If you are a fan of Buffalo Chicken, then you will be all over these Buffalo Tofu Skewers. Their flavor and texture is so similar to that of chicken, it’s almost scary… they will totally win over even the toughest of tofu non-enthusiasts!

If you are a fan of buffalo sauce, then you will be all over these Buffalo Tofu Skewers. Their flavor and texture is so similar to that of chicken, it's almost scary... they will even win over the toughest tofu non-enthusiasts!

I almost gave up on these guys like 250 while elaborating this recipe… guess I was having one of those days where nothing seemed to be working for me. Thank goodness I persevered though, as these skewers are probably one of the best things I’ve eaten since switching to a vegan diet. To be completely honest, I’d been sort of craving my Buffalo Chicken Skewers — although just the Buffalo part, NOT the chicken — and was wanting really hard to find a decent, cruelty-free replacement for them. 

Mission accomplished! These buffalo tofu skewers have a texture that’s even better than that of chicken if you ask me… it’s totally chewy and firm yet strangely moist and juicy. As for flavor, well, — just like the originals — these skewers are not for the faint of heart: they do pack some serious heat! But their intense fire comes loaded with so much flavor that it renders the heat more than bearable, even for those whose taste buds are a tad delicate…

Although if you are really, truly super sensitive to heat, you might want to proceed with care… but if you are a fan of heat, you are in for a serious treat! 

Place the tofu block onto a cooling rack set over a baking dish of some kind

Your first course of action should be to drain and press your block of extra-firm tofu for at least 1 hour to rid it of all its excess liquid. This will give your tofu a much better flavor and texture; the less liquid that tofu holds, the more room it has to absorb flavors, and the firmer, chewier it’ll get! 

If you don’t own a tofu press, don’t go running to the store just to get one… You can very quickly set up a little rig that’ll work just as good. Grab a cooling rack and place it over a container of some kind, to collect all the liquids that’ll drip. I chose to use a glass loaf pan, but practically any container will do!

Place a plate or other flat object over your tofu block

Next, place your block of tofu onto that cooling rack and then place a small plate or other flat object right over that block of tofu… 

Place a heavy object such as a large book over the whole rig to press the tofu

Finally, place a heavy object, such as a large book, over that plate or flat object. Now simply put that entire rig away and let your tofu slowly drip away for about an hour. 

Bring all the ingredients to a simmer to make the sauce

While that’s happening, you can start working on your sauce. To do that, bring the Frank’s Red Hot, coconut oil, creamy cashew butter, nutritional yeast and garlic to a simmer, whisking almost constantly. Then kill the heat, stir in sriracha, cayenne pepper and chipotle powder and set aside to cool slightly.

As you can see, the sauce has a slight tendency to separate. Don’t sweat it… it totally doesn’t matter. As soon as the sauce comes to a simmer, just kill the heat and let it be. Don’t try and force it to come together, you’d probably end up doing more damage than good. Also too, although I’ve not yet tried it, I’m pretty sure that you could substitute just about any kind of neutral tasting oil for the deodorized coconut oil and/or any mild tasting nut butter for the cashew butter.  

Cut the pressed tofu into 8 strips

Once your tofu is all good and pressed, cut it into 8 long strips. To do this, cut the block in half lengthwise and then cut each of the large rectangles into 4 even pieces.

Place the tofu strips into a rectangular baking dish and pour the sauce over them

Next, place the strips into a rectangular baking dish and pour that spicy buffalo sauce all over them…

Flip the tofu strips to make sure they are completely coated with the sauce

Move the pieces around gently, flipping them once or twice, until they are all completely coated. This is a bit of a messy job but hey, it’s got to be done. Just be sure to wash your fingers real good once you’re done. Remember, this is hot sauce we’re dealing with! You wouldn’t want to get any of that in your eyes or anything like that… 

Now let that tofu marinate for at least 4 hours, or even better yet, overnight.

Grill the tofu strip on the outdoor grill

When you’re ready to eat, prepare your outdoor grill by lightly oiling the grates and setting it to a medium-high heat.

