This quick recipe will be a big hit with anyone who likes a breaded patty.
I’m constantly trying to find ways to make tofu more flavorful and more acceptable to my teenage son. Usually, my son rejects tofu outright. He’ll take an obligatory bite, if I’m lucky. This was a whole other story.
I think he thought this was a commercially-produced vegan chicken patty. He asked me what type this was and made short work of it. I even told him it was tofu, and it didn’t change his opinion.
I put this one together with minimal time to press and marinate it, having just a little more than an hour to throw it together.
I’ve heard that freezing and thawing tofu improves the texture. Allowing the tofu to marinate longer would help the tofu absorb the broth flavor (at least a little better). But the sticky Japanese BBQ sauce did a lot of quick work, and frying the tofu twice also helped it pick up some flavorful fat.
The textured vegetable protein (TVP) that this recipe uses in place of panko adds even more protein to this high-protein meat substitute. It’s hard to tell any difference between panko and a fine TVP crumble such as Bob’s Red Mill TVP. So, substituting TVP for panko is a great way to make sure you’re getting plenty of protein.
Use this any way you’d use a commercially produced vegan chicken patty.
INGREDIENTS
Tofu Meat
- 16 oz block of tofu sliced into 6 cutlets
- 1 tsp Marmite
- 1 cup hot water
- ¼ tsp liquid smoke
- ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 TBSP nutritional yeast
- 2 TBSP refined coconut oil (divided)
- 2-3 TBSP Japanese BBQ sauce
- 12 dashes of Maggi (2 dashes per cutlet)
“Buttermilk” Batter
- ¾ cup oat milk
- 6 TBSP flour
- 1/2 -1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 dashes Cholula or similar hot sauce
Breading
- ½ cup textured vegetable protein
- ¼ cup cracker crumbs
- 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp MSG
- ¼ tsp black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Tofu Meat Preparation and First Frying
- Press tofu for 20 minutes and drain liquid
- Cut tofu block in half, creating two rectangles and slice each rectangle into three equal pieces.
- Score each tofu cutlet on one side, diagonally in both directions
- Dissolve Marmite and tofu in one cup of hot water with liquid smoke, apple cider vinegar and nutritional yeast
- Marinate the tofu in this mixture for at least half an hour. Overnight would be best.
- Heat cast iron skillet on medium heat
- Add 1 TBSP refined coconut
- Add tofu, scored side up
- Add Japanese BBQ sauce and Maggi
- Fry 3-5 minutes to brown before flipping to other side
- Brown the other side for another 3-5 minutes
- Set aside on a plate and turn off the heat
“Buttermilk” Batter, Breading Preparation, and Second Frying
- Combine “buttermilk” batter ingredients in a bowl and mix ingredients
- Mix breading ingredients in a bowl and spread over a plate.
- Heat skillet again over medium heat and add remaining TBSP refined coconut oil
- Dip tofu cutlets in the “buttermilk” batter with your “wet” left hand and place it in the breading mixture.
- Dredge each cutlet in the breading mixture with your “dry” right hand.
- Remove each cutlet and add to the skillet with your “dry” right hand
- Brown each tofu patty 3-5 minutes per side.
- Remove from the skillet and set on a plate with a paper towel
- Top with gravy or your favorite sauce or serve it on a bun with lettuce, tomato, and vegan mayo.
- Serve and enjoy!