Vegan Hot Wings

Appetizers, GFCF, Gluten-Free, Grain-free, Healthy Snacks, Parties, Seasonal, Vegan, Vegetarian|

These are my most popular post for the Super Bowl! People love these! You can’t have a game day party without hot wings. And you don’t have to give up hot wings if you’re trying to eat healthy. This vegan version of hot wings creates spicy, meaty snack bites. Serve them with my vegan ranch dressing and crunchy celery sticks to cool the heat. Husband tested and approved!

If possible, start the tofu two days prior to serving. Press it for one day and marinate it for one day for the richest, spiciest flavor. If you have vegans or vegetarians coming over for the Super Bowl, give this a try and let me know how it goes!

Suitable for:
vegan, gluten-free, reduced-sugar diets

Not for:
low-sodium or migraine diets

I had to share this photo from reader Shelia M, who said, “Thank you again! Everything was perfect – from the hot wings to the ranch dressing. Steve and I are stuffed and happy.”Here’s the original hot sauce used in Buffalo:

Vegan hot wings & ranch dressing for your Super Bowl party

Tasty, meaty, spicy vegan hot wings (made from tofu) served with homemade dairy-free ranch dressing.

4.43 from 7 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 1 day d 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American

Servings 12 servings

Ingredients

16 ounces tofu super-firm or extra-firm, pressed
1/2 cup hot sauce Frank's, Tapatio, Tabasco (use low-sodium hot sauce for low-sodium diet)
1 tbsp grapeseed oil canola, safflower
1 tsp liquid smoke
1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour chickpea flour, almond meal
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp smoked salt (omit for low-sodium diet)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Ranch dressing

1/2 cup grapeseed oil olive, canola, sunflower, safflower
1/4-1/2 cup soy milk
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp sea salt (omit for low-sodium diet)
1 tsp dill weed (dried) OR 1 tbsp fresh
1 tsp parsley (dried) OR t tbsp fresh
1/2 tsp chives (dried)
1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Vegan hot wings

Press the tofu overnight using weights or a Tof*ckpress. If using weights, wrap the tofu in a clean kitchen towel and place between two cutting boards. Put a heavy frying pan or pile of cookbooks on top.
Cut the tofu into 12 pieces, using the short side as your length, and making the pieces as even as possible. If you want the shapes to be more organic and less stick-like, use a vegetable peeler to shave off the corners of the long edges, and the corners of the top and bottom of each piece. (Reserve the tofu scraps for a stir fry.)
Prick the pieces all over with a fork to help the tofu absorb the marinade.
Whisk the hot sauce, oil, and liquid smoke together. Set 2/3 of it aside in the refrigerator until serving. Brush the tofu with the remaining marinade, covering each side evenly, and then pour the rest over it. Cover and marinate, overnight if possible, in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 350F/160C/gas mark 4. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the remaining ingredients together in a shallow bowl, stirring with a fork. Roll each piece of tofu in the breading, making sure it sticks to each side evenly. Place on the prepared cookie sheet. Spray with cooking spray, and flip over, making sure all the breading is thoroughly coated with spray.
Bake for 15 minutes, then flip all the pieces over. Bake another 20 minutes, until the sticks are crispy. Gently toss the hot "wings" in the remaining sauce (you'll need to whisk it together again). Place each piece on a skewer.

Ranch dressing

Put the soy milk and the vinegar in the blender and let stand 5-10 minutes to curdle.
Add all other ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. Add more soy milk as needed if you want a pourable dressing. As written, it makes a pretty firm dip (sour cream consistency).

Notes

Per wing and 1/12 ranch dip:

134 calories
12 g fat
1 g saturated fat
2 g monounsaturated fat
8 g polyunsaturated fat
0 g trans fat
0 g cholesterol
348 mg sodium (70 mg sodium with salt omitted in both)
117 mg potassium
3 g carbohydrate
1 g fiber
1 g sugars
4 g protein
4 Weight Watchers Points Plus

Buy the firmest tofu you can get. I use Trader Joe's super-firm high-protein (organic, non-GMO) tofu. Minimum pressing time is one hour; minimum marinating time is four hours.

Traditional buffalo wings (from Buffalo, New York) use Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wings Sauce, but you can use TABASCO, Tapatio, or any other thin hot pepper sauce. I used Tapatio. Since this provides the heat in this dish, choose your sauce wisely. Overseas readers, you are looking for a thin salsa or sauce made from cayenne peppers, vinegar, and spices.

If you want a thick dip, use the smaller amount of soy milk. If you want more of a pourable dressing, use the larger amount of soy milk in the dressing recipe.

