Last Updated on May 27, 2024

Today, we recreate the original chicken fried tofu recipe by Whole Foods. Our vegan tofu is uber-crispy and packed with spices and herbs.

The first way these crispy bites are made is in a deep-fryer. However, you can also make them in your air-fryer, which is the second alternative method we will be discussing in the tips section below.

Jump to Recipe

For our recipe today, we simply drew inspiration from the fried chicken tofu recipe by Whole Foods. We’ve made some adjustments to give them an even better flavor and a more crispy texture.

But remember, as with all of our recipes, these are incredibly easy to make and very versatile. You can play around with the flavors as much as you’d like. And, you can make adjustments that better suit your dietary needs.

What You Need To Make Chicken Fried Tofu Recipe By Whole Foods

Not only are these bites delicious, but they are incredibly healthy! You don’t need a lot of ingredients to make them, but simultaneously you can get very creative with these!

Ingredients for the tofu marinade

14 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained
1 cup vegetable stock

1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced

Ingredients for the crumb

2 cups oat milk

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds or chia seeds
2 cups cake flour

1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Equipment

Measuring cups and spoons
Mixing bowls

Knife
Chopping board
Mixing spoon

Baking pan or plate
Deep-fryer or air-fryer
Tongs

Paper towels

Nuwave Brio 7-in-1 Air Fryer Oven, 7.25-Qt with One-Touch Digital Controls, 50°- 400°F

Check Price

Step-by-step instructions

So, let’s take a look at how to make tofu fried chicken from scratch.

Step 1: Marinade the tofu

To start, cut or break the extra-firm tofu into bite-sized pieces. You can choose any size that you’d like. Keep in mind, the size will affect the marinating and cooking time.

Prepare tofu — Image credit: Pinterest.com

Next, whisk together the vegetable stock, soy tasty sauce, and sliced garlic cloves.

Recipe for fried chicken tofu — Image credit: Pinterest.com

Place the marinade into a bowl and add the portioned tofu pieces.

Leave the tofu nuggets to marinate for at least 15 minutes. We like to leave it for 30 -45 minutes.

Tofu in marinade — Image credit: Pinterest.com

Step 2: Soak the tofu in vegan buttermilk

Whisk together the oat milk, juice of your lemon, and chia seeds. Allow this mixture to stand for 5 minutes.

Then, add the marinated tofu nuggets (make sure that it’s drained well and don`t have excess liquid) to the buttermilk mixture. Allow them to sit for another 5 minutes or so.

Step 3: Make the breading

While the marinated tofu nuggets are resting in the buttermilk, assemble the breading mixture.

In another large mixing bowl, mix the cake flour, cornstarch, and all of the ground and dried spices and herbs.

Prepare the flour — Image credit: Pinterest.com

Make sure these ingredients are mixed very well. Otherwise, the flavors won’t be evenly distributed.

Step 4: Crumb-coat the tofu pieces

First, dip the now buttermilk-soaked pieces into the breading mixture. Make sure each piece is covered very well with the dry seasoned mixture.

Then, dip it back into the buttermilk. And finally, dip it in the seasoned flour mixture again. This technique is called “double pane”.

Repeat the process until all of the tofu pieces have been crumbed. Set them aside on a tray or plate.

Step 5: Finish off your fried chicken tofu recipe by Whole Foods

Heat the frying oil over medium-low heat. If you’d like, you can measure the temperature. The hot oil should be between 320-360ºF (160-180ºC).

Then, fry each piece for about 3 minutes per side. Once filled, you can leave it for 4-5 minutes. The total cooking time for each batch will be about 7-8 minutes.

Once cooked and beautifully golden brown, you can remove the fried chicken tofu and drain the pieces on paper towel.

Amazing tofu — Image credit: Pinterest.com

Expert Tips And Tricks

The tofu can be marinated in advance. Simply leave it in the marinade in an airtight container overnight. It’s a great way to get a head start on the prep and add a ton of flavor to the tofu!
You have to drain the tofu of the marinade before soaking it in the vegan buttermilk. You can gently give the marinated tofu a few presses to “squeeze” out the excess marinade. But don’t worry if there isn’t a ton that comes out.
Always work in small batches when crumbing and cooking crispy foods. You don’t have to overload the oil. This will bring down the temperature, ultimately causing the tofu to take longer to cook.

You can also make chicken fried tofu in an air-fryer. It is just as easy and quick. Set the air-fryer to 320ºF (160ºC). Then, allow the tofu pieces to bake for about 7-8 minutes or until they are golden brown.
The only reason this recipe isn’t originally made using an air-fryer is first that not everyone has this appliance. Secondly, if you’re crumb-coating isn’t firm and “dry” it could fall off in the air-fryer. Oil instantly sets the mixture onto the tofu.
The air-fryer simply cooks it around the tofu. Nevertheless, it’s still a great, and super-healthy, alternative.

