Spicy, delicious, and indulgent-tasting these crispy baked buffalo tofu wings make the perfect appetizer for your next party and are excellent on a salad!
If you put your buffalo tofu wings on a salad, does that make it the healthiest meal of your life or what? As I could eat this meal non-stop (and have had it a half dozen times this month already!), that sure would be a nice perk.
Tofu, breaded and baked until crispy then doused in a buffalo sauce. When dipped into some vegan ranch or bleu cheese dressing it makes the best finger food. Sliced on a bias and set atop a crunchy salad you have a colorful, easy, delicious, and nutritious meal!
I first had buffalo tofu in college. It was one of the veg options at the dorm dining halls, and would rotate across the menus on campus. My best friend and I would always seek it out, regularly choosing to traipse across campus just to get our buffalo on! Snow, rain, nothing could hold us back from that salty, spicy tofu.
To be honest, my college’s recipe for buffalo tofu was nothing to write home about. I mean, I’d still happily dig in or walk 20 minutes to eat it (but also, that’s not that far) but it wouldn’t hold a candle to this recipe for buffalo tofu! But, even so, this recipe gives me all the nostalgia feels.
I threw together some buffalo tofu for a quick weeknight meal a few weeks ago when the fridge was particularly stark, and it came out so well I knew I would have to recreate it for you guys!
So I made it again, but real talk, I wasn’t completely satisfied the photos I took. And on top of that, I had forgotten to add the croutons to the salad, so, oops!
Croutons really take the salad to the next level! Plus you know how I feel about all things carbs (digest version: I love carbs).
Fast forward a couple of weeks and I remake the buffalo wings once more to reshoot, and lo and behold I forgot the croutons in the photos again! Gah! But you can be assured that I added them to eat.
So what’s the key to getting nice, crispy buffalo tofu wings? First step is choosing your tofu. You want a very firm tofu for your wings. One that has had most of water pressed out of it, so an extra firm or super firm tofu is ideal.
If using an extra firm tofu, you’ll want to press some extra water out of the tofu for best texture. Cut your block of tofu into slices (I cut mine into 6 slices widthwise) and wrap in an absorbent lint-free towel or paper towels and place a weight, like a heavy pan, overtop. Let that sit for 20-30 minutes then slice into the ‘wings’ and move on to breading the tofu.
I like to use a double breading technique for the optimal crispy tofu wings. First, dip the cut tofu into some starch, it’ll stick to the damp tofu.
Next, dip into a little bit of plant milk which will create a nice sticky surface when absorbed into the starch. Then lastly, dip them into a prepared bread crumb mixture and place on an oiled pan.
The bread crumb mixture is made of panko style breadcrumbs and a bit of paprika, salt, black pepper, fresh minced parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil. The oil adds a richness to the breading, which makes for extra tasty ‘wings’ when baked.
The breaded tofu wings are baked until nice and crispy, then tossed in a spicy buffalo sauce. Buffalo sauce is made of hot sauce, melted vegan butter (you can always substitute oil–and I’d suggest refined coconut oil– but you’ll want to add more salt if you do), a bit of garlic, and a pinch of salt.
The hot sauce you choose for buffalo sauce is very important. You want a red cayenne pepper-style hot sauce, as these tend to be not too spicy (by my standards). I use Franks RedHot, some people prefer Crystal Hot Sauce and others like Louisiana Hot Sauce.
If you don’t have an opinion on which hot sauce to use then you better make this recipe three times with each of those hot sauce brands (or maybe a less mainstream one?) and come up with a super strong opinion stat! J/k, though it would be worth eating these crispy baked buffalo tofu wings that many times.
The way you control the heat level when making buffalo sauce is by adding more or less [vegan] butter to the hot sauce. If you want a milder sauce, add more butter! If you want it spicier, add more hot sauce or less butter. Easy peasy.
If you don’t bake the tofu wings long enough, they’ll end up a bit soggy when tossed with the buffalo sauce. So give them as long as needed to make an extra crispy breading before adding the hot sauce!
Enjoy the buffalo tofu wings hot out of the oven with some creamy sauce for dipping. They’re perfect for a party appetizer, or for a munchies style dinner. They also make for the most epic vegan mac and cheese!
But I went a little crazy over this salad pairing. To make the salad I chopped up romaine hearts, thinly sliced sweet peppers, cubed some avocado, and tossed it all together with croutons (check the ingredients on these as most are not vegan) and some creamy vegan bleu cheese style dressing.
And atop that I added some the crispy baked buffalo tofu wings. It is probably my most favorite salad ever! I don’t often choose to eat salad for dinner (especially not over mac and cheese), but boy oh boy I have a soft spot for this one!
So I hope you guys enjoy these crispy baked buffalo tofu wings, and I’d love to know how you serve them up if you make them!
Don’t forget to leave a comment and rate the recipe below, and tag your recreations @thecuriouschickpea and #thecuriouschickpea on Instagram! I love seeing your photos!
Like what you see? Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Notes:
- For a store bought dressing, I like Follow Your Heart Ranch and Bleu Cheese Dressings. Or make your own ranch! My ranch recipe can be found in my recipe for buffalo soy curl pizza.
