To fu, or not to fu, that is the question. The answer is and the answer always will be, to fu! (or tofu rather).
Alright, alright, Sam is having one of her loopy rambling words days. I still can't believe I'm a "professional" writer. Seriously, how did that happen?
Back to tofu. I love me some tofu. Yep, vegan stereotype or not, I just love the stuff and it's one of my favourite foods to play with in the kitchen as it has endless possibilities of what it can do. Tofu, you are one mighty fine food.
Today I have decided to share with you my Crispy Vegan Lemon Tofu. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
- The tofu is marinated in a simple lemon garlic sauce, and you can have it sitting in your fridge for up to three days! Meaning deliciously lemony tofu is waiting for your hunger to strike. The longer you leave it, the more awesome it becomes. Make ahead easiness, check.
- You can decide whether to bake or fry the crispy vegan lemon tofu. Meaning you get to choose how healthy you want to be for this particular meal. Both ways come out crispy and delicious. Healthiness option, check.
- Not only is the tofu marinated in lemon garlic sauce, but it is dredged in flour and then dipped back into the lemon marinade to infuse it with maximum lemon garlicky goodness! Who needs eggs for a breaded coating when you can double infuse with flavour instead? Then coat it in seasoned panko for maximum crunch. Vegan recipe for the win, check!
And there you have it crispy vegan lemon tofu. Crunchy on the outside, lemon garlic on the inside. Serve with a side of mashed potatoes, and a green salad or cooked green like asparagus or broccoli. Yum!
To make Crispy Vegan Lemon Tofu: In a large resealable bag or medium dish, mix together all of the marinade ingredients. Add in the slices of tofu and toss lightly to coat. Seal or cover and put in the fridge to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes, but you can let marinate in the fridge for up to 3 days. The longer it marinates the more flavour infused it will become.
Take three small bowls. Add flour to one. Pour off the leftover lemon marinade into the second, leaving the tofu behind. Mix together the panko, nutritional yeast, dried parsley, and garlic powder in the third.
Take a slice of the marinated tofu and toss it into the flour to coat, then dip the tofu into the leftover marinate, and finally coat in the panko mixture. Repeat with all the tofu slices. You can bake or fry the tofu depending on your preference.
To bake the tofu: Preheat your oven to 400F (200C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the panko coated tofu in a single layer and bake for 18 to 23 minutes until lightly golden.
OR
To fry the tofu: heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When hot, carefully fry the tofu pieces until they are golden brown on both sides, and heated through. About 3 to 6 minutes per side. The panko coating can be a little fragile and falls off easily, so I found the best technique was to use a large spatula (and not tongs) for flipping. Just be gentle when handling the tofu.
Garnish with extra lemon slices and fresh parsley if desired. Boom!
Crispy Vegan Lemon Tofu
My Notes:
Ingredients
For the lemon marinated tofu
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced
- ¼ cup water
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons agave or maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 block (350g) extra-firm or firm tofu, drained, pressed, and sliced into 8 pieces (see notes)
For the panko coating:
- ⅓ cup flour
- ½ cup panko crumbs
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Marinate the tofu: In a large resealable bag or medium dish, mix together all of the marinade ingredients. Add in the slices of tofu and toss lightly to coat. Seal or cover and put in the fridge to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes, but you can let marinate in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Panko coat the tofu: Take three small bowls. Add the flour to one. Pour off the leftover lemon marinade into the second, leaving the tofu behind. Mix together the panko, nutritional yeast, dried parsley, and garlic powder in the third.
- Take a slice of the marinated tofu and toss it into the flour to coat, then dip the tofu into the leftover marinate, and finally coat in the panko mixture. Repeat with all the tofu slices. You can bake or fry the tofu depending on your preference.
- To bake the tofu: Preheat your oven to 400F (200C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the panko coated tofu in a single layer and bake for 18 to 23 minutes until lightly golden.
- To fry the tofu: heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When hot, carefully fry the tofu pieces until they are golden brown on both sides, and heated through. About 3 to 6 minutes per side. The panko coating can be a little fragile and falls off easily, so I found the best technique was to use a large spatula (and not tongs) for flipping. Just be gentle when handling the tofu.
- To air fry the tofu: Preheat your airy fryer to 370F (190C). Lay the panko-coated tofu in a single layer, working in batches if needed, and fry for 14 to 19 minutes until lightly golden.
Notes
Nutrition
Bon appetegan!
Sam.
Stephanie says
So yummy! I love this recipe. The first time I have ever marinated tofu. I will definitely be doing it more now. Thank you!!!
Kim says
I wish I hadn't sat on this recipe so long before finally trying it! This was easy and delicious, and I appreciate that you provide options for how to cook it (I opted to bake mine). I served it with lemon & garlic roasted asparagus for a nice early spring (almost!) meal. I do think a dip or sauce would be a nice addition (maybe something with dill?) as I found the panko coating a bit dry after baking, but that won't stop me from making this again!
Gloria says
I tried to make this last night and discovered I didn't have any panko. So I chopped up some fried onion topping, and skipped the powdered garlic since the onion already has a strong/salty flavor... and OMG!! Best tofu I've ever had. Thanks!
Kelly says
Just made this (after marinating overnight) and I’m in love! I have some leftovers which I think I will incorporate into a cold salad tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe!
Emily Noltemeyer says
This inspires me to veganzie my moms winner winner chicken dinner from childhhod with these
Sandee Childs says
I made this for our dinner last night and it was a hit! I breaded the cutlets a bit in advance, possibly why I had no trouble with the batter falling off. Hated to throw the marinade away so I poured it into a small skillet, heated it and whisked in a bit of cornstarch. It made a delightful sauce! I’ll make this recipe often! Thank you!
Michelle says
Have you tried roasting after marinating sans panko coating?
