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
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:
- â…“ 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
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Laura Newton says
I can't even remember if I've ever connected on this recipe but it's so good I wanted to make sure I did. I've been vegan for 13 years, and this is in the top 10 best things I've ever made.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
We're so thrilled to hear it!
Sudan says
Is there any substitute for Panko crumbs?
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 🙂