Publised on 23/05/2024. Last Updated on 24/08/2024 by Richard
Crispy, breadcrumbed buffalo tofu fries, served with home-made vegan ranch! Spicy, crunchy and irresistibly snackable. Ideal for a vegan superbowl side or party treat!
These crispy, golden Buffalo Tofu Fries that are about to blow your taste buds away, in a good way obvs. Yes, you heard it right – we’re talking about crispy breadcrumbed tofu fries which can be baked or air-fried, doused in buffalo sauce! To finish they're topped in my vegan ranch dressing and sprinkled with crispy onions and chopped chives!
Let me tell you, my friend, Buffalo Tofu Fries ain't your ordinary snack. They combine all the high-protein, meaty goodness of tofu with the crispy, juicy indulgence of buffalo wings. For me it’s all about that perfect balance of flavours – the tanginess of buffalo sauce, the creaminess of vegan ranch, and the crunch of crispy onions and chives. Truly a next level snack!
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What are Buffalo Tofu Fries?
Buffalo Tofu Fries are essentially a hybrid of french fries, tofu nuggets and buffalo wings - except completely plant-based. Imagine strips of extra firm tofu, coated in a crispy breadcrumb mixture, then drenched in tangy buffalo sauce and topped with all the fixings. It's the ultimate flavour explosion in every bite.
I wanted to make this recipe easy and quick, so it's designed to be whipped up in the air fryer. But if you'd rather use the oven, that works too! Either way those tofu fries will be crispy AF and perfectly seasoned!
Ingredients You'll Need
Alright, let's talk ingredients, shall we? Here's what you'll need to make these next-level Buffalo Tofu Fries. And remember, if you're in a rush, the full recipe is just a scroll away! Head down to the recipe card for the full shabang!
- Extra firm tofu
- Vegetable broth (optional)
- Cornstarch
- Plant milk
- Lemon juice
- Hot sauce
- Breadcrumbs
- Nutritional yeast
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Vegetable oil
You'll also need a batch of my vegan buffalo sauce and a batch of my vegan ranch dressing! Oh, and I love to top mine with crispy onions for some extra crunch. These are store bought and you can find my favourite brand right here.
Ingredient Substitutions
Feeling adventurous? Here are a few tweaks you can make to tailor this recipe to your liking:
- Swap out soy milk for almond, oat, or any other plant-based milk of your choice. Just keep it unsweetened and unflavoured.
- Experiment with different oils like rapeseed oil, vegetable oil or avocado oil. Just stick to a neutral oil, unlike olive oil! Oh and a spray bottle works best for really coating the buffalo tofu fries without drenching them!
- Substitute white lemon juice for any white vinegar. Apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar work great.
- I used plain white breadcrumbs but you can try golden breadcrumbs or even gluten free breadcrumbs for anyone catering to a GF diner!
How To Make Buffalo Tofu Fries
You're just a few steps away from crispy, spicy Buffalo Tofu Fries! So let's dive into the nitty-gritty of how to whip up this epic snack. But hey, if you're in a rush, no worries – the full recipe is waiting for you at the bottom of the page.
Slice and Simmer: Start by slicing your tofu into fries and simmering them in vegetable broth for extra flavour. This step is optional but really does add flavour to the whole dish.
Coat and Cook: Next, coat your tofu fries in a mixture of cornstarch and plant milk, then dip them in a breadcrumb mixture. I like to add nutritional yeast to this mix too, for an extra umami bite!
Cook the Fries: Now that they're coated, it's time to cook the tofu fries until crispy. I like to do this in the air fryer but you can use the oven if necessary! Let them cool for a few mins before moving onto the next bit.
Buffalo it Up!: Finally it's time to toss the crispy tofu fries in buffalo sauce. Just enough to coat them completely. Then it's time to serve with some vegan ranch and all the toppings! For me, chives are essential!
Buffalo Tofu Fries FAQs
A: Firm tofu will work, but the texture may be slightly different. I'd also recommend skipping the optional step of boiling in broth if using firm tofu. It's not strong enough and will fall apart. Extra firm tofu holds its shape better and results in crispier fries.
A: Simply use gluten-free breadcrumbs. I've ensured all the other ingredients are easily gluten-free, but be sure to double check your labels as this can vary from brand to brand!
A: Of course! Get creative with your sauces. BBQ sauce, sweet chilli sauce, or even teriyaki sauce would all work wonderfully with these tofu fries.
