Vegan Nashville Hot Chicken brings all the bold, spicy, craveable flavor of the original, without the meat. These crispy seitan patties are fried (or air-fried) to perfection, slathered in fiery homemade sauce and served on a bun with slaw and pickles.
This may be my favorite recipe to date. I am not much of a spice person, but this vegan hot chicken is absolutely incredible.
It's bold and spicy. But when served with a bun, pickles, coleslaw, and mayo, it's perfectly balanced.
It's crunchy and crispy and delicious (whether you deep fry or air fry!).
AND I love that it's still packed with protein. I love vegan versions of classic foods, but it's frustrating when they have little nutritional value. With seitan chicken, this vegan Nashville hot chicken sandwich is high in protein and still delicious!
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What is Nashville Hot Chicken?
Nashville hot chicken is a Southern fried chicken dish known for its crispy coating and hot glaze. Traditionally, it's deep-fried, then brushed with a spicy oil mixture. It's often served on white bread with pickles to balance the intense spice.
This vegan version is made with my homemade seitan chicken, fried or air-fried until crispy, then coated in a hot and smoky vegan version of the sauce. It's just as bold and protein-packed as the original!
Why You'll Love This Vegan Nashville Hot Chicken
- Vegan & optionally oil-free - this hot chicken is made with seitan and can be deep-fried for the classic flavor or air-fried for a lighter version
- Cookout favorite - a hot summer day and an extra hot burger (with a glass of homemade lemonade of course) is a delightful meal
- Packed with flavor - Spicy, savory, sweet & tangy all in one bite.
- Comfort food classic - A nostalgic Southern favorite made plant-based
- Meal prep friendly - the seitan patties and sauce can be prepped ahead of time
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Seitan Chicken
- Vital Wheat Gluten: the ingredient that packs all the protein! Vital wheat gluten is available in the baking aisle near other types of flour.
- Nutritional Yeast: nutritional yeast is a spice that has a cheesy flavor. The chicken don't taste cheesy but the nutritional yeast helps create a deeper flavor
- Spices: poultry seasoning, basil, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and chili powder.
- Water: water helps create the right texture
- Soy Sauce: for the right amount of salt
- Ketchup: look for a no-added sugar ketchup
- Liquid Smoke: this is my secret ingredient in many meat recipes that I turn vegan. Liquid smoke adds a smoky flavor and helps deepen the overall flavor of the chicken. Find liquid smoke in the grocery store near the condiments
Breading & Frying
- Non-Dairy Milk: I used soy milk but any non-dairy milk will work
- Hot Sauce: I used Frank's Red Hot Sauce
- Flour: any flour will work, I used regular all purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Kosher Salt
- Paprika: this helps create a reddish color for the chicken
- Baking Powder
- Frying Oil: like canola, vegetable, or peanut oil. If you don't want to fry your chickens I have oil-free, air fryer instructions below.
Nashville Hot Sauce
- Hot Sauce: I used Frank's Red Hot Sauce
- Agave or Maple Syrup
- Spices: onion powder, kosher salt, paprika, black pepper
- Frying Oil: you can use oil from the frying pan or fresh oil. For oil free, use apple cider vinegar instead
To Serve: burger buns, pickles, vegan coleslaw, vegan mayonnaise
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2. Make the seitan chicken. In a large bowl mix together the chicken dry ingredients, then add the water, soy sauce, ketchup, and liquid smoke and mix with a fork, and then your hands, until a dough is formed.
Step 3. Divide the seitan dough into 8 flat patties - use your hands to flatten as much as possible. Place on the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes.
Step 4. Prepare the breading. In a medium bowl mix the milk and hot sauce. In a second medium bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, paprika, and baking powder.
Step 5. Double bread the chicken. Use the wet-hand dry-hand method to bread - use one hand for the wet mixture, then use the other hand for the dry mixture. Dip each piece of cooked seitan chicken into the milk mixture, then into the flour, then transfer back into the milk, and back into the flour. (If air frying, coat each piece of chicken in the liquid mixture a third time.)
Step 6. Fry the chicken. Heat the oil in a large, deep pot or skillet to 350°F. Fry the chicken in batches of 2-3 pieces at a time. Cook for 3-4 minutes on first side, then flip and fry 3 minutes more. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.If air frying, heat your air fryer to 400°F and cook for 7-10 minutes.
