These Vegan KFC Chicken Tenders are your new favorite and healthy go-to when you’re craving something delicious on the weekends.

Let me just warn you now that you will not be able to handle how delicious these Vegan KFC Chicken Tenders are.

These Vegan KFC Chicken Tenders are so easy to make and they come out crispy and delicious every time. 

The trick is freezing, thawing, and pressing your tofu before you make them. It will be the best, meatiest tofu you’ve ever had. You can find more details on pressing tofu here.

I love spicy sauces, but if spicy isn’t your thing, don’t worry. We have tons of other saucing options for you. 

Give these a whirl, and let me know your favorite way to sauce these by tagging me on Instagram. 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • It’s easy: It’s as simple as cut, dip, and bake. You can whip these up in about 30 minutes once your tofu is pressed. 
  • Kid-friendly: Your kids will go nuts over these crispy and meaty vegan chicken tenders! I would swap the spicy sauce for a mild option instead! 
  • Healthy swap for the classic: These chicken tenders are just as delicious as the original, but made with healthier ingredients! No processing is required.

How To Make These Vegan KFC Chicken Tenders

Before starting this recipe, make sure to freeze, thaw, and press your tofu!

First, preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

While the oven is heating, lay out three separate medium-sized bowls. 

In the first bowl, add cornstarch. 

In the second bowl, add lemon juice and plant-based milk and mix. 

In the third bowl, breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, and paprika are combined.

Slice your tofu into approximately ten strips.

Coat the strips in the cornstarch, then lemon juice and plant milk mixture, and finally, breadcrumbs. Lay them on the baking sheet.

Bake or air fry for 20 minutes until crispy. 

In the meantime, combine the hot sauce, maple syrup, and nutritional yeast to make the spicy sauce.

Toss your cooked strips in your sauce and enjoy! You could use any sauce if you don’t happen to like it too spicy. Check out more options below here.

Hack It 

  • Want it even spicier? Add some red chili flakes to your dry mix and tabasco to your lemon milk mix! Your tongue will be on fire. 
  • Swap the cornstarch for tapioca flour or arrowroot flour for an even healthier mix. 
  • Make your own breadcrumbs by throwing some bread in a food processor and baking at 300F for 10 minutes or until crispy.

How to Store Vegan Chicken Tenders

For best results, I recommend storing the cooked tenders without the sauce. They’ll last up to 5-7 days in the refrigerator. They might lose some crispiness, so for reheating, I love using an air fryer. 

You can also make a huge batch of these, freeze them, and then reheat them in an oven until warm (just like store-bought chicken tenders). I still recommend keeping the sauce separate until serving time. 

Once the strips are reheated, toss them in your favorite sauce, and they’ll taste just as fresh! 

How to Make This Gluten Free

To make these chicken tenders gluten-free, swap the breadcrumbs for some gluten-free breadcrumbs. 

You can also use almond flour for a similar result. 

Ways To Sauce

There are so many other ways to sauce and spice these tenders! 

Here are some ideas for tossing: 

Dips For This Recipe 

Now that you have delicious, sauced tenders, the real question is… what do you dip them in? 

What to Serve These Tenders With

The Recipe: Vegan KFC Chicken Tenders

These delicious tenders are perfect or a weekend dessert!
5 from 4 ratings

Ingredients

  • 1 370g block extra firm tofu, frozen, thawed and pressed
  • 1 cup Cornstarch
  • 1 cup Plant-based milk
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice
  • cup Breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp Nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp Smoked paprika

Sauce

  • 1 cup Hot sauce
  • 1 tbsp Maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp Nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp Paprika

Equipment

  • Air Fryer

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Lay out 3 separate bowls. In the first, add the cornstarch. In the second, add the lemon juice and plant based milk and mix. In the third, the breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast and paprika combined.
  • Slice your tofu into approximately 10 strips.
  • Coat in the cornstarch, then the lemon juice plant milk mixture, and finally the breadcrumbs. Lay on the baking sheet.
  • Bake or air fry for 20 minutes until crispy. In the meantime, combine the hot sauce, maple syrup and nutritional yeast.
  • Sauce up your fingers and enjoy! See our other sauce options above in the article!

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