Preparations Times And Servings

Preparation Time	Cook Time	Servings
20 minutes	20 minutes	4

Wrapping Things Up – Chicken Fried Tofu Recipe By Whole Foods

We love our take on the original chicken fried tofu recipe by Whole Foods a lot better. It is stuffed with more savory flavors and an unbelievably crispy texture. And, it’s sometimes still hard to believe that it’s all vegan!

Let us know what you think about these snacks in the comments below.

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5 from 2 votes

Chicken Fried Tofu Recipe By Whole Foods - 2 Easy Ways

Today, we recreate the original chicken fried tofu recipe by Whole Foods. Our vegan tofu is uber-crispy and packed with spices and herbs. The first way these crispy bites are made is in a deep-fryer. However, you can also make them in your air-fryer, which is the second alternative method we will be discussing in the tips section below.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Marinating15

Total Time55

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: American, Asian

Keyword: chicken fried tofu chicken, chicken fried tofu in an air fryer, chicken fried tofu recipe by whole foods, how to make tofu chicken, vegan fried tofu chicken

Servings: servings

Calories: 300kcal

Author: Ania Cooking Recipes

Equipment

Measuring cups and spoons

Mixing bowls
Knife
Chopping board

Mixing Spoon
Baking pan or plate
Deep-fryer or air-fryer

Tongs
Paper towel

Ingredients

Ingredients for the tofu marinade

14 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained

1 cup vegetable stock
1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced

Ingredients for the crumb

2 cups oat milk
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds or chia seeds

2 cups cake flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Marinade the tofu
To start, cut or break the extra-firm tofu into bite-sized pieces. You can choose any size that you'd like. Keep in mind, the size will affect the marinating and cooking time.
Next, whisk together the vegetable stock, soy sauce, and sliced garlic cloves. Place the marinade into a bowl and add the portioned tofu pieces.
Leave the tofu to marinate for at least 15 minutes. We like to leave it for 30 -45 minutes.
14 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained, 1 cup vegetable stock, 1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced

Soak the tofu in vegan buttermilk
Whisk together the oat milk, lemon juice, and chia seeds. Allow this mixture to stand for 5 minutes.
Then, add the marinated tofu (make sure that it's drained well) to the vegan buttermilk mixture. Allow them to sit for another 5 minutes or so.
2 cups oat milk, 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds or chia seeds
Make the breading
While the marinated tofu is resting in the buttermilk, assemble the breading mixture.
In another large mixing bowl, mix together the cake flour, cornstarch, and all of the ground and dried spices and herbs.
Make sure these ingredients are mixed very well. Otherwise, the flavors won't be evenly distributed.
2 cups cake flour, 1/3 cup cornstarch, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Crumb-coat the tofu pieces
First, dip the now buttermilk-soaked pieces into the breading mixture. Make sure each piece is covered very well with the dry seasoned mixture.
Then, dip it back into the vegan buttermilk. And finally, dip it in the seasoned flour mixture again. This technique is called "double pane."
Repeat the process until all of the tofu pieces have been crumbed. Set them aside on a tray or plate.

Finish off your chicken fried tofu recipe by Whole Foods
Heat the frying oil over medium-high heat. If you'd like, you can measure the temperature. The oil should be between 320-360ºF (160-180ºC).
Then, fry each piece for about 3 minutes per side. Once filled, you can leave it for 4-5 minutes. The total cooking time for each batch will be about 7-8 minutes.
Once cooked and beautifully golden brown, you can remove the chicken fried tofu and drain the pieces on paper towel.

Notes

The tofu can be marinated in advance. Simply leave it in the marinade in an airtight container overnight. It's a great way to get a head start on the prep and add a ton of flavor to the tofu!

You have to drain the tofu of the marinade before soaking it in the vegan buttermilk. You can gently give the marinated tofu a few presses to "squeeze" out the excess marinade. But don't worry if there isn't a ton that comes out.

Always work in small batches when crumbing and cooking crispy foods. You don't have to overload the oil. This will bring down the temperature, ultimately causing the tofu to take longer to cook.

You can also make chicken fried tofu in an air-fryer. It is just as easy and quick. Set the air-fryer to 320ºF (160ºC). Then, allow the tofu pieces to bake for about 7-8 minutes or until they are golden brown. The only reason this recipe isn't originally made using an air-fryer is first that not everyone has this appliance. Secondly, if you're crumb-coating isn't firm and "dry" it could fall off in the air-fryer. Oil instantly sets the mixture onto teh tofu. The air-fryer simply cooks it around the tofu. Nevertheless, it's still a great, and super-healthy, alternative.

Nutrition

Ania

My name is Ania, and I am very glad to see you here. I have always loved cooking; even some of my earliest memories are flipping through a cookbook and making pudding standing on a stool because I was too small to reach the stove.

You should know that I am not a professionally trained chef, just a big food lover who grew up in a family obsessed with cooking and focused on what we eat.