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!

These vegan chicken nuggets are made without artificial additives or preservatives. They really are out of this world! I absolutely love how they turn out so crisp on the outside but tender on the inside.

Actually, vegan nuggets are a great way for kids to start eating more greens, as well as to understand that healthier food doesn't have to be boring. Truly something else!

How to make vegan chicken nuggets

• 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 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. Finally, dip it into the crumb mixture and roll it around until fully coated.
• 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 towels. Let them cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
• Serve your vegan chicken nuggets immediately.

Ingredients and tips

• Water.
• Textured vegetable protein.
• Soy sauce or tamari: to make these vegan nuggets I used soy sauce, but tamari is a good gluten-free alternative. If you don't consume soy, coconut aminos is a great substitute. You could also add the same amount of water or vegetable stock and add more salt.
• Nutritional yeast: if you can’t find it, you could also use brewer’s yeast. However, nutritional yeast is the best choice for these vegetarian chicken nuggets.
• Garlic powder.
• Onion powder.
• Chicken seasoning: you can either use it homemade or store-bought.
• Liquid smoke: this ingredient is optional, but it will make your vegan chicken nuggets taste even better!
• Ground black pepper: fresh ground black pepper tastes amazing. However, I find the store-bought version to be more convenient and also easier to measure with a teaspoon.
• All-purpose flour: I’ve only made my vegetarian chicken nuggets using all-purpose flour, but you could probably 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.
• Bread crumbs: use gluten-free bread if needed.
• Salt: I used ionized salt, but any kind of salt will do.
• Unsweetened plant milk: any type of unsweetened plant milk will work with these vegan nuggets, but soy milk is my favorite one for this recipe.
• Apple cider vinegar: you could also use white vinegar or lemon juice instead.
• Neutral-flavored oil: I used canola oil, but pretty much any type of oil will work.
• Feel free to serve them with ketchup, bbq sauce, or your favorite sauce.

What are vegan chicken nuggets made of?

Vegan chicken nuggets can be made with any kind of vegan ingredients, as well as artificial additives and preservatives, especially if they are store-bought.

That's why the best part of making your own vegetarian chicken nuggets yourself is that you know exactly what they are made of and can customize the recipe to taste.

Looking for more vegan meat recipes?

• Vegan Chicken
• Vegan Steak
• Soyrizo
• Vegan Sausage
• Chipotle Sofritas

Did you make these vegan chicken nuggets?

Please leave a comment below, share it, or rate it. You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST. I’d love to see what you cook!

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: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 28 nuggets

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Ingredients 

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½x1x2x

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

• ▢ ½ cup unsweetened plant milk, I used soy milk
• ▢ 1 and ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

For frying

• ▢ Neutral-flavored oil, I used canola oil

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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

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below and let me know how it was!

Course: How to, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Author: Iosune Robles