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These chicken-less buffalo wings with creamy ranch are perfect for tossing, dipping and sharing. Crispy tofu and mushroom wings are coated in a zingy, homemade dairy-free buffalo sauce, then paired with a cool, herby ranch for the perfect balance of heat and creaminess. Packed with bold flavour and crunch, this crowd pleaser is perfect for game days and weekends at home!

side view of chicken wing being held up on a white background with a buffalo sauce coating.

There’s something wildly satisfying about a platter of buffalo wings. The heat, the crunch and the cooling dip of ranch is the perfect combination. As someone who has been vegan for 9 years and developing recipes for the last 5, I’ve been chasing that same delicious experience!

These vegan wings made of shredded tofu and enoki mushrooms is the closest I’ve come to that same taste and texture. In fact, I was hard pressed to tell the difference from a regular boneless wing! And that’s coming from me – who famously avoids mushrooms.

Greg’s meal prep tip

Mix the tofu & mushroom with the batter ahead of time, then fry when ready to serve. All components can last in the fridge from up to three days – so you never have long to wait for some fresh wings on demand!

It’s all about the texture

The years I spent deep frying one thing after another has taught me this: texture is the most important component when it comes to vegan cooking. Surprisingly enough, finding flavours that match the original counterparts is fairly simple. For example, you’d be pretty hard pressed to find the difference between this vegan buffalo sauce and the real thing.

With this recipe, the enoki mushrooms combine easily with the tofu and wet batter before being fried into golden brown perfection. They’re fibrous and take on the taste of whatever you put them with. To be honest, this recipe has me questioning everything I thought about mushrooms in the past!

overhead view of buffalo wing ingredients laid out on a cutting board, including enoki mushrooms, shredded tofu, spices and batter ingredients.
Gather all ingredients.
shredded enoki mushrooms as seen from overtop on a wooden cutting board.
Peel apart the enoki mushrooms.
wet and dry batters, in two separate bowls on a brown backdrop before coating the buffalo wings.
Combine the wet and dry batters.
overhead view of combined vegan wings, rolled in wet and dry batter and ready for frying, on a brown backdrop and grey plate.
Form the tofu and mushroom mixture into equal size nuggets and roll in dry batter.
overheard view of fried vegan wings on a white plate and brown backgdrop.
Fry until golden!
overhead view of wings being tossed with buffalo sauce in a blue spattered bowl.
Toss with buffalo sauce and serve.

Why these wings have the perfect crunch

A great crust that leads to the perfect crunch does’t just happen by mistake. Getting the right quantity of spices and batter is the key. Here’s what I did to get them perfectly golden before drenching them in buffalo sauce:

  • Use a wet battery slurry before adding to a dry batter for frying. This two-step method makes all the difference for a deeper, thicker golden crust.
  • A blend of spices and whole wheat flour create a darker golden crust. Sometimes you just know it’s going to crunch perfectly with every bite based on the colour of the crust!
  • Get the temperature of the oil right – anywhere between 350 degrees and 375 should make for a quick and easy golden fry.
vegan wings being pulled apart to see the enoki mushroom strands over a white plate and brown background.

Buffalo meets ranch: the perfect combo I didn’t come up with

These wings are great with just about any traditional sauce you can think of (bbq, honey garlic, you know the ones). But I can almost guarantee you won’t find a better combination than buffalo sauce and ranch to dip.

  • Buffalo has the zing and butter-y richness to fire up the taste buds.
  • It’s easy to whisk up in a sauce pan in no time at all, and is a fan favourite!
  • Make in big batches for the ultimate game-day snack.
overhead view of buffalo sauce ingredients still separated in a sauce pan before being stirred.
Add vegan butter, white vinegar, garlic powder and frank’s red hot to a pan.
overhead view of buffalo sauce bring stirred in a small sauce pan.
Stir and let smooth out over heat.
overhead view of wings being tossed with buffalo sauce in a blue spattered bowl.
pour directly onto vegan wings!