- For a gluten free tofu wing, use gluten free and vegan panko style bread crumbs. And for a gluten free salad, skip the croutons or make some of your own with gluten free bread!
Crispy Baked Buffalo Tofu Wings
Spicy, delicious, and indulgent-tasting these crispy baked buffalo tofu wings make the perfect appetizer or finger food for your next party or nibbly dinner and are excellent on top of a salad!
Ingredients
- 1 lb extra firm or super firm tofu
- 6 tbsp cornstarch, arrowroot, or tapioca starch
- 1/4 cup plant milk
Bread Crumb Mixture
- 1 cup panko style bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh minced parsley
Buffalo Sauce
- 6 tbsp (90g) red cayenne pepper hot sauce, ideally Franks RedHot
- 3 tbsp (35g) vegan butter
- 1/8 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/8 tsp salt
To serve
- Vegan bleu cheese or ranch style dressing
- romaine, sweet peppers, croutons, avocado for salad
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 ºF and lightly grease a large rimmed baking sheet.
- If using extra-firm tofu press out the extra water: Slice your tofu into 6 width-wise slabs and wrap in a lint-free towel or paper towel. Place some weights over the wrapped tofu, like a heavy cast iron skillet or books atop a baking sheet. Let drain for about 20-30 minutes before continuing.
- Cut your tofu into 18 'wings' or ~1/2" sticks. Cut the block of tofu into 6 slices width-wise if you haven't already for pressing, then slice each of those slabs into 3 slices lengthwise.
- Put the cornstarch (/arrowroot or tapioca starch) in one bowl, the plant milk in a second bowl, and mix together the bread crumb mixture in a third bowl. Pour some of the bread crumb mixture onto a plate.
- Dip each tofu 'wing' into the starch, followed by the milk, then roll in the breadcrumbs on the plate. Place the wing onto the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining 'wings.' Use one hand for the starch and bread crumbs and your other for the milk to keep breading from clumping on your fingers. Add more of the breadcrumb mixture to the plate as needed.
- Bake the prepared tofu at 425 ºF for 25 minutes, flip, then bake an additional 10-15 minutes until the tofu wings are nice and crispy.
- While they're baking, make the buffalo sauce. Melt the vegan butter and stir in the hot sauce, granulated garlic, and salt.
- Put the tofu wings in a large mixing bowl and toss with the buffalo sauce to coat. Serve immediately.
- Leftover buffalo tofu wings can be re-crisped in the oven.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 3 tofu wingsAmount Per Serving:Calories: 329 Total Fat: 17g Sodium: 521mg Carbohydrates: 36g Fiber: 4g Sugar: 3g Protein: 13g
Vegan Buffalo Wing Mac and Cheese
Like these buffalo tofu wings? Try them with this easy and ultra creamy vegan mac and cheese!
jeannette says
I can’t read the directions because an ad is covering them up. I tried reporting the ad to google but another one popped up immediately
thecuriouschickpea says
Hi Jeanette, I’m so sorry that you are having issues with the formatting, I will look into getting that fixed. In the meantime, if you shoot me an email [email protected] I’m happy to send you a PDF of the recipe.
Carle says
We are a newly vegetarian couple and my boyfriends son is still a meat-eater. He had no idea this wasn’t chicken or that the dressing (we used Daiya) was vegan! We used regular butter instead of vegan butter bc it’s what we had. But we LOVED this recipe!
Carol says
Great taste better than I could imagine
Matt says
I just finished this recipe. Amazingly good. I seriously had my doubts but. WOW! So good. Thank you!
Matt J. Denver, CO.
Karin says
Wow! These are amazing. I love them. Thanks for the recipe!
thecuriouschickpea says
Thanks Karin! I’m so glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Melissa says
Amazing recipe! I made the 2x this week. Thanks for sharing and Happy New Year!
Hs says
These were AMAZING I’ve been looking for a recipe like this for years! They were perfect!!
Sara says
Girrrrrllll! This recipe is incredible! I’m not a picky eater but rarely does a dish make me want to dance on the table. I didn’t, but I wanted to. We had the wings on greens, topped sweet peppers, celery and cherry tomatoes. I thought I would never again get to eat buffalo style food but this has brought new hope. Now I have something to eat on “game day” besides guacamole and chips. My roomies (who aren’t vegan) loved it too and want me to make it again soon. Thank you so much! .
thecuriouschickpea says
This makes me so happy! I’m glad you and your roommates enjoyed the tofu wings so much!
Miah says
Is it possible to skip on adding oil? 😊
thecuriouschickpea says
Hi Miah, you can skip the oil, or add a light spray on the baking sheet before baking.
Tracy Halasz says
Made these buffalo tofu wings for the family last night – they were soooo crispy and delicious. Everyone loved them dipped in Follow Your Heart Bleu Cheese style dressing. Let’s just say there were no leftovers! Yum Yum, Eva!
