Air Fryer Plant-Based Chicken in a Basket

Air Fryer Plant-Based Chicken in a Basket

Okay, we are genuinely obsessed with this one right now. It's our plant-based take on a proper American chicken basket and it hits every single note, crispy coating, juicy tofu inside, and that satisfying finger-food feeling you just can't beat. The air fryer does the heavy lifting here, giving you that golden crunch without a pan full of oil, which means less mess and more eating. We've made this for movie nights, Friday fakeaways, and even convinced a few meat-eating mates that tofu can absolutely go toe-to-toe with the real thing. Make this tonight and see for yourself.

Cook: 30 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Air fryer
  • Tofu press (or clean kitchen towel & heavy weight)
  • Small bowl for marinade
  • Small bowl for panko breadcrumbs
  • Colander
  • Potato masher
  • Small bowl for chipotle mayo

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp white miso paste
  • 2 tbsp caper brine
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 450g extra firm tofu
  • 150g plant-based milk
  • 100g plain flour
  • 100g panko breadcrumbs
  • 50g plant-based chicken seasoning
  • 2 lemons large
  • 1 Bosh! panko breadcrumbs
  • Large handful of pine nuts or mixed seeds
  • 700g large baking potato - (Maris pipers work well)
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped mint
  • 150g plant-based mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp chipotle paste
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 Juice of 1 lemon
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 2 red chillies finely chopped

Method

1

Prepare the nuggets

  • Press the tofu in a tofu press (or wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and place a heavy weight on top to gently squeeze out the liquid)
  • Cut the tofu into 6 even pieces, then cut each piece in half to make 12 nugget-side pieces
  • Cut even diagonal slits into the tofu slices, being careful not to cut all the way through the block (this will improve the bite and flavour of the nuggets
2

Marinade the nuggets

  • If using the BOSH! Breadcrumbs, open all the packs and pour the flour and spice mix into a small bowl, otherwise, measure out your own plain flour and chicken seasoning to a small bowl
  • Add the miso paste, plant-based milk, caper brine, salt, pepper and lemon juice to the bowl and whisk well make a marinade (a pasta bowl would be ideal)
  • Place the tofu chunks in the bowl cut side down and coat well, then leave to marinate for as long as possible
3

Prepare and cook the chips 

  • Wash and evenly cut the potatoes into ½ cm thick chips (no bigger, they need to be thin to cook in time)
  • Place the chips in a colander and rinse them under cold water to get rid of the starch
  • Pat the chips with kitchen roll to lightly dry
  • Put the chips in the air fryer and set to 140°C, and cook for 15 minutes until they’re soft and beginning to colour (The time might vary depending on the size of your frying basket)
  • When done, take the chips out of the air fryer and set to one side on a plate

Breadcrumb and cook the nuggets

  • Add the Panko breadcrumbs (from the pack or your own) to another bowl
  • One by one, take the marinated tofu chunks out of the bowl, and put into the panko breadcrumbs
  • Use a clean spoon to toss the tofu in the breadcrumbs, making sure they’re completely covered, then remove and place in the air fryer tray
  • Repeat with all remaining tofu chunks, ensuring there are gaps between all the nuggets in the air fryer tray
  • Set the air fryer to 180°C and add a thin layer of vegetable oil to the bottom of the basket
  • Cook for 12-15 minutes until crisp and golden
4

Meanwhile, make the chipotle mayo

  • Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and stir vigorously until well mixed

Then, make the madman peas

  • Finely chop the chilli, parsley and mint
  • Cook the peas in salted water for 3 minutes
  • Drain
  • Put a third of the peas in another bowl and mash them with a fork or potato masher
  • Heat the oil in a pan and add the chilli, parsley and mint
  • Stir in the whole and mashed peas, season well and stir well
  • Add more mint or parsley to taste
5

Heat everything through and serve

  • Open the fryer and add the chips, just sprinkle them on top of the nuggets
  • Set the fryer to 200°C and cook for 5 minutes to warm up (you may want to add a little drizzle of oil at this point to help them crisp)
  • Plate everything up and serve immediately

Tips & Variations

  • Press it properly: We know it's tempting to skip the pressing step but don't. The drier the tofu, the better it soaks up the marinade and the crispier it gets in the air fryer. Even 20 minutes under a heavy pan makes a real difference.
  • Spice it up: Henry always adds an extra pinch of smoked paprika and a little cayenne to the coating if he wants a bit more heat. It gives the nuggets a gorgeous colour and a gentle kick that works really well with a cool dipping sauce.
  • Make it gluten-free: Swap the regular flour in the coating for a gluten-free plain flour blend and make sure your breadcrumbs are certified GF. Works a treat and nobody will ever know.

Why This Works

The trick here is pressing the tofu properly and cutting those diagonal slits into each piece before marinating. It sounds like a small thing but it makes a massive difference, the marinade gets deep into the tofu and the slits create more surface area for that coating to cling to and crisp up in the air fryer. Trust us on this one, it's the difference between good nuggets and absolutely incredible nuggets.