Whenever you have a craving for chicken tenders but don’t want to eat greasy fried food, you have to make Vegan Sesame Tofu Tenders instead! They’re crispy and delicious but they’re also high in protein and packed with nutrients! Pair them with Baked French Fries and Broccoli Caesar Salad for the perfect meal. Prefer nuggets? Make Vegan Air-Fried Tofu Nuggets.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Meat-Free: This is a meat-free recipe. So, if you want to save money on groceries or enjoy a plant-based meal, these Vegan Sesame Tofu Tenders are made from tofu! Try Vegan Air-Fried Tofu Nuggets next.
- Protein Packed: Tofu is packed with protein and amino acids so it will keep you satiated and nourished from the inside-out.
- Kid Friendly: Have you ever met a kid that didn’t love a tender? Nope, me neither! Vegan Sesame Tofu Tenders are a perfect kid’s lunch.
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Notes on Ingredients
- Tofu: Use extra-firm, high-protein tofu. Love tofu??? Check out Vegan Pineapple Teriyaki Tofu.
- Breadcrumbs: Feel free to use gluten-free breadcrumbs to keep this recipe gluten-free.
- Chickpea Flour: Also known as garbanzo flour and is used for the breading.
Please take note that this is important information about the ingredients used in this recipe and the FULL recipe with measurements and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
How do you make Vegan Sesame Tofu Tenders?
- Preheat the air-fryer to 400F (or oven to 450F).
- Break tofu into nugget-like shapes.
- To a large bowl, add chickpea flour and water and mix together.
- To another bowl, mix together breadcrumbs and sesame seeds.
- Dip each piece of tofu in the chickpea flour mixture first, then roll in the breadcrumb mixture until completely coated. Place gently in the air-fryer.
- Bake in the air-fryer for 8-10 minutes (or 30-40 minutes in the oven).
- Dip in sauce and enjoy!
- Step 1: First, preheat the air-fryer and break the tofu into nugget shapes.
- Step 2: Then, to a bowl, add chickpea flour and water. To a separate bowl, add breadcrumbs and sesame seeds. Mix both.
- Step 3: Dip each nugget first into the chickpea flour/water mixture and then into the breacrumb mixture.
- Step 4: Next, gently add each tofu nugget into the air-fryer basket.
- Step 5: Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden and crispy.
- Step 6: Lastly, make the dipping sauce and enjoy!
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Commonly Asked Questions
Yes! Preheat the oven to 450F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and bake them in the oven for 30-40 minutes.
I love to make a honey mustard dipping sauce, but sometimes I’ll also make my Vegan Ranch or even Cashew Sour Cream.
These are best eaten fresh, but if you’re making them ahead of time, reheat them in the oven or air-fryer for a couple minutes to recrisp them.
“Wow!!!! These Vegan Sesame Tofu Tenders are outstanding! These things are so good I felt like I cheated hahaha. I will definitely be making these on the regular.”
– Marcus
Extra Helpful Tips
- If you don’t have an air-fryer, you can bake these in the oven. See the recipe card below for more details & instructions!
- Get the most firm tofu you can find–like high-protein or extra-firm tofu. You can also press the tofu before using it to remove more of the liquid content.
- These are best eaten fresh! However, if you have leftovers, simply pop them back into the air fryer for a few minutes to heat them up and get them crispy again.
- If you don’t have sesame seeds, don’t worry about it! Just omit them.
If you tried this Vegan Sesame Tofu Tenders or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 5-star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Vegan Sesame Tofu Tenders
Ingredients
Vegan Sesame Tofu Tenders
- 1 block extra-firm tofu I use high protein tofu from Trader Joe’s
- ½ cup breadcrumbs gluten-free if needed
- ⅓ cup sesame seeds
- ½ cup chickpea flour
- ½ + ⅛ cup water
Honey-less Mustard Sauce
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup or honey if not strict vegan
- ⅓ cup dijon mustard or yellow mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the air-fryer to 400 degrees F (or oven to 450F for oven method).
- Break your tofu into nugget/tender-like shapes, about the length of your thumb.
- To one bowl, add chickpea flour and water and mix together.
- To another bowl, add breadcrumbs and sesame seeds and mix together.
- Dip each piece of tofu in the chickpea flour mixture first, then roll in the bread crumb mixture until completely coated. Place gently in the air-fryer.
- Bake in air fryer for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Oven Method: bake on parchment paper at 450 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Dip in honey-less mustard, eat fresh and enjoy!
Notes
- If you don’t have an air-fryer, you can bake these in the oven. See the recipe card below for more details & instructions!
- Get the most firm tofu you can find–like high-protein or extra-firm tofu. You can also press the tofu before using it to remove more of the liquid content.
- These are best eaten fresh! However, if you have leftovers, simply pop them back into the air fryer for a few minutes to heat them up and get them crispy again.
- If you don’t have sesame seeds, don’t worry about it! Just omit them.
Sharon says
This looks delicious!! Can’t wait to make it!!
Danielle Keith says
YAY!
Marcus LeFevre says
Wow!!!! These Vegan Sesame Tofu Tenders are outstanding! These things are so good I felt like I cheated hahaha. I will definitely be making these on the regular. Thanks for sharing.
Lauren says
These were great! substituted Cassava flour for chick pea flour, made in the air fryer – got super crispy. Everyone loved them – even the meat eaters! will make again for sure! thanks for the great recipes!
Jordan Stacy says
Easy, delicious tofu recipe!