Vegan Fried Chicken

KFC-style vegan fried chicken made with meaty chicken seitan.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword KFC-style vegan fried chicken, seitan fried chicken, vegan fried chicken

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 10

Servings

Calories 283kcal

1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup not chick'n broth (to mix with the dry ingredients to form a dough)
1-3 tablespoons water or broth to ensure that all of the dry ingredients are hydrated

1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon creole seasoning (or a few dashes of cayenne pepper and 1/2 tsp of salt)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Measure the dry ingredients (wheat gluten, flour, garlic powder, onion powder, poultry seasoning, and salt) into a large glass bowl and stir until well combined.
Stir in 1 cup vegan broth with a silicone spatula, then knead by hand until all the flour is incorporated. (You may need to add an additional tablespoon or two of water to incorporate all the flour.)
When the dough is firm and rubbery, bring 3 cups broth and 3 cups water to a boil. Rip off a handful of dough, form it into a drumstick shape, then place it in the hot broth. (It will expand when cooked, so make the pieces smaller than the final size you want.)
Cover with a lid, turn the heat to low, and simmer at a slow boil for 35 minutes. Then turn off the heat and allow it to cool for about 1/2 hour.
Transfer the cooked seitan, along with the liquid, to a lidded container and store in the fridge until ready to use. (You can use it immediately, but it will be firmer and more meat-like the next day.)

Make the wet batter: Put 1/2 cup plant-based milk in a shallow bowl with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon hot sauce. Stir and let sit for at least 5 minutes to thicken.
Make the dry batter: In a separate bowl, mix 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/4 cup cornmeal, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp Creole seasoning, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and white pepper.
Once the seitan has cooled enough to handle, place the faux chicken pieces in a colander and press down a few times to drain excess broth.
Preheat the oil to 370°F (187 °C) in a deep fryer or a pan over medium heat. (Use a thermometer or test a small mushroom to make sure you have the correct temperature. They should bubble as soon as they hit the oil and turn golden brown after about 2-3 minutes of cooking.)

Dip the drained faux chicken pieces into the milk solution and then into the flour mixture, and coat them well. Then quickly dip the chicken back into the milk solution and coat them a second time with the dry flour mixture. Set aside until all the pieces are ready to fry.

Add the breaded chicken to the hot oil and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until the bubbling slows and the chicken turns golden brown. (Fry in small batches so they have enough room to float in the oil without touching.)
Lift the fried chicken out of the oil with a skimmer basket or tongs, then cool on paper towels. Repeat until all of the chicken pieces are cooked. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

Make sure your oil is around 370°F before frying. If the oil temperature gets below 325°F, the chicken will absorb too much oil and get soggy.
Fry in small batches to keep the pieces from sticking together and to avoid dropping the oil temperature too much. Check the oil temperature between batches to ensure it's at the proper frying temperature each time.
For lightly battered fried chicken, dip in the milk mixture, then in the flour mixture once. For a thicker coating, dip the coated chicken back into the milk mixture and flour mixture a second time for a thicker, crispy coating.