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There's nothing better than a crispy "chicken" sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and mayo! This vegan chicken sandwich makes a satisfying, flavor-packed lunch or dinner. Serve this crispy yet tender plant-based chicken sandwich with a side of french fries and vegan ranch!
A long time ago, when I used to eat meat, I'd love a good fried chicken sandwich! Chick-fil-a has been known to have the best fried chicken sandwich, but obviously, there is no vegan option. It's also not really that healthy for you. So I decided to recreate the traditional fast food chicken sandwich to be vegan friendly and healthier, but taste just as good as the original recipe!
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And let me tell you, this homemade patty is worlds better than store-bought meat alternatives. It tastes like the real deal. Not only is it worth the effort, but you can freeze the leftover patties! I love to make them in advance so all I have to do is brine and coat the patties.
This vegan chicken sandwich recipe is the only one you'll ever need. I like to serve it on a whole wheat bun with all the fixings! It's way better than any fast food chain!
🧑🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- Tastes better than fast food!
- Homemade vegan chicken patty
- The whole family will love it
- Tastes like a real chicken breast
- You can make the seitan ahead of time
- Better than store-bought vegan alternatives
- The best meatless chicken sandwich ever!
🥘 Ingredients
You can find the ingredients for this healthy chicken sandwich recipe at your local health food store. Find the full recipe with nutritional information in the recipe card below.
Silken Tofu: I prefer the texture of silken tofu in seitan. It gives the seitan a tender texture instead of a chewy one!
Vegan Chicken Broth: "Chicken" broth packs in flavor. It doubles as a cooking liquid and an ingredient in this recipe.
Worcestershire Sauce: The sweet and tangy flavor of Worcestershire sauce complements the savory flavor of the chicken broth. If you don't have any, soy sauce works too.
Vital Wheat Gluten: Not all grocery stores carry vital wheat gluten, but you can find it at your local health food store like Whole Foods. It's an essential ingredient that creates the meat-like texture!
Seasoning: Onion powder, poultry seasoning, and garlic powder season the "meat".
Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast has a nutty, cheesy quality to it. It's often used in vegan food to mimic the taste of meat or cheese.
Pickle Juice: The sweet and acidic taste of pickle juice makes a perfect brine! If you don't have pickle juice, substitute more almond milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice!
Almond Milk: Any plant-based milk works, but unsweetened almond milk has a mild flavor. Cashew, soy, and oat milk are also great options.
Hot Sauce: For a little bit of heat! Feel free to leave it out if you don't like spicy food.
All-Purpose Flour: Flour creates the crispy coating once it's fried in hot oil.
Baking Powder: This secret ingredient creates a light yet crispy fried "chicken".
Spices: Garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, and salt season the coating. If you don't want a spicy chicken sandwich, omit the cayenne.
Ol ive oil: To fry the chicken patties!
📖 Variations
The best vegan chicken sandwich is easy to customize! Try one of these delicious variations.
- Cheese: Top with your favorite kind of vegan cheese! Gouda, american, blue cheese, provolone, and cheddar are all delicious!
- Toppings: Red onion, pickles, tomatoes, pickled jalapenos, lettuce, and coleslaw taste great on vegan chicken.
- Sauces: Hot sauce, BBQ sauce, creamy sauce, vegan mayonnaise, spicy mayo, a tangy sauce like honey mustard, and hot honey are delicious options!
- Subway Meatless Chicken Teriyaki: Cut the fried seitan into vegan "chicken strips" and toss with a teriyaki glaze. Place the chicken on a hoagie roll and top with provolone cheese, sliced red onion, spinach, and a sweet onion dressing.
- Vegan Spicy Chicken Sandwich: Add Cajun spices and a little bit of chili powder to the flour mixture before coating. Top your hot chicken with plenty of hot sauce!
- Vegan Buffalo Chicken Sandwich: Add spicy buffalo sauce and blue cheese on top of the patty!
🔪 How To Make A Vegan Chicken Sandwich
It's so easy to make this simple sandwich! Here's how:
Whisk Tofu: In a medium bowl, whisk together the tofu, 1/4 cup of chicken broth, and Worcestershire sauce until the tofu is in small pieces. There's no need to use a food processor.
Whisk Seitan Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the vital wheat gluten, garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast, vegan-friendly chicken seasoning, and salt.
Fold Together: Fold the tofu mixture and the seasoning mixture together to form a dough.
Form The Dough: Use your hands to make a ball with the dough. Resist overworking the dough or the patties will be chewy.
Cut The Dough: Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces and shape them into patties. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cook The Patties: Place the patties in a large baking dish and cover with 2 cups of vegan chicken stock or vegetable broth. Cover and bake for 1 hour, turning the chicken cutlets over at the 30-minute mark.
Let Patties Cool: Once the patties are done cooking, remove them from the broth and let them cool.
Make The Brine: Mix the pickle juice, almond milk, and hot sauce together in a large ziplock bag or baking dish. Place the patties into the bag and marinate for 2 hours.
Make The Coating: Whisk the flour and spices together in a dish. Remove the patties from the marinade.
Coat The Patties In The Dry Batter: Coat 1 patty in the flour mixture on all sides. Dip the patty back into the marinade then back into the coating. Repeat with all the "chicken" patties.
Fry Patties: Heat oil in a large dutch oven or pot on medium high heat, fry each patty until golden brown and crispy - about 5 minutes.
Drain: Carefully remove the fried chicken patties from the oil and let drain on a paper towel to get rid of any excess oil. A deep fryer can also be used.
Serve: Serve the patties on your burger bun of choice, with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Enjoy these vegan fried chick'n sandwiches warm!
❓ Recipe FAQs
How healthy is vegan chicken?
The answer is - it depends! In general, plant-based meats like this tofu-based seitan are high in fiber and protein but low in saturated fat - making them healthier than their meat counterparts.
But store bought vegan fried chicken may not be that healthy - as it could be filled with unhealthy fats and preservatives. This particular recipe for vegan chicken is low in calories and fat, making it a healthy part of any balanced diet. It is fried though, and keep in mind that fried foods, should still be enjoyed in moderation!
What is a vegan chicken sandwich made of?
This vegetarian chicken sandwich has a patty that's made from vital wheat gluten and silken tofu. These two ingredients give the plant-based meat a meaty texture and taste without any animal products. The "chicken" patty is then fried and served on a bun with traditional burger toppings.
How should I store a seitan chicken sandwich?
It's best to enjoy vegan sandwiches right away! However, you can make the vegan patties ahead of time and store in an air-tight container. You can refrigerate them for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 2 months. Let them defrost in the refrigerator, then coat and fry as directed.
How should I serve a vegan fried chicken sandwich?
Vegan chicken sandwiches can be served with whatever toppings you like! I like to top it with sliced tomato, lettuce, and mayo for a classic vegetarian version. It tastes delicious with a side of fries, but salad, chips, or soup would be great too!
💭 Expert Tips
- It's vital not to overwork the dough. Doing so will result in a rubbery patty.
- For a slight kick, add 1 teaspoon of cracked black pepper or dried chili flakes to the coating mixture.
- I haven't tested these in the air fryer yet. If you try to air fry them, let us know in the comments!
- To make vegan chicken nuggets, form the seitan into small nuggets instead of patties, then follow the recipe as directed.
- For added flavor, spread vegan butter on the top bun and toast in a hot skillet.