If you loved this recipe, you'll definitely want to check out some of the other magic stuff I do with tofu! Like my Tofu Steak, My Tofu Fajitas and my Air Fryer Tofu Nuggets. Oh and if you love BBQ flavour, try my BBQ Shredded Tofu!
Don't forget to snap some pics of your culinary masterpiece and tag @schoolnightvegan on social media. I can't wait to see your creations!
Buffalo Tofu Fries
Equipment
- Air Fryer or Oven
- Baking sheet
- Crinkle Cut Knife optional
- large saucepan optional
- Medium bowls
- Whisk
Ingredients
For the Buffalo Tofu fries
- 450 g extra firm tofu drained
- 1 litre vegetable broth or stock (optional step)
- 45 g cornstarch
- 45 ml plant milk unsweetened and unflavoured
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or sub for any white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce I used Crystal brand
- 80 g breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil or sub for sunflower oil or any neutral oil
For the Toppings
- 1 batch Vegan Buffalo Sauce use my recipe or store bought
- 1 batch Vegan Ranch Dressing use my recipe or store bought
- 4 tablespoon crispy fried onions see ingredient notes in blog post above
- 3 tablespoon chives finely chopped
Instructions
Note: this recipe calls for two sauces, vegan buffalo sauce and vegan ranch dressing. If making your sauces from scratch, make these in advance. The recipes for each can be found by clicking the items in the ingredients section above.
To Make the Buffalo Tofu Fries
- Preheat your air fryer to 180 °C. Alternatively heat a fan oven to 200 °C and line a baking sheet with baking parchment or a non-stick silicone mat.
- Slice the drained tofu into 1cm thick fries. If you have a crinkle cut knife, use this!450 g extra firm tofu
Optional step
- Place the vegetable broth in a large saucepan and bring to a low simmer. Carefully add the tofu fries and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. Be very careful not to break any of the fries when draining, as they will be soft.1 litre vegetable broth
To Cook the Tofu Fries
- In a medium bowl, combine the cornstarch, plant milk, lemon juice, fine sea salt and hot sauce. Whisk together until smooth. Set aside.45 g cornstarch, 45 ml plant milk, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- In a separate medium bowl whisk together the breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, garlic powder and onion powder.80 g breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Working with a few tofu fries at a time, use one hand to toss a few tofu fries in the cornstarch/plant milk mixture until coated.
- Use the other hand to toss the coated fries in the breadcrumb mixture then immediately place in the tray of your air fryer or on the prepared baking sheet, if baking.
- Repeat with the remaining tofu fries until all are coated. Drizzle the tofu fries with the vegetable oil.3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Air fry or bake the fries for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown, flipping half-way through cooking.
- After cooking, leave to cool and crisp up for 5 minutes before transferring to a large bowl (if you toss in the sauce while they’re too hot, they won’t remain crispy).
- Add the Vegan Buffalo Sauce while tossing, little by little, until completely coated (you won’t need all the buffalo sauce).1 batch Vegan Buffalo Sauce
- Spread the tofu fries on a serving plate and top with a generous serving of the Vegan Ranch Dressing. Follow with the crispy onions, then the chopped chives.1 batch Vegan Ranch Dressing, 4 tablespoon crispy fried onions, 3 tablespoon chives
AN
This has become a staple in my kitchen. I double the recipe and freeze (without sauce) the extra. They’re super versatile. My favorite is to use them to make buffalo ranch Caesar salad.
Dan Dixon
Made these twice now in an oven and they've been perfect both times. Great recipe! 🙂
Alex
As a buffalo wing lover who has been transitioning to more & more vegetarian/vegan eating, I was expecting to feel like these were fine. I was so pleasantly surprised - they are amazing! Will definitely be incorporating these as a substitute for chicken wings and not missing the meat.
My first batch turned out a bit chewier/tougher than ideal so I decreased the air fry time by ~5 min on the second batch. Probably just due to different equipment but good lessoned learned to potentially try a smaller batch to start and adjust based on preference.
Thanks for the recipe!
Tony Sherridan
Oh my word! These slaaay
Carla
Loved them! I used tomato purée instead to make it more kid friendly (and more myself friendly, to be honest). Also used potato starch instead of cornstarch and worked perfectly 🙂 so happy with the result and we didn’t even make the dips!