This recipe originates as Nashville hot tofu nuggets from Rabbits and Wolves, and we eat these on little slider buns with sliced pickles.
Press the tofu by covering the tofu with a paper towel on a plate and putting something heavy on top. Press for at least 30 minutes, but the longer the better, and you can even do it overnight.
Once you are ready to cook the tofu, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Cut the block of tofu into cubes. Set aside.
Take 3 small mixing bowls. In the first bowl, whisk together 1 cup non-dairy milk, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of hot sauce. In the second bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour and 1 teaspoon of salt. In the third bowl, add the panko bread crumbs.
Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
Toss a few tofu cubes at a time in the flour, shake off any excess, and put them into the almond milk mixture. Once they are soaked, roll them around in the flour bowl again, then dip them back in the milk bowl, and cover them in panko coating completely. Pat the panko onto the tofu to make sure it is fully coated.
Repeat with all the tofu cubes, placing them on the baking sheet, until all the tofu is coated.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through baking, or until they are brown and crunchy.
While the tofu is baking, make the sauce. In a small sauce pan, melt the 1/2 cup butter and 1/3 cup olive oil together on medium low. Then whisk in the 1/3 cup of hot sauce, 1/4 cup honey, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Let the sauce simmer for a minute, then turn the heat off.
Once the tofu is done, toss them in the sauce, place a couple of them on each bun along with a few sliced pickles, and serve.