These easy buffalo tofu bites are spicy, tangy and crispy perfection. You can make them in the oven or the air fryer. Dip them in your favorite dipping sauce like ranch or blue cheese for the ultimate appetizer or snack!
Friends, these buffalo tofu bites will be your new favorite appetizer or snack that are perfect for a Friday night, a dish for a party, or game day. The tofu pieces are crispy and marinated in your favorite buffalo sauce (so you can pick the spice level!) This is one of my favorite things to make on a Friday night for my hubby and I and may be in the top 5 tofu recipes of all time.
▶︎Calling all Buffalo fans! You need to try my mouth watering Buffalo Tofu Wrap with Easy Vegan Ranch for your next lunch with creamy avocado and crisp romaine and carrots. You also have to try out this crispy Buffalo Cauliflower that is a delish app or snack!
▶︎My other favorite tofu recipe is this quick Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry, Sticky Tofu, or Miso Glazed Tofu that is great for a weeknight meal!
Ingredients
- Extra-firm Tofu: Do not use Medium or Firm tofu because your pieces will likely crumble during the cutting and cooking process.
- Cornstarch: Adds to the crispy texture of the tofu.
- Garlic powder: Adds a little extra flavor to the tofu cubes.
- Soy milk or almond milk: This will help the panko bread crumbs stick to your tofu cubes. Make sure it's unsweetened plain soy milk.
- Vegan buffalo sauce: Use your favorite vegan buffalo sauce for this recipe. You can choose based on spice preference (mild or spicy).
- Panko breadcrumbs: This will create a better crunch on the outer part of the tofu cubes.
See recipe card below for full list of ingredients and instructions.
Serve these bites with a 5 minute Homemade Vegan Ranch.
Substitutions and Variations
Don't have a certain ingredient? No worries!
- Use rice flour or arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch.
- Don't have panko bread crumbs? You can try regular bread crumbs, crushed potato or tortilla chips, cracker crumbs, and more. The texture will be slightly different but it will still create some crispiness.
- Use gluten-free panko bread crumbs for dietary needs.
Feeling adventurous? Try out a new flavor variation!
- Try out BBQ sauce instead of buffalo sauce for a different flavor (similar to how chicken wings have lots of flavors!) FYI- Don't air fry tofu bites after the addition of BBQ (it's too thick and won't cook well in the air fryer.
- Add in some onion powder or smoked paprika with the garlic powder.
- Instead of ranch, try out a vegan blue cheese dressing to cool down the spice!
Equipment
- Tofu press (optional) to press out excess water from tofu
- Cutting board to cut up tofu
- Large mixing bowl or gallon size resealable plastic bag to mix tofu with cornstarch
- Three small bowls for panko, soy milk, and buffalo sauce
- Optional: Air fryer for cooking the buffalo tofu bites (or can use oven)
Instructions
Step 1: Press tofu to remove excess water. Use a tofu press or wrap tofu in paper towels or kitchen towel with a heavy object on top. Then cut tofu into 2-3 inch tofu cubes (bite-sized pieces).
Step 2: Place tofu pieces in a resealable plastic bag with cornstarch and garlic powder. Shake gently until combined.
Step 3: Dip each piece of tofu into soy milk. Shake off extra liquid. Then dip in panko bread crumbs and evenly coat.
Step 5:
Air fry at 400 F or 204 C for 12-14 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and crispy.
Step 6: Pour 1 cup buffalo sauce into a small dish. Dip each tofu cube into buffalo sauce, draining off excess buffalo sauce. Air fry for another ~ 5 minutes until crispy.
Oven Variation:
Preheat oven to 425 F. Line tofu bites on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden, flipping halfway through.
Dip in buffalo sauce and bake buffalo tofu bites for another 10-15 minutes until crispy.
What can I serve these buffalo tofu bites with?
These air fryer buffalo tofu bites taste amazing with my Easy Vegan Ranch dip but could also be served with store bought ranch (such as Follow Your Heart). Sprinkle on some fresh parsley and serve with sliced carrots and celery for the ultimate "buffalo wing" experience. These are great as an appetizer on a Friday night or a game day party!
Make this a full meal by serving it over a salad, in a buddha bowl, or in a wrap (like my Buffalo Tofu Wrap!).
For an amazing weekend comfort meal, pair it with this delicious vegan flatbread pizza!
❓Recipe FAQs
There could be a couple reasons your buffalo tofu bites are not crispy.
Make sure you:
-Use extra firm tofu.
-Press your tofu for at least 15 minutes.
-Drain off excess soy milk or buffalo sauce as are dipping.
-Evenly coat your tofu bites with enough breadcrumbs.
-Cook on high heat in your air fryer (or preheat accordingly) for a long enough time. (Always can add on extra time for air frying if not crispy enough)
This is really based on spice level preference. You can find lots of options for vegan buffalo sauce at the grocery store, but be aware there are some that contain worcestershire sauce (that is not vegan). Choose mild, medium, or spicy.
My go-to buffalo sauce is classic Frank's Red Hot buffalo sauce.
