Baked Crispy Tofu Nuggets with Peanut Lime Sauce

These baked crispy tofu nuggets are coated in cornflakes for extra crunch and served with a zingy coconut and lime peanut sauce. They are a delicious healthy snack perfect for any occasion. They are also vegan!

How to make baked crispy tofu nuggets

This baked tofu nuggets recipe uses just 7 ingredients:

• Extra firm tofu 
• Plain flour
• Water
• Soy sauce
• Salt and pepper
• Cornflakes 
• Vegetable oil

Making the nuggets

To make the tofu into nugget shapes it is best to tear the tofu with your hands. By not slicing the tofu it is easier for the batter to stick onto the tofu. Break the tofu into 12 evenly sized pieces.

Next, make the batter. Combine the flour, water and soy sauce in a bowl and whisk until there are no lumps. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the cornflakes into a separate bowl and crush with the end of a rolling pin until coarsely ground. You could also pulse them a couple of times in a food processor. Ensure they are not too fine, however, as larger pieces mean more crunch!

Using one hand dunk a nugget into the batter and toss to coat evenly. Lift out of the batter and shake a little to remove excess batter. Drop the nugget into the cornflakes.

Using your clean hand coat the battered nugget with the cornflakes. Repeat with the remaining nuggets. By using different hands for each bowl you prevent the batter and cornflakes from getting mixed up.

Space the tofu nuggets onto a lined baking tray. Spray each nugget with a little vegetable oil. If you can’t find spray oil you can buy an oil spray bottle online. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip the nuggets over, spray with a little more oil and bake for a further 15 minutes.

How to make the peanut sauce

These baked tofu nuggets are relatively unseasoned as this fragrant sauce will give you all the flavour you need. It is super simple to make. You just need 9 ingredients:

• Natural peanut butter
• Soy sauce
• Mirin
• Thai red curry paste
• Coconut cream
• Lime juice
• Sesame oil
• Light brown sugar
• Water

To make the sauce just pop all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Substitutions

If you don’t have all the ingredients for the sauce there are some substitutions you can make.

Firstly, natural peanut butter is the healthier option for this sauce. However, any peanut butter will do, crunchy or smooth.

If you can’t get hold of any Thai red chilli paste then feel free to substitute it with a few slices of red chilli peppers and half a garlic clove. You could also replace the coconut cream with coconut milk, if you prefer. The light brown sugar is easily replaced with honey.

Air fryer crispy tofu nuggets

If you would like to air fry the nuggets place them in the air fryer basket and spray with vegetable oil. Cook at 190℃/375℉ for 15 minutes, flipping half way through. If your air fryer is small you may need to cook them in batches. Ensure the nuggets aren’t touching so that they cook evenly.

Baked crispy tofu nuggets: similar recipes

If you like these vegan oven baked tofu nuggets then try some of my other recipes with tofu:

• Crispy tofu and mushroom tacos
• Healthy tofu soba noodles
• Easy vegetarian tofu kimbap
• Asian tofu noodle salad with mango
• Crispy tofu broccoli rice bowl
• Vegetarian poke bowl

Baked crispy tofu nuggets

5 from 1 vote

Cornflake-crusted baked crispy tofu nuggets. Delicious vegan nuggets served with a zingy lime and coconut peanut sauce.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 2

Course: Main Course, Party Food

Cuisine: American

Calories: 672

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

Crispy Tofu

• 280g/10oz extra firm tofu pressed if necessary
• 70g/2½oz plain flour
• 75ml/5tbsp water
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 55g/2oz cornflakes lightly crushed
• spray vegetable oil

Satay sauce

• 70g/2½oz natural peanut butter
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 2 tbsp coconut cream
• 1/2 lime juice
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp water

Garnish (optional)

• 1 spring onion sliced, green part only
• 1 shake toasted sesame seeds
• 2 lime wedges

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 190℃/170℃ fan (375℉/340℉).
2. Using your hands, break the tofu into around 12 fairly equally-sized nuggets.
3. In a medium bowl combine the flour, water and soy sauce. season with salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth.
4. Tip the crushed cornflakes into a separate bowl.
5. Using one hand dip a tofu piece in the batter and coat completely. Shake a little to remove excess batter.
6. Drop into the cornflakes and use your clean hand to coat completely in cornflakes. Shake a little to remove excess cornflakes.
7. Place onto a lined baking tray. Repeat with the remaining nuggets.
8. Spray the nuggets with a little vegetable oil. Bake for 15 minutes. Halfway through cooking flip each nugget and spray them with a little more oil.
9. Whilst the nuggets are cooking, combine all the ingredients for the peanut sauce into a small blender. Blend until smooth. Place into a small bowl.
10. Eat the nuggets hot, sprinkled with spring onion, sesame seeds and an extra squeeze of lime, if desired.