Buffalo Tofu Wings: Crispy, Baked, and Simple!

These spicy, crispy, baked buffalo tofu wings are simple, satisfying, and sure to disappear quickly!

They make the perfect gameday appetizer or party snack, or you can turn them into sliders for a heartier meal.

If you are worried that tofu might be too bland, never fear. The melted butter in this buffalo sauce adds a richness of flavor so that you won’t even know you’re eating tofu!

What do these spicy buffalo tofu wings taste like?

My husband has informed me that these baked buffalo tofu wings are the most realistic-tasting fake “chicken” product he has ever tried. So if you like the idea of not eating as much meat but don’t want to feel deprived, this recipe is for you!

It’s also great if you miss eating meat, or if you just want a fun and spicy new way to eat tofu!

You might already have all the ingredients you need to make this recipe, as it features lots of pantry staples.

How to serve these crispy baked buffalo tofu hot wings

These are great fresh out of the oven, plain or dipped in ranch dressing to cool them down. You can top them with chopped fresh green onions and bleu cheese crumbles for more flavor.

My personal favorite way to eat these buffalo tofu wings is in salad. You can use ranch dressing as a contrast to cool them down, or make your own spicy “chicken” Caesar salad.

They also go great in mac and cheese! (Here’s my gouda mac and cheese recipe if you want to try them together to make spicy buffalo mac.)

You can add them to pizza as well.

Dipping sauce suggestions

As mentioned, try dipping these baked buffalo tofu wings in:

• Ranch dressing,
• Blue cheese dressing,
• Cilantro lime dressing,
• Haydari (a creamy Turkish yogurt dip with feta cheese, garlic, and fresh herbs),

or another creamy dip of your choice.

What’s the secret to making sure these buffalo tofu wings come out crispy?

It’s all in the tofu – the key ingredient!

If you can find super firm tofu, theoretically it does not need to be pressed as all the liquid should already be pressed out. This is ideal for crispy tofu wings that won’t get too soggy.

Extra-firm tofu is more commonly available and still has quite a bit of the liquid pressed out. If you buy this kind, make sure to press it again for 30 minutes to maximize on crispiness.

As a bonus, tofu wings made with these two kinds of tofu will also be chewier and less likely to fall apart.

Pin it for later!

How to Press and Drain Tofu for the best Texture

An easy way to do this is to place the plastic tray the tofu came in upside down on a large plate to catch the liquid. Then you can place a paper towel over the tray, set down your block of tofu, place another paper towel on top of the block of tofu, and place something heavy like a cast iron skillet on top to press it.

(You may end up with the Lodge logo imprinted on your tofu brick like I did.)

Make sure the edges of your paper towels are within the rim of the plate or they will drip liquid on your counter.

How long do I press tofu?

Let the tofu sit and drain for 30 minutes and discard the liquid. (Even 15 minutes helps immensely if you are reading this late.)

What’s the best way to press tofu?

If you happen to have a tofu press, use that (link below in Tools and Equipment subsection of Ingredients).

This might be a good investment for you if you eat tofu regularly.

Tofu presses tend to have their own drip trays and are easy to clean up.

Why do I have to press tofu? Should I really?

Unless you find super-firm tofu, it will be packed in water, so yes, draining is best.

While waterlogged, the tofu will not have capacity absorb all the delicious flavoring we are adding to it and will taste, well, like bland tofu.

What if I don’t press the tofu – what happens?

The tofu will not hold together well and will be soggy rather than crispy. Therefore, the texture will be less appetizing.

Tip: If you want the texture of these buffalo tofu bites to really resemble chicken

Press the tofu first, then freeze it. Allow it to defrost, then press it again. Also, rather than cutting the tofu with a knife, tear it into pieces where it naturally breaks.

The breading process – best practices for this method

As usual when you set up your breading station, try to use one hand to dip the tofu wings in the dry starch (cornstarch in this case, but of course you could use arrowroot starch, tapioca starch, or potato starch as other gluten-free alternatives, or plain old flour if you don’t mind a little gluten).

Then use your other hand for the wet part – dipping the coated tofu wings in the milk and then the breading mixture.

This will reduce the inevitable messiness of breading, which is totally worth it by the way.

The starch will stick to the damp tofu and help it crisp up during baking. The milk will cling to the starch and form a glue-like paste for the breadcrumbs to stick to.

For vegan buffalo tofu wings, you can just use plain, unsweetened plant-based milk like soy or almond milk, and vegan butter (or olive oil) later on for the buffalo sauce.

If you buy Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, you can skip all the extra spices. However, I was using up what I had, which were plain breadcrumbs, and honestly adding all the spices made the whole breading station smell great. For that reason, you may want to whip up your own breading with fresh ingredients.

You can also add some olive oil to the breadcrumb mixture if you wish. This would be especially a good idea if you are using a lower ratio of butter to hot sauce for a spicer tray of baked buffalo wings.

