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Quinoa Crusted Tofu Nuggets (Tofu “Chicken” Nuggets!)

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Let’s celebrate everything healthy with these quinoa crusted tofu nuggets (or tofu “chicken” nuggets as I like to call them!) What a great way to start off Tofu Week here at The Cookie Writer!

I love tofu. Even if I was not a vegetarian I would have no issues eating this protein. I actually started experimenting with tofu at a young age while I still lived at home. My dad would often make a huge meat chili, and while I loved chili, I was not the craziest meat-eater. I decided to make my own batch alongside my dad and added tofu. Now, of course at the time I did not realize there was a difference between all the different tofu out there, but I have learned. I worked with silken tofu which basically fell apart in my chili. Still delicious, but not the texture I wanted at all. For most recipes you will find yourself working with firm or extra firm, like I did here with these quinoa crusted tofu nuggets.

Quinoa Crusted Tofu Nuggets (Tofu Chicken Nuggets!) #tofu

Extra firm would be best, but I got away with using firm tofu. Now, tofu holds A LOT of water. A lot. So you want to do something about that because it will inhibit your tofu from nicely browning/absorbing those wonderful flavours. I tend to wrap my tofu in paper towel and set heavy objects on top to push out the water. You may have to do it a couple of times, but trust me, so worth it. My favourite tool is my cast iron pan. Once that prep is out of the way, working with tofu is a breeze!

I was totally inspired by the idea of tofu nuggets and really liked this one recipe from Forbidden Rice Blog. But since January is the month of health awareness (ohhh how the gyms love January!) I wanted to go a healthier route. Replacing the breadcrumbs with cooked quinoa seemed so perfect, and while I did not think the ingredients would stick together, it miraculously worked! And you know what?! These quinoa crusted tofu nuggets were devoured by my husband! Yes, that is right, the meat-eating husband loved these so much he only managed to save one nugget for my daughter, and one for myself. To be fair, Dan enjoys tofu and his coworkers love teasing him when they see his meat-free lunch 🙂

Quinoa Crusted Tofu Nuggets (Tofu Chicken Nuggets!) #healthy

Any THICK sauce shall do, but I went with BBQ sauce. Yes, I realize the sugar content can be high, but it is all I had. You can make your own sauce or coat the tofu in your favourite variety. Just remember, thick is key because otherwise the quinoa will have a hard time sticking.

Quinoa Crusted Tofu Nuggets (Tofu Chicken Nuggets!) #tofunuggets

Quinoa Crusted Tofu Nuggets (Tofu "Chicken" Nuggets!)

15 minPrep Time

15 minCook Time

30 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 1 lb firm or extra firm tofu, drained and pressed of any water
  • Bottle of your favourite BBQ sauce (or any healthy, thick sauce.)
  • 1/2 cup cooked quinoa

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Add a wired rack on top (not necessary but I like this because the heat can get underneath the nuggets.)
  2. Slice tofu into little "nuggets." I suggest 1/4 inch thickness if you are not familiar with tofu. Dip into BBQ sauce (generously) and then coat with cooked quinoa (it can get messy: I kind of placed some extra on top when I brought the tofu pieces out of the quinoa.) Place onto wired rack. Continue until none remain.
  3. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until quinoa is browned and crispy. Serve alongside more sauce if desired!
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https://thecookiewriter.com/quinoa-crusted-tofu-nuggets-tofu-chicken-nuggets/

Quinoa Crusted Tofu Nuggets (Tofu Chicken Nuggets!) #quinoa

Another great recipe to use up leftovers (because we know how great quinoa is!)

Bam! Recipe one of Tofu Week complete! If you thought these quinoa crusted tofu nuggets were neat, stay tuned for some more awesome recipes!

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Comments

  17. This look awesome; however, what other kind of sauces would you recommend? As a lifelong vegetarian, I'm not really a fan of BBQ sauce
    Reply

    • Hmmm, you do want a thicker sauce so the quinoa will stick. Do you have any favourites? I've made my own BBQ sauce and that really makes a difference! My husband I also like picking random sauces off the grocery shelves so you may have some luck if you do that. I have worked with Pulo Cuisine before and they make really nice sauces (I think they are all vegan, too!) Sorry I am not of more help.
      Reply

  19. Just made this spontanously. To save time I just used popped Amaranth. I did half of them with ketchup and half of them with sweet chili sauce as binding liquid.
    Reply

  20. I'm wondering if the re pie should say 1/2 c uncooked quinoa (which would be 1 c cooked)? I used 1/2 c cooked and that only covered 1/2 my tofu so I had to make more midway through the recipe.
    Reply

    • I'm wondering if it had to do with the amount of quinoa on your tofu. My BBQ sauce is a bit on the thinner side so I found I did not have copious amounts on my nuggets. I'll definitely keep an eye on the quantity when I visit the recipe again. Thanks for the heads up!
      Reply

  21. Wow! These turned out awesome! I wish I could attach a picture. Make sure to dry your tofu thoroughly. Crispy and tasty and filling!
    Reply

  22. So i have quinoa flakes, just wondering if that's what you used and how you actually cooked it? The box has no instructions and I'm all new to this... I'll have made the recipe before you reply so I'll let you know how it turns out without cooking the quinoa!
    Reply

    • Hi, Max! I used regular quinoa (the whole-grain variety that cooks like rice.) I have never used quinoa flakes before, but if you do happen to try them out, let me know how it goes! Quinoa flakes appear more like oats/oatmeal.
      Reply

  23. So this is probably a dumb question, but do you need to cook the quinoa first? Or does the sauce and heat kind of cook it but keep it crunchy? Sorry I'm not smart in the kitchen lol
    Reply

    • Not a dumb question! You do cook the quinoa first :) Then you roll the tofu in the cooked quinoa and roast in the oven (which kind of gives the quinoa crispiness!)
      Reply

  24. These were okay, a little bland -- I might try them again with marinated tofu or spiced quinoa. One of my two kids liked them.
    Reply

  25. Hi. I’m interested in doing these for my daughter. Have you tried freezing them? I’m not familiar with tofu so I have no idea. Thank you!
    Reply

    • To be honest, I don't know. However, I looked online and it does say tofu is okay to freeze :) Not sure how the "batter" would hold up as it is already lacking in that crispness that we are used to in traditional breading (but still a favourite of mine!)
      Reply

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