Easy Vegan Chicken

This basic vegan chicken recipe is going to become your go-to for all of your chicken alternative needs. Chop it into smaller pieces and make seitan chicken nuggets or keep it in larger patties and make “chicken” burgers. Have this vegan meat substitute ready in no time.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Tastes most like the real thing! If you’ve recently gone vegan and are looking for a plant protein that has a chewy texture and tastes like real chicken, this seitan chicken is the best meat alternative hands down.
• Simple list of ingredients. Like most of the recipes we share on the blog, this recipe is made with just 7 ingredients, plus oil for frying.
• Instant Pot and stovetop option. Cooking wheat meat in the pressure cooker is so much faster than on the stove, but I’ve provided options for both so everyone can make their own seitan chicken.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

• Vital wheat gluten – This is the most important ingredient when making vegan chicken alternatives at home! The gluten protein makes a very unique meaty texture and contains all 9 of the essential amino acids. There is unfortunately no possible substitute.
• Garbanzo bean flour – Also known as besan flour or chickpea flour, this ingredient helps cut the gluten and makes the seitan chicken a little less dense.
• Broth – Both vegetable broth and vegan chicken broth will work. I typically like to use “chicken” broth because it tends to add more realistic chicken flavor. If you only have vegetable broth, you can add a small pinch of poultry seasoning to boost the flavor.
• Breadcrumbs – We like to use panko breadcrumbs in our breading mixture. It’s lighter and yields to a crispier coating.
• Oil – While this seitan chicken is not deep fried, it is pan fried to give it the best crispy coating. I like to use coconut oil because it has a higher smoking point and i dont mind the coconut flavor any sort of neutral oil can work for this.

How to Make Vegan Chicken

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, add the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, and chickpea flour. Whisk together well until combined.
2. Add the broth. Pour in the broth then stir until a dough ball forms. It should be a bit rubbery.
3. Knead the dough. Lightly knead the dough a few times with your hands until the seitan dough has no dry spots.
4. Cook the seitan. Add about 3 cups of broth to the bottom of the Instant Pot or similar pressure cooker. Tear the seitan into about 6-8 smaller chunks and place them directly in the broth. Set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure and cook for 15 minutes.
5. Quick release the pressure. Once the pot has come to pressure, then cooked for the full 15 minutes, immediately release the remaining pressure by switching the valve on the lid of the pot from “sealing” to “venting.”
6. Make the breading. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, panko breadcrumbs, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
7. Cut the vegan chicken into desired size. If you’re using this recipe to make chicken burgers, feel free to leave the seitan chunks in larger, patty like pieces. If you’re using this recipe to make classic chicken nuggets or chicken fingers, chop them into smaller bite-sized chunks.
8. Coat the seitan in the flour mixture. Once the chicken is cut into your desired size, toss it in the mixing bowl with the breading mixture and toss until completely coated.
9. Pan fry the seitan. Add your favorite neutral frying oil of choice to a large skillet or frying pan. Once hot, add in the seitan pieces and fry for about 5-6 minutes on each side. I like to flip them a few times to help them get super crispy.
10. Drain the excess oil. After the breading has become crispy, place the “chicken” pieces on a paper-towel lined plate to absorb any excess oil.
11. Enjoy immediately! Enjoy this “chicken” as desired while warm and crispy!

Ideas for Serving

The best part about this seitan chicken recipe is it’s so versatile! You can use it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even an appetizer. Enjoy it as simple popcorn chicken bites or seitan chicken nugget bites dunked in ketchup, vegan ranch dressing, or barbecue sauce (as pictured). Or dress it up and add it to your favorite main. Here are a few recipes to try!

• Vegan chicken sandwiches – You’re in luck because sandwiches happen to be one of Greg’s specialties. Try this Vegan McChicken Sandwich, Vegan Chicken Pesto Panini, Vegan Cajun Mac ‘Chicken’ Sandwich, Vegan Hot Maple Ranch Nashville Chicken Sandwich, or this Vegan Chicken Big Mac.
• Add it to a salad – Add it to your favorite salad, or try my Vegan Chicken Pretzel Crunch Taco Salad and my Chipotle Lime Chicken Taco Bowls.
• Make homemade takeout – Turn it into our Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken, Vegan Sweet Lime Dijon “Chicken”, Vegan Naked Chicken Chalupa (Taco Bell-Inspired), or this delicious Vegan KFC Bowl (Copycat Recipe!).
• Pair it with a grain bowl – My favorite is this Crispy Baked “Chicken” with Pesto & Green Pea Brown Rice.

How to Store

Once fried and breaded, this seitan chicken is best enjoyed immediately. It can be stored and reheated for up to 2-3 days, but it will be less crispy.

If you’d like to prep this seitan chicken in advance, follow the recipe through cooking the chicken in the Instant Pot (step 3). Allow the seitan to cool completely to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. When ready to eat, pick back up with step 4 and pan fry the chicken just before eating!

Seitan can also be frozen, but again, freeze before pan frying and thaw in the refrigerator. For optimal flavor and texture, freeze seitan for no longer than 3 months.

Recipe FAQs

I don’t have an Instant Pot. Can I cook this vegan chicken on the stovetop?

Yes! Since publishing this recipe, many readers have requested a stovetop version of this seitan recipe. If desired, simmer the seitan chicken in broth on the stovetop for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. We have not tested cooking this seitan in a steamer basket or the oven and unfortunately cannot advise.

Can I make this vegan chicken gluten-free?

Seitan is a key ingredient in this recipe and cannot be easily substituted with a gluten-free swap. However, if you have celiac disease or are simply interested in a gluten-free vegan chicken recipe, try these Tofu Chicken Nuggets made from tofu pieces!

Is vegan chicken more expensive?

Store-bought mock meats and mock chicken can be expensive and difficult to find, but making your own plant-based chicken is extremely affordable. The ingredients are not only accessible, but budget friendly.

Similar Seitan Recipes to Try Next

• Peppery Chicken Skewers with Fresh Corn & Ranch Dip
• Quinoa Salad with BBQ Seitan
• Vegan Hot Sesame Popcorn Chicken Bites
• Seitan & Mushroom Meat
• Vegan Cheesy Pesto Toast with Seitan Chicken

Easy Vegan Chicken Recipe

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★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Liv B
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 2-3 servings

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Description

This basic vegan chicken recipe is going to become your go-to for all of your vegan chicken alternative needs. Chop it into smaller pieces and make vegan chicken nuggets or keep it in larger patties and make vegan chicken burgers. Have this vegan meat substitute ready in no time.

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Ingredients

SEITAN:

• 1 cup vital wheat gluten
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp chickpea flour
• 3/4 – 1 cup vegan chicken broth or vegetable brothBREADING:
• 1/2 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp paprika salt & pepper to tastePLUS:
• 2–1/2 cups broth for simmering
• oil for frying

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Instructions

1. Whisk together seitan dry ingredients until combined. Add broth and stir until it forms a dough ball.
2. Knead a few times with your hands until dough has no dry spots.
3. Add rest of broth to instant pot. Rip off chunks of seitan and add to pot. Cook on “manual” for 15 minutes. Once it is done, quick release steam.
4. Meanwhile, whisk together breading ingredients. When seitan is done, toss in the breading mixture until coated.
5. Head a large frying pan with oil. When hot, add seitan and fry a few minutes per side until crispy and golden brown. Remove from pan and plate into a paper towel-lined bowl to remove excess grease.
6. Enjoy!

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes