Vegan Fried Chicken Bites

This recipe was inspired by the 2017 Atlas Monroe craze that went viral when the vegan based company introduced plant-based products, with its extra-crispy fried chick'n as its featured product. The company was founded by Deborah Torres to support her father's health and offer healthier vegan meat alternatives to the public. My first taste test reaction was the same as everyone else. I was astonished at how close the taste and texture of its real chicken counterpart were duplicated! There were several copycat versions of the recipe available on the internet, but after making a number of ingredient adjustments and instruction clarifications, I believe this is the one that delivers the best final results. *Important: Please note how to obtain KFC chicken seasoning blend in "Instructions"

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Freeze and thaw both packages of tofu 2 times. NOTE: This is very important because it firms up the tofu blocks, thus aiding the individual chunks to better resemble the string like texture of real chicken during separating steps of preparation.

Step 2

After second thaw, squeeze excess water from tofu blocks by placing one block at a time, between 2 cutting boards, and evenly pressing them together. Repeat this with each tofu block until most water is pressed out.

Step 3

Separate tofu into small-to-medium chunks (approximately 1-1/2" in size) by using your fingers to gently pinch and tear away pieces from the tofu block.

Step 4

In large bowl or container, add the marinade and tofu chunks, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

Step 5

In a large deep-sided frying pan, add 2" of vegetable oil and heat oil to 350°F.

Step 6

In a 9' glass pie plate, add eggs and milk, then mix together until blended. In a second 9" pie plate, add flour, corn starch, crushed crispy rice, and *KFC chicken seasoning together and blend. *NOTE: KFC seasoning spices are available at marionkay.com. Bulk product specifications: Marion-Kay Spices 99-X Chicken Seasoning, net wt. 25 oz. This is the exact seasoning spice mixture ordered and used by KFC company.

Step 7

Working in batches, dunk individual tofu pieces into egg mixture, and then dredge in flour mixture. Immediately transfer pieces into hot oil and deep fry them by constantly turning individual pieces with tongs until they reach an even golden color (about 3-5 minutes per piece, depending on size). Remove from fryer and place in a wire basket to drain. NOTE: You can also fry tofu using a deep fryer and following manufacturer instructions.