Makes about 36 nuggets
Photo by Justin Limoges
Oh hi, it’s the perfect vegan chicken nugget recipe. Homemade, crispy and totally worth the effort.
The biggest lie humanity has ever told itself is that chicken nuggets are for kids. Sure, these are kid friendly and children will absolutely devour them, but let’s not fool ourselves. A plate of vegan chicken nuggets is a perfectly respectable adult dinner.
These took a long time to get right, and they were worth all the experimenting. The result is a nugget with a genuinely shreddy, juicy, meaty texture that pulls apart when you bite into it. Not a dense blob, not a flat patty, but an actual nugget. High protein, completely from scratch, and frankly kind of incredible. If you have been searching for a vegan chicken nugget recipe that gets it, this is the one.
And if you’re wondering if these work as air fryer vegan chicken nuggets…yes! I include directions for stovetop frying and air frying, or you can deep fry if that is your thing.
What makes these vegan chicken nuggets so good?
It’s the combination of ingredients working together. TVP, or textured vegetable protein, is a key player. When rehydrated and worked into the vital wheat gluten, it creates those shreddy, fibrous strands that mimic the pull of a chicken nugget. Navy beans add moisture and richness that keeps everything juicy. The mayo helps with that too. Pea protein adds extra body in a way that’s hard to explain but obvious when you eat one. Together they create a crispy, protein packed nugget that shreds when you bite into it and holds up to its coating and every sauce you’re going to be dipping into.
How do you make vegan chicken nuggets, like really, what am I getting myself into?
It’s more approachable than the ingredient list suggests. Rehydrate the TVP in boiling water, drain it, and let it cool. Mash navy beans into a puree, mix in the wet ingredients and TVP, then add the pea protein and vital wheat gluten. Knead for a few minutes until you have a springy dough. If you’ve made seitan before, you already know what you’re doing. If you haven’t, now is a great time to start.
Divide the dough into six pieces, roll each into a log, and wrap in parchment and foil like little Tootsie Rolls. Steam for 45 minutes. This step builds the texture and shape, and it is easier than forming a bunch of individual nuggets.
Once cool, slice into half-inch pieces, dip in a slurry of water, cornstarch, and flour, coat in seasoned breadcrumbs, and fry until golden.
This recipe makes about 36 nuggets, which sounds like a lot, but do not halve it. Freeze half for later. They reheat beautifully in the oven or air fryer. Or skip breading some of the logs and use them like vegan sausage. Add them to a scramble, pizza, pasta, or a stir fry. Same texture, completely different meal.
So even though there are a few steps here, there’s lots of downtime with things steaming and cooling. Still, set aside about 3 hours for this and finish knitting that scarf or reading Dostoyevsky while you wait.
What is Textured Vegetable Protein?
TVP has entered the chat. It’s dehydrated soy protein and it comes in many shapes and sizes, but we use it in granule form here. The granules are tiny pea-size pieces that are chewy and springy, and they offer a nice meaty bite on their own. High protein, mild flavored, naturally gluten free, and easy to season however you like. I hope you will make it a pantry staple in your household. It’s inexpensive, keeps forever, and is great for bulking up chilis, making meat sauces, and creating the shreddy texture we’re going for in these nuggets. Brands I recommend: Bob’s Red Mill, Anthony’s, and NOW.
What to Dip Vegan Chicken Nuggets In
You cannot have too many dipping sauces. Make a few because they are all easy and dipping is one of the great joys of nugget night.
Dippy Sauce (pictured) — this is the house sauce and it belongs here. Mix together ½ cup vegan mayo, 2 tablespoons mustard, ¼ cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons pickle juice, and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika. Do not skip the pickle juice.
My Favorite Vegan Ranch Dressing — the classic. Herby, creamy, no notes.
Creamy Maple Dijon Dressing — from the Strawberry Feta Salad post. Mustardy and sweet, basically a really good vegan honey mustard. Or equal parts mustard and vegan honey works great too.
Easy BBQ Sauce — smoky, simple, pantry staples only.
Tartar Sauce — Briny and tangy and a little unexpected with nuggets, but it works.
This recipe is from one of my cookbooks. If you want to go deeper on vegan meat making, Fake Meat is the holy grail. Freaky vegan recipes that will confuse friends and family.
