The BEST Vegan Chicken
This is the best vegan chicken recipe! It's made of tofu and vital wheat gluten, flavorful, meaty, high in protein, and perfect for grilling and frying.
Servings: 8 fillets
Calories: 165kcal
Ingredients
For the vegan chicken:
- 12 ounces firm tofu drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons chicken seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup vegan chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 1 and ½ cups vital wheat gluten
For cooking:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or vegan butter
- 1-2 teaspoon chicken seasoning to rub into fillets
Instructions
- Add all the vegan chicken ingredients except the vital wheat gluten to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Transfer to a large bowl and add the vital wheat gluten. Mix until well combined. You don’t need to knead the dough, just mix until well combined.
- Make a ball with the dough. It doesn’t have to be perfect as it won’t change the flavor or texture, it will just make your chicken more beautiful.
- Transfer the ball to a cutting board and flatten it out, then cut it into 4 pieces, and wrap them in aluminum foil loosely, as they will expand while cooking.
- Steam for 30 minutes. If you don’t want to use aluminum foil or steam the chicken, read the notes below.
- Let the pieces cool down for a few minutes so you don’t burn your hands. Unwrap them from the foil and cut each piece lengthways down the middle so that you have 8 pieces.
- Sprinkle the extra chicken seasoning onto the fillets and rub them in with your hands.
- Heat the olive oil or vegan butter in a skillet and cook the fillets over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides.
- Serve immediately with some lemon wedges.
Video
Notes
Substitutions:
- Don't want to use aluminum foil or steam the chicken? Just simmer partially covered for 1 hour in some stock.
- You can see the step-by-step photos and video about how to cook it without foil and simmering instead of steaming in this post.
- If you can’t find nutritional yeast, use brewer's yeast instead (keep in mind some brands are so bitter), or omit it (you may need to add more vital wheat gluten, though).
- I find the combination of garlic and onion powder works really well, but you could use only one of them if you want.
- Chicken seasoning can be replaced with poultry seasoning. You could also add other spices or herbs you have on hand instead.
- I’ve only made this recipe using tofu, but if you can’t eat soy, try to use chickpeas, beans, or any other legumes instead. Adjust the amount of vital wheat gluten if needed.
- Refrigerator: store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week.
- Freezer: store it in an airtight container or a freezer-friendly bag in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Thaw: to thaw, transfer it into the refrigerator 1 or 2 days before eating it.
- Reheat: it can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. Add some extra virgin olive oil or vegan butter if needed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1fillet | Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 388mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 73IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 2mg