I’m not going to lie here…I think I really outdid myself on this one! This was such a delicious sandwich and it came out perfectly crispy. The sauce added a perfect amount of tang and I just loved the burst pickle flavor on top. This recipe was born out of being jealous of others eating some crispy fried chicken and wanting to make my own healthier option that was plant based. Even your meat-loving friends will enjoy this sandwich!
Freezing & Pressing the Tofu
Yes, it’s a pain to freeze and then thaw, tofu. It takes preparation in advance of a recipe which isn’t what we always want to do. However, after doing this myself, I would not recommend skipping this step. It really changes the texture of tofu so that when you bite into the sandwich it doesn’t just feel like you’re eating a huge block of tofu. It is also really important to make sure you press the tofu to get rid of the excess moisture. Otherwise, when you each your sandwich, you’ll have liquid pouring down your arm (speaking from experience here, lol). If you don’t know how to press tofu, check out this blog post. It’s actually super simple!
Update: You can also try boiling the tofu in salted water for 5 minutes instead! I tried this with a recent recipe and the texture came out great along with the excess moisture being removed.
What Equipment Do I Need?
- Mixing Bowl
- Two Regular Bowls
- Something to Mix With
- Measuring Cups & Spoons
- Cutting Board & Knife
- Large Frying Pan
Ingredients
Sandwich
- Gluten Free Extra Firm Tofu
- Gluten Free Buns
- Gluten Free Sandwich Dill Pickles
- Mixed Greens
- Oil for Frying
Batter
- Chickpea Flour
- Water
- Paprika
- Sriracha
Flour Mix
- Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour
- Corn Starch
- Nutritional Yeast
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Old Bay Seasoning
Sauce
- Vegan Mayo
- Maple Syrup
- Pickle Juice
- Sriracha
Substitutions
- Toppings – If you want to switch out or add to any of the toppings on the sandwich, go for it! Leave a comment if you try something that comes out tasty so I can try it too!
- Sriracha – If you prefer a different type of hot sauce, you can try that instead.
- Chickpea Flour – If you have a hard time finding chickpea flour, you can use gluten free all-purpose flour instead, but you may need to change the amount of water you add. You don’t want the batter to be too runny but also not too thick.
Recipe Tips
- If you want extra flavor, spread vegan mayo on the bun for an added taste and texture.
- If you want to get really crazy, spread vegan butter on both sides of the inside of the bun and toast it in the frying pan.
- This sandwich is served well with homemade french fries, potato chips, or a side salad.
Recipe
Fried Tofu Sandwich
Ingredients
Sandwich
- 2 blocks gluten free extra firm tofu
- 4 gluten free buns
- 1 jar gluten free dill sandwich pickles
- 2 cups mixed greens
- oil for frying
Batter
- 3/4 cup chickpea flour
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 1/2 tbsp sriracha
Flour Mix
- 2 cups gluten free all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp old bay seasoning
Sauce
- 1/3 cup vegan mayo
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp pickle juice
- 1 tbsp sriracha
Instructions
Prepare the Tofu
- Freeze the tofu in the containers for 12 hours before cooking the recipe. Then, allow it to thaw out in the refrigerator for another 12 hours. If the tofu is still frozen, put the containers in a bowl of cold water to finish thawing it out. Update: Instead of freezing the tofu, you can boil it in salted water for five minutes instead! Drain the packages of tofu, cut it into the sandwich slices, and boil. Easy – no pressing or freezing required!
- Drain the packages of tofu. Press them to release any excess liquid. If you don’t know how to press tofu, click here.
- Slice each block of tofu in half lengthwise.
Batter & Fry the Tofu
- Prepare the batter by whisking all batter ingredients together in bowl.
- Prepare the flour mix by adding all ingredients together in a mixing bowl and mixing together.
- Preheat a large fry pan on medium heat with at least 3 tbsp of oil.
- Dip one tofu piece into the batter to thoroughly coat it. Do the same with the flour mix and place the tofu in the hot pan. Do the same with the remaining tofu slices.
- Cook tofu for 5 minutes on each side or until browned and crispy. Add more oil as needed.
- Once all tofu is cooked, place on a plate with a paper towel to soak up some of the grease.
Prepare the Sandwiches
- Make the sauce by combining all sauce ingredients in a bowl and mixing together.
- Optional – toast the bun.
- Place a handful of mixed greens on the bun and top with a slice of fried tofu. Then, load it up with as many pickle rounds as you want and drizzle with sauce. Enjoy hot!
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