Crispy Vegan Lemon Tofu

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

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.

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5 from 6 votes

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Crispy Vegan Lemon Tofu

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

Marinate the tofu in a lemon garlic sauce for up to three days for an easy make ahead meal. Then bake or fry in a crispy panko coating. 

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Canadian

Servings: 8 tofu slices

Calories: 104 kcal

Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

Ingredients

For the lemon marinated tofu

• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons agave or maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 block extra-firm or firm tofu, drained, pressed, and sliced into 8 pieces (see notes)

For the panko coating:

• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 cup panko crumbs
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

Recipe Notes

If you're new to pressing tofu, check out The Ultimate Guide to Pressing Tofu to find out how (it's easy peasy)!

Bon appetegan!

Sam.