If you water down your hot sauce with plenty of melted butter, as written, you don’t need any oil in the breading.

Once baked until crispy, simply toss the baked buffalo tofu wings in our buffalo sauce, re-bake if desired for more crunch, and enjoy!

For the buffalo sauce – what’s it made of?

All you need to make the buffalo sauce are hot sauce and melted butter.

A vinegar and red cayenne pepper-based hot sauce is traditional for buffalo sauce. Frank’s RedHot is a classic, but you could use something like Louisiana Hot Sauce or whatever your preferred brand is.

You can also buy pre-made buffalo sauce, but the one I have is still very spicy, so I opted to water it down with melted butter.

If desired, you can kick the flavor up a notch by adding Worcestershire sauce (not traditionally vegetarian), tabasco sauce, minced garlic or garlic powder, and/or additional salt, but these are all optional.

When using salted butter I would not recommend adding any extra salt.

How to make the buffalo sauce vegan

To make this vegan, use vegan butter or an oil like coconut or olive.

Also, if you plan on using Worcestershire sauce, look for a vegan one like Annie’s. Most contain anchovies or fish sauce so are not vegetarian. You could also use soy sauce or tamari instead.

How to make your buffalo sauce more or less spicy

The ratio of melted butter to hot sauce is the trick here.

To water down the heat, increase the amount of melted butter and reduce the amount of hot sauce so you still end up with about 13-16 Tbsp of combined sauce in total.

Try adding 1 Tbsp at a time of each, and dip a stalk of celery in to taste as you go so you can adjust it to your preferences.

For Hot Buffalo Tofu Wings:

Try a roughly 7:1 ratio of hot sauce to melted butter.

For Medium Buffalo Tofu Wings:

Try a roughly 4:1 ratio of hot sauce to melted butter.

For Mild Buffalo Tofu Wings:

Try a roughly 2:1 ratio of hot sauce to melted butter.

This is similar to how I wrote the recipe, with an 8:5 ratio. These were plenty hot if you are eating them plain, but if they will be primarily used in salads or sandwiches, you could definitely go hotter.

Tips for helping these buffalo tofu wings stay crispy

Pre-baking the breaded tofu wings to a very crispy level is key here.

Once the buffalo sauce touches them, they will start getting soggy, so serve right away for a delicious and saucy tofu wing.

If you care less about the sauciness and more about the crunch, you can also bake the buffalo tofu wings for another 10 minutes after adding the buffalo sauce. (This is probably easiest for storing leftovers, too.)

However, they won’t have the sauciness that they had before baking.

How to make breaded buffalo tofu wings in the air fryer

Yes, if you were wondering, you can absolutely make these in the air fryer if you prefer!

You won’t be able to fit the whole recipe in the air fryer at once, so you will have to make them in 2-4 batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.

However, they cook a lot faster in the air fryer, so this works great for parties. That way, your guests can nibble on the first batch while more food cooks.

Air fryer option instructions:

• Pre-heat your air fryer to 400°F. Once hot, place a single layer of breaded tofu wings on a piece of parchment paper in the air fryer basket. Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
• Once crispy, toss in buffalo sauce and serve right away! (You can also re-air-fry them for a few more minutes to add to the crunch.)

Variations on this baked buffalo tofu nuggets recipe

Make it vegan buffalo tofu!

You can easily make this recipe vegan by simply using vegan butter and plant-based, unsweetened milk in place of dairy versions.

Make it gluten-free buffalo tofu!

Either skip the breadcrumbs altogether or use a gluten-free alternative like crushed cornflakes or rice crispies, rice panko, etc.

Add additional ingredients to your buffalo sauce

Consider adding minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce (generally not vegetarian), Tabasco sauce, parmesan cheese (vegan if applicable), etc. for a bit more punch.

Change up the sauce completely!

If you enjoyed these but found them a bit hot to make back-to-back, consider dressing them with:

• Teriyaki sauce (feel free to use the recipe from my teriyaki cauliflower wings post),
• Sichuan sauce (included in my sichuan broccoli and tofu recipe),
• Barbecue sauce,
• Sweet chili garlic sauce,
• Lemon pepper seasoning,

or any other flavoring you enjoy.

Can I make these with no added oil?

Yes you can!

Simply coat your baked, breaded tofu in hot sauce on its own for a lighter dish. They will be a little hotter, but that’s just good portion control.

Leftovers and Storage

You can store any leftover buffalo tofu wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To reheat:

• Bake in the oven for a few minutes on each side,
• Broil in the oven for a couple minutes, or
• Air fry for a couple minutes.

Any of these options will help crisp them up. Microwaved leftovers will still taste good, but they will be softer.

Related vegetarian appetizer and tofu recipes suitable for gameday

You may also enjoy:

• Teriyaki cauliflower wings
• Korean sweet potato fries
• Sichuan broccoli and tofu

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Is the soy in tofu healthy?

