Baked Tofu Bites [Gluten-Free, Vegan]

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These 5-ingredient gluten-free and vegan baked tofu bites are super easy to make and extremely versatile too! Hot out of the oven, they've got a crispy coating on the outside. Chill them in the fridge and they resemble leftover breaded chicken. Perfect alone, added to a salad or wrap or served with your favorite dipping sauce! Try them with our vegan honey mustard, vegan ranch or vegan cheese sauce.

Hi. My name is Sherri Hall, and I am addicted to these tofu bites.

There. I said it. 

In fact, it was veeeeery difficult for me to get them in the dish to take these photographs. 

It was kind of like "one for the dish, one for my mouth...and so on and so on...

Anyway, you get the picture. 😉

What I love about this baked tofu recipe is that the bites are super crispy when eaten warm, but when chilled in the fridge, they transform into what reminds me of the leftover breaded chicken I would eat cold as a child...without any actual breading...or any actual chicken! 😉 

Of course, I had to share them with my omni husband and friends to get their opinion. 

And of course, I got the famous line, "it tastes like chicken!" 

At least it wasn't just me! 😉

Ingredients you'll need

• Tofu
• Gluten-Free, Reduced Sodium Tamari
• Olive oil
• Rice Vinegar
• Nutritional Yeast

What's the best tofu to use?

The best variety to use for ultimate crispiness is organic, extra-firm tofu. Some of my favorite brands are Nasoya, 365 Everyday Value and Greenwise.

Should the tofu be pressed?

Absolutely, 100% yes! In fact, the tofu should be pressed for 40-45 minutes as this contributes to the level of crispiness. 

How to Press Tofu

Open the package of tofu and drain any excess water. Then, place the block of tofu in the center of a clean, absorbent kitchen towel on a sturdy plate. 

Wrap the tofu with the towel.

Place a heavy object, such as a large pot or some books on top of the tofu. Please note that the item(s) you use will get wet.

Allow the tofu to press for 40-45 minutes. Pressing for this long helps the tofu get crispy when it cooks.

After pressing remove the heavy object(s), unwrap the block of tofu and place it on a cutting board.

Alternatively, you can use a tofu press if you have one. Depending on the one you have and how efficiently it works, it can cut the pressing time down significantly.

When I went back and tested this recipe after I got my tofu press, the EZ Tofu Press, it cut the pressing time down to about 25 minutes.

Just remember, the longer you press, the crispier the tofu bites will be.

How to make these baked tofu bites

Cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces. Mine were approximately between ½" and ¾" in diameter for the cube-shaped ones.

Due to the tofu's spongy consistency, it's not always easy to cut every piece the same size.

If some come out too large, you can always cut them in half, which is why some will be rectangular in shape, rather than cubes. 

Cutting them into small pieces rather than larger ones is one of the tricks to keeping them crispy.

There's one more trick, but that has to do with the baking process, which is coming up shortly.

After you've cut the tofu, make the coating. In a mixing bowl, whisk together tamari, olive oil, rice vinegar and nutritional yeast.

Add the tofu bites to the mixture.

Gently toss the bites until fully coated. I use a silicone spatula.

Transfer the tofu bites to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pour on any extra coating sauce and then carefully spread the pieces out evenly so that they are not overlapping. 

Bake on 400° F for 15 minutes. Then, flip the tofu pieces and bake for another 15 minutes.

Now, here is the secret to making them ultra crispy:

Once the tofu is done, stir the pieces around on the baking sheet and return to the oven, but turn off the heat. Leave the tofu bites in the oven for 10 more minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow tofu to cool for a few minutes before serving. 

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy them as is or serve them with your favorite dipping sauce such as ketchup, mustard, Buffalo sauce, vegan ranch, vegan honey mustard or vegan cheese sauce.

They're perfect for an appetizer platter with a variety of vegan dipping sauces for a game day get together or even a New Year’s Eve party. 

They also make a great main alongside vegan mac and cheese, vegan pumpkin mac and cheese, roasted Brussels sprouts, cheesy vegan biscuits, cheesy vegan mashed potatoes or vegan mashed potatoes with almond milk.

These baked tofu bites can also be enjoyed in a wrap, quinoa bowl or salad.

They're perfect for meal prepping too! If you’re going to use them in your lunches throughout the week, whip up a batch and store them in the refrigerator.

You can keep them in refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

If you eat them cold, they won't be crispy anymore, but as mentioned above, they will resemble cold, leftover breaded chicken and they're pretty darn delicious!

However, if you want to heat them up again, reheat the tofu bites in a 400° F oven for several minutes until warmed throughout.

More tofu recipes you might enjoy:

• Baked BBQ Tofu
• Salt and Pepper Air Fryer Tofu
• "Cheesy" Tofu Scramble
• Vegan "Eggs" Benedict
• Vegan "Egg" and "Cheese" Breakfast Sandwich

 

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