Michelle says
Never mind--I tried it, drizzling slices with EVOO before baking and after flipping midway through cooking. Delicious!
Sam Turnbull says
You definilty can!
Shannon says
I made this for dinner last night. It was so good that i couldn't stop eating it! I have 3 small pieces left for today. Thanks for being such an awesome cook! I will make this again!
Sam Turnbull says
Thrilled you enjoyed it, Shannon!
Suee33 says
Wow, this is SO good and easy! Did some in the Air Fryer and some I fried, both were good, frying is always better! ha! Mine were very lemon - for sure trying to think of a sauce for them.
thanks for this recipe
Sam Turnbull says
So thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Suee33 🙂
Donna says
Can't wait to try recipe...any suggestions for substitution for agave/maple?
Sam Turnbull says
Any sweetener should work well. Enjoy!
Lynne says
This recipe seriously surprised me, as it was so easy + tasteful... yyyyyummyyyyyyy!
Thank YOU for sharing this fun tofu lemon recipe Sam 🙂
ps: As a vegetarian, YOU are teaching me how to prepare amazing vegan recipes.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww that's wonderful, Lynne! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much 🙂
Sarah says
Made this last night and have just had left overs in a wrap with salad & coleslaw - absolutely delicious - both hot & cold!! Great recipe -up there with the AMAZING baked tofu bites!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you loved it 🙂
Lynne says
Thanks for the tip of hot or 'cold' Sarah!
I would not have thought of trying it cold.
Fun suggestion 🙂
K33 Kitchen says
Wow just discovered your blog, and your recipes look amazing.
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much, I hope you love them 🙂
Hazel says
WOWZA! Love the texture and the taste! Also, it’s easy peasy! Ok sorry for all the exclamation points but this recipe is everything it promises. I’ll be making this again!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! No apologies needed! Love that you love it so much 🙂
Annice O'Rourke says
This recipe was a hit with me and my husband! I marinated the tofu for two days and it was perfect. The texture is great! I didn't alter the recipe at all, (but used whole wheat pastry flour for the flour, and whole wheat panko bread crumbs). Thanks for this one!
Sam Turnbull says
So thrilled you loved the recipe, Annice 🙂
Hailey says
This recipe was awesome! I didn’t have Panko breadcrumbs so I used ritz crackers and instead of baking them I used my air fryer! They came out extra crispy and I love the lemon flavor with each bite! Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it, Hailey!!
Crystal says
Hey there - if I wanted to use lemon juice instead of using fresh lemons, could I? Thanks - you're the best!
Sam Turnbull says
That should work fine. Enjoy!
Johanna B. says
This recipe was a mixed one for us. My wife loved the crispiness of the tofu and I loved the lemon-ness of the coating. However, I found the tofu a little too crispy and would've preferred it softer (maybe I cut it too thin) and my wife wasn't the biggest fan of the lemon 😀 I think it depends on your taste but the recipe certainly gives you what it promises 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, yep, it is crispy lemon tofu!
Amanda says
I love tofu! So glad to find something non Asian inspired. I love Asian inspired tofu but this is a good change of pace. I'm thinking this can be great on a salad!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it, Amanda! I know what you mean, I have lots of other tofu recipes you might enjoy as well such as, Crispy Breaded Tofu Steaks, Vegan Tofu Taco Crumbles, Grilled Tofu Skewers with Spicy Peanut Sauce, and Tofu Bolognese. 😀
Jesse says
Yeah, this recipe is perfect. My wife is vegetarian and I've cooked this one probably 5 times for us. I've always liked tofu, but this flavor is so good, tops any other tofu recipe I've made. I'd say I'm down to eating meat only once a week with great recipes like this. Thanks so much!
Sam Turnbull says
Wow that's awesome!! So happy you are loving the recipe so much, Jesse 🙂
Jack Smith | BBQRecipez.com says
Delicious!!! New to your blog Sam. I will try this tomorrow!
Sam Turnbull says
Great, I hope you enjoy it, Jack 🙂
Lynne M says
WOW! This recipe is sooOOooo deliciously fun!
I am such a lemon fan.
And when I saw Tofu + Lemon in the title, I immediately jumped at the occasion of trying this out.
Satisfied? I am.
Thank YOU Sam 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Lynne!! I know what you mean, lemon and tofu are two of my favourites as well 🙂
Alex says
This is probably the dumest question but I should press the tofu before right? I am new to making tofu and wanted to check. Cannt wait to try this!
Sam Turnbull says
That's ok! Yes, you press the tofu before proceeding with marinating. I have a guide on how to press tofu here. Enjoy! 🙂
Karen says
Excellent, followed the recipe exactly. Baked the tofu. My 5 yr. old grandson loved it also. New to your blog. Have shared it with friends. Thanks again.
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Karen! Thanks for sharing. 😀
Mariyn says
This was my first time making anything with tofu. Loved it! I will definitely be making it again.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it, Mariyn 🙂
Srivani says
This was sooooo delicious. You had me at lemon! Haha! I baked it, flipping it about half way. Super easy (Sam-style) and devoured by everyone (even our 8 month old son seemed to be loving it).
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! SO happy you and your fam loved it, Srivani 🙂
Anne says
This was terrific!! I had tofu ready for another dish, but this one popped up in my email. Wonder of wonders, I had everything! I didn't have panko, but I had regular bread crumbs and they were fine. This is definitely a keeper! Served with jasmine rice and sauteed peppers, onions, mushrooms and broccoli.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! So happy you enjoyed it, Anne! 🙂
Phoebe says
I'm in love with this idea of crunchy lemon tofu! Must try it soon.
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! I hope you love it, Phoebe 🙂
Kathy says
Ok Sam!!! What a great recipe!! I love it!!! Thanks!
Kathy
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Kathy!