Crispy Tofu Cutlets
Crispy on the outside and soft in the center, these vegan tofu cutlets are the perfect canvas for a quick and delicious weeknight dinner. Top them with your favorite marinara sauce and provolone cheese for a twist on chicken parmesan. Or try slicing them diagonally and dipping them in tangy BBQ sauce or sweet chili sauce. No matter how you slice it, these cutlets are out of this world delicious.
About this Tofu Cutlet Recipe
These cutlets are made from tofu so they are dairy free and meat free. You will want to make sure you press out all moisture from the tofu before you bread it. You can use paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to press out the moisture. Simply wrap the tofu in the paper towels and place a heavy cast iron pan or heavy object on top of it. If the paper towels get too wet, simply rewrap the tofu in dry towels and press it again. You can also use a tofu press if you have one handy.
When slicing the tofu, you will want to slice it in half length-wise, then in half again width-wise. This will give you four cutlets per block of tofu. If you want to to achieve the triangle shape, simply cut each of the four cutlets diagonally, and you will end up with eight triangle shaped tofu nuggets.
I fried my cutlets in vegetable oil but you can also bake these tofu cutlets for a lighter recipe. If you decide to bake them, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking tray with cooking spray and add the breaded cutlets. Bake for 40 minutes, flipping half way through. You will want both sides to get brown and crispy.
I used almond milk for this recipe, but you can use any milk you prefer. However, oat milk and almond milk will keep this recipe vegan. The nutritional values listed below do not include the vegetable oil for frying.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. To reheat simply microwave the cutlets until they are heated through. Enjoy with marinara sauce and cheese, or enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce.
Crispy Tofu Cutlets
Equipment
- medium sized skillet
- 2 plates
Ingredients
- 1 block super firm tofu, press out moisture
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup almond milk
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- ½ – 1 cup vegetable oil, for frying the cutlets, option to bake them too
Instructions
- Using paper towels or a clean kitchen towel, press the moisture out of one block of super firm tofu.
- Slice the tofu. Directions list in the blog post above. You'll want them to be roughly 2 inches x 3 inches long.
- Grab two plates. Add the almond milk onto one plate. Then, combine the breadcrumbs, cornstarch, onion power, garlic powder and salt & pepper onto the second plate. Stir the breadcrumb mixture well.
- Next, you’ll dip the tofu cutlets into the milk, then dredge them through the breadcrumb mixture. Firmly press the tofu in the breadcrumbs to make sure that all sides are evenly coated in breadcrumbs.
- Grab a medium sized skillet and over medium-high heat add your vegetable oil. Make sure the vegetable oil is hot before adding your cutlets. Otherwise, they will get soggy, not crispy.
- Cook the cutlets until they are golden brown. Place cooked cutlets on a paper towel to absorb any extra oil. Top with a pinch of salt.
- Serve with marinara sauce and cheese, BBQ sauce, or sweet chili sauce for dipping.
9 Comments on “Crispy Tofu Cutlets”
Hello, I added a mixture of herb seasoning and dipped them in sweet chilli sauce after they were cooed. To help the bread crumbs to stay on the Tofu better will try and coat them in flour next time. Thank you they were delicious 🙂
So glad you enjoyed them!
These look so good! Thank you.
Hope you enjoy!
Excellent recipe. My granddaughter really liked them with red sauce and cheese( Parmesan cheese). The only thing I did different was flour them first, egg them and dipped in pranks. Then I fried them!! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
It’s pretty delish but I had a hard time keeping the breading stuck on. I’m not vegan, but when I do it again, which I will, I will dust with flour first, then egg wash, and then the breadcrumbs. I know there are vegan options to egg so maybe that would be a good idea.
This is one of the easiest and most comforting ways to enjoy that block of tofu you maybe just spontaneously bought!
I’m back for seconds. I’ve made these twice now with GF Panko. I use garden tomatoes and special sauce and have the most amazing quick tacos for lunch with leftovers. So happy I found this recipe ?
Nice to change things up with a bit of tofu. I was skeptical at first but i have made this time after time now. I real winner.