Vegan Fish and Chips
Vegan fish and chips is the classic British takeaway made without any fish: crispy beer-battered smoked tofu wrapped in nori for that sea-salt, “from the ocean” flavor, served with a pile of oven-baked chips. It comes together quickly, tastes like the real thing, and is a much lighter way to enjoy comfort food at home. If you have ever missed a proper chippy plate, this is the recipe that scratches that itch.
Fish and chips is a common English food and a lovely example of culinary fusion. The dish is battered fried “fish” with a side of hot potato chips, and it is older than you might think, first appearing back in the 1860s. Today there are thousands of fish and chips shops across England, affectionately called chippies, and takeaway fish and chips is still one of the UK’s favorite meals. Canada, Australia, and New Zealand adopted it too, so it has become comfort food well beyond Britain.
Why smoked tofu makes the best vegan “fish”
For my vegan fish and chips recipe, I used one of the best fish replacements ever: smoked tofu. Even if you are not a big tofu lover, you will have to trust me on this one, because the results have just the perfect taste and texture, and you won’t even realize you are eating tofu. I promise you’ll impress everyone. Although I really can’t give it a prize for the “Healthiest Meal Ever,” fish and chips is certainly a better takeaway than, say, a slice of pizza or a hamburger.
Smoked tofu works because it is firm enough to hold its shape through frying, and the smoky flavor stands in for the savory depth you get from real fish. The nori sheets do the rest: seaweed is what gives seafood its briny, oceanic taste, so pressing a piece onto each tofu slice delivers that “caught at sea” flavor without anything from the sea.
Ingredient notes for the batter and the “fish”
The magic here is really in the batter, and each ingredient earns its place. Here is what to know before you start:
- Firm smoked tofu — press out excess water if yours is very wet so the batter clings and the frying stays crisp. Firm is essential; silken tofu will fall apart.
- Nori sheets — cut to the size of your tofu slices and press onto both sides. The lemon juice helps them stick and adds a bright, fresh tang.
- Beer — the bubbles are what make the batter light and crispy. Use a plain lager or ale, and choose a certified vegan beer if you want the recipe to stay fully plant-based. A cold beer straight from the fridge gives the best lift.
- All-purpose flour plus chickpea flour — the chickpea flour adds a savory, slightly eggy note and structure, while the psyllium husks and corn starch help the coating hold together and crisp up.
- Nutritional yeast and black salt (kala namak) — nutritional yeast brings a savory, umami depth, and the optional black salt gives that unmistakable eggy, sulfur-y “seafood” aroma. Vegan fish sauce is optional but pushes the flavor even closer to the real thing.
Tips for a crispy, golden result
A few small details make the difference between soggy and shatteringly crisp. In my opinion, keeping the batter cold is the single biggest factor — however it is said that this is what gives amazing texture and flavor, making the fish and chips a ton crispier and more delicious.
- Get your oil to proper deep-frying temperature before the tofu goes in. If the oil is too cool, the batter soaks it up and turns greasy instead of crisping.
- Fry the battered slices for only about a minute, just until golden. They are quick because the tofu is already cooked — you are only crisping the coating.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Adding too many pieces at once drops the oil temperature and steams the batter.
- Rest the fried “fish” on a kitchen towel to drain excess oil, and serve right away while everything is hot and crisp.
- Stir the batter well so there are no dry pockets of flour, and use it soon after mixing while the baking soda is still active.
The chips: baked, not fried
To keep this plate a little lighter, the chips are oven-baked rather than deep-fried. Slice your peeled potatoes into thick chip shapes, spread them in a single layer so they roast instead of steam, and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, and basil to coat every piece. Bake at 200C until golden, giving them a turn partway through so both sides color evenly. A single layer with a little space between the chips is the key to crisp edges. If you want to switch things up, my sweet potato fries make a great alternative side.
What to serve with vegan fish and chips
Serve the tofu “fish” warm with your crispy chips and your favorite sauce — a squeeze of fresh lemon, a dollop of vegan tartar sauce, or classic mushy peas all work beautifully. If you are building a bigger comfort-food spread, this pairs nicely with other British-style plant-based favorites. Try it as part of a pub-night menu alongside my vegan Big Mac burger, or round out the meal with a warm bowl of vegan red lentil soup to start.