Ranch offers the perfect balance to mellow out the intense flavours and heat of buffalo sauce. In my experience of testing these two recipes, ranch does a great job of cooling the tongue, and bringing the calm, herbal notes that balance the dish.

overhead view of ranch sauce ingredients spread on a cutting board, including garlic, dill, parsley and vegan mayonnaise.
gather all vegan ranch ingredients, portioned.
overhead view of ranch sauce ingredients, tossed in a blue speckled bowl before being combined.
add all ingredients into a bowl.
overhead view of ranch sauce dressing fulling combined in a blue speckled bowl.
In less than 5 minutes you have the perfect homemade ranch dressing or sauce!

Reheat, store, and make them last

Like any of the best comfort foods, these vegan chicken-less wings are best served fresh. But if you made yourself a few too many, like I often do – this is what you can do with the leftovers:

  • Store: Once cool, keep in the fridge for up to three days.
  • Reheat: Use an oven or air fryer at around 350 degrees, and skip the microwave to keep them crisp and hot.
  • Freeze for later: If you made a bigger batch, you might want to freeze them on a tray, then an air-tight bag for up to two weeks. Reheat in the oven or air fryer for the best texture.
overhead view of vegan wings tossed in buffalo sauce and dunked in ranch dressing over a white plate on a brown background.
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overhead view of vegan wings tossed in buffalo sauce and dunked in ranch dressing over a white plate on a brown background.

Vegan Buffalo Chicken Wings (No Seitan)

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  • Author: Greg Bellefontaine
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 25
  • Total Time: 45
  • Yield: 8-10 buffalo wings
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: fried
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

These chicken-less buffalo wings with creamy ranch are perfect for tossing, dipping and sharing. Crispy tofu and mushroom wings are coated in a zingy, homemade dairy-free buffalo sauce, then paired with a cool, herby ranch for the perfect balance of heat and creaminess. Packed with bold flavour and crunch, this crowd pleaser is perfect for game days and weekends at home!

Ingredients

The wings:

  • 150g enoki mushrooms
  • 1/4 block of shredded firm tofu
  • 1 1/2 cups flour, divided
  • 2/3 cups plant milk (I used soy)
  • 1/2 panko bread crumbs
  • 2 tsp paprika, divided
  • vegetable oil, for frying
  • salt, to taste

Buffalo sauce:

  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 cup franks red hot sauce
  • 3 tbsp vegan butter
  • 1 tsp garlic powder

1 batch vegan ranch sauce

Instructions

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine 3/4 cup flour, 1 tsp paprika, a pinch of salt and bread crumbs. In a separate shallow mixing bowl, combine the remaining flour, paprika and soy milk and stir until smooth. 
  2. Trim off the heads of the enoki mushrooms, and separate from stem to top by hand. Add the enoki and shredded tofu to the wet batter and mix gently to fully coat. They should easily stick together but not be so wet that you can’t form them into wing shapes.
  3. In the palm of your hand, form the enoki mixture into 8-10 equal size wings. Careful not to make each too big to ensure that they cook throughout. They don’t need to be perfect.
  4. Roll each wing in dry batter until coated fully, and set aside. 
  5. Add 1-2 inches of oil to your frying pan or pot. Heat to 350-375 degrees F. Line a plate with paper towel to catch remaining oil from finished wings.
  6. Once hot, add wings, making sure to leave room in between each so they don’t stick together. Watch carefully and cook until each side is golden brown and crispy. 
  7. Remove from oil and place on prepared plate.
  8. In a mixing bowl, mix together ranch ingredients until smooth.
  9. In a small pot or pan, add buffalo sauce ingredients. Stir and let simmer for 4-5 minutes before removing from heat and adding to a bowl with the wings.
  10. Toss the wings in the buffalo sauce and serve immediately.

Notes

** It can be tricky getting the enoki mixture to form in your hand in your hand, but a quick roll in the dry mixture should help them keep together.

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