Easy Baked Tofu Nuggets (Oil-Free)

Ingredient notes and substitutions

This recipe uses a simple savory paste that sticks to the tofu easily without oil and creates a lightly crisp coating when baked.  This also keeps the recipe less messy and simpler since there's no dredging.  See the recipe card below for exact measurements.

Super firm tofu - It's usually vacuum-packed and doesn't need pressing. Its firmness makes it easier to coat and bake.  If using extra-firm tofu: press 20 to 30 minutes, pat dry, reduce water to 1 tablespoon, and reduce nutritional yeast to 2 tablespoons. Firm tofu doesn't work well, and silken tofu should not be used. 

For more details on how to press tofu, check out my post on oil-free crispy baked tofu.

Nutritional yeast - Adds a nutty, savory flavor. There isn't a great substitute for it in this recipe.

Cornstarch - Helps the coating set and crisp. Arrowroot powder can be used instead.

Tamari - Tamari or low-sodium soy sauce works best. If you're using regular soy sauce, you may want to reduce the added salt.

Seasonings - Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt add flavor. You can adjust the salt to taste.

How to make baked tofu nuggets

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

2. In a large bowl, mix nutritional yeast, cornstarch, tamari, water, and seasonings to form a paste.  You want the mixture to be thin enough to coat the tofu but thick enough that it will cling to the pieces.

3. Super firm tofu: drain it, then break off bite-sized pieces from the block of tofu, and add them to the paste.  The pieces don't need to be uniform.

Extra-firm tofu: press first for 20 to 30 minutes, then reduce nutritional yeast to 2 tablespoons, and water to 1 tablespoon.

4. Gently fold the tofu in the paste using a silicone scraping spatula, which works best to help prevent the tofu from crumbling.  Extra firm tofu is softer than super firm, so be careful when stirring.

5. Spread the tofu in a single layer on the baking sheet, leaving space between pieces.

6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the coating is set and the nuggets are golden.

If you flip halfway through, do it carefully; they may stick.  Flipping can help even browning, but the coating may stick to the mat. If you don't flip, the bottoms will brown more, and a few spots of coating may look a little wet.

Crispy checklist for oil-free tofu nuggets

Oil-free recipes may not turn out as crispy as fried versions, but these tips help improve texture and browning.

Flip carefully (optional). Flipping can help browning, but the coating may stick to the parchment paper or silicone mat. If yours stick easily, bake them without flipping.

Use super-firm tofu if you can. It's drier, so the coating sticks better and bakes up crispier.

If using extra-firm, press it for 20 to 30 minutes, pat dry, so the paste doesn't slide off.

Aim for a "paint-like" paste. It should cling to the tofu and not run off. If it drips, it's too thin.

Give them space on the pan. Crowding traps steam and makes them softer.

Use parchment (or a silicone mat) for less sticking, especially for oil-free baking.  A silicone mat usually crisps better than parchment (parchment can hold a little moisture), so you may need a few extra minutes if using parchment.  Don't use aluminum foil.

Troubleshooting tofu chicken nuggets

Coating not sticking - Tofu may be too wet or the paste might be too thin.  Thicken the paste with a little more cornstarch or nutritional yeast.

Paste too thin - Stir in a small amount of cornstarch at a time until the paste thickens.

Paste too thick - Add a tiny splash of water and mix well. Add more only if needed, so the paste doesn't become runny.

Nuggets not crispy - The pan may be crowded or the coating too thick. Space pieces apart, use a thinner paste to coat evenly, and start with super-firm or well-pressed tofu.

Sticking to the pan - Oil-free baking can make things stick. Use parchment or a silicone mat and skip flipping the nuggets; bake until the coating has set.

Uneven browning - Rotate the pan in the oven halfway through baking.

Variations

Enjoy the tofu nuggets as-is or switch up the flavor.

Buffalo tofu - Bake them for 30 minutes, remove them from the oven, toss with buffalo sauce, and add them back to the oven for about 5 minutes.  Then add them to a buffalo tofu bowl, dip them in vegan ranch, or add them to a wrap.

Smoky BBQ-style - Substitute regular paprika in the recipe with smoked paprika and add ½ teaspoon chili powder to the paste. Serve with BBQ sauce or bake the tofu bites for 30 minutes, remove them from the oven, toss with BBQ sauce, and add them back to the oven for 5 minutes.

Lemon pepper - Add 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning and skip the paprika. Great with lemon and herb tahini sauce.

Ranch seasoned - Add 1 to 2 teaspoons ranch seasoning, or use a combination of dried dill and dried parsley. Serve with vegan ranch dressing or vegan honey mustard.

Vegan "Chicken" nuggets - Add ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning.

Dipping sauces and serving ideas

Dip the nuggets in vegan honey mustard (no mayo) or oil-free vegan ranch dressing, or use them in meals like:

• Tossed in buffalo sauce and use with vegan ranch or add to a buffalo tofu bowl
• Added to wraps, vegan Buddha bowls, or vegan rice bowls
• Substitute them for the chickpeas in a vegan rice salad
• Stuffed into wraps with ranch, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers
• Added to tacos with vegan chipotle sauce
• Tossed into curry
• Added to a power bowl with rice, broccoli, and thinned vegan honey mustard as a dressing

Tips for using frozen tofu (freeze/thaw)

Freezing tofu creates ice pockets inside the tofu, and when it thaws, it leaves tiny holes that change the texture. For testing, I froze the super firm and extra firm tofu in its container (without draining or pressing), thawed it in the refrigerator for about 24 hours, then drained and squeezed out the excess liquid.

Frozen tofu absorbs more liquid and can change the paste consistency, so sometimes it needs small adjustments. In my tests, it worked, but it didn't always improve the texture compared to using just super-firm tofu without freezing.

What to know when using frozen tofu:

• Don't squeeze out all the liquid.
  Remove most of the moisture, but if the tofu is squeezed too dry, the paste may be too dry.
• Pressing vs. squeezing:
  Extra-firm tofu can be pressed after thawing, but squeezing by hand is usually quicker.
• Adjust paste if needed:
  If the paste looks too thick to coat the tofu, add ½ tablespoon of water at a time.
• Watch cooking time:
  Moisture levels vary, so start checking the nuggets around 25 minutes. The tofu should be firm and the coating set, but not dried out. 
• Handle gently:
  Frozen and thawed extra-firm tofu can crumble more, so fold carefully when mixing.

Related recipes

• Oil-free crispy oven-baked tofu
• Spicy tofu tacos
• Hatch green chile tofu scramble 
• Buffalo tofu nuggets

I hope you enjoy the tofu bite recipe! If you did, feel free to rate it and leave a comment.