Vegan Popcorn Chicken: A KFC-Inspired Crispy Tofu Delight! Indulge in the nostalgic goodness of Vegan Popcorn Chicken – a plant-based twist on a classic favorite. Our recipe infuses KFC-inspired spices into crispy tofu, coated with golden panko bread crumbs. Whether it’s a satisfying afterschool snack or a flavorful main course, this delightful dish brings joy to every bite while staying true to your vegan lifestyle.
This vegan popcorn chicken might be inspired by KFC seasonings, but it’s not really meant to imitate chicken. Nobody who eats these crispy nuggets of goodness is going to be “tricked” into thinking they are eating chicken.
Be proud of your tofu recipes fellow plant-eaters! You've got a versatile and healthy ingredient when choosing tofu for your plant-based recipes.
Eating tofu provides a versatile canvas for creating delicious, protein-packed meals that cater to various culinary preferences. From pepperoni tofu crumbles to sweet and tangy creamy cannoli dip, tofu has you covered.
Tofu’s ability to absorb flavors makes every bite a delectable experience, inviting you to explore diverse and wholesome culinary creations. Oven-baked tofu and vegan blue cheese dressing both show just how well plain tofu can absorb the flavors and seasonings to bring you a dish that tastes anything but ordinary.
Ingredients needed to make your own tofu vegan popcorn chicken
Tofu Preparation
- 14 ounces extra firm tofu – You’ll need to press the extra firm tofu well for the best texture. OR use super firm tofu if you are lucky enough to find it. (See below.)
- Cornstarch and baking powder are both used to coat the tofu before dipping it in the seasoned liquids.
Liquids and Seasonings
- unsweetened plant milk – Make sure that your plant milk has a neutral flavor. I prefer either oat milk or pea protein milk.
- Vegan mayo and white vinegar both give your mixture a buttermilk flavor. If you don’t like using vegan mayo then you can use unsweetened plain vegan yogurt. The mixture is going to be a little more runny though and won’t cover the tofu quite as well. If you use Greek yogurt then it won’t be a problem.
- maple syrup – You just need a little to sweeten the mixture. OR use agave liquid.
- A long but important list of seasonings including garlic powder, celery salt, ground ginger, dry mustard powder, paprika (sweet, not smoked paprika), salt, dried thyme, dried basil, dried oregano, both black and white pepper.
Panko Bread Crumbs and Baking
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs – You won’t use all of them but it’s better to have extra on-hand.
- a spritz of cooking oil spray
How to make vegan popcorn chicken with tofu
The exact ingredients with measurements can be found in the recipe card below along with more concise abbreviated instructions. Read on for more details, tips, and tricks so that you will feel confident making this recipe.
First steps – The tofu
Before beginning, prep the oven by preheating to 375°F and covering a baking sheet with parchment paper for a super easy cleanup.
While the oven is preheating you should press your tofu. There are two types of tofu you can use. One is extra-firm tofu which will need to be pressed to remove most of the moisture. The other type is super-firm tofu. Super firm already has the moisture removed.
You can see from the two packages that the super-firm tofu already has the moisture removed and is smaller than the extra-firm tofu. On closer inspection, you might notice that the smaller package of super-firm tofu is 16 ounces while the extra-firm tofu package is larger even though it is only 14 ounces. Interesting…
Should I use 14 ounces or 16 ounces of tofu for this recipe?
The packaging difference brings up another question: 16 ounces or 14 ounces of tofu? It doesn’t really matter. The extra two ounces aren’t going to matter one way or another for this recipe. Use what you can find.
Press the extra firm tofu with a tofu press (much easier!) Or between plates with something very heavy on top (much more difficult!).
The type of tofu press I used today is super easy to use. The only downfall is that it has these tricky stretchy bands that you need to secure on the correct notches on the tofu press. I have painfully snapped my fingers with the bands more than a few times! Try this little trick: hang the edge of the tofu press over the counter and you can easily pull the bands into the correct place.
After pressing the tofu, pat it dry with a paper towel. Even if you are using the super-firm tofu and won’t be pressing it, still pat it dry with a paper towel. Break the pressed and dried tofu into bite-sized pieces with your hands. They really shouldn’t be “popcorn” sized pieces. Even the Colonel’s pieces are larger than a piece of popcorn!
Mix the cornstarch and the baking soda together and carefully toss with the tofu pieces to evenly coat. Let the coated tofu pieces rest while you prepare the liquid mixture.
Preparing the liquid mixture
Add the plant milk, vegan mayo, white vinegar, and maple syrup to a medium-sized bowl. Stir well until it is nice and smooth with no lumps of mayo.
Add all of the seasonings and mix well until everything is combined. You may wonder if each and every one of these spices and seasonings is necessary. Remember that this tofu popcorn chicken recipe is inspired by KFC’s eleven herbs and spices…so yes! Yes, all of these seasonings are important.
