30 Minute Crispy Baked Buffalo Tofu Strips

Craving some buffalo wings, but not so much the meat? These baked buffalo tofu strips are crispy, tangy, and absolutely bursting with bold, spicy buffalo flavor! This easy tofu recipe is perfect for snacking, dipping, dunking, and sharing with friends! For best results, use extra-firm tofu.

Easily one of my favorite vegan meal ideas, this Buffalo Tofu continues to impress with how much flavor you can accomplish with just 5 simple ingredients.

As a proponent of a sustainable lifestyle, I’m always looking for delicious meat alternatives to help me lower my ecological footprint, and this Buffalo Tofu is the easiest substitute when you are craving chicken wings.

Tofu is a protein-rich food made from condensing soy milk. It’s a great addition to any meal because of its ability to take on any flavor.

Green tip: Industrial meat production has a huge impact on the environment, especially because of the amount of land it takes to sustain and its high amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing your meat consumption is one great way to reduce your ecological footprint.

Baked Buffalo Tofu Ingredients

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Just 5 simple ingredients! Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Extra-Firm Tofu. A 14-ounce block should be enough to serve 4. You can easily half it or just make it all and save the leftovers for 3-5 days.
• Olive Oil. To get that crispy exterior.
• Cornstarch. To soak up excess liquid in the oven.
• Hot Sauce. Like Tabasco,Cholula, Frank’s RedHot, Tapatio or Yep!
• Vegan Butter. I used Miyoko’s Oat Milk Butter, but any will work.

Crispy Buffalo Tofu Tips and Tricks

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Drain and Press Your Tofu

Tofu sometimes gets a bad rap because when not drained and pressed, it often ends up with a “spongy” texture. So in order to get this tofu snack recipe nice and crispy, you definitely have to take the time to press it.

You don’t necessarily need a special gadget like a tofu press to do so. Just wrap your tofu in a clean kitchen towel and place a cutting board on top.

Add something heavy on top of the cutting board to press down on your tofu and release the liquid into the kitchen towel. Make sure to allow your tofu to press for 5 minutes at the very least.

You’ll often see me recommending pressing tofu in my other delicious tofu recipes (including these Tofu Fajitas!), so if you eat tofu often, you may want to consider investing in a tofu press.

How to Make Simple Buffalo Sauce for Baked Tofu Strips

This quick buffalo sauce is the easiest way to add flavor to this crispy tofu recipe!

You can either melt the vegan butter in a pot over low heat on the stove or in the microwave.

If you’re melting it in the microwave, start by microwaving for 20-seconds. Give it a stir, and if it’s still not completely melted, microwave in 8-second intervals until it is.

Add your hot sauce and whisk. If you like a lot of spice you can add up to two tablespoons of hot sauce, but I find that 1 tablespoon is enough of a kick for me.

How to Slice Tofu Strips to Get them Super Crispy

The thinner the tofu, the crispier. But too thin, and they won’t hold up! Finding the right thickness is crucial to getting the best outcome for this vegan snack idea.

Use a sharp knife to slice your tofu into 10-12 pieces, making sure to keep them roughly 1/4 inch thick.

Coat Tofu Strips in Cornstarch to Get it Crispy

Getting your Buffalo Tofu crispy requires a combination of pressed tofu, olive oil, and cornstarch.

Regardless of how much you press your tofu, it will likely still retain excess moisture. As the olive oil heats in the oven and essentially fries the outer layer of tofu, the cornstarch works to absorb excess liquid.

In order for these two ingredients to do their job, we have to evenly coat the tofu.

You can choose to toss the tofu in oil and cornstarch, but I find using a pastry brush to lightly brush on the olive oil is easier. Then, you can just sprinkle the cornstarch on top.

Make sure to flip the tofu and get both sides!

Green tip: Look for organic, non-GMO tofu to make sure it’s sourced sustainably.

Bake the Buffalo Tofu Strips Until Golden

Spread your tofu out evenly on your baking sheet, leaving a little space in between each strip. It’s important not to stack them on top of one another.

I recommend placing your tofu directly on the baking sheet rather than using tin foil. In my testing, I found that the tofu tends to stick to the foil more.

With your oven at 400°F and with your tofu on the top rack, you should start to see it turn golden brown within 25-30 minutes.

Flip your tofu after 15 minutes and then watch it closely after about 20 minutes. Take it out of the oven as soon as it starts to brown to avoid any chance of burning.

Green tip: Paper products contribute to deforestation. Consider these bamboo paper towels! Bamboo naturally regenerates every few months, whereas trees cannot regrow once harvested.

Blot Excess Oil

Once your tofu strips are nice and golden brown, remove them from your baking tray and place them on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

I also recommend using a second paper towel to blot the top. Just beware, they’re super hot! Give them a couple of minutes to cool down so you don’t burn your fingers.

Removing excess oil removes extra fat, but more importantly, gives you a better surface to add your quick buffalo sauce. If your tofu is too oily, the sauce will slip right off.

Buffalo Tofu Air Fryer Option

If you would rather make this delicious vegan appetizer idea in the air fryer, you certainly can! Follow all of the steps exactly as written, but instead of preheating the oven, preheat your air fryer to 350°F.

I recommend spraying the bottom of your air fryer basket with olive oil or cooking spray, and then place the oil and cornstarch-coated tofu strips in the basket in a single layer.

Air fry the rectangular tofu strips for 12-14 minutes until the top is starting to turn golden brown. Then, flip the tofu and air fry for an additional 7-8 minutes until golden brown on both sides.

Green tip: Consider filling your own reusable oil sprayer to avoid extra pesky aerosol cans, that aren’t always recyclable.

Generously Apply Your Vegan Buffalo Sauce

I love to use my pastry brush to generously lather the quick vegan buffalo sauce on the crispy tofu strips. It allows for even distribution. You can also opt to toss the tofu in the sauce by placing the tofu in a large bowl and pouring your sauce on top.

Shake the bowl and move the tofu around until it is completely coated in the sauce.

How to Store and Reheat Leftover Buffalo Tofu

The prepared and sauced-up tofu stays fresh for 3-5 days covered in the refrigerator. I sometimes just eat these leftovers cold, but you can also reheat in the oven at 400°F for 8-10 minutes until heated thoroughly.

The air fryer is also an option to make sure they stay crispy. 375°F for 2-3 minutes in the air fryer will do!

I love to snack on these like wings, with some celery and vegan ranch! But they’re also a great addition to a sandwich, salad, or even a quinoa or rice bowl!

Why You Should Make these 30 Minute Crispy Baked Buffalo Tofu Strips

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• It’s easy. Minimal ingredients and ready in a flash!
• They’re so flavorful. The hot sauce gives these crispy tofu strips a great kick.
• The texture. No spongy tofu here! It’s all about that crispy exterior.