Crispy Tofu Sandwiches

These Crispy Tofu Sandwiches are full of flavor and crunch. They’re perfect for lunch or dinner and will even satisfy the meat eaters in your family.

Does anyone else really miss going out to eat? This whole experience is making me realize just how much we went out to eat, and it’s probably for the better that we’re taking a little break, haha. One of our favorite places is a little local taproom with delicious beer and well-made pub food. My husband gets a crispy chicken sandwich that always looks good to me. So, I decided to create a vegetarian version, and these Crispy Tofu Sandwiches are so good!

I always love the challenge of turning my husband’s favorite meat recipes into delicious vegetarian meals. He doesn’t always agree with me about them, but I can assure you he absolutely loved these Crispy Tofu Sandwiches 🙂

Crispy Tofu Sandwich Recipe Ingredients

•  Tofu – For this recipe, I used one package of extra-firm tofu that I pressed well. If you can find only firm tofu, you will need to press it well for at least 15 minutes. I was able to get 1o slices from the package, and each sandwich calls for two of them.
• Olive oil
• Tamari – I used tamari, but soy sauce does the trick if you don’t have it on hand.
• All-purpose Flour – The batter uses 1/2 cup of AP flour, but if you are gluten-free, you should be able to substitute with GF flour.
• Plant-based Milk – 
• Spices – This recipe calls for garlic and onion powders, salt and pepper.
• Panko  – In a bind, regular breadcrumbs will do, but I prefer the light and crispiness of panko.
• Hamburger buns – I used burger buns here, but slices of bread, English muffins, or a gluten-free option will also work.
• Optional toppings – You can get creative here, but some options are pickles, spicy ketchup, mustard, coleslaw, mayo.

Tips For The Crispiest Tofu Sandwich 

• I put a lot of thought into this recipe! I wanted the crispy tofu to have tons of flavor, so I started by browning the tofu in a skillet with some tamari. I didn’t cook it too long, just enough to get the salty flavor into the tofu before crusting it.
• Instead of using a traditional breading of flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs, I decided to go with a thicker breading to make the tofu really crunchy. I used the same method of breading I used in this Vegan Orange Cauliflower recipe, and it worked great. It allows this recipe to be vegan while still giving a great crunch.
• The last thing I did to ensure these sandwiches were extra crispy was to cook them on the stovetop with oil. You can certainly bake them, and they would be great, but I really wanted to recreate that fried crispy chicken sandwich texture, and I found that pan-frying them in a little bit of olive oil really did the trick!

Crispy Tofu Sandwich Toppings

You can really enjoy them however you like! I was trying to copy my husband’s favorite crispy chicken sandwich, so I chose the following toppings, and they were delicious:

• Coleslaw – I just threw together an easy slaw using vegan mayo, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, salt, and celery seed. It’s very similar to this recipe of mine.
• Spicy Fry Sauce – For this, I just mixed together some vegan mayo, ketchup, and a few tablespoons of Sriracha. It’s so easy to make, and I love it because it’s creamy and spicy!
• Pickles – The original chicken sandwich had some thinly sliced homemade pickles, but I just used regular hamburger pickles, and they worked perfectly!

How To Make These Oven-Baked Crispy Tofu Sandwiches

This method is my new favorite for making easy, crispy tofu! And if you bake it in the oven, it requires no oil! I have a Crispy Popcorn Tofu recipe coming up next week that uses the same method, and I think you’ll love it.

1. Slice the tofu into thin slices. I was able to get 10 slices and used two slices on each sandwich. You can slice it any way you like. Heat a large pan over medium heat and add about 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Add the tofu and cook until each side is starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add tamari and let the tofu cook for 30 seconds, flip, and cook for about 30 more seconds. Remove the tofu and let it cool for a few minutes.
2. Add the flour, milk, onion powder, and garlic powder to a medium-sized bowl. Mix until a batter is formed. Pour the panko onto a large plate or shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.
3. Use your hands to coat each tofu piece with a thin layer of batter. Next, place the tofu in the panko and make sure it’s completely covered. Repeat until all the tofu is coated with batter and panko mixture.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 3-4 teaspoons olive oil. Add tofu and cook until each side is golden brown and crispy, about 8 minutes on each side.
5. OR, you can pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the tofu on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crispy, flipping once, 15-20 minutes.
6. Assemble your sandwiches and enjoy!

Have a question about this recipe? Ask me in the comments, and I’ll get back to you ASAP.

Looking For More Vegetarian Sandwich Recipes?

Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwiches

Vegetarian Sloppy Joes

Vegan Chicken Patty Sandwiches

Greek Chickpea Salad Sandwiches

Crispy Tofu Sandwiches

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 3 reviews

• Author: She Likes Food
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 5 1x
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

These Crispy Tofu Sandwiches are full of flavor and great for lunch or dinner!

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Ingredients

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• 1 (14 oz) package extra firm tofu, pressed well
• Olive oil
• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plain, plant based milk
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs
• salt
• pepper
• Hamburger buns or bread
• Optional toppings: pickles, spicy ketchup, mustard, coleslaw, mayo

 

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Instructions

1. Slice the tofu into thin slices.  I was able to get 10 slices and used two slices of tofu on each sandwich.  You can slice it anyway you like.  Heat a large pan over medium heat and add about 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil.  Add tofu and cook until each side is starting to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add tamari and let cook for 30 seconds, flip and cook for about 30 more seconds.  Remove tofu and let cool for a few minutes.
2. To a medium sized bowl, add the flour, milk, onion powder and garlic powder.  Mix until a batter is formed.  Pour the panko onto a large plate or shallow dish and season with a little bit of salt and pepper.
3. Use your hands to coat each piece of tofu with the batter.  You only want a thin coat.  Next, place the tofu in the panko and make sure it’s completely covered.  Repeat until all the tofu is coated with batter and panko mixture.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 3-4 teaspoons olive oil.  Add tofu and let cook until each side is golden brown and crispy, about 8 minutes on each side.
5. OR you can pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Place tofu on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crispy, flipping once, 15-20 minutes.
6. Assemble your sandwiches and enjoy!

• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins
• Category: Vegan, Sandwich
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American