The one seasoning that I’d be willing to leave out is the white pepper. White pepper has a slightly different flavor profile and is a little milder than black pepper. So if you don’t normally have white pepper in your house then I wouldn’t bother going out and buying it. I think this recipe is pretty peppery anyway, but add a little more black pepper if you’d like.
Time to make tofu popcorn chicken!
Add a layer of panko bread crumbs to a large plate or large shallow bowl. Place the bowl with the tofu, the bowl with the liquid and seasonings, and the plate with the bread crumbs side by side and near the prepared baking sheet.
It’s best to work in batches. I usually do one-third of the tofu at a time. Add some of the cornstarch-prepared tofu to the liquids and seasonings and gently toss around until all of the pieces have been coated.
Pick up a few pieces of seasoned tofu at a time. Place the tofu pieces onto the breadcrumbs and roll and turn to make sure that all surfaces are covered in the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle some more bread crumbs on the top of the tofu pieces and press into the tofu so that the pieces are evenly covered.
Place the breaded tofu pieces on the prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining tofu pieces. Allow the pan to rest for about 10 minutes to ensure the breadcrumbs will stick. Spritz the top of the prepared tofu with a little cooking spray.
Cook the breaded tofu pieces in a 375℉ oven for 30 minutes until the breadcrumbs are nice and crispy. The tofu popcorn chicken will be crispy and browned on the outside and soft and “tofu-creamy” on the inside.
Discarding the leftovers
I just wanted to point out that there will be some collateral damage with this recipe. You will not be using the entire amount of all of the ingredients. I always think it’s best to have a little extra you won’t be using than to not have enough and run short when you are making a recipe.
I mention this so you won’t feel compelled to use every little bit and also so that you understand that the nutritional information listed in the recipe card below is based on the total amount of products – not on the actual amount used.
You will notice the tiny pieces of tofu and cornstarch at the bottom of your bowl. These pieces fell off the tofu when you were tossing them with the cornstarch. It happens. They are useless – too small to batter, bread, and bake. Just toss them!
You will not use all of the seasoning batter either. It’s so much better to have some extra mixture to dip your tofu into than to run short. Again, just toss it.
I’d also like to point out that you will not use the entirety of the breadcrumbs listed in the recipe card below. Again, I like to have more so that every piece is covered well. Also, the breadcrumb bowl is going to get messy about halfway through the process. You’ll want to dump it and add fresh breadcrumbs. Just be mindful of the amount you have remaining to work with.
Serving suggestions
These tofu nuggets are pretty yummy just dipped in basic ketchup BUT they are extra delicious with the flavors of vegan honey mustard dressing, avocado crema, or jalapeno ranch. I like to have a variety available for people to try.
The printable recipe card
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Oven Baked Vegan Popcorn Chicken with Extra Firm Tofu
Ingredients
Tofu Preparation
- 14 ounces extra firm tofu see notes
- ¼ cup corn starch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Liquids
- ½ cup unsweetened plant milk see notes
- ¼ cup vegan mayo see notes
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
Seasonings
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoons celery salt
- 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika not smoked
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Panko Bread Crumbs and Baking
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs You won't use all of them
- a spritz of cooking oil spray not included in the nutritional information
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Tofu Mixture
- Press the extra firm tofu for 30 minutes. Drain the tofu and pat dry. Crumble into small bite-sized pieces. Add to a bowl and toss together with the cornstarch and salt. Make sure the cornstarch gets into all the little crevices.¼ cup corn starch
Liquid and seasoning mixture
- Add the plant milk, vegan mayo, white vinegar, and maple syrup to a medium-sized bowl. Stir well until it is nice and smooth with no lumps of mayo.½ cup unsweetened plant milk, ¼ cup vegan mayo, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- Add the sweet paprika, garlic powder, celery salt, ground ginger, mustard powder, dried thyme, dried basil, salt, dried oregano, salt, black pepper, and white pepper. Mix well until everything has been combined.1½ teaspoons garlic powder, 1½ teaspoons celery salt, 1½ teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, ¾ teaspoon dried thyme, ¾ teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Making the Vegan Popcorn Chicken
- Add a layer of panko bread crumbs to a large plate or large shallow bowl. Place the bowl with the tofu, the bowl with the liquid and seasonings, and the plate with the bread crumbs side by side and near the prepared baking sheet.
- Work in batches. I usually do one-third at a time. Add the prepared tofu to the liquids and seasonings and gently toss around until all of the pieces have been coated.
- Pick up a few pieces of the coated tofu at a time. Place onto the breadcrumbs and roll and turn to make sure that all surfaces are covered in the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle some more bread crumbs on the top of the tofu pieces and press into the tofu so that the pieces are evenly covered. Place the covered pieces on the prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining tofu pieces. See the blog post above for step-by-step photos of the process.
- Allow the pan to rest for about 10 minutes to ensure the breadcrumbs will stick. Spritz the top of the prepared tofu with a little cooking spray. Cook in a 375℉ oven for 30 minutes until the breadcrumbs are nice and crispy.
