Chicken Tofu Veggie Nuggets
These chicken tofu veggie nuggets are an easy family meal made with ground chicken, silken tofu, cheese, and a little of my freezer veggie mix.
The silken tofu blends right into the chicken and keeps the nuggets soft and tender. I leave the base mixture unsalted so I can cook some as-is for my younger child, then season the rest separately if I want to.
They aren't breaded like traditional chicken nuggets. I simply scoop the mixture by the tablespoon, flatten it into small nugget shapes, and cook them in a thin layer of oil.
Recipe at a Glance
A Few Helpful Notes
Use silken tofu for this recipe. Its very soft texture blends easily into the chicken and helps keep the nuggets tender. Firm or extra-firm tofu will give you a different texture.
Have tofu left? Store it in a clean container covered with fresh water in the refrigerator. See an easy way to use the rest →
Squeeze out as much water as you can. I wrap the silken tofu in paper towels and squeeze it with my hands. Don’t worry if it falls apart — it is going to be thoroughly mixed into the chicken anyway.
The tofu should disappear into the mixture. Mix everything really well so there aren’t noticeable pieces of tofu left in the finished nuggets.
I leave the base mixture unsalted. That lets me cook some without added salt for my younger child, then season another portion separately if I want to.
The veggie mix is optional. I like adding a little because it’s an easy way to work in extra vegetables, but the nuggets still work without it.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken (about 450 g)
- 300 g silken tofu, drained very well
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch
- 80–100 g shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
- 3 teaspoons freezer veggie mix
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- salt, optional, to taste
- a thin layer of oil, for cooking
Visual Guide
A quick look at what goes into the nuggets and how they come together.
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Instructions
1. Drain the silken tofu well. Wrap the tofu in paper towels and squeeze it with your hands to remove as much excess water as you can. Don’t worry if the tofu breaks apart.
2. About the veggie mix I use a small amount of my freezer veggie mix here. Mine includes finely chopped, cooked vegetables like onion, mushrooms, carrots, celery, zucchini, and cauliflower.
3. Combine the ingredients Add the ground chicken, drained silken tofu, cornstarch, shredded cheese, freezer veggie mix, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika to a large bowl.
4. Mix very well Mix until everything is evenly combined and the tofu is completely incorporated into the chicken. There shouldn’t be noticeable tofu pieces remaining.
5. Season if desired. I leave the main mixture unsalted so I can cook some nuggets without added salt. If you want to salt the rest, divide the mixture and season that portion separately.
6. Heat the pan. Add a thin layer of oil to a large skillet or pan and heat over medium heat.
7. Scoop the nuggets Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the chicken mixture for each nugget.
8. Add to the pan Place the portions into the pan and gently flatten them into small nugget shapes.
9. Cook until golden and fully cooked. Cook until the first side is nicely browned, then flip and cook the other side. Continue cooking until the nuggets are cooked through and the center reaches 165°F (74°C).
10. Cool slightly and serve. Let the nuggets cool a little before serving, especially for younger kids.
FINISHED RESULT
Soft Chicken Nuggets With a Little Veggie Boost
These nuggets are lightly browned outside and soft and tender inside. The silken tofu blends right into the chicken, while the cheese and finely chopped veggie mix add a little extra flavor.
Sunny Table note: I like that I can make one base mixture for the whole family, keep part of it unsalted, and season the rest separately if I want to.
Sunny Table Notes
- Use silken tofu. Its soft texture blends much more easily into the ground chicken than firm or extra-firm tofu.
- Drain the tofu really well. Extra water can make the mixture looser and may cause more splattering when the nuggets hit the oil.
- Don’t worry about breaking the tofu. I squeeze it with my hands because it is going to be thoroughly mixed into the chicken anyway.
- Mozzarella or cheddar works well.
- The freezer veggie mix is an easy add-in. Since the vegetables are already finely chopped and cooked, they blend easily into the nugget mixture.
- About the size: I use about 1 tablespoon of mixture for each nugget. This batch made roughly 30 nuggets.
- Salt can be added separately. I leave the base mixture unsalted, then season part of it separately depending on who I’m serving.
- Ground chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Recipes at Sunny Table are always evolving a little as I make them again for my family. This is the version tested and photographed here.
