These tofu chicken nuggets with Everything Bagel Spice are a delicious gluten free, vegetarian dinner that’s easy and perfect for kids and adults alike! Baked and not fried, they’re a great alternative to store-bought nuggets.
A few weeks ago, I was posting Baby E’s dinner as per usual and it included an experimental batch of tofu chicken nuggets. I was shocked at how many people responded requesting the recipe so I thought I would perfect them, write them up, and of course make them extra delicious with everything bagel spice. I even added a tahini dip because my kid loves to dip. The result is a crispy baked vegan tofu nugget recipe that is brimming with everything bagel spice so they’re perfect for adults and kids!
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
These tofu chicken nuggets are shockingly easy to make. On top of that, they’re:
- gluten-free
- vegan friendly
- crispy and crunchy
- super flavourful
- no added sugar
Key Ingredients
Extra firm tofu — you’ll need extra firm tofu for this tofu chicken nuggets recipe. Anything else and it’ll fall apart bread you can bread and bake them!
Gluten free flour and cornstarch — to get out nuggets nice and crispy on the outside, we coat the tofu in gluten free flour and cornstarch. If you don’t need this recipe to be gluten free, you can use regular flour.
Dijon mustard — instead of using egg to get our coating to stick to the tofu, Dijon mustard is used instead. It adds so much flavour to the tofu nuggets.
Everything bagel spice — you can use a storebought mix or make your own! I’ll include a DIY version in the tips section if you don’t have any at home.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Preheat oven to 425 F. Place a baking sheet in the oven to preheat for 10 minutes. Rip the tofu into cubes and then layer some paper towel onto a baking sheet, top with the tofu, add another layer of paper towel and press down with heavy items (books, pots etc.)
Step 2: Mix together the flour, cornstarch and baking soda in one bowl.
Step 3: In another bowl, mix together the mustard, water, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, paprika, and everything bagel spice.
Step 4: Dip the tofu in the mustard mixture, then in the cornstarch. Remove the pan from the oven and spritz with olive oil. Add the tofu and spray the tofu nuggets generously with olive oil.
Step 5: Sprinkle with additional everything bagel spice and bake for 12 minutes, flipping (and spritzing) half way through until golden brown and crispy.
Step 6: To make the dip, mix together the mayonnaise, tahini, maple syrup and salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with the nuggets and enjoy!
Expert Tips
To get that authentic nugget like shape, I like to rip, not cut, my tofu into bite size pieces. If you prefer to cut them into equal cubes, you’re welcomed to do so.
To make your own everything bagel spice mix, simply combine:
- 1 tbsp poppyseeds
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp dried garlic flakes
- 1 tbsp dried onion flakes
- 1 tsp sea salt
Don’t want to bake these? You can air fry them as well! Air fry at 400F for 12 minutes instead, shaking the basket at the half way point.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can and then store them in the fridge between pieces of parchment paper and blast them in a 400 F oven for 10 minutes until golden brown and crispy again.
You can use regular all purpose flour in place of gluten free if you don’t want these vegan tofu nuggets to be fully gluten free.
You can turn these into everything bagel chicken nuggets by using cubbed chicken breast, but you may need to keep them in the oven for a few extra minutes depending on their size just until the inside reaches 165 F.
Yes! If your kids are picky about spices like garlic, omit the everything bagel spice in these vegan tofu nuggets and just use the garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder for a more classic chicken nugget flavour.
More Recipes You Might Like
If you’re looking for more recipes to use your everything bagel seasoning in, try these recipes!
- EVERYTHING BAGEL TOFU NUGGETS
- VEGAN EVERYTHING BAGEL AVOCADO BEAN SANDWICH
- EVERYTHING BAGEL SALAD
- BREAKFAST KETO BAGELS WITH EGGS WITH EVERYTHING BAGEL SEASONING
Tell me, are your kids nugget fans? If you’ve made these tofu chicken nuggets before, let me know in a comment down below!
Tofu Chicken Nuggets with Everything Bagel Spice (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 350 g extra firm tofu
- ½ cup gluten free flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ cup dijon grainy mustard
- ¼ cup water
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp everything bagel spice plus extra for sprinkling
Dipping Sauce
- 6 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 2 tsp maple syrup or to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Place a baking sheet in the oven to preheat for 10 minutes.
- Rip the tofu into cubes.
- Layer some paper towel onto a baking sheet, top with the tofu, add another layer of paper towel and press down with heavy items (books, pots etc.)
- Mix together the flour, cornstarch and baking soda in one bowl.
- In another bowl, mix together the mustard, water, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, paprika, and everything bagel spice.
- Dip the tofu in the mustard mixture, then in the cornstarch.
- Remove the pan from the oven and spritz with olive oil. Add the tofu and spray the tofu nuggets generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with additional everything bagel spice and bake for 12 minutes, flipping (and spritzing) half way through until golden brown and crispy.
- To make the dip, mix together the mayonnaise, tahini, maple syrup and salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with the nuggets and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- To get that authentic nugget like shape, I like to rip, not cut, my tofu into bite size pieces. If you prefer to cut them into equal cubes, you’re welcomed to do so.
- To make your own everything bagel spice mix, simply combine: 1 tbsp poppyseeds, 1 tbsp sesame seeds, 1 tbsp dried garlic flakes, 1 tbsp dried onion flakes, and1 tsp sea salt
- Don’t want to bake these? You can air fry them as well! Air fry at 400F for 12 minutes instead, shaking the basket at the half way point.
Nutrition
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
Julia says
These are amazing!! I am vegetarian and haven’t had chicken nuggets in years, and these satisfied a craving I didn’t even know I had. SO crispy and flavorful. The dip is a great addition.
Ruddy says
I got a block of firm tofu and wasn’t sure what to do since it’s the first time I buy it. I decided to give this recipe a try. In terms of recipe difficulty it definitely has a learning curve to it. Breading was the most challenging part and the coating got soft so it lost a little. I didn’t have the tahini so I made my own dipping sauce (mayo ketchup with some everything bagel seasoning to keep the theme going. It is definitely something different to traditional chicken nuggets but I found them to be uniquely delicious. With that distinct tofu flavor that is kinda addicting. Not sure I’d make this again just because of the breading difficulty but otherwise delicious. Thanks for the recipe.