FAQ ABOUT HOW TO MAKE VEGAN CHICKEN NUGGETS
What is pea protein and do I really need it? Pea protein is a powder made from yellow split peas and it adds body and a meaty quality to the nuggets. You can find it at natural food stores or online. Worth tracking down for this recipe. And it’s good to have around for other high-protein vegan needs.
Can I bake these instead? You can bake them at 400°F for about 20 to 25 minutes, flipping once halfway through. They won’t be quite as crispy but they’ll still be good.
Can I make these ahead of time? For sure. The steamed logs keep in the fridge for up to 5 days before breading and frying. You can also freeze them after steaming, then thaw, bread, and fry when ready.
Can I freeze the finished nuggets? Yup yup yup. Let them cool completely, freeze in a single layer, then store in a bag. Reheat in a 375°F oven or air fryer until crispy again. It’s so nice to have homemade vegan nuggets ready in the freezer.
Are these gluten free? Nope. Vital wheat gluten is necessary here, sorry 🙁
How did I end up here? You were probably searching for “vegan chicken nuggets,” “homemade vegan nuggets,” or “crispy vegan chicken nuggets.” Maybe “plant based chicken nuggets” or “high protein vegan recipe.” This is the one that gets it right. You’re in the right place.
Crispy Vegan Chicken Nuggets (Chick’n Nuggies)
Ingredients
For the nuggets:
- 1 cup textured vegetable protein TVP
- ¾ cup cooked navy beans
- 1 cup cold water
- ¼ cup vegan mayo storebought or homemade
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 2 tablespoons nooch aka nutritional yeast flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup pea protein
- 1¼ cups vital wheat gluten
For the slurry:
- 2 cups cold water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
For the breading:
- 3 cups dry breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For cooking:
- Safflower or canola oil for frying or spray oil if air frying
Instructions
Rehydrate the TVP:
- Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a small pot. Turn off the heat, mix in the TVP, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes until completely softened. Drain in a fine-mesh strainer and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out any liquid with the back of a rubber spatula. Place in the fridge to cool further before processing.
Make the mix:
- Mash the beans into a puree. Mix in the cold water, mayo, onion powder, garlic powder, tamari, nooch, and salt. Stir in the cooked TVP. Mix in the pea protein and vital wheat gluten, and knead for about 3 minutes into a springy dough. You can use kitchen gloves for this process if you have them.
Form the rolls:
- Prepare six 10-inch squares of aluminum foil and parchment for wrapping. Prepare your steamer. Divide the dough into 6 even-ish pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then mold and roll into about a 6-inch sausage shape. Wrap each piece in parchment-lined foil, twisting the ends like a Tootsie Roll. Don’t worry too much about shaping it — it will snap into shape while steaming.
Steam and cool:
- Place the wrapped chick’n in the steamer and steam for 45 minutes, turning once. They should feel firm to the touch. Let cool completely before proceeding. This can take an hour or so. It’s best to let them cool in the wrapper even though it takes longer.
- Once cool, unwrap each log. Slice into ½-inch pieces, discarding the uneven ends. (Discarding actually means a snack for the chef to eat.)
Prepare the slurry and bread nuggets:
- In a large wide bowl, mix together the slurry ingredients. On a separate large plate, mix the breading ingredients and place it right beside the slurry, with an empty tray next to that for the breaded nuggets. Place a handful of naked nuggets into the slurry. Use your left hand to retrieve a nugget, then use your right hand to cover it in breadcrumbs and toss to coat. Bread all nuggets.
- Stovetop fry method: Have ready paper towels or a paper bag for draining. Preheat a large cast-iron pan over medium heat. Pour in about ½ inch of oil. The oil is ready when a tiny bit of breadcrumbs bubbles quickly when tossed in. In batches, fry the nuggets on one side for about 3 minutes, flipping once and cooking for another 2 minutes, or until beautifully golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain and add more oil as needed between batches.
- Air fryer method: Preheat your air fryer to 375°F. Lightly spray the nuggets with oil on both sides. Air fry in a single layer for about 12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until golden brown and crispy. Work in batches so they have room to breathe.