Step 7. Mix the sauce. In a medium bowl mix together the sauce ingredients. You can (carefully) use frying oil from your pan or fresh oil.
Step 8. Coat each piece of fried chicken in the hot sauce.
Step 9. Serve on a burger bun with vegan mayo and pickles and coleslaw.
Pro Tip: Toast your buns for extra crunch and flavor.
Serving Suggestions
Nashville hot chicken sandwiches are usually served with coleslaw - try my vegan oil-free coleslaw (feel free to use regular vegan mayo instead) or my red cabbage slaw for a colorful twist.
Along with slaw, classic Nashville hot chicken sandwich is served on a bun with pickles, and mayo. Feel free to switch it up and serve on a salad or over a grain bowl.
Pro Tip: mix extra hot sauce into the slaw or spread it on the bun for even more kick.
FAQ & Expert Tips
Yes! This is a great way to cut down on prep time. Store cooked and cooled patties in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to two months.
Traditionally, Nashville hot chicken gets its signature heat from a cayenne pepper-infused hot oil that's brushed on after frying, ensuring bold, layered flavor.
For this version, we use hot sauce that's mixed with a few tablespoons of frying oil.
Yes! Use an air fryer or oven-bake the patties, then brush them with sauce afterward so you still get that crispy, spicy finish. Full instructions in the recipe card below!
Nashville hot chicken is coated in a hot sauce after frying, giving it a distinctive heat and fiery red color.
Seitan is a meat substitute made from vital wheat gluten. Various seitan recipes can be made from vital wheat gluten by varying the spices and cooking method.
Vital wheat gluten basically a flour like substance that is primarily protein. This is what makes the chicken so high in protein!
Recipe Prayer
Thank you God for tasty recipes that we can make vegan. Allow this food to nourish our bodies and care for creation. Amen.
More high-protein vegan mains
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Nashville Hot Chicken
Ingredients
Seitan Chicken
- 240 Grams Vital Wheat Gluten
- 30 Grams Nutritional Yeast
- 1 Tablespoon Dried Basil
- 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Poultry Seasoning
- 1 Teaspoon Paprika
- ⅛ Teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 Cup Water
- ¼ Cup Soy Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Ketchup
- ½ Teaspoon Liquid Smoke
Breading & Frying
- 1 Cup Non-Dairy Milk I used soy milk
- 2 Tablespoons Hot Sauce
- 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
- ¼ Cup Cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 4 Cups (1 Quart) Neutral Oil like canola, vegetable, or peanut oil; see notes for oil-free/non-fried option
Nashville Hot Sauce
- 3 Tablespoons Hot Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Agave or Maple Syrup
- 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Paprika
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Frying Oil for oil free, use 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
To Serve
- 8 Burger Buns
- Vegan Coleslaw
- Vegan Mayonnaise
- Pickles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the seitan chicken. In a large bowl mix together the chicken dry ingredients, then add the water, soy sauce, ketchup, and liquid smoke and mix with a fork, and then your hands, until a dough is formed.
- Divide the seitan dough into 8 flat patties - use your hands to flatten as much as possible. Place on the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the breading. In a medium bowl mix the milk and hot sauce. In a second medium bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, paprika, and baking powder.
- Double bread the chicken. Use the wet-hand dry-hand method to bread - use one hand for the wet mixture, then use the other hand for the dry mixture. Dip each piece of cooked seitan chicken into the milk mixture, then into the flour, then transfer back into the milk, and back into the flour. (If air frying, coat each piece of chicken in the liquid mixture a third time.)
- Fry the chicken. Heat the oil in a large, deep pot or skillet to 350°F. Fry the chicken in batches of 2-3 pieces at a time. Cook for 3-4 minutes on first side, then flip and fry 3 minutes more. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.If air frying, heat your air fryer to 400°F and cook for 7-10 minutes.
- Mix the sauce. In a medium bowl mix together the sauce ingredients. You can (carefully) use frying oil from your pan or fresh oil.
- Coat each piece of fried chicken in the hot sauce.
- Serve on a burger bun with vegan mayo and pickles and coleslaw.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
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