Lilly says
What should I do to reheat it?
thecuriouschickpea says
Hi Lilly, I like to reheat them in my toaster oven (or regular oven but that’s a lot of energy for a few pieces of tofu), 375 F until crispy and hot. A dry skillet over medium low heat works really nicely as well!
samantha says
Just made these! So so good!!!
Elaine says
I was in search of a baked tofu french fry recipe when I found this! Looks so good – I’m definitely going to try it! But how do you think this would be without the buffalo sauce, just as a good basic crunchy fry recipe?
thecuriouschickpea says
Hi Elaine, I think it would make a great tofu fry! I might up the spices in the breading a little, adding a little garlic powder and maybe a bit more salt. Depends on if you’re dipping them into a flavorful dip or just eating plain! I hope you enjoy them ☺️
Geniene says
This turned out amazing! I didn’t have “follow your heart” ranch or blue cheese, but I do have vegannaise, mrs dash onion & herb, and unsweetened soy milk on hand. That makes a great ranch dressing in a pinch. 😉
Mary ann says
Can I use regular bread crumbs instead of the panko? Thanks.
thecuriouschickpea says
Hi Mary Ann, yes you can use regular breadcrumbs, but you’ll get a slightly different texture for the breading. I’ve done it and still enjoy it though!
Emily says
I was a bit disappointed with all the positive reviews. It was decent but I feel the actual tofu needed some kind of marinade for it to make me want to make it again.
Jennifer says
Omg these are soo damn good.!
Miran says
We like this recipe so much that we are making the tofu into small cubes to have on skewers with sweet yellow peppers and cherry peppers for my daughter’s wedding reception. We’ll have Follow Your Heart Bleu Cheese and JUST Ranch for the sauce options.
thecuriouschickpea says
I love this!! Thanks so much for sharing! 😃
Kay says
Can Sriracha be used instead of Frank’s Red Hot for a different flavor?
thecuriouschickpea says
Definitely! That sounds delicious 😊
Lisa says
Stumbled on your site and this recipe today. I made the buffalo tofu wings tonight and loved them! Easy recipe with very good results! Thank you!
Jenn says
Thoughts on trying these in the air fryer?
Avery says
Definitely a late reply, but we’ve used convection bake on our air fryer to dramatically cut the cooking time on these – something like 8 minutes with no flip required.
Suzanne says
This looks so good! What a great protein meal prep to keep handy in the fridge!
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
thecuriouschickpea says
Hi Vanessa, you can refrigerate them for about a week (~7-10 days). Just toast them back up to reheat and crisp back up in the oven or toaster oven!
Ellie says
I made these tofu wings last night for dinner with some sweet potato chips a salad, and OMG they were so delicious. I used encona hot pepper sauce instead because thats what we had in the cupboard. I will definitely be making the again, everyone loved them!
Kiley says
I’ve been eyeing this recipe for a while now and am dying to make a salad w/ it, as pictured! Just curious what other veggies would go well w/ it? And if kale can be used instead of romaine?
Thanks so much!
thecuriouschickpea says
HI Kiley, you can definitely make this salad up to your own liking! This salad has romaine, those mini sweet bell peppers, avocado and croutons. You can swap it out for baby kale or massaged kale, butter lettuce, or anything like that! I think tomatoes, radishes, green onions, cucumber, and carrots would all be tasty in the salad. Really just whatever you enjoy and goes well with a creamy dressing should be great!
Rebecca Popovec says
Just made this recipe and absolutely *loved* it. My husband isn’t keen on tofu, but I think I’ve got him hooked on this recipe. We absolutely adored the base tofu recipe without the sauce. The sauce nearly killed my hubby’s sensitive taste buds, so I had to tame it a bit. I will definitely be making this again though.
Frances Berry says
These were soooo gooood – thank you!
Meaghan says
I am so impressed with this recipe! I made it using Frank’s new Buffalo Wings sauce. I forgot the 2 Tbsp. olive oil in the panko mixture but the tofu still turned out crispy and delicious. I did have to flip the wings about 15 minutes in to avoid browning them too much, but that could be a result of the lack of oil. They turned out very spicy and fantastic with light ranch dressing.
Thank you so much!
Amber says
These exceeded my expectations. Buffalo wings are my number 1 craving, and these were fantastic. I served them in wraps with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and avocado. A creamy dressing would pair beautifully. As a vegan buffalo wing recipe 10/10 would recommend. Can’t wait to try the recipe with other sauces, too. Thank you!
Jordan says
I don’t know what I did wrong!! I was so excited to eat these and they ended up just tasting like cornstarch. I used regular breadcrumbs instead of panko, but don’t think that should make too much of a difference. 😭😭😭
Cass says
This was amazing! I made a batch and then made more later in the week it was just so good. We ate it as a salad with blue cheese- which I have never liked before. It was very good with this. I just used the franks buffalo sauce as the sauce for the tofu and it was delicious and easy. I think the base recipe of the tofu sticks would be great with other sauces too- a lemon-y sauce to make a vegan lemon chicken.
CHristine says
Do you think this same recipe could be used for cauliflower?or tempeh? One of our favorite places does tempeh wings and they’re so nice and crispy (obviously fried!) but we’d love to try a healthier version.