Popcorn Tofu Nuggets (Air Fried or Oven-Baked)

These Popcorn Tofu Nuggets are crispy, dippable, and downright delicious. Try this fun (and healthy!) alternative to deep-fried nuggets next time you’re in a fast-food kind of mood. It’s so yummy that even the kids will love it!

Matt and I love snuggling up on the couch with the pups to watch sports, and as everyone knows, half the fun of game day is all about the snacks! This yummy and healthy recipe for crispy tofu nuggets is about to become your favorite finger food, no matter who you’re rooting for.

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love Popcorn Tofu – The Ultimate Snack
• Healthier than Fried
• What’s In Your Air Fryer Tofu Nuggets?
• Is Popcorn Tofu Really Healthy?
• How to Make Breaded Tofu Nuggets
• How to Air Fry Breaded Tofu Nuggets
• How to Bake Breaded Tofu Nuggets
• How to Serve
• Pro Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
• 📖 Recipe

Why You’ll Love Popcorn Tofu – The Ultimate Snack

I’m always looking for snacks that would be good finger foods for game day to go along with our other favorites like my Vegan Queso and Buffalo Quinoa Balls. Popcorn tofu sounded like a perfect addition to our repertoire.

These yummy little nuggets have quickly become one of our very favorite Sunday snacks. Not only are they crispy and delicious, they’re also super easy to make. As a bonus, you can make them in the air fryer, which makes them healthy and easy to clean up.

If you, like me, love a variety of dips and sauces – “Honey” Mustard! Ranch! Sriracha Mayo! – these little guys are going to win you over in no time. They’re the perfect crunchy, salty, and utterly satisfying vehicle for shoveling ALL of your favorite dips into your mouth.

Healthier than Fried

Oh, and even though they taste like the familiar snack you grew up with, they’re SO MUCH HEALTHIER than anything you could get at a chain restaurant.

If you have some kids with picky palates in the house (who doesn’t?), this recipe is sure to win them over. Go ahead and let them go nuts!

One serving has a whopping 16 grams of protein and nearly 5 grams of fiber for just a measly 261 calories and 5.5 grams of fat. That’s what I call a WIN.

What’s In Your Air Fryer Tofu Nuggets?

Perhaps the best part about this recipe – aside from being easy and delicious, of course – is how simple it is. If you’ve taken my advice from the vegan pantry staples post, you likely already have everything on hand!

Here’s everything you need:

• Extra Firm Tofu: If you don’t have extra firm tofu on hand you can swap in firm tofu – just be sure to press it first!
• Quinoa Flour: I use quinoa flour to make the popcorn tofu gluten-free. Other gluten-free flours work as well such as chickpea or Bob’s GF flour mix. If you are not gluten-free, you can sub regular flour. Note: do not use coconut flour – it will make the batter too thick.
• Cornmeal: This adds a nice texture. If you are avoiding corn, you can add a little more flour to thicken the coating.
• Nutritional Yeast: For an extra boost of flavor.
• No-Chicken Bullion: I used both Better than Bullion no chicken base to really pump up the chick’n flavor in the batter.
• Seasonings: I use Dijon mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper to add extra flavor to the batter.
• Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk: You can use any kind of non-dairy milk you want (almond, soy, rice, etc….just make sure it’s unsweetened!
• Panko Breadcrumbs: Panko is the Japanese version of breadcrumbs. It has a crunchier texture than regular breadcrumbs, so I definitely recommend it for this recipe. That said, you can certainly swap out regular (or homemade) breadcrumbs, instead. Opt for a gluten-free version if necessary.

Is Popcorn Tofu Really Healthy?

While not all breaded tofu nuggets are created equal, as a nutritionist, I firmly believe that healthy food can be synonymous with delicious food.

For that reason, I made my Popcorn Tofu recipe for either the oven or air fryer. As a result, you’ll avoid a bunch of extra oil that you might find in other recipes. Don’t worry though – these are still crunchy and delicious!

Aside from just being low in fat (only 6 grams per serving) and calories (only 261 calories per serving), my popcorn tofu is packed with nutrition! Here are some of the stats per serving:

• 16 grams of protein
• 4.8 grams of fiber
• 212 mg Calcium

If you want more information about the nutritional benefits of tofu, check out this post.

How to Make Breaded Tofu Nuggets

I love making these yummy little tofu nuggets because they are SO EASY. In fact, you don’t even need to bust out your knife! Read on below to get the skinny on this awesome vegan appetizer recipe.

As with many tofu recipes, you’re going to want to press your tofu first. This helps to remove excess liquid and results in a firmer texture. For something like these nuggets, that’s an important factor!

Step 1: Press the Tofu. You can either use a tofu press (which I highly recommend if you’re going vegan), or you can place the block of tofu on a cutting board. Top it with a few layers of paper towels, then place a skillet or sheet pan on top. Weight it down with some heavy cans and wait for about an hour.

Step 2: Tear the Tofu. Tear your tofu into bite-sized pieces. While you *could* use a knife and cut it into cubes, there’s something inherently more nugget-like when you rip it. It’s also a bonus that you don’t have to wash a knife or cutting board!

Step 3: Make Dipping Bowls. Add flour, cornmeal, nutritional yeast, better than bouillon, mustard, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and milk into a large bowl and mix until combined. The consistency should be like a  pancake batter. Add more milk if needed to thin it out. Put the panko crumbs in a separate bowl.

Step 5: Dip. Dip the tofu into the batter with one hand, then place them into the panko. Shake the bowl and use your other hand to fully coat the pieces.

How to Air Fry Breaded Tofu Nuggets

If you don’t yet have an air fryer, you might want to look into it. Not only is it excellent to cook with when you don’t want to turn on your oven, but it also does a great job of making food super crispy and delicious without all the oil of deep-frying.

Step 6 (Option 1): Once your breaded tofu nuggets are ready, lay them in the basket of your air fryer in a single layer. Air fry them at 350F for 6 minutes, then either shake the basket or remove and flip the tofu pieces for even cooking. Return to the air fryer for another 6 minutes.

How to Bake Breaded Tofu Nuggets

No air fryer? No problem! First, preheat your oven to 400F. If you want, you can line your sheet pan with some parchment. It’ll make clean up a snap.

Step 6 (Option 2): Place your breaded popcorn tofu pieces in a single layer, then pop them in the heated oven. Bake for 18-20 minutes, flipping the pieces halfway through cooking.

How to Serve

As with all crunchy fried things, these popcorn tofu bites are best served hot from the air fryer or oven.

Serve the nuggets with your favorite dipping sauces such as:

• BBQ sauce
• Ranch dressing/sauce (check out my ranch recipe here)
• Ketchup
• Vegan “honey” mustard
• Vegan blue cheese dressing
• Sriracha mayo (recipe below)
• Buffalo sauce – you can even toss them in buffalo sauce to make buffalo bites

Pro Tips

• Worried about your hands getting messy during the breading process? Check out this informative post about how to use a two-handed method.
• Want to make SPICY popcorn tofu? Add a teaspoon (or more to taste) of cayenne powder to the batter!

Frequently Asked Questions

Need more appetizer inspiration for your game day celebrations? Check out my post with my top 10 Vegan Game Day Snacks!

If you make this recipe and LOVE IT, please give it 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!

📖 Recipe