This pan fried vegan chicken recipe is so, so tasty. It’s one of our absolute favorite dinner recipes. Tender, juicy, and packed with protein, it’s a recipe the whole family will love.
A vegan chicken recipe with hearty texture
This pan fried vegan chicken is the bee’s knees.
I don’t generally miss meat after having been vegan for so long, and I don’t usually enjoy the replacement meats that are a little to close to the real deal. (Bleeding plant based meat?! What?!)
But I am still happy these alternatives do exist for people that rely on them to remain vegan and still feel satisfied.
That being said, it’s not that hard to make some pretty tasty vegan chicken from home… Or any meat for that matter!
The plant based chicken for sale at the store can be loaded with weird ingredients, and if it’s not, it usually costs an arm and a leg.
I had to find a way to make a good, flavorful meat substitute from home. I can’t be spending $8.50 on a small pack of processed plant meat.
Vegan chicken seemed to have the strongest demand among my family and friends, so here it is! A good vegan chicken recipe that can stand alone as a meal with plenty of protein and flavor.
Can’t compromise on these ingredients
There’s a big reason I think this vegan chicken recipe is so much better than a lot of the online recipes I’ve experimented with.
It’s not just a ball of gluten and soy.
I don’t know about you, but eating seitan (aka wheat meat) is usually not very nutritionally rounded and can have a thicker, more dense texture than actual meat. Don’t get me wrong, it’s super tasty and is great to slice for salads, sandwiches, and pasta dishes. But, it’s not the greatest to eat on its own… At least not in my opinion.
This time, I tried to cut back on the gluten as much as possible. That’s why this recipe primarily calls upon the magical ingredient: TVP.
TVP, or textured vegetable protein, adds a meatier texture and a better nutrient content to the chicken. It makes the chicken so tender, I can easily break it up with a fork.
I also recommend using the Better Than Bouillon “no chicken” base for this, as it does add a ton of flavor.
If you read my last post, you already know how much I love this stuff, so I won’t go to crazy on it this time.
And I got the idea to use ground flax seeds to make a flax egg so that I would have something to help bind the meat together other than gluten.
The secret to juicy vegan chicken
Once you mix up your vegan chicken “dough” and shape it into individual chicken breasts it’s time to steam it.
Steaming it is super crucial. I’ve tried it without, which only caused the chicken to break apart and lack any real juiciness.
Juiciness is key, right?
Wrap each breast up in foil and place them in a steamer basket or colander over boiling water for a good 25 – 30 minutes before pan frying them.
If you’re trying to save on fat and don’t mind a skinless chicken breast, this would be a great stopping point for you.
You can experiment with baking them at 350° after breading instead of pan frying for a healthier option. I have yet to try this, but as soon as I do, I’ll post a little update here about it.
Panko adds a crispy crust
Panko breadcrumbs are very important to give this vegan chicken a crispy outside crust. I love the contrast between the crunchy outside and the tender, juicy inside.
(haha, the amount of times I’ve said “tender” and “juicy” in this post astounds me…)
You can also try this with regular breadcrumbs or whole wheat bread crumbs if your trying to be healthier. I’m sure it will still taste amazing, just less crunchy on the outside.
Our favorite dipping sauces
This vegan chicken pairs well with pretty much any sauce or gravy I can think of. Here’s a couple that come to mind:
- vegan ranch
- ketchup
- honey mustard, stone ground mustard, spicy hot mustard
- gravy
- BBQ sauce
- pesto
- vegan fry sauce
- sweet chili sauce
Honestly, you can’t go wrong.
Also, I was just thinking about some other uses for these. They would be perfect for a vegan chicken sandwich! The texture of the TVP is almost exactly like that.
Ooh, I gotta try that now.
It’s different, It’s special
I’m interested to see what you think since this vegan chicken recipe is so different from a lot of the go to seitan recipes out there.
Contact me if you have any questions or recipe requests. Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments section below, or just say hi.
Post your photos up on social media of your vegan chicken and be sure to tag @alderspirit and use the #alderspirit so I can see them. I would love if you could leave a review and rating if you try this recipe at home.
Pan Fried Vegan Chicken
Ingredients
Vegan Chicken
- 1½ cups TVP (textured vegetable protein)
- 1¼ cups water
- 1½ tsp vegan bouillon (I use "Better than Bouillon")
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 ea. flax egg (1/3 cup water + 1 tbsp ground flax)
- 1/2 cup gluten
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
Breading
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp sage
- 2 tsp thyme
- 1½ tsp rosemary
- 1 tsp marjoram
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/3 cup oil (olive, grape seed, or avocado)
Garnish
- favorite dipping sauce (Ranch, BBQ, Honey Dijon, Ketchup, Mustard, Pesto, etc.)
- fresh herbs (parsley, basil, cilantro, etc.)
Instructions
Vegan Chicken Breasts
- In a small bowl, whisk together water, bouillon, and soy sauce. Dissolve the bouillon completely, massaging with finger tips if necessary.
- Pour the bouillon mixture into a medium saucepan with the TVP. Turn the heat up to medium and cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. You will want all of the moisture to be absorbed, and the TVP to have a tacky, doughy texture.
- In a small cup or bowl, mix together 1 tbsp of ground flax seeds with 1/3 cup of water to create a flax egg. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together gluten, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Once the TVP is done cooking, add it to this gluten mixture along with the flax egg and stir to combine. Mix for 3 minutes to slightly activate the gluten, but not so much as to toughen up the dough.
- Measure about 1/2 cup of this dough and press into a chicken breast shape about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap in aluminum foil and set aside. Repeat with the remaining dough for a total of 5 "chicken" breasts.
- Place a strainer basket over a stock pot of boiling water to create a make shift steamer. Place the aluminum foil wrapped "chicken" breasts in the colander basket and steam for 25 minutes.
- Remove the "chicken" breasts from the heat. Unwrap each breast carefully and set on a tray to bread.
Panko Spice Breading
- Mix together flour and water in a small bowl, making a batter.
- In a separate larger bowl add the panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, sage, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Using your left hand, carefully pick up a "chicken" breast and dip it into the batter. Pick the breast up with the same hand once thoroughly coated and transfer to the breadcrumb mixture. Using your right hand, help spread the mixture to cover the breast completely. Gently pick up the breast with your right hand and dust off any excess bread crumbs. Set aside to pan fry later. Repeat this process until all of the "chicken" breasts have been battered and breaded.
- In a large skillet or sauce pan, heat 1/3 cup of oil over medium – high. Allow the oil 2-3 minute to heat up before proceeding to the next step.
- Using a pair of tongs, place each individual breast face down in the oil. You should immediately here a sizzling sound if the oil is as hot as it should be. Cook on each side for 3-5 minutes, or until evenly golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside on paper towel to drain of excess oil.
- Serve intermediately with your favorite side of sauce and fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Notes
- Be careful when handling the chicken breast before and after steaming. They are fairly delicate and can break somewhat easily if you are rough with them.
These turned out so good! Crispy outsides that are so staisfying to cut into. The flavor is amazing; savory and so very chicken like. These were surprisingly easy to make, and now that I’ve done it once I will definitely be making them again! Perfect with corn and mashed potatoes 🙂
Thank you for making the recipe and leaving a review Mish! I am so happy they turned out great for you.
Can the vegan chicken breasts be frozen?
I made this recipe. It is by far the best faux chicken I have ever had and/or made. Worth the time!!