If you are looking for what to make for a vegan or vegetarian Thanksgiving protein, this crispy tofu is it. If you need a vegetarian substitutive for turkey, this is by far my favorite option, and I’ve added it to my 2021 Thanksgiving menu for that exact reason.
This tofu is crispy, filled with fall flavors and spices, super comforting, slightly indulgent AND it doesn’t take up any of that precious oven space that we all fight over on Thanksgiving. You can make it for just one person at the table, or the whole crowd! I always choose the latter, because you’d be surprised how many turkey-eaters end up wanting a bite.
This is perfect for a vegan Thanksgiving, a vegetarian Thanksgiving, or even just a casual weeknight dinner. If you are looking for a plant-based alternative to turkey, or even just a quick, easy crispy tofu option, this recipe has everything you need. Read on for all the details!
Table of contents
How to make crispy tofu
There are multiple ways to make crispy tofu. You have probably seen a few of them among my tofu recipes on here.
The most effective ways I’ve found to make crispy tofu is:
- A cornstarch coating, then toss in olive oil and bake at a high heat
- Press out all the moisture and shallow fry the tofu with no coating
- Bread the tofu in cornstarch, then dredge in plant-based milk, then coat again in a thicker coating of breadcrumbs/seasonings. From here either bake or shallow fry the tofu.
For this recipe, we are using the last method to maximize flavor and crispiness in this vegan Thanksgiving recipe. It’s a little more effort for crispy tofu, but the golden color is SO worth it.
Ingredients you will need for the fried tofu breading
- 3 slices day-old sourdough bread, or one cup breadcrumbs of choice
- 1 handful fresh sage leaves, stems cut off
- 1/2 tsp each thyme, garlic powder, fennel seeds, rosemary, nutmeg
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2/3 cup cornstarch
- 2/3 cup plant-based milk of choice
How to make the breading for the crispy tofu
If you’ve been seeing my other recipes on Instagram lately, you know I’m having a fast and furious affair with my food processor. I use a cheap old Hamilton Beach one and I love it. It just makes everything so much quicker, and it’s not that much of a hassle to clean.
For this fried tofu recipe, I make the breadcrumbs in my food processor.
Just pulse until a crumb forms and that’s it!
The breading process for this vegan thanksgiving turkey replacement
Don’t be like me, learn from my mistakes and use one hand for dry ingredients and one hand for wet ingredients when breading. Just….just please.
Here’s how I recommend doing the breading process for this crispy tofu:
- Put the breadcrumbs in a large shallow dish, put the cornstarch in a similar dish and the milk in a bowl. This is your breading station.
- Using one hand for the wet ingredients and one for the dry, first coat each piece of tofu in cornstarch. Then dunk it quickly in the plant-based milk, and then coat it in the breadcrumb mixture. When each piece is coated to your liking, set to the side.
How to shallow fry this crispy tofu recipe
I used to be so intimidated by shallow frying, but after a bit of practice, I realized there is truly nothing to be afraid of. In fact, frying can be super satisfying.
The one thing you need to remember is temperature regulation. It might be tempting to crank the heat on your stove, but that can lead to stovetop flares, dangerous oil splatters and unintentional burns. Keep your heat on medium the entire time you shallow fry this recipe. The oil will still heat to the proper level, but you will have much more control over the process.
For this recipe, here are the specifics of how I like to shallow fry:
- Put a skillet on medium heat and add the oil. You want the oil to be about 1/2′ deep in the skillet. Wait until the oil is hot enough to shallow fry, about 325F-350F.
- To test when your oil is hot enough, put a tester piece of tofu in the oil. If it sizzles upon contact, the oil is ready.
- Use tongs to place 4-5 pieces of tofu in the skillet at a time. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy. Remove the tofu with your tongs and place the pieces on a paper towel lined baking sheet to drain any excess oil.
And please, please don’t skip the step of letting your tofu drain off any excess oil. Oil is great (believe me, I routinely ask people to bury me in olive oil) BUT if oil is allowed to pool, it coats the tastebuds with fat, diminishing other flavors like salt, spices and aromatics.
In this case, the less greasy the food, the better. So after your shallow fry, make sure to let the tofu have a few minutes to rest on a nice lil’ paper towel spread.
FAQ
Absolutely. If you want to make this tofu earlier, or use it for meal prep, I recommend making it per instructions and then storing it in the fridge. When you are ready to serve, re-crisp it either in the air-fryer at 350F for 5-10 minutes, or in a convection oven at 375F for 5-10 minutes.
I recommend storing this in an air-tight container in the fridge. It will last for 5-6 days in the fridge and up to 5 months in the freezer.
Absolutely. I know certain spices are not for everyone, so feel free to mix and match with this recipe!
Not at all, just know that the tofu might have a slightly different appearance. For a baked version of this recipe, feel free to reference my Crispy Sage Fennel Tofu.
Looking for other tofu recipes?
Tofu is my favorite vegetarian protein option, so here are a few of my favorites from the archives!
And that’s it for this tofu recipe!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you!
Crispy Sage Tofu
Ingredients
- 15 oz. firm tofu one packaged, drained and pressed lightly
- 3 slices day-old sourdough bread or one cup breadcrumbs of choice
- 1 handful fresh sage leaves stems cut off
- 1/2 tsp each thyme, garlic powder, fennel seeds, rosemary, nutmeg
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2/3 cup cornstarch
- 2/3 cup plant-based milk of choice
- 1-2 cups sunflower oil or your preferred oil for shallow frying
Instructions
- Pat out the excess moisture in the tofu. Cut it into 12 even square pieces, with each piece about 1/2' thick and 2' wide.
- In a high powered blender or food processor, combine the sage, bread pieces and spices. Pulse until you get an even breadcrumb. Season this mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
- Put the breadcrumbs in a large shallow dish, put the cornstarch in a similar dish and the milk in a bowl. This is your breading station.
- Using one hand for the wet ingredients and one for the dry, first coat each piece of tofu in cornstarch. Then dunk it quickly in the plant-based milk, and then coat it in the breadcrumb mixture. When each piece is coated to your liking, set to the side.
- Put a skillet on medium heat and add the oil. You want the oil to be about 1/2' deep in the skillet. Wait until the oil is hot enough to shallow fry, about 325F-350F.
- To test when your oil is hot enough, put a tester piece of tofu in the oil. If it sizzles upon contact, the oil is ready.
- Use tongs to place 4-5 pieces of tofu in the skillet at a time. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy. Remove the tofu with your tongs and place the pieces on a paper towel lined baking sheet to drain any excess oil.
- Serve warm!
hi! can I bake this instead of frying?
Check out my Sage Fennel Tofu recipe which is similar to this but baked!
What sauce did you drizzle on it?
a vegetarian gravy! Similar to a bechamel but with soy sauce and vegetarian Worcestershire