Buffalo Tofu Bites (Vegan and Oil-Free)

The tofu bites are easy to put together.  If you use super firm tofu, there is no need to press it.  Mix the paste in a bowl, break the tofu into chunks, toss them in the paste, bake, toss in hot sauce, and bake again.  It’s simple, easy, and no dredging is needed.

The buffalo tofu recipe is based on my oil-free tofu nugget recipe and can be added to a buffalo tofu rice bowl for a filling plant-based meal.  For more tofu recipes, try tofu meat crumbles, easy oil-free marinated tofu, or tofu Buddha bowl.  For more vegan buffalo recipes, try vegan buffalo dip.

Recipe features

• Easy to make!
• The recipe is vegan/vegetarian!
• Plant-based and oil-free!
• If you use super firm tofu there’s no need to press it! 
• The nuggets are a spicy and flavorful addition to salads, grain bowls, wraps, or dip them in a dairy-free ranch dressing.

Ingredients and substitutions

The recipe for buffalo tofu nuggets uses simple ingredients, but please see the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and exact measurements.

Super firm tofu - Super firm tofu is usually vacuum-packed and doesn’t need to be pressed.  It’s much firmer than extra firm.  If you want to substitute with extra firm, it will need to be pressed for 20-30 minutes and then patted with paper towels to remove excess moisture. 

For more details on how to press tofu, check out my post on oil-free crispy baked tofu. For extra firm tofu, I would also reduce the water in the recipe to 1 tablespoon and reduce the nutritional yeast to 2 tablespoons.  Firm tofu doesn’t work well for this recipe and don’t use silken tofu.

If you normally freeze your tofu, this may mess with the liquid ratio needed for the recipe because the freezing process extracts more liquid from the tofu. Check out the frequently asked questions section below for if the paste is too dry or too wet.

Nutritional yeast - This adds a nutty and savory flavor to the buffalo tofu bites.  There’s not a good substitution for this.

Cornstarch - Helps give the tofu a crispy coating, but arrowroot powder can be used instead.

Soy sauce - Tamari or low-sodium soy sauce can be used.  If you use regular soy sauce, you may want to reduce the salt.

Garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika - Added for flavor!

Frank’s RedHot Original - The type of hot sauce used in the recipe is important, as it is the predominant flavor of the entire recipe.  We use Frank’s RedHot original; it’s a cayenne pepper-style hot sauce.  A lot of buffalo sauce recipes call for Frank’s RedHot and butter to be mixed.  In this recipe, instead of adding butter, I use nutritional yeast. 

The nutritional yeast tames the heat of the hot sauce like butter would, but it also thickens it, so I wouldn’t add more than the recommended 1 ½ tablespoons.  To make buffalo bites less spicy, use less hot sauce; to make them spicier, skip the nutritional yeast.  To make them even spicier after the last 5 minutes of cooking, toss them again with more hot sauce.  

Frank’s RedHot Buffalo sauce can be used without the added nutritional yeast.  It does contain oil, and it will be a little milder in heat.  Some Frank’s buffalo sauces have a “natural butter type flavor” on the ingredient list, but at the time of writing this, according to the company, that ingredient does not contain milk or dairy products.  Companies change ingredients, so always check for yourself.

Tips

• The salt can be reduced if you don’t want the nuggets to be as salty.
• This is an oil-free recipe, so a silicone mat or parchment paper is needed to prevent excessive sticking.
• Parchment paper holds moisture more than a silicone mat, so you may need to cook the tofu a little longer.
• Breaking the tofu into bite-sized chunks instead of cubes makes little nooks and crannies to hold onto the sauce, so break the tofu off instead of slicing.
• Make the tofu chunks roughly the same size but there’s no need to be precise, some bites will be softer and others will be firmer.
• The sauce needs to be thin enough to coat the tofu easily, but thick enough to stay on the tofu.  The consistency of a thicker dressing, not a vinaigrette.
• Be careful coating the tofu with the paste so it doesn’t break apart (especially extra firm tofu), a silicone stirring spatula works well to fold the tofu and the sauce.
• If you have a thinner paste, don’t pour any residual paste onto a baking sheet since it might burn.
• Make sure the tofu isn’t touching on the baking sheet so it crisps up.

Serving suggestions

• Enjoy the buffalo tofu dipped in vegan ranch as an appetizer.
• Add them to a buffalo tofu rice bowl, with cherry tomatoes, cucumber or celery, shredded carrots, romaine lettuce, and vegan ranch dressing.
• Use them instead of chickpeas in a vegan rice salad with broccoli and dairy-free ranch.
• Add them to a simple salad.
• Try them in a wrap.

How to make buffalo tofu bites

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

2. In a large bowl, combine the 2 ½ tablespoons of nutritional yeast, cornstarch, tamari, water, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt.  Mix to form a paste.

3. For super firm tofu, drain the tofu, don't pat dry (the extra liquid helps thin out the paste), break off pieces of tofu into bite-size pieces, and add them to the paste.

4. Gently stir the tofu and the paste.  I like to use a silicone stirring spatula to almost fold the tofu and paste to help prevent the tofu from crumbling.

5. Spread the tofu out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.  If you have excess paste, don’t pour it on the baking sheet.

6. Cook for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

7. Mix the hot sauce and 1  ½ tablespoons of nutritional yeast in a large bowl.

8. After 30 minutes, remove the tofu nuggets from the oven, add them to the large bowl, and toss with the hot sauce mixture to coat.

9. Spread the tofu back out on the baking tray and cook for another 5 minutes.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerator: The tofu nuggets are best enjoyed immediately but can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 5 days.  They won’t be as crispy. I wouldn’t recommend freezing them.

Reheating: Reheat in the oven at 350°F for about 7-10 minutes, or until warmed through.  They can also be reheated in the microwave, but they will be softer.

Frequently asked questions

Related recipes

• Tofu bites
• Vegan oil-free ranch dressing
• Tofu Buddha bowl with peanut dressing
• Buffalo tofu rice bowl

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