Description
Learn how to turn tofu into the crispiest, most flavor-packed vegan fried chicken you’ve ever had. This incredible recipe will blow the minds of anyone who tries it.
Ingredients
- 1 package of medium firm tofu (16 oz)
- 2 cups water
- 2 no-chicken bullion cubes (or 2 cups of vegetable broth)
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon mustard powder
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened plant milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup corn flakes
- ~ 2 quarts of vegetable or canola oil to fry
Instructions
- Freeze entire package of medium-firm tofu. Once it is frozen, remove it from the freezer and allow it to defrost. Repeat this step twice.
- Once the tofu is fully thawed for the second time, open the package and fully drain out all of the liquid. Press the tofu between two cutting boards to remove the liquid as best as you can. Once drained, use a towel to absorb any additional liquid.
- Break up the tofu into medium sized pieces. A block of tofu should yield about 8-10 pieces and maybe some smaller pieces. The tofu should naturally tear apart as well.
- Place the tofu pieces in casserole dish and pour in 2 cups of vegan chicken broth. If you’re using no-chicken bullion cubes, mix with 2 cups of hot water prior to pouring over the tofu. Once the tofu is fully submerged in the broth, set the container aside to marinate while you set up the breading station.
- In a medium bowl, add in unsweetened plant milk and apple cider vinegar. Mix together and set aside. This will create a vegan buttermilk.
- In another medium bowl, mix together the all purpose flour with all of the spices listed in the ingredients.
- Now we are going to arrange our breading area. In a line we will arrange the marinated tofu, buttermilk, and seasoned flour mixture. Grab an additional large plate and place it on the side to use once the tofu has been breaded.
- One by one, take a piece of marinated tofu and gently squeeze any excess broth from it. Dunk it in the buttermilk and then dredge it in the seasoned flour, coating it on all sides. Set on a plate, and repeated process with all of the tofu pieces. Place the breaded tofu pieces onto the plate that you set aside.
- After the first round of breading, take one cup of corn flakes and use your hands to crumble them into the seasoned flour mixture. Mix through to evenly distribute the corn flakes and the flour.
- Repeat the process of coating the tofu by dipping each piece again in the buttermilk and then dredge in the flour and corn flake mixture. Repeat until all of the tofu is coated.
- Heat frying oil in large and deep pan to 350-375 degrees F. Line a plate with paper towels and set it aside.
- Place tofu pieces into the hot oil and deep fry until golden brown on all sides. Should take between 4-7 minutes, flipping as needed. Place finished pieces on a paper towel lined plate to cool.
- Serve with vegan ranch or a dipping sauce of your choice. Enjoy!
Notes
- Once fried, the pieces can be frozen and reheated in a toaster oven or air fryer.
- Baking instructions: Preheat oven to to 425 degrees F, lightly coat the outside of each breaded piece of tofu with oil, place on a lined baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Air fry instructions: lightly coat the outside of each breaded piece of tofu with oil and air fry at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.
- Tofu prepation method from Mary’s Test Kitchen
- Prep Time: 24 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Method: Deep Fry
Keywords: fried, chicken, vegan, comfort, crispy, plant based, meatless, entree, dinner, kfc
I am new to you two and really enjoying your taste tests; this was the first recipe of yours I watched (on yt). My fried “chicken” recipe is remarkably similar to yours, (the herbs, etc.) only I add about 6 tbsp of “buttermilk” to the flour mixture: it makes shaggy bits which I press into my chicken substitute (tofu or Gardein) and gives great texture and crunch. I love your idea of corn flakes and will try it as well, but wanted to share the shaggy tip (which I got from America’s Test Kitchen). Take care, stay safe, and happy 4th.
I was pleasantly surprised with how well it turned out. I baked mine and they had a great crunch to them. They were a little powdery from the flour, so next time I just won’t fully submerge them. Thank you!
Just made it. Had one block frozen twice and one block frozen once. Makes such a difference! Enjoyed the recipe a lot, not “gardein” chicken but even better – tender juicy and yummy!
★★★★★
I PROMISE YOU THIS RECIPE IS LEGIT. DON’T SLEEP ON THIS RECIPE. THEY WERE NOT LYING! WHEN I WAS MAKING THIS IS SMELLED EXACTLY LIKE FRIED CHICKEN AND OMG THE TASTE! Now i didn’t have the vegan chicken cubes so i just mixed onion powder, garlic salt, pepper, paprika, and italian seasoning and marinated it in that and some hot water. Then i used eggs and flour (I’m vegetarian, slowly transitioning into the vegan lifestyle) and this recipe is 5 stars, 6 stars, a million stars. PERFECT!
