Crispy Tofu Bang Bang Sandwich

A crispy tofu sandwich with Bang Bang sauce, pickled carrots, cucumber, red onion and topped with cilantro. The tofu is crispy, the vegetables are sweet and sour and the bang bang sauce is slightly spicy with a hint of sweetness. It is perfect for lunch or dinner!

A note on some of the ingredients

Extra Firm Tofu: Because the tofu in this recipe needs to stand up to being breaded extra firm tofu is best. I recommend pressing the tofu for a minimum of 30 minutes to extract as much water as possible. If you don’t have a tofu press then you can lay the slices of tofu on a clean kitchen towel and press it between some heavy cookbooks.

Vegan mayonnaise: My favorite vegan mayonnaise is Hellman’s. I’d be really surprised if any non-vegans could tell the difference between Hellman’s vegan mayo and regular mayo. Feel free to use your favorite brand.

Sweet Chili Thai sauce: VH brand makes a gluten free sweet chili Thai sauce This sauce works really well in this recipe.

How the Crispy tofu bang bang sandwiches are made:

This recipe requires a bit of prep, but once it’s done, the cooking itself is quick. As the tofu is being pressed, mix the vinegar, salt, and sugar in a medium-sized jar. Next, prepare the vegetables. I like to use a peeler and peel the carrots into thin sections. Then chop the cucumber and then thinly slice the red onion.

Simply layer all of the vegetables into the jar, pressing them down as much as possible so that they are all covered in the vinegar mixture. If needed, add a dash more rice vinegar to cover the veg. Cover the jar and place it in the fridge until needed. As a bonus save the vinegar mixture to add vegetables for next time!

Next mix all of the ingredients for the Bang bang sauce together in a small bowl. If you prefer the sauce to be spicier add more Sriracha sauce. Cover and refrigerate.

Set up a station to bread the tofu. I prefer to bread all of the tofu and keep it on a baking sheet until it is all coated. Use one plate for the cornstarch and mix in the salt. I like to use a pie plate for the milk and then a second plate or pie plate for the breadcrumbs.

Dip the slices of tofu into the cornstarch, turn to coat and shake off any excess. Dip the coated tofu into the non dairy milk, turn to cover and then place into the breadcrumbs. Press the breadcrumbs onto the tofu to coat it well. Place on a baking sheet until ready to cook.

My preferred method for cooking the tofu is to air fry it at 385°F for 15 to 18 minutes, flipping it halfway through. Alternatively, bake the tofu in the oven at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes.

Assemble the sandwiches on toasted gluten-free buns with the crispy tofu, Bang Bang sauce, pickled vegetables, and a topping of cilantro.

Enjoy!

Crispy Tofu Bang Bang Sandwich

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Crispy tofu served with quick pickled carrots, onions and cucumbers, topped with a sweet and spicy Bang Bang sauce all on a gluten free bun.

Course: Dinner, LunchDifficulty: Intermediate

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Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

224

kcal

Total time

25

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• Crispy Tofu

• one 350g block of extra firm tofu, pressed

• 1 cup gluten free bread crumbs

• 1/2 cup unsweetened non dairy milk

• 1/3 cup cornstarch

• 1 tsp salt

• Bang Bang Sauce

• 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise

• 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce

• 1 tsp Sriracha sauce

• 1 tsp unseasoned rice vinegar

• 1/2 tsp agave

• Quick Pickle

• 2/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

• 4 tsp salt

• 2 tsp granulated sugar

• 1 carrot, peeled into strips

• 1/4 cucumber, finely sliced

• 1/4 red onion, finely sliced

• 2 – 3 tbsp cilantro

• 4 gluten free buns

Directions

• Quick Pickle
• In a medium jar add in the rice vinegar, sugar and salt and stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
• Add in the carrot, cucumber and red onion and seal the jar. Place it in the fridge.
• Bang Bang Sauce
• In a small bowl mix together all of the ingredients for the sauce and refrigerate.
• Crispy Tofu
• Set up three dishes, one with the cornstarch and salt, one with the non dairy milk and one with the bread crumbs. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. If baking the tofu preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Add 2 to 4 pieces of tofu to the cornstarch and turn to coat. Next place the tofu in the milk and turn to coat. Place the tofu into the breadcrumbs ensuring it is fully coated. Place it on the lined baking sheet. Repeat until all of the tofu has been dredged and coated in breadcrumbs. If cooking the tofu by air fryer, preheat the air fryer to 380°F.
• Just before cooking the tofu, lightly spray it with oil. Either bake the tofu in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping half way, or air fry the tofu for 15 to 18 minutes at 385°F, flipping half way.
• Once the tofu is cooked, assemble the sandwiches. Place the bang bang sauce on half the bun, top with the crispy tofu, pickled veg and some cilantro if desired.

Notes

• Nutritional information is a rough estimate.
• Nutritional information does not include the gluten free bun.
• To increase the spice level add more Sriracha to the Bang Bang sauce.

Nutrition Facts

• Total number of serves: 6
• Calories: 224kcal
• Carbohydrates: 22.9g
• Protein: 10.3g
• Fat: 10.9g
• Saturated Fat: 1g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.3g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 3.3g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 213.8mg
• Potassium: 103.7mg
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 3.3g

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