There are so many vegan chicken alternatives out there but if you’re looking for something homemade because you don’t have access to store-bought alternatives, you don’t like all of the artificial additives, you want to save money, or you just want to experiment with making it yourself, this is the recipe for you!
This recipe is almost 10 years in the making. I’ve been vegan for almost a decade and I’ve had lots of vegan chicken in those years. This is the best.
Vital wheat gluten can be a tricky ingredient to work with. It is used in many vegan protein recipes but can sometimes come out with the wrong texture or flavour. Follow this recipe to get the best out of your vital wheat gluten.
Related Recipe: Vegan KFC Chicken
Best Vegan Chicken
MEAT-FREE | VEGETARIAN
This recipe is the culmination of all of my favourite aspects of every vegan chicken alternative I’ve ever made. It has tofu, jackfruit, no-chicken bouillon and vital wheat gluten. All of these things make the sum of something amazing.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE BEST VEGAN CHICKEN:
- Firm tofu
- Vital wheat gluten
- Young green jackfruit in water or brine (Canned)
- No-chicken-style vegetable broth or bullion (Double Strength is preferred)
- Nutritional yeast
- White miso paste
- Liquid smoke
- Onion powder
- Tahini
- Sea salt
- Poultry seasoning
- Water
KITCHEN EQUIPMENT I USED:
- High-Speed Blender
- Measuring Utensils
- Stand Mixer
- Aluminum Foil
- Sealable Container
- Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot (optional)
- 1¾ cup vital wheat gluten
- 1-350g package of firm tofu, drained & rinsed
- 1 20-ounce can young green jackfruit in water or brine, drained and rinsed
- ⅔ cup no-chicken-style vegetable broth or bouillon , double-strength
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp onion powder
- ¼ cupnutritional yeast
- ½ tsp liquid smoke
- 2 tbsp white miso paste
- 2 tsp poultry seasoning
- 6-8 cups water, for cooking
- To a high-speed blender add tofu, jackfruit, no-chicken broth, tahini, sea salt, onion powder, nutritional yeast, poultry seasoning, liquid smoke, and white miso paste. Blend on high until smooth.
- Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and add vital wheat gluten. Using a flat paddle, knead on low speed until it starts to look like a dough, about 5 minutes.
- Stop and swap out the paddle for a dough hook and knead at a low speed (speed 2) for at least 20 minutes. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky with a fibrous texture.
- Divide in half.
- Shape the halves into an oval “log” and place it in the center of a large square of foil. Roll it tight, twisting up the ends like wrapped candy. Wrap in a second layer of foil and make sure everything is TIGHT. Repeat with the second “log”.
- Fill a pressure cooker with 6-8 cups of water, and add both wrapped “logs”.
- Cook for 45 minutes under pressure.
- Release the pressure and remove the seitan rolls from the cooker and let them cool completely.
- (Alternatively, you can steam them for 1 hour, if you do not have access to a pressure cooker.)
- Remove the logs from the foil and transfer to a Tupperware container, cover and allow to sit for a minimum of 4 hours to allow the fibres to develop further.
- Pull the seitan chicken into the chicken breast or bite-size pieces, or shred and use marinades, seasonings, or batter to customize the chicken to any dish.
Hi! I’m Candice aka The Edgy Veg! I veganize popular food recipes for vegans, plant-based diets, eco-conscious eaters & people who are trying to eat more plants over… y’know animals or by-products of animals. I hope you enjoy this tasty vegan recipe!
Looking For More Vegan Meat Alternative Recipes?
- Best Vegan Lobster Roll
- High Protein Vegan Ground Beef
- Vegan Ceviche
- Carrot Bacon
- Vegan Fish and Chips
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This is a really niche Question but do you have any suggestions for substitutes if you needed to omit gluten? I would use it but my stomach is sadly not on board. 😢
Unfortunately, there is nothing I’ve found to replace the gluten in seitan. Sorry
do you have to use tin foil ? Is there a way around using it
It needs to be wrapped tightly in order to steam properly. I don’t see an alternative to this, sorry
Can’t have wheat gluten
That’s what the recipe is made from. I have lots of gluten free recipes on the site!
This makes the perfect batch to enjoy right away and freeze the rest. One of the best vegan chickens to date! I made mine into nuggets and my kids didn’t know the difference.
One serving is 1,503 mg Sodium. No way I would eat it. It does look good though.
Adjust to your specific wants, I recommend doing what’s best for you and adjusting the recipe accordingly
This recipe makes quite a lot. Can it be frozen?
I was excited to see this recipe, but then I saw how much sodium and it’s a definite NO for me! 1503 mg is way over the top for a single serving! I may try it without the sea salt and miso, and a very low sodium broth.
Definitely adjust to your personal preference! This is less sodium than a traditional fast-food chicken meal but may be more than you like to have in your diet.
Hi Candice, I’m wondering how this recipe would freeze? It looks wonderful and I’d love to be able to just take some out the freezer and throw in whatever I’m making!
Freeze before the final cooking step then thaw and cook as normal before serving!
If you steam chicken logs instead of using a pressure cooker, do you leave off the foil wrap?
I would keep the foil on for steaming
Candice! this recipe is amazing! I’m using it today to make chicken and waffles for brunch!