait about 10 minutes after turning on the stove, and drop a pinch of the leftover flour mixture into the oil. If it sizzles, you’re ready to go.
Now, if it immediately turns brown, your oil is too hot, and if nothing happens, the oil is too cold. It’s pretty simple to troubleshoot this way.
Chicken Fried Tofu in Batches
Do not overcrowd the pan. This will drop the temperature and your crust will be oily. That’s not good. So, just do 5 or 6 pieces at a time. Place them in gently and remember which order you set them down.
After 3 to 4 minutes on that side, check your first piece for doneness. The bottom should have puffed and turned golden brown. If not, let it go another minute. Flip all the pieces and give the second side a fry for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Once your chicken fried tofu has finished frying, move it to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet in a warm oven to await service. This will keep it from getting soggy and cold.
You Have to Serve Gravy with Chicken Fried Tofu
That sounds intense, right? Okay, you can have ketchup, but hear me out. You MUST have gravy. It’s not that hard, and holy cow is it good. Plus, it’s really simple. It just takes like 5 minutes.
Spoon 2 tablespoons of the oil from your frying pan into a small saucepan. If you happen to get some of the little brown bits at the bottom of the frying pan mixed in, that’s great! Those are filled with flavor and will do amazing things to your gravy.
Add an equal amount of flour to the oil to make a roux. Whisk to combine, and continue whisking over medium heat until it gets frothy. Once it’s frothy, whisk for 2 minutes, and then start whisking in the milk.
You can use plain, unsweetened almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk. You can even use cow’s milk. Do your thing here. There’s already egg in here; it’s vegetarian, not vegan. Sorry, not sorry.
Once your gravy is smooth and thick and looks like gravy, season with salt and pepper. That’s it! You’re done!
What Do You Serve with Chicken Fried Tofu?
Sunday dinner isn’t right without mashed potatoes. But, I just fried tofu, so excuse me while I substitute mashed cauliflower for the starch to feel better about myself. Mashed cauliflower is really as simple as microwaving a bag from the freezer section. Don’t go too crazy.
If you’re just in a cooking mood and want to make your own, here’s my favorite recipe for mashed cauliflower.
Now, no one give me grief about how weird the dietary inclusions are on this recipe. It’s tofu, but there are eggs (and dairy in the mashed cauliflower). The sides are low-carb, but there’s flour in the breading.
The point of this recipe is not to be on a diet, but to widen your range of protein options and make healthy choices to balance unhealthy ones. Low carb mashed cauliflower offsets the carby, fatty, deliciousness that is fried tofu.
Just believe me when I say, this is a decadent meal, but it isn’t so heavy you’ll hate yourself after. And you know what? If you try a healthier substitute, and it works, let me know! I will totally give it a shot.
So, comment below and tell me what you think! Did you try this? Did you make substitutions? Did those work? Did you catch the game last night (Jk… I don’t watch sports)? And don’t forget to subscribe for awesome freebies and blog post updates.
Chicken Fried Tofu and Gravy
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Shallow dish with a lid
- 2 bowls for breading
- Wire baking rack that fits into a rimmed baking sheet
- Small saucepan
Ingredients
- 16 oz Extra Firm Tofu
Marinade
- 1 cup dill pickle juice
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp liquid smoke
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp ground mustard
- 2 cups filtered water
Breading
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp ground mustard
- 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
Vegetarian Country Gravy
- 2 tbsp fry oil hot, leftover after frying
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 cup unsweetened original milk or milk substitute
Instructions
- Drain the liquid from your tofu, and wrap it in a clean dish towel. Microwave for 30 seconds and then press between two plates with a weight (like a cast iron skillet) for 20 minutes.
- While you're pressing the tofu, whisk together all the ingredients for your marinade in your marinating dish. The powders will not dissolve completely.
- Once you've pressed the majority of the liquid out of your tofu, slice it into 16 pieces. Pat each slice dry for good measure before moving it to the marinade. Ideally, you want all the pieces in one layer and completely submerged in liquid.
- Marinate the tofu for 3 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
- Add 1 cup of vegetable oil to your cast iron skillet and set it over medium-high heat to preheat. Preheat the oven to 250ºF. Set a wire baking rack on a rimmed baking sheet on the top rack.
- Drain the marinade off the tofu, and prepare to dredge.
- In one dish, beat the two eggs.
- In the second dish, whisk together the flour and spices.
- Using one hand, coat each piece of tofu first in the flour mixture. Use your other hand to transfer the floured tofu to the eggs for a thorough coating. Use the egg hand to move the tofu back to the flour, and use the flour hand to ensure each piece is thoroughly coated.
- Wash your hands thoroughly.
- Test the oil by dropping a pinch of flour into the oil. If it sizzles but does not immediately brown, you're ready. If it browns quickly, your oil is too hot, back off the heat and wait 5 minutes before frying.
- Gently place 5 to 6 pieces into the fry oil at a time. Let them go until the first side is golden brown and crisp (about 4 to 5 minutes). Flip and let them go another 4 to 5 minutes on the other side.
- Transfer to the wire rack on a baking sheet in the oven.
- On the stove, move 2 tablespoons of the fry oil to a small saucepan. It should still be hot, and it's great if some of the fried bits at the bottom of the pan get transferred. That adds flavor.
- Whisk the oil with 2 tablespoons of flour until frothy. Cook, whisking continuously, for 3 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in the milk until it's smooth, thick, and looks like gravy. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve your chicken fried tofu with a drizzle of gravy, a pile of mashed cauliflower, and green beans.