Thanks to Jessica from Clean, Green, Simple blog for inspiring me to try her vegan ranch dressing.

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49 Comments

Suzanne July 18, 2016 at 2:47 PM - Reply
These were FANTASTIC. I made 2 recipes and cut each stick in half to make them easier to handle. Huge complements. I may try exactly same but with bbq vs hot wing sauce.
Jennifer February 2, 2016 at 5:23 PM - Reply
I made this tonight, it was fantastic! Mine was not as pretty as the picture but delish!
Laura December 10, 2015 at 8:55 AM - Reply
Hi there,
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Just curious if I can use regular flour for this? I live in an area where it’s very difficult to find chickpea flour. Thanks!
- Stephanie Weaver December 10, 2015 at 9:30 AM - Reply
  Hi Laura, you should be able to use regular flour. I just haven’t tested it. My second choice (see the recipe) is almond flour or almond meal, which you can make at home by putting chopped almonds in a food processor or good blender. Good luck! (My site is gluten-free, so I don’t use regular flour for anything.)
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Jill September 27, 2015 at 7:32 AM - Reply
I made this last weekend and it was delicious! I’ll definitely be making it again!
I had another recipe I wanted to try that said to add tofu, so, I used your marinade, baked, and added to the salad without tossing in the remaining marinade. It was a great addition to the salad! It was so good that I’m going to prepare a few batches and freeze for salads that I take to work for lunch! I also loved the ranch dressing and will be using that on my salads too.
Thanks for the recipe! I will be looking over your webpage for more ideas. So glad I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest!
- Stephanie Weaver September 27, 2015 at 7:38 AM - Reply
  Jill, thanks so much for taking the time to come back and tell us how it went. Glad you are finding other ways to use it too! I have over 200 vegan recipes in the recipe index. You can search by ingredient or by type of dish to find what’s there.
Mom of the Vegan! May 29, 2015 at 11:03 AM - Reply
We made cubes and they turned out fairly well. Great taste. BUT, my ranch didn’t turn out so great. I am hoping you will say to me that it is the soy milk I used. It was low fat and I hope you tell me that the vinegar reacts with the fat in the milk and that I need to make sure I get the regular and not low or no fat? Do you have good news for me? Thanks a bunch. ps it still tasted good, just very liquidy – no creaminess to it. She actually spread it on an emglish muffin, added some vegan mozz and loved it.
- Stephanie Weaver May 29, 2015 at 2:30 PM - Reply
  Yes, you need to use regular-fat soy milk, not low fat. I believe it’s the protein in the soy that reacts with the vinegar, and it might be that low fat soy milk has less protein. I used to use Trader Joe’s organic regular unsweetened soymilk and it came out perfectly every time.
Barbara January 26, 2015 at 6:01 PM - Reply
Oh my, what a hit this recipe is! I will be making this for my vegan friends at our next celebration. Can’t wait for them to try it!
- Stephanie Weaver January 27, 2015 at 10:40 AM - Reply
  Thanks Barbara. It’s certainly not necessary to sculpt the tofu, but it definitely looks more meatlike if you do. :)
Maggie Unzueta @ Mama Maggie's Kitchen January 26, 2015 at 11:11 AM - Reply
I’ve been looking for more tofu recipes. This looks so yummy!
- Stephanie Weaver January 27, 2015 at 10:39 AM - Reply
  Thanks Maggie! It has been a huge hit for everyone who has made it.
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Toni December 15, 2012 at 11:24 PM - Reply
I have done this with seitan and tempeh also! It was delish!
I baked the seitan Into drumstick shapes. It was ingenous.
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- Toni December 15, 2012 at 11:25 PM - Reply
  Ingenious I meant! haha
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Tess Quadra October 23, 2012 at 1:40 PM - Reply
Hi, I am going to try this recepie, but do not know what liquid smoke is?
- Recipe Renovator October 23, 2012 at 1:46 PM - Reply
  Hi Tess, and thanks for the question. Liquid smoke is just what it sounds like… smoke flavoring in a bottle. They make it by capturing smoke and distilled water. A little goes a long way. I use it in a lot of my recipes to give that meaty flavor. Just read the labels before you buy. You want one that says “smoke, water” in the ingredients and nothing else. If you’re in the U.S. I like Wright’s.
Shelia September 7, 2012 at 12:26 AM - Reply
