Nashville-Style Hot Tofu Sliders

By Kay Chun

Published Nov. 5, 2022

Nashville-Style Hot Tofu Sliders
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(1,093)
Comments
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Nashville hot chicken is seasoned with a bold dose of ground cayenne and hot sauce, deep fried then brushed with a final coat of spicy oil. In these vegetarian sliders, hot butter imparts mild tofu with an extra-spicy kick reminiscent of the chicken that inspired them. Tofu has a high water content, but a quick dredge in rice flour and a dip in batter creates a barrier that prevents excess splattering during frying. The carbonation in seltzer keeps the batter light and airy, perfect for delicate tofu. (This is also a great trick for frying vegetables and shrimp.) The result is a golden sandwich filling with a crispy exterior and soft center. For larger sandwiches, stuff standard hamburger buns with two pieces of the fried tofu and finish with the toppings.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Hot Butter

    • 8tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
    • 2tablespoons distilled white vinegar
    • 1tablespoon Louisiana-style hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
    • 1tablespoon ground cayenne
    • 1teaspoon black pepper
    • ½teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½teaspoon onion powder

    For the Tofu

    • 1(14- to 16-ounce) package firm tofu, drained
    • ¼cup whole milk
    • ½cup white rice flour
    • ½cup all-purpose flour
    • 2tablespoons cornstarch
    • 2teaspoons baking powder
    • Kosher salt
    • ½cup plus 2 tablespoons chilled seltzer or club soda
    • Vegetable oil, for shallow frying

    For Assembly

    • Mayonnaise
    • 8slider buns or 4 slices white bread
    • Lettuce, such as iceberg or butter
    • Sliced dill pickles
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the hot butter: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk until well blended. Set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Make the tofu: With a hand on top of the tofu, cut parallel to the cutting board so that you have two equal rectangles. Quarter each of those rectangles, so you have eight pieces. Arrange sliced tofu on a paper towel-lined plate and top with another layer of paper towels; press to remove excess water.

  3. Step 3

    Place milk and rice flour in 2 separate shallow bowls. In a medium bowl whisk all-purpose flour, cornstarch and baking powder, and season with salt; add seltzer and gently whisk just to combine. Do not overmix; a few lumps in the batter are OK.

  4. Step 4

    Heat ½ inch of oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium to 375 degrees. Working with 4 pieces of tofu at a time, dredge in milk, then in the rice flour, pressing all sides of tofu into the rice flour. (The tofu should be completely coated with flour.) Dip in the batter, allowing excess to drip off, and add to oil. Fry undisturbed until batter sets, about 2 minutes. Continue to fry, turning gently, until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes longer, adjusting heat as necessary to stay close to 375 degrees. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, and season with salt. Repeat dredging and frying with the remaining tofu.

  5. Step 5

    Spread mayonnaise on the insides of buns. (If using sliced bread, cut into quarters for slider-size portions.) Arrange lettuce on bottom buns. Gently turn each piece of tofu in the hot butter to evenly coat, then place on top of lettuce. Drizzle with more hot butter, top with pickles and finish with bun tops. Serve warm.

Ratings

4 out of 5
1,093 user ratings
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Comments

Leslie

You can skip rice flour and milk unless you want a thicker breading. Coat tofu with cornstarch and fry it. I do it all the time. For extra crunch, coat tofu and let it sit a few minutes, then coat again.

Kelle

Not hard for vegans to sub at all. Anything that calls for butter, if vegan, use Miyoko's cultured butter and if you can't find that any plant based butter will do, but none taste as good as Miyoko's. I prefer oat milk for dairy sub. It's creamier than almond or soy.

chris

you can put a bit of rice in a food processor and grind it to a powder

Anjali

These are so good! The whole thing comes together very quickly, definitely recommend for an easy summer dinner. The batter is flexible. I added smoked paprika to the batter for additional taste and color. I even only used corn starch (no AP, rice flour) and my tofu still turned out crispy and gorgeous. Also, you can make as much or as little butter sauce as you want. I got scared and made less than half the amount. It was still delicious. Next time I will be braver.

Anjali

Bread and butter (ie. sweet) pickles are PERFECT in this sandwich.

Kathleen

Unreal delicious batter if you add some paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. Free the leftover batter once you’re done dipping the tofu for savory funnel cake bits!

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