Vegan Chicken Parm (Tofu Parm)

If you go into any Italian restaurant, you will likely find chicken or eggplant parm. We’re building off those same flavors to give you this vegan chicken parm which we will be making from tofu, so tofu parm.

This dish is breaded and fried (air fried or oven baked works), topped with vegan cheese and red sauce and served on a bed of spaghetti. I mean hello, who wouldn’t love this.

This dish is kid friendly and also a great meal to serve to people who still consume meat if they are open to trying tofu. We use the freeze and thaw method which gives tofu a more meaty texture and makes this dish even better.

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VEGAN CHICKEN PARM INGREDIENTS:

Below are notes about the main ingredients before we get into the full recipe located lower in this post on how to make this easy vegan tofu parm recipe:

• Tofu – This is the base that we are using for our vegan chicken parm. By using the freeze and thaw method (described below), we will be getting the best meat-like texture from tofu. Tofu takes on flavor well making it a great alternative to chicken.
• Sauce – We are making our own homemade vegan spaghetti sauce, which does increase the time for the recipe overall; however, it can be made in advance if needed
• Flax egg – if you combine ground flax seed and water together and let it sit, it becomes gelatinous and makes the perfect substitution for egg when breading things together
• Garlic – Provides our aromatics and layer of flavor that pairs so well with tofu parm
• Vegan chicken seasoning – We use the vegan chicken seasoning from Trader Joe’s; however you can use another one if you can’t find this one.
• Breadcrumbs – We are using panko breadcrumbs here because it’s always easy to find them. Traditional breadcrumbs typically contain milk and it’s harder to find those, so we are choosing panko for that reason.
• Vegan parm and Vegan mozzarella – The cheese we are picking are just vegan versions of what is traditionally found in chicken or eggplant parm

Substitutions and Variations:

• Tofu – This could be made using eggplant, mushrooms, or even seitan.
• Sauce – If you don’t feel like making a sauce from scratch, you can use your favorite store bought jar. We’d recommend Prego Farmer’s Market Marinara
• Flax egg – We haven’t tried substituting flax egg in this recipe, but you could try using Just egg or another egg replacer in place of this
• Vegan chicken seasoning – chicken seasoning is an all-purpose seasoning blend that contains things like chicken bouillon, salt, onion powder, turmeric, garlic powder, basil, paprika, black pepper, thyme, celery seed, cayenne pepper, mustard seed. Or some variation therein. Obviously replacing the chicken bouillon with a vegan version is needed and then a combination of the spices and you’d be able to make your own.
• Breadcrumbs – vegan chicken parm is coated in breadcrumbs as that’s the traditional method; however we guess you could omit if you didn’t want it to be breaded or even made crush something like corn flakes for a very different but similar texture
• Vegan cheese – you could make your own cheeses if needed

Frequently Asked Questions:

Tips for making the perfect tofu:

WHAT IS THE BEST TYPE OF TOFU TO USE?

We prefer extra firm tofu for this recipe and would highly recommend using that.

This recipe will also work with firm tofu if needed.

We do not advise using silken or soft tofu for this recipe.

WHY SHOULD I FREEZE TOFU FIRST?

Freezing tofu gives it a more meat-like texture. While this isn’t a requirement, we highly recommend doing it this way.

Freeze to tofu in the store packaging. Then remove and let thaw completely before adding it to a tofu press to drain (see below)

HOW DO I PRESS OUT TOFU?

The easiest way to press out tofu is to use a tofu press. We use this tofu press because it’s easy to use and works great.

However, if you don’t have a tofu press then you could wrap the block of tofu in a kitchen towel, place it on a plate, and then put something heavy on top like a cast iron skillet.

What other vegan pasta ideas could I make?

Pasta is life! It’s at least a love language. Pasta dishes are usually simple, filling, and comforting, making them the perfect dinners for weeknights! Here’s some more vegan pasta dish ideas:

If you love this one pot meal idea, then definitely check out our vegan one pot creamy garlic parmesan pasta.

Here’s some more delicious vegan pasta dishes: 

• 20 Minute Vegan Spinach and Sundried Tomato Pasta
• One Pot Vegan Cajun Chicken Pasta
• Vegan Mac and Cheese Pasta
• Vegan Pumpkin Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Spinach
• The Best Vegan Lasagna
• Vegan Alfredo 
• Vegan Cheesy Hamburger Helper Skillet
• The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
• Spinach and Walnut Pesto Pasta
• Vegan Carbonara
• Vegan Creamy Broccoli and Chickpea Pasta 

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