Soy Garlic Korean Fried Chick'n

Soy garlic Korean fried chicken, but with a vegan twist! These chick'n nuggets are made from crispy tofu coated in a delicious sweet & savory sticky soy garlic sauce. But we have to warn you, these will be gone before you know it.

The other night, we had a strong craving for soy garlic Korean fried chicken and decided to create a vegan version. These Soy Garlic Korean Fried Chick'n nuggets are super easy to make and 100% guaranteed to be a hit with family & friends. The crispy golden tofu nuggets are coated in a deliciously sticky sweet & savory sauce. This definitely satisfied our craving and we plan to make this more in the future.

the secret to crispy tofu

• Firm tofu. This recipe will only work with firm tofu. So make sure you're using the correct tofu, save your soft & silk tofu for other recipes.

• Drain & press. Before cooking, make sure you drain and press all the water out of your tofu. We do this by placing our tofu on a wire rack and placing a cast-iron pot filled with water on top of the tofu (you can stack your tofu with books or other heavy objects). We typically press our tofu for 1-2 hours.

• Cornstarch & oil. Once the tofu is pressed and cut into cubes, coat the tofu evenly with corn starch and follow with a coating of a neutral-tasting oil. This will ensure that the tofu gets nice and crispy.

• For extra crispiness, freeze. Freeze your tofu twice for extra crispy tofu. For the ultimate crisp, freeze and thaw your firm tofu twice. This step requires extra preparation, so if you don't have time you can skip it.

soy garlic sauce

Soy garlic is a classic Korean fried chicken sauce. Here's what you need:

• Coconut Sugar. Most recipes use brown sugar and honey, however, we swapped them with coconut sugar. If you don't have coconut sugar, you can also use maple syrup or just brown sugar.

• Apple Cider Vinegar. We didn't have rice vinegar, so we used apple cider vinegar. If you have rice vinegar, that is a perfect substitute.

• Soy Sauce. You can also use tamari or amino acids.

• Garlic. What is soy garlic without garlic! We prefer to use fresh garlic, but garlic powder can also be used.

• Ginger. This gives a nice kick & extra flavor. If you don't have fresh ginger, ginger powder can be used.

• Shallot. You can also use onions if you don't have shallots.

• Green Onion. Optional, but recommended.

Slurry. The secret to creating a thick sauce.

• Cornstarch

• Water

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Serving Size: 2-3 People

Prep Time: 20 mins (+1 hour to press tofu)

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins

Description:

Soy garlic Korean fried chicken, but with a vegan twist! These chick'n nuggets are made from crispy tofu coated in a delicious sweet & savory sticky soy garlic sauce. But we have to warn you, these will be gone before you know it.

Ingredients:

Tofu

1 block of firm tofu, cut into cubes

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp neutral tasting oil

Sauce

2 tbsp neutral tasting oil

1-2 shallots, minced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp ginger, minced

2 stalks green onion, thinly sliced

2 tbsp coconut sugar

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp cornstarch

2 tsp water

½ tbsp sesame seeds, for topping

Instructions:

1. Drain & press tofu, the more water drained the better. Then cut into bite-sized cubes.

2. In a shallow bowl, toss tofu with cornstarch and a neutral-tasting oil. Make sure all the pieces are covered.

3. Heat a large pan over high heat and add the tofu. Cook for around 2-5 mins on each side till all the pieces are golden brown and crispy.

4. While the tofu cooks, prepare your sauce. Mince your shallot, garlic, ginger, and green onion. And in a small bowl combine coconut sugar, soy sauce, and apple cider vinegar. Set aside.

5. When the tofu has reached your preferred crispiness, transfer to a plate.

6. In the same pan on high heat, add oil. When the pan is hot, add garlic, ginger, shallots, and green onion (save ⅓ of the green onion for topping). Sauté for 3-5 mins or till the garlic is lightly brown and the shallots are translucent.

7. Reduce the heat to low and add your sauce. In the bowl your sauce was in, create a slurry by mixing cornstarch and water. Add the slurry to the sauce and increase the heat to medium. Mix till the sauce becomes thick and sticky.

8. Add the tofu to the pan and gently toss with the sauce. Cook for an additional 2-3 mins till all the tofu is coated.

9. Transfer to a plate, top with sesame seeds & green onion, and serve.