How to Make Vegan Nashville Hot Chik’n with Tofu
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It’s the kind of burn that feels so good, and then it’s paired with cold, briny pickles in a genius palate cleanser between bites. And now, we can get our vegan friends in on the party, too. So, let’s look at making some vegan Nashville Hot Chik’n with Tofu!
I think the funniest thing about Nashville Hot Chicken trending nationwide is that my husband and I pretty much moved to Nashville for the hot chicken. It was a tipping factor. Hot chicken joints were popping up in Dallas, LA, Vegas, and everywhere else within a year. I like to think we’re magic, even though it’s purely a coincidence.
But I think maybe our vegan buddies are missing out on the delightful, tongue-scalding, delicious experience.
Pressing the Tofu
First, we have to press the excess liquid from our brick of tofu. This is pretty easy. Take a clean dish towel and wrap it neatly. Sandwich it between two plates, and set a weight on top to create a tofu press. Let it sit for about half an hour. If your towel is soaked after that, you can wrap it again and press for another half hour.
Here’s a little extra credit tip: You can drain and freeze your tofu for a meatier texture. It feels like a chicken nugget in your mouth; it’s nice. When you thaw it, it will release a lot more liquid, so wrap and press it well.
Nashville Hot Chik’n Flavor in Tofu
Tofu needs help in the flavor department, but that’s why it makes a great canvas. The classic Nashville heat is added in three stages (just as if this were chicken). First, we marinade. Then, we add more seasoning to the crust. And finally, our fried tofu takes a dip in the hot seasoned oil.
The seasoning is the first thing to mix together. You need a lot of it, and it’s easier to make a batch and then measure it out into each element as you go.
If you remember back to my Chicken-Fried Tofu recipe, the marinade we’ll use today has much of the same ingredients, just with a lot more heat. Note the pickle juice. Nashville hot chicken is nothing without pickles, and I for one, always need more. So, start right out the gate adding it to the marinade.
Tricks for a Crispy Crust
I don’t think any of my tricks are big secrets. You probably know these things already, but you know what? Let’s go over them anyway just for fun.
First up, add baking powder to the flour. That adds lift to the crust so it’s crisp, not crunchy. It’s not going to break your teeth. Who wants that? Instead, it’s light, crisp, and super satisfying.
Second, double dredge. You want a nice substantial first coating to make sure your crust sticks. Nothing’s worse than the crust falling off. And then a second coating builds upon it. That way you have enough for a good crispy crunch.
Third, make sure your oil is hot enough. Too-cold oil means oily, soggy crust. Too-hot oil leads to oily, bitter, and tough crust. Aim for 350ºF and use a thermometer.
Finally, add a little of the wet mixture to the dry mixture in the dredge. Whisk it in, and it’ll form lumps. Those lumps will cling to the tofu and fry up as yummy, extra crispy chunks.
How to Properly Dredge Vegan Nashville Hot Chik’n
Have you ever heard of the wet hand/dry hand technique? This is a simple way to minimize the mess on your hands. Sure, you can use your dominant hand only, but you’ll end up with what I lovingly call a “dredge claw.”
So, with one hand, dip your tofu in flour and get it coated. Use your other hand to move it to the wet ingredients. Go back to your “dry” hand to finish the dredge. Your hands aren’t going to be clean, but they won’t be absolutely caked either.
The Famous Nashville Hot Chicken Dip
Part of what makes Nashville Hot Chicken so great is the spicy oil that the fried chicken bathes in before it’s served to you on a bed of white bread. Even though this is tofu, we have to dip it! It’s 100% necessary. Otherwise, it’s just spicy fried tofu.
The key is to make sure your fry oil is still piping hot. Pour a ladle full into a bit of spice mix, and carefully dip immediately. Use tongs to protect your fingers. Hot oil will take your fingerprints off, and the spices are not going to make it feel any nicer.
Remember, it’s a dip, not a bath. Give it a quick dip and put the tofu back on the rack to drain. This keeps it crispy.
Serving Up Vegan Nashville Hot Chik’n
When you’re all ready to serve, set your gorgeously spicy vegan Nashville hot tofu onto a slice of bread. White bread is the classic choice, but use what you have. A slice of sourdough would be very trendy, for example.
The final touch is a smattering of cold dill pickles. Some restaurants will top your mountain of chicken with a sing pickle, and personally, I find that offensive. You need pickles, plural! Keep the jar on the table and add more as you go! I like pickles, can you tell?
You will also want some nice sides to go with it. I am a real fan of Black-Eyed Pea Salad a la Hattie B’s. It does well without the bacon, surprisingly. When I order there, I get the collards. I’m still working out how to make vegan collards that good (they need bacon… sorry). I also really love the pimento mac and cheese, and I will be working tirelessly this fall to perfect that recipe. It probably will not be vegan, though. Sorry.
Tools You’ll Need
You’ll probably have these things in your kitchen already, but just in case, here are my recommendations:
- 2 plates for pressing tofu and 2 wide bottom bowls for dredging. I have sets from Noritake Colorwave in raspberry.
- Clean tea towels
- Cast iron pan for frying
Comment below if you have questions, concerns, or opinions. And tag me @ellejayathome on Instagram or Twitter if you share pictures from any of my recipes. I love to hear from you!
Vegan Nashville Hot Chik’n
Equipment
- 12-inch cast iron pan
- Wire rack for draining
Ingredients
Nashville Hot Seasoning
- 4 Tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp pink Himalayan salt
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
Nashville Tofu Marinade
- 32 oz extra firm tofu (2 bricks)
- 2 cups filtered water or vegetable broth
- 1 cup dill pickle juice
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp liquid smoke
- 3 Tbsp Nashville Hot Seasoning (see above)
Dredge and Breading
- 1 cup soy milk (oat milk also works)
- 1 Tbsp Louisiana hot sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp Nashville Hot Seasoning (see above)
- 2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
Mix the Nashville Hot Seasoning
- Measure out your ingredients and combine them in a container with a lid. Cover and shake to distribute everything evenly.
Marinate the Tofu
- Wrap and press the tofu for at least thirty minutes to remove the liquid.
- Slice each brick into 6 equal slices. Place them into a large rimmed vessel like a 9×13 pan.
- Whisk the marinade ingredients together and pour over the tofu. Cover, and let it sit for at least an hour.
Dredge and Fry
- In one bowl, whisk together the soy milk and hot sauce.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, seasoning, baking powder, and salt.
- Set the frying pan on the stove, and heat the oil to 350ºF.
- Dip each piece of tofu in flour, then in the soy milk, and then back in the flour. Drop it gently into the oil. Fry the tofu in batches of 4 max. After about 4 minutes, flip them and cook for another 4 minutes.
- Drain the fried tofu on a wire rack as you finish frying the rest of the tofu.
- When you are finished with frying, collect a ladle full of still-hot oil and carefully stir in the spices. They WILL sizzle, so use a large enough bowl and prepare for the spatter.
- Dip each tofu plank into the spicy oil while it's still very hot, and move them back to the wire rack to drain.
- Serve the Nashville Hot Tofu on a slice of white bread, and top with cold dill pickles.
