These vegan Buffalo tofu wings will have you hooked at first bite! Made with crispy panko crusted tofu smothered in hot sauce, they’re packed with spicy flavor and perfect for game-day snacking!
I’ve never had a Buffalo wing in my life, but I LOVE Buffalo sauce. So I figured it was time for me to have some wings…you know, vegan wings! The kind made out of tofu.
Guys, I tried like 6 different variations on this recipe before settling on this one. I baked, fried, battered, played around with the likes of beer and maple syrup, before finally settling on super simple baked Buffalo tofu wings, coated in good old panko breadcrumbs. Nothing else stood up to the sauce quite like panko breadcrumbs. Literally every other version of the recipe came out soggy.
But not this one! These babies were crispy, and spicy, and pretty darn addictive.
Next time football Sunday rolls around…well, I’ll probably be watching Downton Abbey reruns in lieu of the big game. But I will be shoveling these delicious vegan Buffalo tofu wings into my face. I hope you will too!
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Ingredients You’ll Need
- Non-dairy milk. Any variety that’s unsweetened and unflavored will work.
- Flour. The recipe calls for all-purpose wheat flour. Whole wheat flour will also work.
- Ground flaxseed.
- Salt.
- Panko breadcrumbs. Or use any variety of unseasoned vegan breadcrumbs.
- Onion & garlic powders.
- Tofu. Super-firm tofu works best for this recipe. It has a great texture and requires minimal prep. Extra-firm tofu could be substituted, but you’ll need to press it first.
- Frank’s hot sauce. Frank’s is the brand of hot sauce that has the distinctive Buffalo sauce flavor, so I highly recommend using it. You could technically get away with another brand, but the flavor won’t be quite that of Buffalo sauce. If you do substitute, make sure to use a vinegar-based cayenne pepper hot sauce that’s relatively mild (we’re using a LOT of it).
- Vegan butter. Skip this ingredient if you prefer to cook without it. If you do use it, look for it near the regular butter at your supermarket. Miyoko’s and Earth Balance are a couple of popular brands.
- Oil mister. You can also use cooking spray if you don’t have a mister.
- Dressing. Serve your tofu wings with vegan blue cheese or vegan ranch.
- Chives. These are totally optional! Sprinkle them on top before serving if you’d like.
How to Make Buffalo Tofu
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
- Grab a couple of bowls. In your first bowl, mix up non-dairy milk, flour, flaxseed, and salt. This is your batter. In your second bowl, stir together panko breadcrumbs, flour, onion and garlic powders, and salt.
- Slice your block of tofu into twelve triangles. To do this, slice the block into 6 rectangles, then cut each rectangle on a diagonal. Feel free to cut the tofu into different shapes though! I like triangles because they’re wingy. Cubes or strips are fine, but keep in mind that you might need more batter and breading for smaller pieces, since there’s more surface area to cover.
- Grab a tofu triangle and dip it into the batter, coating all sides.
- Transfer the tofu triangle to the breading and coat all sides.
- Repeat the process and arrange your breaded tofu triangles on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Lightly mist the tofu with oil, then bake for about 10 minutes on each side, until crispy.
- While the tofu bakes, melt your butter and stir it together with the hot sauce. This is your vegan Buffalo sauce!
- Take your baked tofu out of the oven and coat all sides of each piece in Buffalo sauce. I like to dip the pieces in with tongs, then use a brush to touch up any spots I missed.
- Pop the baking sheet back into the oven. A final ten minute bake will set the sauce and breading to keep your wings from getting soggy.
- Serve your Buffalo tofu bites with dressing and celery sticks. I like to garnish mine with some fresh chives as well. Enjoy!
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover Buffalo tofu will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. To reheat, just pop the wings under the broiler for a few minutes on each side, until they start to crisp back up.
Frequently Asked Questions
I haven’t experimented with any gluten-free versions, but you could try using an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend and gluten-free vegan breadcrumbs.
It sure can! Just skip the butter and oil mist. Your tofu will still be delicious!
Yes, they have a nice little kick to them. If you’d prefer some crispy baked tofu without the heat, try my tofu nuggets.
More Vegan Game-Day Appetizers
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Spicy Buffalo Tofu Wings
These Buffalo tofu wings will have you hooked at first bite! Made with crispy panko crusted tofu smothered in hot sauce, they’re packed with spicy flavor and perfect for game-day snacking!
Ingredients
For the Batter
-
â…”
cup
unsweetened and unflavored non-dairy milk -
¼
cup
all-purpose flour -
2
tablespoons
ground flaxseed -
½
teaspoon
salt
For the Breading
-
â…”
cup
panko breadcrumbs -
â…“
cup
all-purpose flour -
½
teaspoon
onion powder -
¼
teaspoons
garlic powder -
½
teaspoon
salt
For the Buffalo Tofu
-
1
(16 ounce or 454 gram) package
super-firm tofu - Oil mister or cooking spray
-
½
cup
Franks hot sauce -
2
tablespoons
vegan butter
For Serving
- Vegan ranch or vegan blue cheese dressing
- Chopped fresh chives
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
-
Whisk the batter ingredients together in a medium bowl. Let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
-
Stir the breading ingredients together in a separate bowl.
-
Slice the tofu into 12 triangles. To do this, slice the block into 6 rectangles, then cut each rectangle in half on a diagonal.
-
Dip a tofu triangle into the batter and coat all sides. Shake off any excess batter, then transfer the tofu to the breading and carefully coat all sides.
-
Place the tofu piece on the baking sheet.
-
Repeat the process and arrange all of the tofu pieces on the baking sheet.
-
Lightly mist the tofu with oil.
-
Bake the tofu for 20 minutes, carefully flipping the pieces and then misting them again with oil halfway through baking.
-
While the tofu bakes, melt the butter and mix it together with the hot sauce.
-
After the tofu has baked for 20 minutes, take it out of the oven and coat each piece in the sauce. The easiest way to do this is by lightly dipping the pieces in the sauce with tongs, then touching up any missed spots with a basting brush.
-
Replace the tofu pieces on the baking sheet, then return the baking sheet to the oven.
-
Bake the tofu for 10 minutes more.
-
Serve the tofu wings with dressing of choice and optionally sprinkled with fresh chives.
Nutrition Facts
Spicy Buffalo Tofu Wings
Amount Per Serving (3 pieces (¼ of total recipe))
Calories 254
Calories from Fat 119
% Daily Value*
Fat 13.2g20%
Saturated Fat 3g15%
Sodium 756mg32%
Potassium 227mg6%
Carbohydrates 21.7g7%
Fiber 3g12%
Sugar 1.2g1%
Protein 12.7g25%
Calcium 308mg31%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.