Hot wings is the only dish my husband says he “misses”. In every city we visit we look up veg restaurants and check for vegan hot wings. The only place he liked was a veg diner in NYC that closed. After several failed attempts at making them, and then going gluten free, I never thought we would have the dish again. I found your site, made these with Frank’s and the ranch dressing and WOW!!! These were delicious and even received the “best I ever had” award. Thank you!
- Recipe Renovator September 7, 2012 at 12:46 AM - Reply
  Shelia, It is getting comments like yours that keeps me going as a food blogger. Thanks so much for the kind words. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know how much you and your Hubs liked the recipe.
Fiona August 17, 2012 at 4:02 PM - Reply
Hi :) I was just wondering what hot sauce you recommend. I am always overwhelmed by the selection at Whole Foods. Thanks!
- Recipe Renovator August 17, 2012 at 4:27 PM - Reply
  Hi Fiona, I like El Tapatio but Frank’s is the one traditionally used in Buffalo, NY. Happy wing-making!
Fiona August 17, 2012 at 4:02 PM - Reply
Hi! what hot sauce do you recommend?
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Jennifer March 1, 2012 at 4:40 AM - Reply
5 stars for the ranch! Haven’t tried the tofu yet. Looking forward to it!
- Recipe Renovator March 1, 2012 at 4:50 AM - Reply
  Yay! Let me know when you try the “wings.”
Fredrica February 7, 2012 at 2:25 PM - Reply
The wings and ranch dressing was a huge hit with my husband and actually some other friends not even vegan. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe and your wonderful blog. I will link to your blog;)
- Recipe Renovator February 7, 2012 at 3:51 PM - Reply
  How exciting to hear! Glad I was able to be part of your Game Day celebration.
Tracy Childs February 4, 2012 at 10:56 PM - Reply
I’m wondering if the tofu must be pressed for as long if using super firm (Trader Joe’s) tofu. I guess I might be starting the process too late? But I’m sure it will be great. What type of hot sauce do you use? I’m wondering about using Szechwan (sp) sauce – but it’s really super hot. I want them to be spice, but not excessively… Thanks Stephanie, for the recipe!
- Recipe Renovator February 6, 2012 at 12:36 AM - Reply
  Tracy, sorry I missed this comment. For future reference, you can shorten the pressing and marinating time, but for the best flavor follow the directions. And yes, you could use another type of hot sauce. Let me know how they came out!
stevo February 3, 2012 at 1:01 PM - Reply
I am 6 months a vegetarian who dabbles in veganism. Hot wings is one food I missed the most. Stephanie, you just may be my saving grace! ;)
- Recipe Renovator February 3, 2012 at 4:23 PM - Reply
  Yay! You’d also like my killer barbeque sauce, too. https://migrainereliefrecipes.com/special-diets/vegan/sugar-free-barbeque-sauce-recipe/
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Jennifer February 1, 2012 at 2:25 AM - Reply
I can’t wait to try this!! I was never a hot wings eater, but that just looks so super yummy that I want to add it to our weekly menu!
Question about sauces… I am not a hot sauce person, I’ve never even really eaten it! Is there a mild-ish standard one? I like a little heat, but not crazy. Could I try BBQ sauce in some form?
Thanks for the help, loving the recipes!!
- Recipe Renovator February 1, 2012 at 3:50 AM - Reply
  You could try BBQ sauce definitely… or you could buy a mild ranchero sauce and blend it to make it smooth before using. I have killer BBQ sauce here… no yucky high-fructose corn syrup. https://migrainereliefrecipes.com/special-diets/vegan/sugar-free-barbeque-sauce-recipe/
erinwyso February 1, 2012 at 1:47 AM - Reply
Stephanie, these look absolutely amazing and the photo is fantastic! This is definitely on my “to make” list! Thanks for sharing the recipe/method.
- Recipe Renovator February 1, 2012 at 3:55 AM - Reply
  Thanks Erin. Love your blog too!
Jen @ Lita's World February 1, 2012 at 12:26 AM - Reply
Definitely trying these this Sunday…sounds delish!
- Recipe Renovator February 1, 2012 at 12:36 AM - Reply
  Jen, happy game day!
Laura Plumb January 31, 2012 at 6:56 PM - Reply
This is amazing! It sounds so delicious and is exactly the kind of “naughty food” I love when indulging. Unfortunately, Super Bowls are not on the list of indulgences, so will have to dream up another excuse! Wild on Wednesdays? :)
Thank you, Stephanie. You are an artist in the kitchen.
- Recipe Renovator January 31, 2012 at 8:02 PM - Reply
  Thanks Laura, dream on!
Tracy Childs January 30, 2012 at 5:46 PM - Reply
This sounds super yummy!!! I have to try it!
- Recipe Renovator January 30, 2012 at 6:17 PM - Reply
  All I can say is that they were gone in about five minutes. :)