Vegan Fried Chicken
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
9 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Marinade Time
4 hrs
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Total Time
4 hrs 24 mins
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Servings
4 or 5 servings
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Calories
945 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Vegan Fried Chicken
Description
Constructed from seitan, this vegan fried chicken achieves a crispy, golden crust by first marinating the seitan pieces in a vegan buttermilk mixture of plant milk, pickle juice, poultry seasoning, Dijon mustard, and flour. The marinade tenderizes and imparts flavor, similar to traditional buttermilk brining. The coating flour is seasoned with Old Bay seasoning and salt, mirroring familiar fried chicken spices. Seitan pieces are deep fried or pan fried in oil heated to 350-360°F until browned and crisp.
Alternative cooking methods include air frying the coated seitan pieces at 400°F for 8–10 minutes or baking at 375°F until golden and crisp. Immediately seasoning fried pieces with salt enhances flavor and discourages sogginess. The result is a plant-based fried chicken substitute with a crunchy exterior and tender, chewy inside.
This dish suits occasions where vegan comfort food is desired and can be served like classic fried chicken. Cooling on a wire rack prevents sogginess from excess oil.
Maintaining frying temperature is key for texture, and marinating overnight intensifies flavor. This recipe also allows store-bought seitan for convenience. The notes offer practical tips for cooking methods and seasoning after frying to optimize crispness and taste.
Ingredients
The seitan
- 550 grams seitan *about a third of a batch if you are following my Seitan recipe
For the vegan buttermilk marinade
- 2 cups plant-based milk unsweetened
- ⅓ cup pickle juice
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- frying oil
For coating and frying
- 1 cup cooking oil such as canola, peanut, sunflower, or vegetable oil, high-heat
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning or cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- First, make the seitan. Follow my seitan recipe here. It’s absolutely astonishing for making vegan fried chicken out of! If you are using store-bought seitan, just skip this step. You will then need to pull the seitan apart by hand into irregular medium size chunks about the size of small chicken breasts and wings.
- In a container large enough to marinate the seitan in, using a whisk, mix together the plant-based milk, pickle juice, poultry seasonings, mustard, and ¼ cup of flour. Place the seitan pieces into the buttermilk marinade, and make sure all pieces get coated.
- Place the brining seitan into the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight.
- Preheat 1 cup of oil in a large cast iron skillet over a medium-high flame. You can use a frying thermometer to ensure the temperature is between 350-360. Alternatively, you can use a deep fryer and more oil, which will be needed if you use a deep fryer.
- In a bowl mix together the 2 cups of flour, old bay seasoning, and salt.
- Working with one piece of seitan at a time. Take each pieces of seitan, remove it from the buttermilk marinade, coat it thoroughly in the seasoned flour, dip it back into the marinade, coating it entirely with liquid again. Then one final coating in the seasoned flour to encapsulate the batter. Place each fully coated piece of seitan into the hot oil. You will probably need to fry the seitan in 2-3 batches so there is room for the seitan pieces to not touch one another while they cook.
- Fry for 2-3 minutes on the first side. Then flip the seitan pieces with tongs and fry on the second side. For about 2 minutes until lightly golden brown.
- Transfer all of the fried seitan pieces onto a wire rack to cool and drip dry. Immediately season with salt to taste.
- Fry any subsequent batches of seitan until it is all cooked.
- Serve with pickles and your favorite dipping sauce!
Notes
- Maintain frying oil temperature between 350-360°F using a thermometer for best results.
- After frying, drain seitan on a wire rack and season immediately with salt to retain crispiness.
- For an air fryer, spray battered seitan pieces with oil and cook at 400°F for 8-10 minutes for a healthier alternative.
- To bake, roast coated seitan on an oiled parchment-lined pan at 375°F for about 20 minutes, turning once to crisp evenly.
- Marinate seitan for at least 4 hours or overnight to enhance flavor and texture.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4or 5 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 945 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 945kcal | 47% |
| Carbohydrates | 62g | 21% |
| Protein | 40g | 80% |
| Fat | 60g | 92% |
| Saturated Fat | 1.4g | 7% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 7g | 41% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Trans Fat | 0.2g | 10% |
| Sodium | 1261mg | 53% |
| Potassium | 226mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 266IU | 5% |
| Vitamin C | 0.1mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 167mg | 17% |
| Iron | 6mg | 33% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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