Storage and make-ahead tips
Fish and chips is at its best fresh, when the batter is still crackly and the chips are hot. That said, you can prep ahead: wrap the tofu in nori and refrigerate the slices, and mix your dry batter ingredients in advance, only stirring in the cold beer right before frying so the bubbles stay lively. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. To bring back the crunch, reheat the “fish” and chips in a hot oven or air fryer rather than the microwave, which will leave the coating soft. If you are cooking more plant-based comfort food this week, my vegan lasagna with mushrooms is another cozy dinner worth bookmarking, and you can find plenty more ideas in my guide to a vegan diet.
If you make this vegan fish and chips, I would love to know how the beer batter turned out for you — please rate the recipe and leave a comment below telling me whether anyone at your table guessed it was tofu under the nori. Happy frying!
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Vegan Fish and Chips
Ingredients
For the chips:
- 4 potatoes peeled and sliced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper freshly cracked
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp basil
For the fish:
- 1 block firm tofu smoked, sliced
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice fresh
- 3 Nori sheets
- 2 cups oil for frying
For the batter:
- 1 cup beer
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp chickpea flour
- 1 Tbsp psyllium husks
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 Tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅓ tsp black salt optional, for flavor
- ½ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 Tbsp vegan fish sauce optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C.
- Lay a sheet of parchment pepper on a baking tray.
- Spread the sliced potatoes in a single layer on the tray.
- Sprinkle with oil, salt, pepper, oregano and basil. Toss to cover and spice every chips.
- Bake until golden.
- Meanwhile, prepare the fish:
- Cut the nori sheets into the tofu slices shape and cover every tofu slice with a piece of nori, on both sides. Sprinkle with lemon juice to stick and set aside.
- Add some oil to a pan and put it on medium heat until it reaches the proper deep-frying temperature.
- In a medium bowl, add all the batter ingredients. Stir well to combine.
- Dip every tofu slice in batter and deep-fry for about a minute until golden.
- Place on a kitchen towel to get rid of the excess oil.
- Serve your tofu fish warm with crispy fries and your favorite sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
This vegan version swaps the fish for firm smoked tofu wrapped in nori seaweed, which gives it a briny, oceanic flavor. The tofu is dipped in a light beer batter made with all-purpose flour, chickpea flour, psyllium husks, corn starch, and nutritional yeast, then deep-fried until golden. It is served with oven-baked potato chips seasoned with olive oil and herbs.
Nori is what gives the tofu its ‘from the sea’ taste. Seaweed carries the same briny, oceanic flavor found in real seafood, so pressing a piece of nori onto each tofu slice makes the vegan ‘fish’ taste convincingly like the real thing. The lemon juice helps the nori stick and adds a fresh tang.
Beer batter is plant-based in principle, since it is just beer, flour, and seasonings. However, some beers are clarified with isinglass, which comes from fish, so they are not technically vegan. To keep this recipe fully vegan, choose a certified vegan lager or ale, then use it cold for the crispiest batter.
Keep the batter cold and make sure the oil has reached proper deep-frying temperature before you add the tofu. Fry the slices for only about a minute, just until golden, and avoid crowding the pan so the oil temperature stays high. Drain the fried pieces on a kitchen towel and serve right away while everything is hot.
Yes. In this recipe the chips are oven-baked rather than deep-fried, tossed with just a little olive oil, salt, and herbs, then baked at 200C until golden. Spreading them in a single layer with space between each piece helps them crisp up instead of steaming. Sweet potato fries are a great alternative side if you want to change it up.
They are best eaten fresh, when the batter is still crackly. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days and reheat in a hot oven or air fryer to bring back the crunch. Avoid the microwave, which softens the coating and makes the chips limp.
Wow, so creative and the taste is absolutely delicious! 🙂 Will try again for sure
This fish and chips dish is sublime! It also looks spectacular! Thank you so much for your wild creativity, Ruxandra! 🙂
Thank you, Alina! I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