Once hot, place the tofu strips onto the grill and cook them for about 2 minutes on each side, or until there are visible grill marks on them. Each time you flip the tofu, brush the strips with a little bit more buffalo sauce. Be sure to flip your skewers often, to ensure that the sauce caramelizes; you will have to cook each side more than once. The total cooking time should be about 20 minutes; the strips will still be on the soft side but will have taken on a beautiful caramelized appearance.

Insert wooden skewers into the grilled tofu strips

When cooked to your liking, remove the tofu strips from the grill; let them cool for a few minutes, until you can safely handle them with your bare hands; this will also give them a chance to stiffen up a bit. Carefully thread the tofu strips onto wooden skewers, lengthwise, making sure to skewer almost to the top without going through.

Of course, this step is entirely optional, but your tofu skewers certainly couldn’t be called skewers if you weren’t going to skewer that tofu, right? Plus, it makes it so much more fun to eat, instantly turning that tofu into finger, party food! But hey, feel free to totally skip this step if you can’t be bothered. Not gonna hurt my feelings! 

If you are a fan of buffalo sauce, then you will be all over these Buffalo Tofu Skewers. Their flavor and texture is so similar to that of chicken, it's almost scary... they will even win over the toughest tofu non-enthusiasts!

And voilà! There you have it. Serve your Buffalo Tofu Skewers Buffalo style: with fresh crudités. And if you really like it hot, make a quick and easy hot and spicy chipotle dipping sauce for them: simply add a few (or many) drops of sriracha and a pinch (or 2, or 3) of chipotle powder to a little bit of vegan mayo

Oooooh yeah! Somebody better call the firemen…

If you are a fan of buffalo sauce, then you will be all over these Buffalo Tofu Skewers. Their flavor and texture is so similar to that of chicken, it's almost scary... they will even win over the toughest tofu non-enthusiasts!

If you are a fan of Buffalo Chicken, then you will be all over these Buffalo Tofu Skewers. Their flavor and texture is so similar to that of chicken, it's almost scary... they will have even the toughest tofu non-enthusiasts completely fooled!
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4.67 from 6 votes

Buffalo Tofu Skewers

Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Marinating: 4 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 30 minutes
If you are a fan of buffalo sauce, then you will be all over these Buffalo Tofu Skewers. Their flavor and texture is so similar to that of chicken, it's almost scary... they will even win over the toughest tofu non-enthusiasts!
Servings: 8 skewers

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Remove tofu from packaging, drain and press for 1 hour to release its liquid.
  • Bring the Frank’s Red Hot, coconut oil, cashew butter, nutritional yeast and garlic to a simmer, whisking almost constantly, then kill the heat; stir in sriracha, cayenne pepper and chipotle powder and set aside to cool slightly.
  • Slice the pressed tofu into 8 long sticks. To do this, cut the block in half lengthwise and then cut the each large rectangle into 4 even pieces. Place the strips into a rectangular baking dish and pour the buffalo sauce all over them. Flip the pieces around until they are all completely coated.
  • Marinate for at least 4 hours, or better yet, overnight.
  • When ready, prepare your outdoor grill by lightly oiling the grates and setting it to a medium-high heat.
  • Once hot, place the tofu strips onto the grill and cook them for about 2 minutes on each side, or until there are visible grill marks on them. Each time you flip the tofu, brush the strips with a little bit more buffalo sauce. Be sure to flip your skewers often, to ensure that the sauce caramelizes; you will have to cook each side more than once. The total cooking time should be about 20 minutes; the strips will still be on the soft side but will have taken on a beautiful caramelized appearance.
  • When cooked to your liking, remove the tofu strips from the grill; let them cool for a few minutes, until you can safely handle them with your bare hands and they have stiffened up a bit. Carefully thread the tofu strips onto wooden skewers, lengthwise, making sure to skewer almost to the top without going through.
  • Serve with fresh crudités and if you really like your heat, make a quick dipping sauce by adding a few drops of sriracha and a pinch of cayenne to some vegan mayo!

Notes

*Although I haven't had a chance to try it yet, I'm sure that any other kind of neutral tasting oil would work, as would any other kind or mild tasting nut butter. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1skewer, Calories: 79kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 817mg, Potassium: 133mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 194IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 19mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Author: Sonia! The Healthy Foodie

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