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Square photo of some vegan chicken nuggets
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4.50 from 2 votes

Vegan Chicken Nuggets

Vegan chicken nuggets, crisp on the outside but tender on the inside. They are mouthwatering, flavorful, and wonderful for kids to enjoy!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: How to, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 28 nuggets
Calories: 94kcal
Author: Iosune Robles

Ingredients

For the vegan chicken nuggets

  • 1 and ½ cup water hot
  • 1 cup textured vegetable protein
  • ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari
  • 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon chicken seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke optional
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour

For the coating

  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour

For the batter

  • 1 and ¼ cup bread crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the vegan buttermilk

For frying

  • Neutral-flavored oil I used canola oil
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Add the hot water, textured vegetable protein, and tamari to a mixing bowl. Stir until well combined and let it rest for at least 15 minutes.
  • Transfer to a food processor and add all the remaining ingredients. Blend until well combined. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour. If you don’t have a food processor, you can mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, but the texture will be better if you use a food processor.
  • Separate the dough into 28 vegan chicken nugget pieces.
  • Take one piece, dip it into the flour, shake off all the excess, and dip into the buttermilk (shake off the excess as well). Finally, dip it into the crumb mixture and roll around until fully coated. Repeat with all the remaining pieces.
  • Heat the oil in a large pot.
  • Fry the vegan chicken nuggets in the oil until golden brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon, then drain the pieces on a wire or paper towel. Let them cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
  • Serve your vegan chicken nuggets immediately with ketchup, bbq sauce, or your favorite sauce. 
  • Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

  • If you can’t find nutritional yeast, you could also use brewer’s yeast. However, nutritional yeast is the best choice to make these vegetarian chicken nuggets.
  • Feel free to either use homemade or store-bought chicken seasoning.
  • I’ve only made my vegan nuggets using all-purpose flour, but I think you could also use a different type of flour. However, you may need to adjust the amount of it. Use a gluten-free flour blend for a gluten-free version of this recipe.
  • Any type of unsweetened plant milk will work with these vegan nuggets.
  • You can also use white vinegar or lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar.
  • Prep time doesn’t include the time you need to let the textured vegetable protein soak in hot water.

Nutrition

Serving: 1nugget | Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 16.9g | Protein: 5.6g | Fat: 0.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 254mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 0.7g