I trialed this recipe multiple times including a version without panko bread crumbs. In my opinion, these add a lot of flavor and texture to the tofu bites. Without it, the tofu texture is fairly plain (some slight crunch from the cornstarch).
If you don't have panko, you can try regular bread crumbs, crushed potato chips, cracker crumbs, crushed tortilla chips, etc.
Store buffalo tofu bites in airtight container for 3-4 days. Reheat in the air fryer for 4-5 minutes at 400F until crispy again. They may lose some of their ability to get crispy again the longer they sit in the fridge.
I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
PRO TIPS
- Air frying time can vary based on the air fryer. Adjust the time based on how crispy your tofu bites are.
- I recommend cutting tofu cubes into large 2-3 inch long pieces. They are easier for dipping.
- These crispy buffalo tofu bites actually taste great even as leftovers. Just reheat in the air fryer for 4-5 minutes or 425 F oven for ~10 minutes. They will not be as crispy but still have good texture and taste.
- For the ultimate "buffalo wing" experience, sprinkle some fresh parsley on top and slice some carrots and celery for the side.
Try out these other great tofu recipes:
▶︎If you love buffalo sauce, you will go crazy for Buffalo Chickpea Dip!
▶︎Need more ideas of what to serve these buffalo tofu bites with? Here are 30+ ideas of what to serve with tofu!
Crispy Buffalo Tofu Bites
Ingredients
- 16 oz extra firm tofu drained and pressed*
- ÂĽ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- â…“ cup soy milk unsweetened
- 1-1.5 cups panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup buffalo sauce such as Frank's Red Hot
Instructions
- Cut tofu into large cubes (2-3 inches long).
- Place cubes in a large resealable plastic bag with cornstarch and garlic powder. Shake gently until combined. (Alternatively can mix in large bowl)
- Dip cornstarch-coated tofu bites in a bowl of soy milk, shake off excess liquid, then dip in panko bread crumbs.
- Air fry version:Evenly distribute tofu bites in air fryer basket. Don't overload the basket (you may need to do two rounds). Air fry 400F for 12-14 minutes, flipping halfway, until outside is brown and crispy. Dip cooked tofu bite in buffalo sauce with a fork and drain off excess buffalo sauce. Place back into air fryer basket. Cook bites for another ~5 minutes until crispy again on the outside. Oven version:Preheat oven to 425 F. Line tofu bites on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden, flipping halfway through. Dip in buffalo sauce and bake buffalo tofu bites for another 10-15 minutes until crispy.
- Serve crispy buffalo tofu bites with vegan ranch or blue cheese. Optional: sprinkle parsley on top for garnish.
Notes
-
- Air frying time can vary based on the air fryer. Adjust the time based on how crispy your tofu bites are. This is the same for the oven
-
- I recommend cutting tofu cubes into large 2-3 inch long pieces. They are easier for dipping.
-
- These crispy tofu bites actually taste great even as leftovers. Just reheat in the air fryer for 4-5 minutes or 425 F oven for 10 minutes. They will not be as crispy but still have good texture and taste.
-
- For the ultimate "buffalo wing" experience, sprinkle some fresh parsley on top and slice some carrots and celery for the side.
-
- Use rice flour or arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch
-
- Don't have panko bread crumbs? You can try regular bread crumbs, crushed potato or tortilla chips, cracker crumbs, and more. The texture will be slightly different but it will still create some crispiness.
Brie says
These are so good and easy to make! The addition of cornstarch made them extra crispy and delicious. I will definitely be making these again.
Allie Petersen says
Thank you so much Brie!! I'm glad you enjoyed them- Allie
Michael says
This breading was a home run. Comes out crispy and ready for whatever sauce you throw at it. The first batch, we followed the recommendation of using Buffalo sauce, slammin. We made another batch that we used the next day for a “beef” & broccoli dish, and dare I say, it may be my new favorite way to prepare tofu for an Asian dish.
Highly recommend trying this out.
Shelby says
Ohh these buffalo bites make the perfect mini snack! They come out so crispy and so easy to munch on!
Genevieve says
I had never made Buffalo tofu before and this was spectacular! Crispy outside, chewy inside - everything I was hoping for. I’ll be keeping this recipe in our rotation for sure!
Traci says
Made this for my vegan mom and she was blown away. She loved it and couldn’t believe it was vegan! Introduced her to your website. Incredible recipe!
Gina says
I often make crispy tofu in the AF but I've never tried them breaded and flavored with buffalo sauce like this. So fun! Next time, I'm going to make a creamy dip to go with. They were a hit all around!
Hannah says
I'm Australian and I have never had buffalo anything before. I tasted the sauce before I put it on and it tasted awful. I forged ahead and added it to the tofu anyway....and it turned into magic and was delicious. I will be making this again, very tasty.
Allie Petersen says
Hannah, so glad you loved how they turned out!! Yes, buffalo sauce is kind of weird at first. But with crispy tofu it is magically delicious! 🙂 Thanks again for your review, Allie
Jhicel says
Not a huge tofu fan, but these buffalo tofu bites have converted me!
Allie Petersen says
Yes!! I think these turn tofu haters into tofu lovers! 🙂