Plant Protein Nuggets
RECIPE UPDATED 10-8-2026
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups (or one can of ) chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) rinsed and drained
- 16 oz block extra-firm tofu do not drain
- 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1 tbsp Better than Bouillon No Chicken broth mixed with 2 Tablespoons of warm water
- 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I used Panko)
Instructions
- NOTE: A food processor works best for the oats, chickpeas and tofu, but you can hand chop the chickpeas and oats very finely and shred the tofu on a hand or box grater.
- Preheat air fryer or oven to 380 degrees F.
- In a food processor, blend the oats until they are roughly chopped with the "S" chopping blade. Dump them into a big mixing bowl.
- Now, add the rinsed and drained chickpeas to the food processor bowl. Process until chickpeas are crumbled into tiny pieces. Dump the processed chickpeas into the mixing bowl with the chopped oats.
- Switch blades to shredder blade. Cut tofu block (lengthwise) into 4 rectangular blocks. Feed them through the top opening to shred. Dump the tofu into the mixing bowl with the chickpeas and chopped oats.
- Into the mixing bowl, add in the poultry seasoning, vital wheat gluten, breadcrumbs, and diluted broth base. Gently stir with a spatula until well combined. Taste and add salt if needed. Remember, you will probably be dipping these in a dressing or sauce, so don’t make them too salty. Allow mixture to sit 5 minutes before moving to the next step.
- NOTE: The mixture will look very crumbly, but wet your hands slightly and when you press some of the mixture in your hands, it should stick together well. If not, add a tiny bit of water or aquafaba to the mixture and gently.
- Take about two handfuls of the mixture in your hands and mold it into an oval shape about 1 1/2” x 3/4” high.
- Pour breadcrumbs onto a small plate. Press nuggets gently into breadcrumbs Place each nugget into the air fryer or on a parchment paper-lined pan (if baking). Airfry for 10 minutes (baking may take slightly longer). They should be golden brown and firmish to the touch when done. If they’re not too dark, you can leave them in a couple more. Dip in your favorite condiment or sauce!