Add 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup cornmeal, 2 tbsp corn starch, 1 tsp nutritional yeast, 2 tsp seasoning, 3/4 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt (if using salt-free seasoning) to a mixing bowl.
Stir the dry ingredients until well mixed.
Prepare the vegan chicken
For soy curls
If using soy curls, rehydrate 2 cups of them in 1 cup of vegan chicken-style broth, like “Not Chick’n.” Allow them to soak up the liquid for about 5 minutes.
Scoop out with a slotted spoon and toss wet soy curls in the dry coating mixture.
Shake the bowl tossing the soy curls until they are coated in the breading.
For store-bought frozen chicken products
Allow them to thaw until they’re soft.
Dip them into plant-based milk or aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) to wet them so the coating will stick.
Drop them into the bowl of dry ingredients and shake until they are coated in the breading.
For tofu
Drain and press the tofu and cut into the size you want.
Add tofu into the dry breading mixture and toss until well coated.
Cook vegan fried chicken
Deep Fry – This method will give you the most traditional taste and fry the “chicken” evenly.
Set your deep fryer to 370°F (188°C) and wait for it to come up to that temperature.
Add about 1 ½ cups of the breaded “chicken” to the frying basket and lower it into the oil.
Fry for about 3 minutes until it they float to the top, the bubbling decreases, and they are a crispy golden color.
Set on a paper towel to cool and soak up any additional oil.
Pan Fry – This will also work well and taste authentic; however it is a little more difficult to get them evenly cooked.
Put a generous amount of oil in the bottom of a frying pan and turn heat to medium-high. Allow the oil to heat up to 370°F (188°C). (If you don't have a thermometer, take one small piece and test it. Put it in the pan and see if it sizzles and starts to brown after about 3 minutes of cooking).
Place the breaded vegan chicken into the pan using tongs. (It will spatter, and you don’t want to splash the oil).
Fry on each side for about 3-4 minutes until golden brown and turn with tongs until all sides are golden brown.
Set on a paper towel to cool and soak up any additional oil.
Baked – This is definitely a healthier option, but it will not have that authentic fried chicken taste without the oil.
Pre-heat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
Place the breaded chicken on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.
Spray the vegan chicken nuggets with spray oil.
Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 7 minutes.
Flip the vegan chicken and spray with oil again. Bake for another 7 minutes.
Video
Notes
If your vegan “chicken” is wet to start like soy curls, seitan, tofu, or jackfruit, just toss it into the breading mixture.
If it is dry, like a packed chicken strip or chicken patty, dip it into a little plant-based milk, like soy milk, then coat it with the dry mixture.