Fried chicken is a summertime picnic classic that we vegans can enjoy by simply using tofu to replace the chickens. After all, it is really about the seasoning and frying to get a nice crispy crust. I took pieces of tofu, coated them in 11 herbs and spices, tossed them in the air fryer, and in 15 minutes had delicious, crispy, K(a)FT, Kentucky Airfried Tofu. And yes, 11 herbs and spices just like the Colonel’s “secret” recipe.

The big discovery for me in making this was in the wet component of the breading process.  Every time I want to coat something in breading for frying, I struggle with what to use for the liquid. I have tried using both unsweetened milks, as well as mixtures of water and flax seeds. They both work but I don’t like working them: the milks are too thin and the flax mixture can add too strong a flavor. One day I saw someone making a chickpea flour omelette and I realized I could use this as the perfect egg replacement for frying. Be warned however, this tastes horrible. Thankfully the taste does not last and disappears as soon as the food is cooked.

Something else to note, when prepping the tofu, rather than cutting it into uniform cubes, I chose to break it into very rough pieces. This gives the final product a more home style look. These make a great snack or hors d’oeuvre. You can make them ahead of time and either toss them into the air fryer for a quick re-crisping before serving, or keep them warm on a rack over a baking sheet in a 200F oven.

If you don’t have an air fryer, you can still enjoy this recipe. At the end I give directions for doing it in both the oven and in an oil fryer. If you do want to get an air fryer, this is the one I use.

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon dried mustard
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon white pepper
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic granules
1 cup chickpea flour
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons hot sauce
1 14 ounce block firm tofu, drained, rinsed and pressed
condiments for serving

In a large mixing bowl combine the all purpose flour, salt, dried thyme, dried basil, black pepper, dried oregano, celery salt, mustard, ginger, white pepper, paprika and garlic. Mix well to evenly distribute the seasonings.

In a separate mixing bowl whisk together the chickpea flour, water, and hot sauce. Taste and add more hot sauce if you want. However be warned, this will taste awful, you are only checking the heat level.

Break the tofu into rough, half-inch pieces. Add the tofu to the wet mixture. Toss gently to coat all the pieces. One at a time remove one piece of the tofu from the liquid mixture allowing any excess liquid to drip back into the pan. Transfer the tofu to the flour mixture and toss to coat. Shake off any excess flour and place the coated tofu on a plate. Repeat the process until all the pieces are floured.

Give the bottom of the airfryer basket a spray with cooking spray. Place the tofu piece into the basket in a single layer with space between the pieces. Do not crowed them. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your fryer. Give the tofu pieces a spray with cooking spray and cook at 390F for 15 minutes, tossing the tofu halfway through. If you are doing this in batches, place the cooked tofu on a cooling rack over a baking sheet and keep warm in a 200F oven until the rest of the tofu is done.

Transfer the tofu  to a plate for serving. Serve with your favorites condiments for dipping like ranch dressing, ketchup, or barbecue sauce.

Serves 4

Here is how to do it in an oven or by deep frying:

Oven directions: put the floured pieces of tofu on a parchment lined baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Cook in the oven at 420 for 25 minutes, flipping the pieces halfway through cooking.

Pan Frying: Heat 3 inches of vegetable or other neutral oil in a deep pot to 375F. Add the tofu pieces and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes, flipping after 3 minutes. Remove from the oil and transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Do this in batches so you don’t over crowd the pot. Always allow the oil to return to 375F between batches.