Best Vegan Fried Chicken
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This vegan fried chicken is made with seitan, double-dipped in buttermilk, seasoned breading, and cereal for the crispiest twist on the classic comfort food.
This seitan fried chicken will satisfy your cravings for buttermilk fried chicken without the fake meat vibe. (I’m sure you know what I mean!)
Crispy, moist, and perfectly seasoned, you no longer have to wing your homemade vegan chicken tenders. Seitan and a few pantry staples have you covered!
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Why You’ll Love This Vegan Fried Chicken Recipe
- This vegan fried chicken recipe is super easy to make! No fancy ingredients, tools, or skills are needed, and you can also use the oven or air fryer if you don’t want to pan fry.
- Satisfyingly crunchy, juicy, and flavorful, this meatless fried chicken is the perfect replacement for traditional buttermilk fried chicken.
- Seitan fried chicken is versatile! Enjoy it on its own, treat it as a side dish, or get creative with the leftovers (Vegan chicken sandwich, anyone?)
Ingredients And Substitutions
Seitan – The star ingredient that gives this meatless fried chicken the perfect meaty texture. Consider learning how to make it yourself because it’s incredibly versatile!
Oat milk – You can use any non-dairy milk for the vegan buttermilk, but for the best consistency, opt for oat milk or soy milk.
Apple cider vinegar – Lends tanginess and splits the plant based milk for an instant buttermilk mixture without dairy.
All-purpose flour – Helps the seasonings and coating stick for a crispy crust.
Paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground ginger, salt, and black pepper – Play around with the blend of seasonings and spices! Old Bay Seasoning has a good flavor that suits this crispy, juicy seitan fried chicken.
Rice cereal – An excellent alternative to bread crumbs for meatless fried chicken with a satisfying crunch.
Vegetable oil – When frying plant-based fried chicken, you can’t go wrong with vegetable oil. Any vegan oil with a high smoke point like sunflower oil also works.
Tips For Making This Recipe
Don’t Skip the Buttermilk
Just because this is a fried VEGAN chicken doesn’t mean you should skip the buttermilk soak! The dairy-free buttermilk helps the coating stick for the crispiest exterior.
Coat the Seitan Well
For a perfectly crispy crust, follow this vegan breaded chicken recipe’s instructions for double-coating the seitan pieces.
Avoid Soggy Vegan Fried Chicken
The secret to non-soggy vegan chicken? Fry seitan in batches over medium-high heat, keep the oil temperature at 350°F, and place the freshly fried “chicken” on a plate lined with paper towels!
Seitan Fried Chicken Recipe FAQs
What is a vegan substitute for fried chicken?
Besides seitan, I’ve seen plant based fried chicken made from clusters of oyster mushrooms, tofu, and cauliflower.
Is vegan fried chicken gluten-free?
Nope. This vegan fried chicken recipe’s chicken substitute is seitan that is actually made from wheat gluten. For a gluten-free chicken substitute, try cauliflower florets like what we’ve used in our vegan cauliflower chicken wings.
Can I make seitan fried chicken ahead of time?
Yes! Cook your vegan fried chicken, let the pieces cool, and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To get them nice and crispy again, reheat them in a pan over medium heat.
Can you cook plant based fried chicken in an air fryer?
This vegan crispy chicken is best done on the stovetop, but you can spray them with cooking spray and air fry them at 375ºF for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Keep in mind that the cooking time may vary depending on the size of the pieces.
Can you bake vegan chicken?
Arrange the meatless fried chicken pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spray them with oil. Bake them for 10 minutes at 425°F, flip, and bake for another 10 minutes or until they’re golden brown and crispy.
More Delicious Vegan Main Dish Recipes
- Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
- Vegan Cauliflower Wings
- Vegan Roast
- Vegan Lobster
- Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
I found this recipe for Vegan Katsu Curry that I HAVE to try!
Yay! You have made it this far, and I am so glad! Hey – If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Your comment and/or rating helps other readers!
Vegan Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 pieces seitan about the size of a chicken tenderloin
- 1 1/2 cups oat milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup rice cereal, crushed
- 4 cups vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- To make the vegan buttermilk, pour the oat milk and apple cider vinegar into a shallow dish, whisk, and allow to sit for 5 minutes to thicken and curdle.
- In another shallow dish, whisk together the flour and spices.
- Dip each piece of seitan into the non-dairy buttermilk, then into the flour mixture.
- Add the crushed rice cereal to the seasoned flour mixture and stir it well.
- Dip the coated pieces of seitan again into the buttermilk and into the cereal mixture.
- Heat your oil to 375°F in a shallow cast iron pan. You can turn it down to 350°F if the vegan fried chicken is frying too fast or burning.
- Fry half of the breaded seitan pieces to avoid overcrowding the pan. Cook them for 4 to 5 minutes per side, then place the fried seitan pieces on a plate or tray lined with a paper towel.
- Season with extra salt if needed, or serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- Just because this is a fried VEGAN chicken doesn’t mean you should skip the buttermilk soak! The dairy-free buttermilk helps the coating stick for the crispiest exterior.
- For a perfectly crispy crust, follow this vegan breaded chicken recipe’s instructions for double-coating the seitan pieces.
- The secret to non-soggy vegan chicken? Fry seitan in batches over medium-high heat, keep the oil temperature at 350°F, and place the freshly fried “chicken” on a plate lined with paper towels!
PIN FOR LATER!
I recently made the Vegan Fried Chicken recipe and it was a total hit! The texture and flavors were incredibly close to the real thing, but completely plant-based. It was crispy on the outside and tender inside. This recipe is a great option for anyone craving that classic fried chicken experience but in a vegan way. Loved it!
Thank you for your fantastic feedback, Phillip! We’re absolutely thrilled to hear that the Vegan Fried Chicken was a hit for you. It’s wonderful to know that the texture and flavors met your expectations and closely mirrored the real thing, all while being completely plant-based. We’re especially pleased that you appreciated the crispy exterior and tender interior – that’s exactly what we aim for! Your endorsement of this recipe as a great option for anyone craving a vegan version of classic fried chicken is incredibly valuable. Thanks again for sharing your experience and for your enthusiasm – it means a lot to us and helps others in our community too!
Warm regards,
The HFHL Team