Tofu can be a wonderful addition to a varied diet!

It is highly nutritious. Tofu contains all of the essential amino acids that your body needs, making it a great source of plant-based complete protein.

Tofu also provides lots of calcium, copper, manganese, and selenium, as well as some iron, zinc, magnesium, and phosphorus.

Diets rich in soy, including tofu, may help lower cholesterol and protect heart health. Soy contains lots of antioxidants that may help reduce inflammation in your blood vessels and improve their elasticity.

If you have concerns about eating too much soy, here is a helpful article that breaks down what we know about the health effects of soy (spoiler: it’s mostly benefits).

Ingredients for Baked Buffalo Tofu Wings and Notes

Before you begin, you will need:

EDIBLE INGREDIENTS

Tofu

• 1 16-ounce package of extra-firm tofu (or super-firm if you can find it)

Many grocery stores now carry super-firm tofu, which you do not need to press. That will trim off that 30 minutes of “other” time on the recipe card below.

Hot Sauce or Buffalo Sauce

• 8 Tbsp hot sauce or buffalo sauce (Frank’s RedHot is widely available and vegan. I used one from Sprouts that is also vegan.)

As mentioned, you can buy pre-made buffalo sauce like Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Hot Sauce and skip the butter, or mix up your own concoction with a hot sauce like Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Hot Sauce with butter and extra seasoning if desired.

Butter

• 5 Tbsp butter (vegan if applicable)

I used salted butter, but unsalted would have been just fine. If you are making vegan hot wings, I have had good luck using Miyoko’s vegan butter. You could also use coconut oil or olive oil for a less salty buffalo sauce.

Milk

• 1/4 cup milk (plant-based if applicable)

If you don’t want to use dairy milk, unsweetened plain soy or almond milk also work very well here.

Starch

• 6 Tbsp cornstarch (1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp)

Of course, you can use what you have in your kitchen – flour, arrowroot starch, tapioca starch, etc.

Breadcrumbs

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (try rice panko or crushed cornflakes if you follow a gluten-free diet)

Again, you can buy Italian seasoned panko breadcrumbs and skip some of the extra seasoning below, but it will be more flavorful if you mix up your own.

Seasonings and Spices

• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning blend
• 1/4 tsp dried chives
• Garnishes of your choice: green onions, chives, bleu cheese crumbles, celery, baby carrots, parsley, etc.

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

• Tofu press (optional)
• Knife and cutting board
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Paper towels (optional but helpful in getting the tofu dry)
• 3 small bowls for breading station
• 1 large mixing bowl to toss the buffalo sauce and tofu bites
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper (optional but helps make clean-up easier)

How to Make Crispy Baked Buffalo Tofu Wings

Prep work for baked buffalo tofu wings – press and slice tofu, & season breading

1. First, press and drain your tofu (unless you happen to find super-firm, which I have not seen locally.) If you have a tofu press, use that. If not, see my instructions above in the article. Try to let it sit for 30 minutes if you remember in time.
2. Once your tofu is drained, slice it into “wing” sized pieces. Smaller pieces will stay together easier, while longer strips may not hold up as well until they are breaded and baked. I ended up with 35 pieces.
3. Then, add your spices – salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning blend, paprika, and dried chives – to the breadcrumbs in a small bowl and mix well.

Bread the tofu wings

1. After that, set up your breading station. You will need three small bowls – one each for the cornstarch, milk, and breading mixture. You can cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it next to the bowls to place the breaded tofu wings on.
2. Preheat your oven to 425°F.
3. Now, you are ready to start breading. Use one hand to coat the tofu with the dry cornstarch to minimize mess, and then use your other hand to dip the coated tofu in the milk and then roll it in the breadcrumb mixture. Place your breaded tofu wing on the baking sheet and repeat until you have breaded all your tofu.

Bake the breaded tofu wings in the oven, coat them in buffalo sauce, and rebake if desired for more crispiness

1. After that, place the breaded tofu wings in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, then take them out, flip them, and bake for another 10 minutes.
2. While the tofu wings are baking, you can melt the butter and mix in the hot sauce or buffalo sauce until evenly mixed.
3. Then, take out the baked breaded tofu wings and place them in a large mixing bowl. Pour the buffalo sauce mixture over them and toss until evenly coated. (You can also put everything in a large Ziplock bag and shake to coat if preferred.)
4. Voila! The baked buffalo tofu wings are technically done! You can serve immediately, OR:
5. Bake the buffalo tofu wings for 10 more minutes to make them really crispy. This last bake is optional, but the breading will start to get soggy as soon as you add the sauce, so you will want to either serve them right away or re-bake them, as I did. This will also help your leftovers (if you have any – only 8 wings survived to the next day in our house) have a better texture. Garnish with green onions or chives if desired, then serve with ranch dipping sauce, made into a sandwich or sliders, or over a green salad, and enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed this simple buffalo tofu recipe!