I love my homemade smoked tofu recipe, and I love even more finding delicious ways to use it. This smoked tofu schnitzel is crunchy, chewy, and flavorful.
When I considered trying a tofu schnitzel recipe, I was worried it would be bland, just like tofu. You can make tofu delicious by letting it absorb other flavors, but simply breading and frying it didn’t seem like that would do the trick alone.
I decided to go with my smoked tofu instead because it is already prepped with loads of flavor. All you have to do is slice it, bread it, and fry it! Oh, and perhaps choose a sauce.
Lemon wedges are the most common way to serve schnitzel because the acid helps to break through the fattiness of the frying processes.
There are a wide variety of sauces that can be used as well. I pictured this smoked tofu schnitzel batch with a creamy dill sauce (recipe in the variations below).
Schnitzel sauces vary from gravy, tomato based sauces, or creamy sauces. They can be flavored with different items such as mushrooms, mustard, herbs or even curry powder! Try it first with the fresh lemon, then go crazy with sauce variations!
Variations to this Smoked Tofu Schnitzel recipe:
- Make homemade smoked tofu. My recipe does require a smoker, but the end result is much better than the packaged stuff!
- Why cornstarch? Cornstarch makes the edges of the tofu just that much crispier, but you can sub all-purpose flour as well.
- Type of milk: This recipe has you make a pho-buttermilk to bread the smoked tofu. The milk product you choose must have enough protein in it to thicken when you add the acid, and almond milk does not. I always use soy milk, but cow’s milk works too.
- Creamy Dill Sauce: Mix together ¼ cup greek yogurt, 2 TBS mayo, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 TBS minced dill, and 1/8 tsp salt.
- 8 oz block smoked tofu (homemade if possible)
- 1 ½ TBS cornstarch
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 TBS soy milk or cows milk (almond milk does not work)
- ½ tsp malt vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup panko
- ¼ cup expeller pressed canola oil or other high heat oil of choice
- Lemon wedges for serving
- On the long side, cut the tofu into ¼ inch slices (mine was wide enough to get three slices).
- Set up a dredging station by combining cornstarch and garlic powder on one plate, soy milk and vinegar in a bowl, and panko on another plate.
- Heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
- Dredge tofu by gently pressing it into the cornstarch mixture on both sides, gently wiping off any excess. Dip into the soy milk mixture, and then gently press into the bread crumbs.
- Place into the hot oil in the skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides.
- Serve with lemon wedges.
Recipe inspired by Eating Well.