★★★★★
All u need 2 do which is cheaper and easier is make a flax or chia egg! Replace one egg by combining 1 tablespoon of chia or ground flax with 3 tablespoon of water. Voila… Vegan, easy, no farm no fowl!
Thank you for the egg substitute tip CeaCea.
★★★★★
Delicious and super tender with a crispy outside. I used a firm tofu and it worked great. Next time I’ll add 1/2 cup more flour to the flour/spice mixture, as I ran out at the very end of dipping. One package of tofu makes a lot! Highly recommend!
★★★★★
Hi, can I substitute almond or coconut flour instead? I don’t have any regular flour and it’s hard to find.
Hey Sara,
If you are looking for a GF substitute, I would recommend a 1:1 GF flour blend. I haven’t tested it, but it should work!
How much did it cost you guys to make one recipe and where did you buy the ingredients?
★★★★★
We got most of the ingredients at our local kroger store, but any grocery store should have what you need. Not sure of the cost, since we had to test it a few times, sorry about that!
Hey! So excited to try this tonight 🙂 I’m the only non-meat eater in the house – so was considering halving the recipe. Has anyone frozen this though? Leftovers I can reheat for any meal would be better!
Yes, you can freeze it once cooked! It heats back up perfectly in an air fryer or oven!
Hi, can you please specify the weight of “a block of tofu”? My standard grocery store has at least 4 different size options for tofu… Thanks!
It’s 16 oz! Will update the recipe now 🙂
LOVED THIS RECIPE!! Such a great substitute, my family in law that isn’t vegan also loved them!! Such a fun process too!!
Looking forward to trying it this Sunday for my carnivore eating brother in law! I want to make a Chipotle dipping sauce with mayo. Can you recommend a mayo that doesn’t have an aftertaste?
That sounds like a great idea! We hope your brother likes the recipe. As far as a vegan mayo goes, follow your heart or the best foods vegan mayo is our favorite.
Amazing-my kids cannot get enough (me either!)
Thanks for a great recipe!
★★★★★
Just made this. It was delicious! Next time, I would definitely add a bit more flour and spices as I started to run out on the second dip. I also tried the air frying method, but it didn’t crisp that much so I deep fried the rest in Avo oil. It was crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the outside!!
It was so good it made my nipples hard!
????????????????
Okay. I guess we’ll try this.
Absolutely delicious!! The only this I would change is to cut the Italian seasoning in half.
★★★★★
Superb! Seriously amazed at how awesome these turned out! I used GF flour and cornflakes. Also I didn’t have white pepper, celery salt or Italian seasoning but added chile pepper, thyme, onion and garlic. The only thing I would change is to swap a 1/2 cup of Just Egg to the “buttermilk” to get more of the yummy flakes to stick. After they cooled the texture really firmed up. I’ll be making this on the regular now! Paired with green beans and sweet potatoes for a yummy southern plate.
★★★★★
Hey Chris! I just watched your video on this! This looks soooooo good! I do have a question though! I am allergic to Apples ????, will I be able to substitute the apple cider vinegar for a white vinegar? I was thinking of adding some lemon and lime to the vinegar to get the same citrusy tang that the apple cider will give. Do you think it’s possible? Thank you guys for all the wonderful vegan recipes!
Hey! For the delay. You can substitute the apple cider vinegar with lemon juice and it should have the same effect 🙂 Enjoy!
Hi. Trying to avoid soy, can cauliflower be used instead ?
Yes, absolutely! Just don’t freeze it twice haha
Do you think bran flakes would work instead of corn flakes?
It may change the flavor a bit, but texture wise it should work!
I am so not a fan of tofu (I know, worst vegan ever), I might just have to give this recipe a try though. It looks amazing!
I am not a big fan of tofu either. This was good, though. I would make sure to break the tofu into smaller pieces. At first, I had about 7 pretty big pieces. I ended up breaking up a couple of the biggest pieces and ended up with about 12 pieces.
Hello! Used this recipe twice now — sublime each time. Thank you! For my third batch, I have a couple of questions… Can I do all the steps minus the actual frying, and then just fry the following day? Also, can I use panko bread crumbs instead of corn flakes? Hope to hear from you soon! Thanks so much. 🙂
Hey Mark! Thanks for the questions. Glad you’ve been enjoying the recipe. Yes, you can definitely do the breading the night before and refrigerate to fry the following day. Also, panko breadcrumbs will work as well, it may just alter the texture and flavor a bit, but will still be tasty! hope this helps 🙂
Love Love Love this recipe. Do you have any Nutritional Information for this recipe as listed? Just wondering. Thank you so much!!
