Vegan Chicken

5 from 25 votes

This vegan chicken is made with vital wheat gluten aka seitan. It's super flavorful, high in protein and has the perfect 'meaty' texture.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 170kcal

Add the chickpeas, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, coriander powder, sage, vegan chicken spice and dijon mustard to the food processor along with the vegan chicken stock and process until well mixed.
Pour this out into a mixing bowl and add the vital wheat gluten. Stir it in with a spoon and then almost immediately get in there with your hands to mix it properly and knead just a few times. You just want it to go from soft and sticky to just starting to become firm.*
Transfer to a cutting board and flatten it out before cutting into 4 pieces. Wrap these 4 pieces in foil (loosely, they expand while steaming) and place into a steamer and steam for 20 minutes.
When they have finished steaming, let them cool for a few minutes and then unwrap them from the foil.
Cut each piece lengthways down the middle so that you have 8 pieces.
Sprinkle them with vegan chicken spice and rub in with your fingers.
Heat some vegan butter in a pan and then fry the fillets in the butter, turning over regularly until browned and crispy on both sides. Depending on the size of your pan you will likely have to do this in two batches.
Serve with fresh parsley and fresh lemon, and a sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper.

It's okay if there is a little vital wheat gluten left at the bottom of the bowl that doesn't mix in. Definitely don't knead too long just because you're trying to get everything mixed in.
I used 1 Tablespoon vegan butter per batch and I fried them up in 2 batches, you might want to use more or less, you can also substitute for oil but I really like the flavor blend with vegan butter.
Leftover vegan chicken can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to a week. It's also freezer friendly for up to 3 months. After steaming, unwrap them and let them cool completely and then freeze. Thaw in the fridge and then rub with spices and fry as usual.