In my view, it’s always a good time for buffalo wings.
But especially so during Super Bowl season. Let’s get a little fire going in our bellies!
The last time I got to salute the local team was way back when our family had just relocated to the US (where has time gone?). Can’t say my knowledge of football has progressed any but my appetite for all things buffalo sauce continues to grow.
The inspiration for these hotties comes from Veggie Grill — a favorite local haunt that serves up diabolically addicting, bank account depleting, spicy tofu wings.
It became a must make at home situation. And the beauty of that is you’ll not only save money, you’ll also get to put your own spin on them.
For this version, I decided to skip the breadcrumbs that are typical in plant-based wings in favor of nooch — have you experimented with nutritional yeast? Don’t let the name put you off — these are dry savory flakes (inactive yeast) that you can shake on to virtually any dish (a bit like a parm cheese shaker). The flakes have a pleasant subtle flavor and versatile texture that makes them a great allergen-free stand-in for wheat based crumbs. Nooch is also rich in B vitamins (notably B12) which is an especially good choice for plant-based diets.
Combined with the tapioca they give these bites a surprisingly good texture and satisfying mouthfeel (it’s all about that bass).
Enjoy these wings straight from the oven with your favorite buffalo sauce!
- 1 pound (454g) extra firm tofu (I used Azumaya), cut into 12 sticks
- ⅓ cup (40g) tapioca starch (could also use corn starch or arrowroot)
- ¼ cup (56g) almond milk
- ¾ cup (52g) nutritional yeast flakes (I used Bragg)
- 1 tsp onion salt
- ½ - ¾ cup (152g) of your favorite Buffalo sauce (heat levels vary - see Notes below) + optional mix-in: 2 Tbsp of vegan butter/butter
- for dipping: homemade ranch
- preheat oven to 425F
- Cut the tofu into 12 even'ish shaped sticks (i am horrible at cutting things evenly), place the tofu sticks in a kitchen towel, place another towel over top and gently squeeze out excess moisture without crushing the tofu.
- Place tapioca in a flat base bowl, milk in a separate flat bowl and nutritional yeast + onion salt mixture in a third -- (try to use bowls that will accommodate wing span of tofu)
- Roll each tofu stick into tapioca starch (remembering to dip ends too) followed by milk and finally nutritional yeast, such that each stick is fully coated. Tip: I find it useful to rinse my fingers between each dredge.
- Place each coated stick on a greased baking sheet (I don't use parchment) and bake for about 22 minutes. Remove from oven, flip the sticks and put back in oven for another 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place wing sauce (+ butter if using) in a bowl and when sticks are ready, roll each one in the Buffalo sauce to coat - or - if you prefer to go easy on the sauce, simply brush on to taste.
- These wings are best enjoyed straight from the oven -- plate as desired and serve with celery sticks/ranch sauce, etc.
Although we are not vegetarians, we do like to reduce our meat in-take. These look wonderful and I bet they pack a punch too! We will be at 30,000 feet during the super bowl this year so I’ll have to make them when we get back!