Crispy Vegan Fried Chicken Fingers with Seitan
by Olivia Biermann
on Feb 27, 2025 (updated Nov 24, 2025)
Finally! Vegan chicken fingers that are irresistibly crispy and delicious. This homemade seitan is easy and quick to make, using vital wheat gluten and simple seasonings, then pan-fried to golden perfection.
It’s no secret that Greg and I love a good mock meat! Over the years we have tested and posted many vegan meat recipes. Today, I wanted to share my favourite basic fried chicken fingers. They have a delicious golden and crisp exterior and a meaty interior that will have you coming back for more. Not to mention they are the PERFECT pairing to our famous buffalo sauce!
Classic fried chicken is often made by breading the chicken with buttermilk and a mixture of flour and spices. Our super speedy seitan chicken uses an Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) and therefore only takes 15 minutes to cook! Then, it’s dipped in a dairy-free homemade vegan buttermilk and dredged in flour and seasonings. Finally, we pan-fry it for the crispiest, most delicious fried chicken alternative!
What is seitan?
Seitan is a vegan mock meat made with vital wheat gluten, seasonings and broth. You can buy seitan at the store, or make your own, which is our preference! It’s cheaper, and so easy to do.
Okay then, what is vital wheat gluten?
Vital wheat gluten is a flour-like powder that’s made from the protein found in wheat (called gluten). It is often used in vegan recipes to make meat substitutes. It’s an essential part of this recipe and unfortunately cannot be substituted for anything else.
We use vital wheat gluten a lot in our recipes! We especially love using it to make vegan steak!
Alternative cooking method (no Instant Pot):
I don’t love that most seitan recipes take over an hour to make, so my tried-and-true method uses an Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker for the quickest seitan. I personally do not have the time or patience for those intricate, lengthy recipes! My version takes a minute to stir together, and 15 minutes in the Instant Pot. If you do not have an Instant Pot, you can simmer your seitan in a pot of broth on the stovetop for 40 minutes.
What is vegan chicken broth made of?
I use vegan chicken broth in this recipe for the most realistic chicken flavour. It’s essentially a vegetable broth, made with the same seasonings as typical chicken broth, making it taste like chicken without actually containing any meat! You can sometimes find it at grocery stores, along with chicken-less bouillon cubes. I have also found a vegetarian chicken stock powder at my local bulk foods store, which was so exciting to me!
Liv’s Cooking and Storing Tips:
- Make sure to use a neutral-tasting heat-safe oil for frying. I like corn oil or canola oil.
- Don’t be afraid to use lots of seasoning in the breading mixture, as this will give your chicken fingers a lot of flavour! And, serve with a delicious dipping sauce like sweet and spicy bang bang sauce, or vegan Big Mac sauce .
- These chicken fingers are best served the day-of. However, if you have leftovers you can store them in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze in a ziplock bag or airtight container up to 3 months. To reheat (from fresh or frozen) simply throw them in the air fryer or oven at 375 degrees F for about 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
Crispy Vegan Fried Chicken Fingers with Seitan
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 chicken fingers
Description
Finally! Vegan chicken fingers that are irresistibly crispy and delicious. This homemade seitan is easy and quick to make; using vital wheat gluten and simple seasonings, then pan-fried to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Seitan Chicken:
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp chickpea flour
- 4 cups vegan chicken broth, divided
Vegan Buttermilk:
- 1/2 cup soy milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Breading:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp oregano
Instructions
- Whisk together seitan dry ingredients until combined. Add 1 cup of vegan chicken broth and stir until it forms a dough ball. Knead a few times with your hands until dough has no dry spots.
- Add remaining broth to an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Rip off chunks of seitan (I do 8 pieces) and form flat “chicken finger” shapes with your hands (note: it will expand as it cooks) and add to pot. Cook on “manual” for 15 minutes. Once it beeps, manually release steam.
- In a shallow bowl, combine soy milk and lemon juice. In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together flour and seasonings.
- Dip a piece of seitan in the buttermilk, then in the flour, covering until completely coated. Transfer back to the buttermilk, and then back to the flour. Double battering the seitan makes the coating extra crispy.
- Add a few inches of heat-safe oil to a pot or deep frying pan and heat to 350 degrees F (you can use a thermometer for safety). When hot, add a piece of breaded seitan and fry a few minutes per side, until crispy and golden brown. Remove from pan and add to a paper towel-lined bowl or cooling rack to drain excess oil. Repeat with remaining seitan.
- Serve with your favourite sauce as a dip and enjoy immediately.
Can these be cooked in the air fryer?
Yes I have used the air fryer before! Once breaded, spritz with oil and air fry 🙂
This recipe is a gem! I found it a month ago and have made it 3 times. I have been making my own seitan steaks for years but never found a chkn one I loved…until now! I make a batch and I only fry what I am eating that night. One batch makes 4 dinners for me. Thank you for a great simple easy delicious recipe!!
Delicious recipe! I’ve been making seitan for a few years and this one is a keeper. This recipe made 3 dinners for me ❤️