★★★★★
Amazing. Also want to tell you I am not vegan but vegetarian. Since that change I have gone from 469 lb. To 298. I also brought my sugar , cholesterol and triglycerides down to dead central of normal.. blood pressure too is in my Dr. words “as good as a 25 year old. I’m 64. You guys are wonderful for my journey to good health with your wonderful recipes thank you very much.
★★★★★
I am thinking about making this Vegan KFC Fried Chicken for my brother whom is vegan. A few appetizers will be first before dinner. Can I keep this in the oven on warm or a lower degree for about 1 hr. Thank you.
Yes that should work!
Why do you need to freeze the tofu?
It helps draw out more moisture which makes the texture of the tofu more “chicken-like”
Can I use panko bread crumbs in place of the cornflakes? TIA!
★★★★★
Yes, that would work!
Are the air fry and baking instructions listed in notes the alternative to frying or reheat instructions?
They’re the alternative to frying!
Just wondering if you can air fry these? I have a new air fryer and am looking forward to learning some recipes to use.
Yes, the air fry instructions are in the notes of the recipe 🙂
I tried a recipe on Google that uses mushroom instead and I replaced using firm tofu because of other recipes 🪱
Not sure why my vegan fried chicken came out to be a bit bitter and bland 🐃
I want to try this recipe soon 🦃
This is the recipe that I tried and it tasted bitter! https://www.sidechef.com/recipes/31625/kfc_style_vegan_fried_chicken/
No wonder there is only 1 5 star review 🐁 I need to check the reviews next time 🐘 or maybe someone who is a food expert who would know the reason why mine tasted bitter? 🐖 which ingredient is it that caused the vegan fried chicken to tasted bitter 🦤
★★★★★
My last comment was misinformed! A friend sent me this recipe and said it included real chicken broth, it does not. Recipe is great !
★★★★★
My last comment was misinformed! A friend sent me this recipe and said it included real chicken broth, it does not. Recipe is great !
★★★★★
This was the best recipe, my family love them. Very easy to make and I bakes mine in the oven for 50 mins but that’s bc I like them extra crispy. Also made some dipping sauce to go with them and it was delicious. Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe. Followed all the directions and it came out perfect.
★★★★★
Well…really enjoyed the recipe and will definitely make again. I airfried it and have to say it’s a bit lacking compared to frying. NTL, I can’t stand oil much, so will probably do the same thing next time, unless I break down and try it fried which I’m pretty sure will be over the top, and I already gave it 5 stars!!!. The taste is spot on and hubs and I both enjoyed it. He kept saying “It looks just like chicken pieces.” Marinating in the vegan ch’kn broth adds a great flavor, and plan to try that for some other recipes too. I think I will get more crunch if I do a better job crushing the cornflakes. 🙂
★★★★★
I absolutely love Vegan KFC Fried Chicken. I am a meat-lover, but the Vegan KFC Fried Chicken recipe is one of my favorites! It’s delicious and surprisingly easy to make, considering it’s vegan and gluten-free! The vegan milk really helped the dish be more moist and flavorful.
★★★★★
This KFC style Fried Chicken seems delicious , Yummmm !!!! I am surely gonna try this fried chicken this weekend , thanks for sharing this with us.
★★★★★
If baking or air frying, how do you coat the pieces in oil once the batter is on them? A spray? Thanks!
Yes, you can spray them or use a brush to coat them!
I am impressed! I am a carnivore (to the max). As a matter of fact, my first word was “meat”. Anyway, every year my church does a corporate Daniel Fast where meat is one of the items omitted from our diet for 21 days. So I found this tofu faux fried chicken recipe and it looked so good, I couldn’t resist trying it. Regardless of the many steps to prepare it, the dish was well worth the effort. And my family LOVED it. I also made some buffalo wing sauce and dipped these glorious nuggets into it, which further enhanced the almost meat taste. I’m keeping this recipe!
I can’t wait to try this. I have never really liked fried chicken, it’s the crust for me!!! Even before I went plant based, eating a piece of dark meat chicken always kinda grossed me out. But I will definitely try this-I’m excited about it! Question though, what does the double freezing/thawing do for it?
It helps make the texture more “chicken” like – it’s not totally necessary but definitely takes the recipe to the next level!
We tried this tonight and it was excellent! My husband has been vegan for almost 25 years and he said this is the best vegan fried chick’n he’s ever had, the best fry. Thanks for this great recipe!
★★★★★