Does anything say comfort food more than fried popcorn chicken? How about a plant-based take on a classic favorite? These vegan tofu popcorn chicken bites are fried until extra crispy, made with all the right spices and flavor, these are sure to please your tastebuds! P.S. don’t forget the dips! These pair well with Mother Raw Original BBQ Sauce, Mother Raw Sweet Heat BBQ Sauce, Mother Raw Ranch Dip and Mother Raw French Onion Dip. If you are looking for some spice, try them with our favorite Spicy Vegan Queso.
Press the tofu by placing in paper towel and/or a clean dish towel. Place something heavy on top and let it sit for at least 45 minutes.
Remove the tofu from the towel and tear into bite size pieces with your hands, toss with ½ tsp of the kosher salt and pepper, to taste.
Make your buttermilk: In a medium sized bowl, add the milk and vinegar and mix with a spoon. Once it looks a little curdled, it’s ready. This takes about 5 minutes.
In another bowl, add the panko, smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, onion powder, nutritional yeast, dried mustard, remaining 1 tsp salt, and pepper. Mix well to combine.
On a separate plate, add the all purpose flour.
Dip each piece of tofu into the plain flour first, then dip into the buttermilk, then dip back into the flour, and again in the buttermilk. Then coat in the panko mix and set aside on a plate until all remaining tofu pieces are done.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu pieces, working in batches and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 1 ½ to 2 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towel.
