This Vegan Gluten-Free Tofu Schnitzel is a super fun and delicious way to eat tofu!
How to make vegan gluten-free tofu schnitzel
This recipe is fairly easy to make! It does involve making a few dishes thanks to the dredging process, but I promise it’s worth it.
Start with an extra firm pressed tofu. Slice it into thin strips then follow the dredging process: coat in flour, coat in egg (aka aquafaba in this case!), and then finish by coating in a seasoned GF panko mix.
I like to fry these tofu schnitzels in a cast iron pan with a thin-ish layer of neutral oil coating the pan. When they are perfectly golden brown and crispy, place them on a plate lined with paper towel and sprinkle with salt immediately.
Some tips for making vegan gluten-free tofu schnitzel
Use an extra firm tofu and make sure you press it. If you don’t have a tofu press (I don’t!), wrap the tofu in paper towel or a clean dish towel and stack some heavy things on top. For example, I put my cast iron pan on top of the tofu and then place some cans of beans in the cast iron pan for extra weight. I know people who use their old textbooks! Even just pressing the tofu while you prepare the dredging ingredients will help.
Slice the tofu fairly thin. This is an easy and quick recipe, so I did not want to incorporate marinating the tofu. If you slice the tofu too thick, then the balance of flavour offered by the coating will be off and your schnitzel will taste bland!
Dredge the tofu properly. I’ve tried to simplify the dredging process – it doesn’t work. Follow the instructions or you may find that all of your panko crumbs fall off while you fry the tofu!
And finally – fry the tofu! Sure, you technically could bake or air fry these tofu schnitzel. And I won’t stop you! But, they won’t taste as good.
Watch the (bad quality) video of me making this recipe!
Looking for more tofu recipes?
This vegan gluten-free tofu schnitzel is coated with a seasoned panko mix and then fried until perfectly golden brown and delicious! It's so easy to make, and pairs wonderfully with some potato salad and a side of stewed red cabbage!
- 1 block extra firm tofu (350g), pressed
- 1/3 cup gluten-free flour (I used Bob's 1-1 GF Flour blend)
- 1/2 cup aquafaba*
- 1 cup GF panko, or other unseasoned GF breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp salt, plus more
- neutral oil for frying
- lemon slices and fresh parsley for garnish
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Slice the block of tofu into eight thin pieces. You don't want them to be thick because we're not marinating them. Check out the video to see how I slice the tofu.
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Prepare the dredging station: In bowl 1 mix together the gluten free flour and a pinch of salt. In bowl 2 add the aquafaba. In bowl 3 mix together the gf panko, paprika, parsley, garlic powder, and the 3/4 tsp of salt.
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Take a piece of tofu and cover it in flour (Bowl 1), then toss it in the aquafaba (Bowl 2), and then cover with the GF Panko mix (Bowl 3). Set aside and repeat for all remaining pieces of tofu.
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Heat a cast-iron frying pan on medium-high heat. Add a thin (roughly 2cm) layer of neutral oil to coat the pan.
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When hot, add the tofu schnitzel. You may need to cook these in two batches as you do not want to crowd the pan. Fry for 3-4 minutes, flip, and fry another 2-3 minuutes - or until tofu is crispy and browned.
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When the tofu is done frying, transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Immediately sprinkle with a little salt. Serve with slices of lemon and some fresh parsley.
*aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas.
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