Vegan Crispy Tofu Sandwich with Chipotle Aioli
Hello & Happy Friday!
If there is one thing I crave on the weekends, it’s a fun vegan sandwich! I typically love to make everything from scratch, but there are so many good options today that it’s hard to desire a homemade option. I solidly believe though, with just about all foods, homemade is always better!
When it comes to tofu, it’s either you love it or hate it. If you hate it, it’s typically due to your preparation method not being effective. I personally love tofu in all ways, but the method that proves to be such a game changer is, freezing! Freezing allows the tofu to take on a animal protein like texture and is just such a more memorable experience. If you have a lil extra time, simply slice and throw it in the freezer to keep for when a craving strikes.
When thinking of the next best tofu creation since I’m hooked on freezing, I knew we had to do a chicken sandwich! All I can say is, wow, so good! I thought about air frying, but you won’t get the same texture that mirrors a traditional chicken sandwich. What you can do though, is post frying you can place it in the air fryer or even the following day and fry it with removing excess oils.
What’s fab about this tofu chicken sandwich? Honestly, everything. It’s so easy to throw together, features staple ingredients, you can even mix up the marinade ingredients, switch up the toppings, the outer texture is perfection, the inner texture is chewy, and the chipotle sauce and sweet pickles just tie it all together.
If you’re searching for the perfect homemade faux sandwich, this is it! You have to try this new vegan Crispy Tofu Sandwich with Chipotle Aioli!
Why this recipe is great:
Perfect inner texture
Perfect exterior texture
Perfect for any season
Cheap
Easy
Hint of heat with a hint of sweet
The sauce can be used for countless other dishes!
Vegan Crispy Tofu Sandwich with Chipotle Aioli
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 2 Sandwiches 1x
Ingredients
Crispy Tofu:
- 1 package extra firm tofu, drained
- 1/2 cup pickle juice
- 2 tbsp hot sauce (any kind)
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Few cracks of black pepper
- 3/4 tsp paprika
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- Oil for frying
Chipotle mayo:
- 1 tbsp chipotle sauce
- 1/2 adobo pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup vegan mayo
Other:
- 1/2 cup chopped cabbage or iceberg
- 1/3 cup sliced bread and butter pickles
- 2 buns
Instructions
- Slice extra firm tofu into cutlets, (I got 2). Press with paper towels to remove some of the water. Place gently into a sealed container or bag and freeze overnight or for 8 hours. This creates a chewy animal protein like texture.
- Allow the cutlets to thaw out in the fridge. Wrap them again in paper towels to remove the excess liquid. Place the slices onto a dish and drizzle with pickle juice. Let marinate for 10 minutes. Flip mid way and pour more on the other side.
- In a small bowl stir together the hot sauce and dijon mustard. Set aside.
- In a larger bowl add the flour, cornstarch and spices.
- Pour 1/2 cup of oil into a small/medium size pan. Place on med/high heat.
- Remove tofu from marinating and place into the flour mixture. Be sure to coat all sides with the mixture. Let it sit there for 5 mins.
- Now brush the hot sauce mixture onto the tofu coating all sides. Now place it back into the flour mixture coating again. Shake off any excess then gently place into the oil.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes, flipping at the halfway mark. Sprinkle with salt and lace on a cooling rack for 5 minutes to remove any excess oil.
- Chipotle Aioli: Place everything into a small dish, whisk until smooth.
- Assemble: Top tofu with shredded cabbage, sweet pickles, and chipotle aioli
- Prep Time: 8 hrs
- Cook Time: 15 mins
Looks delicious!
Thanks!
This vegan crispy tofu sandwich with chipotle aioli is stunning, thank you for your recipes that taught me how to make it
Hi Laurie! You’re very welcome! I thought they came out really good too!