Buffalo Tofu
Crispy baked tofu coated in a cornflake crust and tossed in a dairy-free buffalo-style sauce.
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Mixing Bowls
- Pan
- food processor or zip-top bag and rolling pin (optional)
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 10 ozFirm tofu
- 1/2 cupYellow corn flour
- 1/2 cupAll-purpose flourWhite rice flour to make it gluten-free
- 2 cupCorn flakes
- 1 TbspCorn starch
- 3/4 cupDairy-free milk
- 1/2 tspSalt
- 1/4 tspBlack pepper
- 1/4 cupFrank's Red Hot
- 2 TbspDairy-free butter
- 2 TbspMaple syrup
Instructions
Instructions
- Press the tofu: wrap the 10 oz block of firm tofu in paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and set a heavy pan or cans on top for 15–30 minutes to remove excess moisture.
- Tear the pressed tofu into bite-size pieces with your fingers (about 1-inch pieces). Place the pieces on a plate and set aside.
- Crush the 2 cups corn flakes to a fine, breadcrumb-like texture using a small food processor, the small chopping bowl of an immersion blender, or by placing them in a zip-top bag and crushing with a rolling pin. Transfer the crushed corn flakes to a shallow bowl or plate.
- In a shallow mixing bowl, combine ½ cup yellow corn flour, ½ cup all-purpose flour (or ½ cup white rice flour to make it gluten-free), 1 Tbsp corn starch, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper. Whisk to blend evenly.
- Pour ¾ cup dairy-free milk into the dry mixture and whisk until you have a slow-flowing, pancake-batter-like consistency (smooth and pourable but not watery). Stop when fully combined.
- Working one piece at a time, dip a tofu piece into the wet batter and coat it evenly. Use your fingers if that’s easier. Let excess batter drip back into the bowl.
- Transfer the battered tofu to the crushed corn flakes. Sprinkle and press the crumbs onto all sides so the coating adheres. Place each coated piece on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced so they are not touching.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Bake the coated tofu on the middle rack for 20–25 minutes, flipping each piece once halfway through (about 10–12 minutes) until the coating is golden and crispy.
- While the tofu bakes, make the sauce: in a large pan over medium heat melt 2 Tbsp dairy-free butter until bubbling, then add ¼ cup Frank’s RedHot and 2 Tbsp maple syrup. Stir constantly until the sauce is fully combined and warmed through, about 1–2 minutes.
- When the tofu is crispy, add the baked tofu pieces to the pan with the sauce (or pour the sauce over the tofu in a bowl) and gently toss to coat each piece evenly. Serve immediately.
Notes
Notes
Do not overcrowd the pan
– Adding too much tofu to the oil at once will lower the oil’s temperature, requiring more cooking time. You will know that you have overcrowded the pan if the intensity of the sizzling slows down or stops altogether. While waiting for the oil to return to the right temperature, the breaded tofu will continue to soak up the oil.
Coat the tofu in batches
– When adding the fried tofu to the sauce, coat them on a per-serving basis, especially if the pan is not large enough to coat them all evenly. We recommend adding one serving of sauce to a warm skillet or pan, then tossing it well with one serving of the fried tofu.
Do not overcrowd the pan
– Adding too much tofu to the oil at once will lower the oil’s temperature, requiring more cooking time. You will know that you have overcrowded the pan if the intensity of the sizzling slows down or stops altogether. While waiting for the oil to return to the right temperature, the breaded tofu will continue to soak up the oil.
Coat the tofu in batches
– When adding the fried tofu to the sauce, coat them on a per-serving basis, especially if the pan is not large enough to coat them all evenly. We recommend adding one serving of sauce to a warm skillet or pan, then tossing it well with one serving of the fried tofu.