I’m going to be perfectly honest about something. I loved rotisserie chicken when I was a kid. My dad used to get me lemon pepper rotisserie chicken all the time and I devoured it. Recently, I realized I hadn’t had anything like it since I was little and I really missed that flavor. So here is some incredibly comparable vegan lemon pepper tofu! I froze the block of tofu and thawed it first. That gives it a very meaty chicken-like texture. Then I tossed it in cornstarch and lemon pepper seasoning. Bake at a very high temperature to make the outside of the tofu super crunchy. But the inside firm and still tender. It is so darn good!
The first time I tested this tofu, I didn’t look at all the ingredients in my lemon pepper seasoning. So I added salt to the tofu even though the lemon pepper already had salt. While the texture of the tofu was great, it was super duper salty. So, I recommend checking first to see if your seasoning mix already has salt or not. I changed it and just added a pinch of salt and it was perfect!
There are a number of lemon pepper seasoning mixes that you should be able to easily find at any grocery store! I’ve used the Badia brand and the Publix brand. I really enjoyed both. I do know McCormick also has one and so does Lawry’s! I’m sure there are plenty of other ones too.
This vegan lemon pepper tofu goes well with so many things. For this meal, I made steamed broccoli and pastatini tossed in lemon juice, vegan butter and some fresh herbs. However, the other day I had it with vegan mashed potatoes and green beans. The possibilities are pretty endless. It would be amazing with some creamy pasta!
Vegan Lemon Pepper Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 Block(15oz.) Extra firm tofu, frozen and thawed
- 1/4 Cup Cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Lemon pepper seasoning(I used Badia)
- 4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional Sides
- Steamed Broccoli
- Pasta with vegan butter, lemon juice and herbs
- Mashed potatoes
- Green beans
- Creamy pasta
Instructions
- The first thing you need to do is freeze the block of tofu. This changes the texture. Freeze it in the package until completely frozen. This will probably take a few hours. Or you can freeze it over night.
- Next, thaw the tofu completely, then take it out of the package and drain it. Then press the tofu to get any excess liquid out while you preheat the oven. Press for 10-15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees(F).
- Once you've pressed the tofu, break the block of tofu into small pieces. The texture will be firm and meaty now. So it will break apart into pieces easily.
- Put the tofu into a large mixing bowl. Then sprinkle with cornstarch onto the tofu and toss to coat.
- Now drizzle with the olive oil and toss so all of the tofu is wet with oil.
- Then sprinkle with the lemon pepper and toss to coat. If your lemon pepper seasoning already has salt then you can skip it. If it doesn't have salt, add a few pinches to the bowl with the tofu.
- Next, add the garlic to the bowl and toss one more time.
- Place the tofu on a sheet pan, lined with parchment paper or sprayed with non-stick spray.
- Bake for 10 minutes, flip the tofu and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until brown and crunchy. Serve with any sides you want. Pictured is steamed broccoli and pastatini tossed with vegan butter, lemon juice and fresh herbs.
Nutrition
Delicious. Thank you so much for also including the nutrition counts. Very helpful!
Nice, easy, and quick. It’s effortlessly delicious. I served it with broccoli and ranch mashed potatoes.
Ive been obsessed with my trader joes lemon pepper seasoning so this was perfect. Easy and delicious ! I threw it on buttered toast with a vegan “eggy” sauce (by Sam at It doesn’t Taste like Chicken) Sooo good!
This was super easy and so delicious!! This will be a favorite as it’s so easy, delicious and versatile.
Do I drain the tofu first before freezing it?
I froze it in the package and then drained and pressed after thawing and it worked perfectly!
Easy and delicious! I served this with roasted broccoli (one sheet pan!) and a pearled cous cous salad with with minced garlic, fresh parsley, fresh lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. I’ll be doubling this recipe next time for lunches! Yum!
Love to snack on these little nuggets- my non-vegan husband just commented how addicting they are!
I like it a lot. The only problem I had was when I broke apart the tofu most of it crumbled into pieces. Maybe it’s my fault. I’ll try it again and see.