Crispy Tofu Steaks

These Crispy Tofu Steaks are a great low carb vegan holiday main dish option!  They’re flavorful and have a crunchy almond coating!

 Every year I try to post a vegan/vegetarian holiday main dish option.  I, personally, am happy just enjoying a big plate of sides, but it is nice to a have main course.  I usually do something that’s loaded with legumes and bread crumbs, like this Vegan Meatloaf I posted last year, but this year I thought I’d try to make something with less carbs.  These Crispy Vegan Steaks are the perfect things to accompany all your delicious side dishes this holiday season 🙂

Last Thanksgiving and Christmas I was nearing the end of my pregnancy and had no energy or motivation to cook a holiday feast.  This year, I have more motivation but now I have two children sucking all my energy so I’m trying to keep things simple, but delicious.

What Is A Vegan Steak?

I know some people hate it when you name vegan foods after they’re meat counterparts, but I wasn’t really sure what else to call these.  Tofu patties just doesn’t sound quite as appealing haha! 

Now, these Crispy Vegan Steaks do not have the same texture as a steak or even store-bought vegan veggie burger.  The inside is kinda soft but if you were making them vegetarian, rather than vegan, you could use a regular egg instead of flax egg and they would probably be a bit firmer.  They do have a really nice crispy bite from the almonds that I crusted them with though!

What You’ll Need For These Crispy Vegan Steaks

• Tofu – You need to use extra firm tofu for this recipe and I highly recommend pressing as much water out of the tofu as you can.  My absolute favorite kind of tofu is the super firm, pre-pressed tofu that I get from Sprouts or Trader Joe’s.  That tofu will give you the best texture for these steaks, but if you can’t find super firm, just use extra firm.
• Vegetables – I used the classic celery, carrot and onion for this recipe but you could really add any vegetables you like!
• Almond Flour and Almonds – I wanted to keep this recipe low in carbs because holiday sides seem to be pretty carb heavy, so instead of bread crumbs I used almond flour inside and crushed almonds as the crispy coating.  Bread crumbs could also be substituted for both though.
• Flax Egg – I wanted to make this recipe vegan so I used a flax egg, but as I said above, you could also use a regular egg and they would be a little firmer in texture.
• Spices – Feel free to go crazy with the spices!  I used a small amount of poultry seasoning, Tamari, smoked paprika, onion and garlic powder, and worcestershire sauce to give it a nice savory flavor.

How To Make This Crispy Tofu Steak Recipe

• You start by sautéing the vegetables until they’re caramelized and brown.  You then add in the garlic and tofu and cook for another few minutes.
• Next, blend the tofu and veggies in the food processor for just a few seconds and then add to a large bowl.  
• Add in all your spices and other ingredients and mix until combined.  I like to place in the refrigerator after that for at least an hour to help it firm up, overnight would be great too.
• I then form the tofu mixture into patties and press in the crushed almonds.  This step is really important!  The almonds get nice and crispy in the frying pan and really make the dish delicious!
• I chose to fry mine in a little bit of oil but you could also bake them in the oven if you like.  I’d suggest baking at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, flipping once.

How To Enjoy These Vegan Steaks

You can eat them by themselves or with a delicious sauce!  I would suggest: gravy, BBQ sauce, ketchup or even a flavorful stir fry sauce.  I’d love to hear your ideas too!

Pictured is my:

Vegan Mashed Potatoes with Garlic and Herbs

Easy Vegan Gravy

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Roasted Radishes

Crispy Tofu Steaks

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: She Likes Food
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

These Crispy Tofu Steaks are flavorful and have a nice crunchy almost crust!  Perfect for a vegan holiday main dish!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 cup small diced celery
• 1 cup small diced carrot
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (14 oz) package extra firm tofu, pressed
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 flax egg, or 1 regular egg (flax egg=1 tablespoon ground flax mixed with two tablespoons water, let sit for a few minutes)
• 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (vegan)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup crushed, toasted almonds

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Instructions

1. Heat a large pan over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon olive oil, carrots, celery and onion.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper, stir and then cover.  Cook until vegetables have softened and browned, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.  Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.
2. Remove the vegetables from the pan.  Crumble the tofu with your hands and add that into the pan, along with the tamari, onion powder and garlic powder.  Cook until tofu is browned, 7 minutes.
3. Add the vegetables and tofu into a food processor.  Give it a few pulses, just until the ingredients are broken up a little bit and then add mixture to a large bowl.
4. Add in the remaining ingredients, except for the crushed almonds, and mix until combined.  Refrigerate mixture for at least one hour, but overnight is great too.  Form the mixture into patties, I usually make 4 large patties but you could make smaller ones if you like.
5. Spread out the crushed almonds on a plate and coat each side of the tofu steaks in the almonds.  Heat a large pan over medium heat and coat the bottom with olive oil.  Place tofu steaks in and cook for about 7-10 minutes on each side.

• Category: Dinner, Vegan
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: Crispy Vegan Steaks